Jenni hugged herself tightly as she listened to her parents arguing once more. She burrowed deeper into the comforter as she lay in bed. Tears filled her eyes as she listened to her mother scream abuse at her father. She screwed her eyes up trying to block out the sound of her mother's voice casting abuse at her father. She was just nineteen yet at times wished she was younger, wishfully thinking back to her eighteenth birthday party, when her parents were happy and her brother was still alive. She had always been a Daddy's girl, always obedient, cast as the "good child" as her brother was "trouble".
Jenni was 5' 6" and had curves in all the right places. The nipples that topped her full breasts were rose pink and large. She attracted a lot of attention from the boys she was in college with but somehow none of them measured up to her standard. Her father. At 6' 1" dark haired and broad shouldered with slim hips he was everything Jenni physically admired whilst his kind and gentle nature was something Jenni sought in the boys she dated but had not yet found. Jenni had always admired everything about him and now listening to her mother castigate him for something that they all knew wasn't his fault hurt Jenni somewhere deep inside.
She curled up in her bed, her knees tight to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she tried to block out the sounds of the argument from downstairs. And then the crash of the door as her mother stormed out of the house once more in the middle of the night.
Jenni listened to hear what her father was doing, hoping he wouldn't resort to the bottom of a bottle once more, but knowing that since her older brother had been killed in the accident that the bottom of a bottle was where her father found solace. Solace that should have been offered by her mother's arms. But her mother was too busy blaming him for giving the keys of the car to Jon.
Jenni cried gently as she thought of her handsome older brother, Jon. With so much potential and promise he had lost his life to a drunk driver and now her precious father was trying to drink himself to an early grave while her mother just kept running away.
The soft sounds of her father sobbing came up the stairs. Jenni sniffed and wiped her eyes then paused for a moment wondering what to do. Then she slid her long legs from under the comforter and rose from her bed. She was dressed in a pink shortie pyjama set and in her urgency to get to her father, to comfort him as he cried she didn't pause to slide her feet into her slippers and didn't even consider her dressing gown.
She ran down the stairs and found her father slumped in his chair in front of the TV. The sound was off and a movie was playing, the colours and light from the screen the only light in the room. He didn't see Jenni as she stood in the doorway for a moment considering whether she ought to go to him. He looked so sad, so alone and so in need of comfort that she felt her heart clench. She walked to him and slid gracefully to her knees between his sprawled legs. His eyes were closed, hot tears squeezing out through his eyelids and Jenni's heart melted. This was her daddy, her precious daddy and he needed comfort. She reached a hand out tentatively and wiped a tear from his cheek. Her father's eyes sprung open and he jerked in his seat as his hand whipped out and grasped her wrist in a tight clutch.
"Daddy!" Jenni gasped in surprise and pain at his sudden and fierce grasp, "Daddy, you're hurting me!"
There was silence for a long moment as her father looked into her eyes, his hand still grasping her slight wrist in an iron grip. The moment lengthened and Jenni heard her father groan gently. She reached her other hand up to his cheek and stroked it gently. "Daddy, it's ok. I am here Daddy. I am here for you Daddy". He didn't speak but slowly, almost reluctantly, released her wrist as Jenni continued to caress his cheek with her other hand. Her nails cut neatly and polished with a baby pink trailing over his cheek as she moved her hand back and forth over his cheek. Their eyes locked on each other as Jenni murmured softly to him, telling him how much she loved him and how much she wished she could make everything ok with him and her mother, telling him how much she adored him and would do anything to make him smile once more the way he used to. The way they all used before Jon died a year ago.
Her father's eyes burned into hers as she spoke and then slowly, cautiously, he raised a hand to cover Jenni's hand as it stroked his cheek. His voice was low as he spoke, "Anything Jenni? Would you do anything to make your Daddy smile again?"
Jenni nodded hard as she heard his words. "Yes Daddy!!! You know I would!!!" Her blue eyes filled with tears once more as she watched his face, watched emotions she couldn't name flit over his face and fill his green eyes.
"Anything Jenni? Are you sure?" words almost growled as his hand moved to touch her lips. A strong finger tracing the outline of his daughter plump lips as he looked deep into her eyes.
