Josie had returned home for Christmas after spending most of the year away at college. An undergraduate at a prestigious west coast university (where she had a basketball scholarship that in turn enabled her to study vet science) Josie was a vivacious if socially awkward 19 year old. Unwilling to go through all the silliness of fraternity life she had lived off campus by herself in a modest apartment and whilst it was comfortable and clean her first home-away-from-home wasn't where she wanted to be this festive season. She needed to be back home with her family, more specifically her dad Robert and her cat Felix. It was the time of the year when she could relieve some of her homesickness.
Since her mother died when she was only 2 Josie only had her father to bring her up, guide her through school, feed, clothe, protect and most importantly love her. They formed an incredibly tight bond and in many ways were more like friends than father and daughter. There was her Aunt Kathy who sometimes came to stay during school vacations, and when Josie got older helped the young girl learn a few essential facts of life that her father would've felt uncomfortable talking about. Robert (a self-employed builder) was a burly man's man, the kind that usually didn't go into anything that was 'girly'. Yet when it came to his sweet daughter Josie he gave to her lots of pretty things plus most importantly made sure she understood that he would always love her. Secure in this strong paternal bond Josie grew up always at her happiest when she was with her dad.
Being a strong believer in self-improvement and bettering oneself Robert had made damn sure that when Josie's sporting prowess and interest in animals opened a door for a veterinarian's course at a good university on the other side of the country he was under no illusions that he should help his daughter make the leap away from home. Even though it was going to be hard not to have her around the house, brightening his days with her smile, her hugs goodnight and the little girlish hints round the house she gave, Robert accepted that Josie was a growing young woman and needed to find herself. So when Josie finally walked through the front door of their family home on the morning of Christmas Eve he was filled with a great feeling of love for her. Okay, so Felix was wrapping himself around the girl's legs as she struggled with her bags through the door way, the cat obviously pleased to see Josie back, but it was Robert who took the most joy from her return.
Dusting the snow off her heavy jacket the young brunette finally released her luggage and let her father grab her in the big warm embrace she'd not felt for over 8 months. "How's my beautiful girl?" he asked her, drawing back a little so he could see how much Josie had grown. Or perhaps to reassure himself this wasn't a dream, one that he'd been having every day since she told him on the phone she was coming home for Christmas. "You're quite the grown up honey!" Robert enthused, for even though the shapeless pink jacket hide most of her torso Josie's dad could still see that the last few months away had added some feminine curves to his daughter.
"Awww daddy!" Josie sighed as she returned to her father's hugging arms. "I've missed you so much." Then looking down at the purring cat at her feet "Oh yes...I missed you too Felix." The cat meowed a greeting back then slunk off giving his owners some more space. "Daddy...I'm like so happy to be home. Missed the snow, the house, Felix...but most of all...you." Pecking her dad's blushing cheek with a big kiss Josie shuffled reluctantly out of her dad's arms and stripped off her heavy winter jacket. As her father stood somewhat gobsmacked Josie revealed under the coat lay an incredibly tight turtle neck which molded around her sizable bust closer than skin itself could.
"Ummmm...Josie....." Robert stuttered, reaching to pick up his daughter's baggage whilst at the same time letting his eyes stare almost unnaturally at the girl who he had once nursed on his knee, told fairy tales to, tucked into bed each night "I hope you don't mind but I thought you might like your old room. Is that okay honey?" He watched for any opposition from her, either to his ravenous gaze or his proposition and as Josie exclaimed how great it was that "daddy's made my room up...cool!" he smiled whilst breathing a sigh of relief. He wanted this visit from his sweet 19 year old daughter to go perfectly, and even though he was aware of he had stared at his daughter like he shouldn't do he let any guilt wash away under the happiness of his reunion with Josie.
"You go and get freshened up my dear. I got some egg nog on the stove and also some cake if you're hungry. Okay?" Robert trudged through the hallway down to Josie's bedroom whilst she took his advice and visited the bathroom. It had been a long flight and then taxi ride so Josie needed to use the facilities plus she wanted to wash her face and hands before sitting down for some treats. Staring into the bathroom mirror after completing her ablutions Josie considered that she was now far more grown up than when she left her home earlier in the year, and this made her smile with adult pride.
Robert returned from placing Josie's luggage on the bed and floor of her room and walked into the kitchen just as his daughter came back from the bathroom. Aside from the incredibly tight turtleneck she was wearing Levi jeans, sheepskin lined boots and a barrette (which had been hidden under her woollen cap when she first arrived home). Her long black hair fell down to her shoulders and Josie's brown eyes twinkled as she saw her father pouring out two steaming cups of egg nog. The scent of nutmeg, cream, eggnog and something else she couldn't quite identify curled around her like an aromatic cloud, and her happiness transmuted into something almost blissful.
"Now this is your first Christmas as an adult honey," Robert said as he carried the two full cups over to the kitchen table "so I added a little something to the eggnog. If you don't like it I'll understand by I hope you do. Your mother used to love this recipe." At the mention of his long dead wife Robert's voice dropped in volume and he momentarily felt lonely without her. Then just with a reassuring glance from his daughter he felt whole again, full of bonhomie and love. "Here...take a sip."
Josie stood beside her seat and took a tentative sip at the hot thick liquid. Then another. Then another. She faced her now seated father and purred "Ooooohhhh...that's so yummy daddy. I can feel it seeping into me all over as it goes down...making me feel all gooey and warm inside. That's the best eggnog I've ever had!" She beamed at her father, draining the cup and then placed it on the table with a satisfied flourish. Sitting herself down Josie felt like she was positively glowing inside and out, and she wondered of her dad could see that.
"So you liked that honey?" Robert asked rising to grab the saucepan of eggnog, having barely dented the surface of his own mug. "It's all in the special ingredient baby girl...Daddy's own secret recipe."
"What is it dad? Is it something like cinnamon or maybe something to make the eggnog creamier? 'Cause it tasted much richer than what I remember getting at past Christmases."
"I'll tell you later...in the meantime, want some more?" Josie nodded eagerly for a second serve of the delicious drink and her father obliged. Cutting her a slice of thick fruit cake he had on a plate on the table that quickly fell to eating, drinking and chatting. As Christmas Eve morning turned into early afternoon they were still engaged in conversation, having so much to catch up on and so much to share. Felix the cat sometimes mewled for attention from first Josie then Robert and he got what he wanted whether it was a stroke of his ginger fur or a snack, but eventually he wandered back to his favourite sleeping spot.
By early evening Robert and Josie had long moved from the kitchen into the lounge room where Robert had the fireplace stoked for a warming fire, and there in that same room was a simple yet very comfortable three seat fabric-covered sofa near enough to feel the radiant heat. Josie sat on it with the last of her remaining eggnog in the cup on the nearby coffee table, her boots off and her pink-socked feet curled up under her legs. Robert wandered over to his beautiful daughter and then positioned himself on the sofa close enough to smell her skin, her hair, her clothes. Though not touching they were near enough for Robert to put his free arm around his daughter's shoulders as she drained her eggnog. Josie snuggled into her father and sighed a contented yet wordless "mmmmm."
"So. You want to tell me what was in that yummy eggnog daddy?" Josie's turned her face up to her father's gaze, noticing how his beard which in the past was a sheen of black hair was now peppered with a few gray strands. If anything it made him look more dignified than old and reminded her of some of the teacher's she studied under back at school.
"That's a patented secret honey," he laughed "but I'll exchange that with one of your secrets. Okay?" Robert grinned and stroked his daughter's head.
"Okay daddy...what do you want to know?"
"Have you been seeing boys at university Josie?" Robert's face was a strange mixture of happiness and earnestness, and his daughter was just a little confused why he wanted to know this.
"Um...what do you want to know that for dad?" Josie squirm a little as this wasn't quite the kind of conversation she expected. Boys and other stuff associated with that was usually the province of her chats with her father's sister, not with him.
"Well, I'm curious sweetie. And I don't want to think you're either lonely or being bad...if you catch my drift Josie." Robert's attitude seemed a little sterner at the last part of his statement, but he was still smiling and stroking his daughter's head. "Just think of me as a worried old man okay honey."
"You're not old dad," Josie responded "and no need to worry either. No boys in my life." She said the last bit a little less loudly than when she began to speak, and blushed as she gave her father reassurance. "And no...no girls either," at which she laughed "just friends, teachers, the animals in the vet lab and my books daddy. I swear."
"That's my girl....always daddy's huh?" Robert's eyes glistened and he drew his beautiful 19 year old against his side, cuddling her like he did when she was a lot smaller and younger. "And as you've been up front about the boy thing, let me tell you my big secret. Okay?" Taking a sober tone Josie's dad looked intently into her angelic face.
