To start off I want to say I am not oblivious to my daughters attraction. To top it off she's not even my biological daughter. Yes, I know it's insane to consider even so but I am still a heterosexual male and I have eyes. I will note that I have always kept things between us familial and never once tried to escalate things further; that is, until one day when I got the biggest shock of my life.
April was home for the holidays from her first semester at college. I could hear her mother and her chatting away as I entered the house just getting off work. We had gotten together just a few years ago. I was thirty-eight and her mom was thirty-three with April herself being just sixteen at the time. I never really tried to impose my father status on her knowing it was the midst of that rebellious age and she would soon be out of the house anyway. The most I did was always try to be there if she ever needed me and to treat her mom with the love and respect I thought she deserved. Needless to say I think that's what helped developed a bond between us. Her real father had left them a few years prior when April was just twelve, her mother never really said why. I always assumed it was something that she'd rather not remember and so always left it at that. The truth of the matter was something I would have never guessed.
"Hey hun look who's here!" Selena, her mother exclaimed as I rounded the corner to the kitchen.
"Hi dad." April acknowledged, turning her head in my direction and giving me a slight smile. Immediately I sensed something was off, as though I was interrupting a tender moment.
"Hey you two. Gotta say this is a surprise, I thought you'd be living it up out on your own to busy for your parents." That was me, always trying to lighten the mood and keep things upbeat.
"Yeah well, guess college isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Just needed some time away to destress and refocus before next semester starts." She looked away as though I could see through her lies which only furthered to enhance my suspicions about trouble just under the surface.
"Oh come on" Selena interjected as she stood and came over to my side to rest on me. "There will be plenty of time for talk later, sweetie why don't you go ahead and get your things put away and we'll all go out to eat, hm, what do you say?"
"Yeah, sounds great." April was the spitting image of her mother. Long, ebony hair that cascaded down her back in dense waves. Her caramel skin the exact shade or her mothers enveloping her. It would be hard to tell them apart if they had ever chosen to dress alike. As she walked away it was inevitable that my thoughts would wander. Her body looked like she had been going to the gym from the way her muscles tensed slightly in her legs or by the definition in her shoulders and arms. She was never a "sporty" girl, enjoying computers and solitary activities over such, which always struck me as odd since I clearly recalled her being somewhat popular so the conclusion she was hitting the gym as an extracurricular was only logical. Her attire didn't help matters any as her white shorts only accentuated the work she had been putting in by making her ass pop and her black tank top not shying away from showing what was underneath. Like I said, I have eyes.
"Well, that was a nice surprise." I lay my jacket over the back of a chair and sit down to relax.
"Eric, I think you may need to have a talk with her. She seems to be having a rough time out there but she won't give me any specifics. Maybe you can try and coax something out of her." One hand holding her other arm just above the elbow as he turned to me, her body facing off in the direction of her daughter in concern.
"Maybe, but I mean, we've never really had that kind of relationship before. Personal problems was always something you two worked out yourselves. Not sure if I'll be any help." I loosened my tie as I relaxed back into the chair and took a drink of the water they had setting out.
"I know" she rubbed her forehead in exhaustion "but would you try, please. Maybe this could be the start of forming that bond."
I stood and embraced her hoping to ease the worry mounting on her more and more. " I'll see what I can do." I spoke softly in her hair while giving her a reassuring kiss. I wasn't sure I could do much.