Ali had just graduated from college and now she was moving home while she started a new chapter in her life. She kept thinking about her past as she drove the 4 hours home: her mom passing away, going off to college, leaving her dad behind, the thrills of making new friends, the heartbreak of relationships. Finally, she had graduated and was returning to all that was familiar.
Her dad, Mark, greeted her in the driveway. As she stepped out of the car, he gave her a hug and said "Welcome home, honey. I'm so glad you're back." Tears were in his eyes. She knew that it had been extremely hard for him to let his little girl go, especially after his wife died.
Over the next few days, Ali noticed something different about Mark. The way his eyes lingered on her made her uncomfortable. She attributed most of it to her just being overly paranoid. The guys she had dated had turned out to be bastards so it was no wonder that she was wary about ALL males.
Returning home after a full day of job hunting, Ali decided to lounge for a while in front of the television. Mark walked into the room.
"I started some of your laundry. Seems like you had a ton of it."
"Thanks Dad," she said with a smile.