Shantel ran up the stairs dropping her stuff at the bottom of the wooden staircase. It was her last year of high school and senioritis had hit my daughter harder than a hailstorm on a glass mansion.
"Ok young lady," I hollered after her sarcastically, "you're eighteen now which means you have to pick up your own stuff around here."
I shook my head grabbing her purple bookbag and hanging it on the designated hook on the wall. I walked into the living room and looked at her brother.
James was playing GTA on one of the flat screens and yelling at one of the people he was pulling a heist with. He looked exactly like me when I was young.
Tall, dark, and handsome. We had the same lopsided smile with a deep dimple in our left cheeks, amplified by our smooth chocolate skin. He was two inches taller than me at 6'4 as I was only 6'2. My family was always fit we ran in marathons together and stayed active in most sports.
My son is a wide receiver on his college football team and my daughter was awarded multiple scholarships for her skill as a volleyball player.
I was proud of my children and wish their mom had stuck around long enough to see how they grew into such magnificent human beings.
"Pops you comin we need you on the sticks asap," James looked back at me his fingers moving furiously on the controller.
I handed James his beer and put my headset on grabbing my controller and looking at my screen.
"What was y'all doing?" I ask looking at how terribly this had gone so far, this is the last time we use your friends James."The men on the other side of the headset began yelling about how they know this game and to just hold on. I laughed and shook my head as my son scowled at me.
"Y'all are bout to get killed by the police. What are those fools doing," Shantel's voice came from behind us as she leaned over the back of the couch studying our game.
Without meaning too i glanced at her large breasts. She had grown up to be all the reasons i had been attracted to her mother and it frightened me. She herself was about 5'8 with most of that being her long endless legs. Though we were all fit Shantel had curves like her mother. Her hips were heart shaped and matched the toned slopes of her butt perfectly. She had large plump D sized breasts which I had learned after reluctantly going into Victoria's Secret with her.
The boys were endless in their desperate plight for her affection. However I had raised my daughter well and she focused most of her time on school and sports. As well as them being afraid of both her brother and I as we were very protective of her.
I was happy that my son was handsome and the women he picked up were beautiful but I was not prepared for my little girl to be as stunning as she was and this terrified me.
"They're his friends," I laughed looking back at the tv quickly, "everyone on my crew knows how to drive."
She laughed flinging herself over the couch to sit between us, "Except James. He has always sucked at driving, in video games and real life."
Shantel shoved her brother's shoulder. He scowled and looked away.
"Shut up girl I know how to drive. Just cause I go faster than the speed limit doesn't mean I'm a bad driver. Huh Pops?"
"Well can you go faster than the speed limit now son?"
Shantel laughed leaning against me. I looked down at her and smiled, "See, dad thinks you suck."
I nudged her back laughing with her.
"Y'all suck," James shook his head and noticeably increased his driving speed.
After finishing the heist and collecting our money I hopped off of the couch stretching.
"What do y'all want for dinner?" I asked knowing their answers would be little to no help.
"I'm not picky dad," Shantel batted her long eyelashes at me and smiled. She had a round face with a wide smile like her mother though she didn't get my dimple.
"Do we still have that steak we could do fajitas," James pitched. I rose my eyebrows in surprise not expecting his helpful response.
"Fajitas sound good," Shantel shrugged nodding in agreement with her brother.
I blinked looking at both of my children, "Is it cold in here?"
They both shook their head no looking at me with confused faces.
"Why daddy," Shantel asked.
"I think hell just froze over," I laughed before shaking my head and heading towards the kitchen.
"Nah Pops she's the one who is indecisive," James reached over and began tickling his sister. She laughed squirming beneath his touch. His hands gripped her hips lingering for a second before he pulled away.
I looked at James who side glanced at me then back at the television. What was that, I wondered as I walked into the kitchen.
Shantel lept from the couch and skipped behind me. She had always been a bouncy girl from the time she could walk she seemed to skip instead it was adorable earning her the name Skipper throughout our family.
"I am not indecisive," She pouted, "I just don't need to make decisions when I have two strong men to do it for me."
I shook my head turning a smile in her direction, "What happens when you move out and are on your own. Then what?"
"I'll just call you," She shrugged as we rounded the corner into the Kitchen. I laughed and walked over to the fridge swinging the silver doors open as she pushed herself onto the counter.
"If you call me every time you need to make a decision you might as well not move out."
"That's an option," she nodded her agreement and picked an apple from the fruit bowl on the island beside her.
"Do I get that option Dad," James rounded the corner and leaned against the open wooden threshold.
"No, you already moved," I laid the steaks on the counter and pulled peppers and onions from another bowl next to the cooking utensils, "C'mon y'all make yourselves useful and wash your hands."
Shantel's pouty voice emerged behind me, "Daddy can I wash the dishes instead of cooking."
I turned to look at her, she widened her deep brown eyes and pushed her full bottom lip out towards me. Her lips were beautiful she was beautiful. I blinked turning away from her, "Yea sure."
"Do I get that option," James tried one more time sauntering his long body towards the sink.