Chapter 01: A Daughter's Love
"You fucking Idiot!" I hollered angrily at the driver who had just cut me off. In my mind I was thinking of a multiple of ways to rearrange their face to suit my mood.
To say I was having a bad day was an understatement. I'd go into the details, but I'm afraid I'd bore you to tears. A lot of technical jargon that frankly wouldn't change a thing if you even knew what the fuck I was talking about. The fact that I was driving, the direction I was going, and the time of day was reason enough to be in a better mood, but I was having a difficult time switching gears, mentally speaking. There were the problems at work but there were also problems at home. This week had been a rough one between my wife and myself. I was kind of expecting to find my clothes on the front lawn and a note on the door saying the locks had been changed, perhaps not even a note. It wouldn't be the first time we had been at odds with one another, we hadn't 'slept' together since I don't even remember, but that was another way for Carole to control the situation, by not doing anything, her silent denial. I'll admit that this last bad patch was mostly my fault, but she also couldn't forget, much less forgive any past difficulty. Lately she would tell you I've seemed to take her more for granted than I normally do. It's just the problems at work were driving me crazy and I didn't seem to be accomplishing anything either at work or at home.
I was now off the freeway but that didn't lessen the stress of traffic as a car in front of me was T-boned as we were starting thru the light.
"Shit." All I could think about was being late coming home on a Friday evening. I had no thought or concern for the persons in the wreck. I hoped it was the bastard who'd cut me off earlier. All I could think of was the time I would waste waiting for the mess to be cleared before I could continue on my way. I pulled out my cell phone and called home. I didn't get the answer I expected.
"Yeah?!" A man's angry voice snarled into the receiver. My son, Wilson. He was twenty and home for summer vacation.
"Wilson! How're you doing? Is your Mom handy?" I tried to be pleasant.
"I don't see her around. Wait!" A scratching around sound and some mumbled talking.
"Hey Daddy!" A more cheerful voice sounded in my ear. My little pumpkin, Stevette better known as Stevie, my daughter. Eighteen and just out of school, thinking about college but not sure if she wants to go just yet. Less of a conformist and more of a free spirit. More beautiful than even her Mother, she has a youthful exuberance that is contagious and she is always entertaining and funny. My favorite? Maybe. I was assured of a pleasant conversation talking to her, we were simpatico. She was suited to me. Wilson was more like Carole, with their attitudes and likes. It was the way we were split most of the time, Stevie and I and Carole and Wilson paired off when doing anything together.
"Hey Pumpkin! Is your Mom around?" I asked, trying to match her cheerful mood.
There were some noises in the back ground and I could tell by the sounds Stevie was walking around. It got really quiet and I heard a door close.
"Daddy? Listen, Mom is in a real pissy mood! I got home a little while ago and she was arguing with Wilson. I'm not sure what that's all about but now she's up stairs and doesn't want to be disturbed. She was pretty adamant about that!"
"Hum.' My mind trying to discern what might be wrong. 'Honey, I'm stuck in traffic, and I'm going to be late. I'll be home soon and I'll fix everything when I get home. It'll be alright, Okay?" I tried to sound like the rock, but felt more like the chopping block.
"Okay." She didn't sound very convinced. "But you're gonna have your work cut out for you. Daddy? You had better get home soon if you want to see Mom, cause she's leaving for the weekend."
"Where's your Mom going?" I asked, my brain racing trying to remember if she told me about going somewhere this weekend. Nothing! Typical Carole. Off on another weekend spree alone, running away instead of trying to work thru whatever problems we were having.
"I don't know, but she sounded like she was going to the beach, maybe. I didn't even ask if I could go and Wilson got all defensive and didn't want me to go with her." She sounded somewhat miffed.
"You won't mind staying home will you? Wilson and I will be here." I reminded. "Anyway why would Wilson care if you went with your mom?"
"Wilson won't be here, he's going to Reggie's house for the weekend." She countered. She was silent about why Wilson would care if she went, I shrugged it off.
"That's right,' I remembered Wilson's plans. 'but I'll be home." I tried to cheer her up. "Maybe you and I can do something, together?"
"Can we go to that new restaurant? And there's a movie playing I want to see!" She sounded excited. I found it strange that she would want to spend time with me, but she often did. My favorite? Maybe.
"Sure we can Darling Girl, but maybe tomorrow?"
"Umm, Yeah sure."
"Hey, what are you doing, Sweetheart?" I heard her rustling around, and my curiosity got the better of me.
"I'm lying on my bed. I'm really tired, today was the worst." She still sounded upbeat talking about her bad day. Her voice seemed to change it sounded kind of sensual and dreamy when she talked from a horizontal position.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Any thing I can do?" I tried to convey my concern.
"Yes! Jen and Berry's Rock Hard Nipple." She teased. This was her way of asking for some Rocky Road ice cream. It's a long story, funny, but long.
"I'll see what I can do. It looks like this may take a while. I love you Baby Girl, See you in a few. Let your Mom know I'll be home as soon as I can, the wreck ahead of me and all."
"Okay, Daddy. Love you!" She rang off.
Sirens were sounding all around, traffic was a snarled mess. What seemed like hours later was only forty minuets later, the traffic eased and the wreck was moved and we could get around. I stopped at the store near home and picked up a few things I needed and the Jen and Berry's Rock Hard Nipple. All set, I headed home, finally. Tack on another thirty minuets.
The sun had gone down and the house was dark. I parked in the garage, Carole's car was gone, so was Wilson's. Damn, I wanted to at least say good bye, but I silently counted my blessings that I didn't have the confrontation. Maybe Carole had a point leaving, give us both time to cool down without the hurtful theatrics. I put the ice cream away and began looking for Stevie, if she was still home and not out with friends, or gone with Carole. There was a light under the kids bathroom door, I could hear Stevie knocking around inside. I was just about to knock and tell her I was home when the door flew open and she slammed straight into me, knocking me backward. Her slick naked body crushed into me knocking the wind from my lungs, our arms latched onto one another for support as we fell backwards.
"Whew! Ouch!" My head taping against the wall behind me pretty hard. I tried to get my footing but I was headed downward pretty fast, Stevie in my arms as we fell.
