Gabriel

One

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Ple-"

"No, Jaleesa. I mean it."

"Dad, why is it always no, and never, yes?"

Ezekiel eyed his persistent daughter while rubbing his temple. "Because I love you."

Jaleesa bit back a sigh and pushed her shoulders back. "Dad, I've been asking for this chance since I graduated. Don't you think I'm good enough? Don't you think I'm ready?" She asked, looking him square in the eye.

"Princess, I'm saying no because I love you and I know my team. You're a beautiful young woman and the last thing I want is to be arrested for strangling one of my players,"

She knew he was bluffing. "Tell me the truth."

Ezekiel sighed. "Fine." He sat on the barstool. "You're too flighty. You'll take one look at a handsome player and forget why you came. I can't have you on my field acting like you've never seen a handsome man. And then you'll go crazy with Miranda and CeCe, and then I'll have to deal with them sitting in the stands giggling and twirling their hair, distracting my players."

Ouch.

"Oh," She whispered, suddenly feeling discouraged. "Well, I guess I'll leave it alone." She pressed her lips together and left the kitchen while she still had some dignity.

When she made it to her room, she shut the door and locked it.

"Is he right?" She asked herself, looking in the mirror.

Was she flighty?

No one ever told her that she was flighty.

No.

She was always complimented for having a level head and good composure.

Her shoulders slumped.

"Maybe he's right,"

Her father was a good man. He didn't lie. He was kind, wise, and discerning, and he loved the Lord.

So why would he start lying now?

Jaleesa sat on her bed, clinging to her pillow in thought.

She remembered being silly and obvious with her crushes as a girl.

She was flighty as a preteen and teenager, but when she got to college that changed. She took her studies seriously and focused on the important things.

If she was flightly now, she would've never graduated at the top of her class and left the school with recommendations from her professors.

She would've never received job offers from the state's popular news agencies.

"No. He isn't right." She straightened her shoulders and threw her pillow aside.

With her head held high, she walked back into the kitchen and placed her hand on the magazine her father was reading.

"Yes, Princess?" He asked slightly amused.

"I don't appreciate being called flighty. You're holding my youth against me and it isn't fair. Doesn't the Word tell us not to allow people to look down on us because of our youth? I know it's not the same context, but in a way, it fits. I was a child, Daddy. I'm twenty-three now. You have to allow me to make a new name for myself." She said strongly. "But honestly, I don't think I'd like to work with you if you can so easily call me flighty," She told him sincerely.