a book of parent!phan

1. something to tell you.

warning: very brief mentions of depression and self-harm.

-

Ding!

Lily Howell-Lester plopped onto her bed. She picked up her phone and unlocked it in a hurry. Her eyes scanned over the text that popped up.

from: Cadence ♡:

okay, so when?
-
to: Cadence ♡:

um, I think im doing it right now. it seems clear.
-
from: Cadnece ♡:

alright. I believe in you. be careful, okay?
-
to: Cadence ♡:

okay. love you.
-
from: Cadence ♡:

love you too, lily. ill be waiting for you. ♥

---

Phil was sat on the couch in the lounge, his husbands' head lain in his lap. He stroked Dan's hair, sweeping it across his forehead. Dan's eyes fluttered open, and he occasionally stopped to stare in Phil's eyes.

They were resting after a long, exhausting week. They felt a bit better knowing that in a couple weeks summer would begin.

They had been in this position for about an hour, wandering in their own thoughts with the quiet TV droning on in the background.

They both jumped when they heard footsteps trudge down the steps, and saw that it was Lily.

"Hey, love," smiled Dan sleepily.

"Um, hello," said Lily. Her tone was uneasy and a bit distracted.

Phil frowned to himself. He knew something was up, because he definetly knew his daughter.

Normally she would've teased them, covering her eyes at them cuddling and feigning being sick.

'Blechhh,' she would groan, a smirk on her face and a glint in her eye.

But now, she walked in, her eyebrows furrowed. She looked distracted and cloudy-headed. Her fingers twisted together, and she walked over timidly.

What could be wrong? Phil wondered to himself.

She had already gotten her period at 12, she was 14 now...it couldn't be that. Maybe she needed help? She was self-harming or had bad depression?

Phil bit his lip and his mind flashed back to the early years of him and Dan's relationship, and how he helped Dan get through depression and quit self-harming. His baby girl couldn't be going through that.

So he shook that thought from his head.

"Um, could I talk to you guys for a sec?"

"Yep," said Phil, and Dan sat up from his lap.

"What's up?" Asked Dan, and Phil could tell by his slightly concerned tone that he knew something was wrong, too.

"Well," said Lily nervously, shifting onto each foot back and forth. "I wanted to tell you that I...I have a girlfriend."

Everything froze for what felt like ages, but what was only a millisecond.

A girlfriend? Was the thought that first came to Dan and Phil's heads. A her? That most definetly meant something....

The realization hit them. Lily had a girlfriend. Lily was dating someone.

Dan broke into a grin. "Lily!" he squealed, standing up to squeeze her.