How Could This Be Real?

95. The Magic Word

I had barely caught a glimpse of my dad before I rushed out, "Hey Dad, can David and I go out to dinner? Kay, great, thanks. We'll be ba-"

"Woah there, slow down miss cheetah. Come sit. I need to talk to you."

"Dad!" I complained.

He pointed to the spot on the couch next to him and I groaned, reluctantly walking over and sitting down. "Yes?" I asked impatiently.

"We haven't just talked one-on-one in a while," he said in his best fatherly voice, which I rarely heard. He was more like a friend to me than a dad. He's goofy, and immature sometimes, and quite annoying, but that's why I love him.

I huffed and started to stand up, "I don't have time for a heart-to-heart right now."

He placed a solid hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me back down. "Well, then you're going to have to make time."

"Look, if this is about the hot tub, he was just trying to do something swe-"

"No, it's not that exactly," he said, shaking his head.

"Not that 'exactly'?" I inquired. Well, I know my dad's sayings, and that phrase means it's related to what I'd guessed, so what could he be thinking of? Hmm, David and I in a romantic setting together... in just our underwear... Oh, no.

I waved my hands in front of me, "No no no, I really don't have time for the sex talk."

He gave me a semi-serious look, "Angel-"

"Look, Dad, I know you feel obligated to do this as a parent and all, but I know where babies come from and what the risks are and all that so please, spare me."

"Angel," he tried again, more forcefully this time.

I rolled my eyes, "I mean it's not like we've never done it before, I think we know what we're doing. And besides, I never even said we were doing it tonight."

"Angel!" he said, starting to laugh. "I trust you with this, there's just a few things we need to talk about."

I sighed and crossed my arms, "Fine, but if you even hint about babies, I'm done."

He chuckled, "Alright, no babies." He set his hand on mine affectionately and his eyes scanned my face, as if searching for something. "I just don't know where the time's gone," he murmured. "I mean, it seems like just yesterday you were a-" I raised my eyebrows, challenging him to say 'baby' and he decided not to finish that sentence. "How are we having this talk already? I mean just look at you!" He gestured to, well, I'm not sure if he was gesturing to my body or my outfit, but I knew what he was trying to say. "You're a proper high school girl, going out with her boyfriend, sleeping together... having sex..."

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, the awkward level of this conversation quickly rising. "Yeah, can we please get to the point?"

"We'll get there when I want us to get there," he said in a somewhat teasing tone. He sighed and his expression turned nostalgic. "You're just growing up so fast. I miss my little girl."

I gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand, "I'll always be your little girl, Dad. It's just that, I'm not so little anymore."

He laughed a bit, "No, you certainly aren't. I wouldn't have to warn a six year old about using protection, now would I?"

"And here we go..." I said, letting out a long breath.

He held up his hand and shrugged, "Don't worry, I know you know all of that, I just want to remind you because, well, I guess it's just fatherly instinct. I mean to be fair, we never even properly had 'the talk'. You just came home one day and said, 'Uh, yeah, mom... dad... I'm not a virgin anymore,' and that was pretty much the end of it."