Home

Father and Daughter

Callie arrived home in the evening the next day. The moment she hopped out of the black mini van, Lindsey's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. She was giggling, covered in face glitter and body shimmer. She smelled like cotton candy or some other sugary treat. It was strange. The girl he assumed to be Lexi poked her head out of the open, sliding vehicle door.

"Hey, see you tomorrow, right?" The girl smiled, her bronze skin and dark hair shimmering in the fading light of day. "Oh, hey, Mr Buckingham."

"Hello," Lindsey extended a hand toward Callie and pulled her into his side. "What's going on tomorrow?"

"Some of the kids from school are meeting up for a bonfire. Nothing major."

"Yeah, daddy, can I go?" The girl before him didn't look like his daughter.

"Let's talk about it with mama, Cal. Head in, she's waiting for you." Callie nodded, knowing she must be in trouble and Lindsey approached the van.

The window rolled down. "Thanks for bringing her home." An older man leaned out of the window wearing a tee shirt with the sleeves cut off and large slits extending down to the waist. His hair was curly and shoulder length, pulled back into a low ponytail at the base of his neck with a few loose tendrils falling out around his face. Lindsey had expected a woman, Lexi's mother Callie had mentioned, and looking into the back of the van, there were other people sitting in the seats, not just Lexi. It gave him a weird feeling. Something didn't seem right.

"Are you her father?" Lindsey asked, yanking his head back in reference to Lexi and the man laughed.

"Nah, man, I'm Lexi's brother. Oliver." He extended a hand and Lindsey shook his hand, his eyebrows knitting together in concern. "Don't freak. Mom got called into work. She's an ER nurse."

"Ah," he replied. Still, it did not calm his worries. The back door closed with the press of a button and Oliver put the car into gear.

"It would be cool if Callie could come..." The young-older man's parting comment made Lindsey even more uneasy. He nodded and waved awkwardly as the van pulled away from the house. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled heavily.

He knew Callie was a good girl but he worried about the influence of her cheer squad. Stevie not getting the call about Lexi's mother picking her up after cheer camp was a simple mistake, and Stevie took responsibility but the fact she had come home late in the evening the following day after an impromptu sleep over, in a van full of other kids not quite looking or acting like herself was more than enough for him to want to put his foot down on all of this. He walked up the front walk and into the house, closing the door loudly. He took off his shoes and laid them in the foyer, thinking about how he could bring this up to his wife. He was sure Stevie would already be convinced to let Callie go to that bonfire tomorrow night despite how worried she had been by not receiving replies to the messages she had sent her daughter all day.

By the time he had joined his wife in the living room, Callie was sitting beside her, head on her mother's shoulder, no trace of the glitter or skimpy outfit he had seen her dropped off in. For a moment he thought he had dreamt it. She still smelled like candy and it turned his stomach.

"Cal, can you go up to your room so I can talk to your mother alone?"

"Daddy-" Callie said immediately but Lindsey held up a hand.

"We'll talk in a little bit."

"Yes, daddy." Callie said, doing as her father instructed. She didn't want to get in any more trouble.

"What was that about?" Stevie asked.

"Where do I begin? She didn't call or message us to tell us when she was coming home, she had a whole host of people in that van when she was dropped off and Lexi's mother was nowhere to be found. Lexi's brother Oliver was driving and he looked way older than everyone else!" Lindsey paced, even more irritated by the fact that Stevie didn't seem the least bit upset about this. "Don't you see the problem?"

"Callie told me that Lexi's mother is a nurse and often gets called into work. She works in the emergency room."

"Okay..." Lindsey motioned for her to continue but she just shrugged. He huffed angrily. "Stevie, I don't like that this grown man is hanging out with all these young girls, and he's obviously going to be at that bonfire. He seemed all too interested in Callie going. What if he tries something?"

"Callie didn't mention anything about him other than him being Lexi's brother. I doubt he would do something like that."

"You think he won't bring friends to their little gathering? And where are they going to have this bonfire? Look at the houses around here, Steph. Something seems off."

"Lindsey, if you don't want her to go, tell her so. If you're worried, tell her why. We have always been upfront and honest with our kids and they have always been the same with us." He grumbled but she couldn't understand what he had said. She sighed. "Would you be freaking out like this if it were Dylan?"

"No, he's a boy. It's different. He can handle himself but Calliope..."

"She's a smart girl, Linds. You can't hold her back just because she's your baby girl and she's growing up a little too fast for you. I will admit, her going off with a new crowd is scary for me too but we know she would tell us if something was wrong. Callie has a great head on her shoulders."

"I know." He ruffled his hair and Stevie stood.

"Let's talk to Callie and see if she's concerned. She's not with those kids anymore, so maybe she won't feel pressured to ask for permission to go." Stevie wrapped her arms around her husband and she kissed his lips. His body seemed to relax in her arms and he kissed her neck.

"I really don't want her to go, Steph."

"I don't either," Stevie admitted. They swayed together for a lingering moment, neither wanting to leave the comfort of the other.

Lindsey had never felt so conflicted when it came to  his children. Dylan and Callie were good kids and Iris was in a nursery program, but the peer pressure wasn't there yet, he thought. Another heavy sigh and Stevie felt his arms squeeze her a little tighter. "I just hope she isn't mad at me."