"So what did you wish for today?" Rylan asked before taking a huge bite of his burger. I put mine down and looked at him.
"Promise you won't laugh?" he just nodded. "I wished that I could be myself at school."
"Why can't you be yourself at school?" he asked, putting his burger down.
I sighed loudly, "It's just they all expect me to be Frankie," I picked my hand up. "Frankie is the girl they have always known, they don't know Kody, as you put it."
"So why can't you be Kody?" he still looked confused.
"You wouldn't understand," I sighed again.
"Well help me to," he said and took my hand in his.
"It's just Frankie is who my mom raised," I felt tears stinging. "I've seen home videos of her putting me in little dresses and fixing my hair until it was just right. If she were here she would want me to be Frankie, not Kody," the hot tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Kody," he said softly and pulled me around to sit in his lap. "Your mom would want you to be happy," he kissed my forehead as I tucked into his shoulder.
"How can you know that?"
"Because your mother loved you," he kissed my head again, "she would want you to be yourself."
"You really think so?" I looked up at him.
"I know so," he said softly.
"Thanks Rylan," I said and then kissed him.
"You're welcome Kody," I tucked back into him. It was nice to just be held by him, until my phone went off.
"Sorry," I said getting up from his lap, "gotta take this, it's my dad."
"I understand," he smiled before digging back into his burger.
"Hey daddy!" I said into the phone.
"Hey Kody," my dad answered.
"I just wanted to let you know that I have to go out of town on Monday for a week," his voice sounded sad. As much as he loved his company, he hated leaving me alone.
"Okay daddy, I'll be home tonight," I smiled and Rylan's head snapped up.
"Honey you know you don't have to do that."
"Yes I do daddy, I wanna spend tomorrow in the shop with you before you leave Monday morning," at the end of my explanation Rylan nodded.
"Okay Kody," I could hear him smiling, "I'll see you in a few hours."
"Yes sir," I said.
"Love you honey," he said.
"Love you daddy," I said before hanging up.
"So you're leaving?" Rylan asked from over his cup.
"Oh yea," I smiled, "my daddy is going out of town for a week," I stopped smiling. "Before he goes out of town we always spend the entire day together in the shop, it's our thing, so I need to get home" I stood up.
"So you're leaving?" he repeated.
"Yes Rylan," I laughed, but he didn't. "Didn't I just explain that I was going home to spend the day with my father? What is your problem?"
"My problem," he said standing up, "is that you didn't ask me to come home with you."
"Why would I ask you to come home with me?" I asked confused.
"Never mind," he said before walking towards the door, "this is why I don't deal with high school girls," I heard him mutter and he might as well have hit me.
