The Stoic And The Beast

Girl Talk

"Hey daddy, what are you doing out here?" I asked nervously as I crept up the driveway.

"Was that Luke?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Why do you always answer my questions with more questions dad?"

He stood up straight and then leaned on the handle of the snow shovel. He cocked his head to the side and looked at me. He opened his mouth but then decided against what he was going to say and shut it again.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing sweetheart. I was just thinking." As he went back to scraping the shovel along the driveway."

"Dad, I know you have something to say, so just say it."

He stopped shoveling and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Well, I was just gonna say something smart-assy. Like you usually do, but I'm not as good at it as you and your mom are kiddo."

That made me laugh. 

"Aren't you gonna ask me why I was with Luke?" Pointing my thumb in the direction of Luke's jeep retreating down the street.

"Nope." He answered. Popping his lips, accentuating the letter P sound.

"Well then... Aren't you gonna ask why I was out so late?"

"Again... Nope."

"Are you sick dad? Running a fever? This isn't like you." I huffed and teased.

"I'm cutting the cord, daughter." He said through gritted teeth. He was attempting to control is brooding fatherly instincts. He began shoveling snow again.

I chuckled.

"Well, I'll tell you anyway. That was Luke and he was giving me a ride home from work." I said matter-of-factly.

"Well. That. Was. Nice. Of. Him." He taunted. Sounding aggravated.

"Yeah, it was. Wasn't it?" I chortled. Trying to pretend like I was oblivious to my dad's sarcasm.

I was enjoying this new side of my dad. I knew he was holding back his true feelings because my mom told him he had to and because I'm not a little girl anymore. So I'm laying it on thick. As thick as he would allow.

"He brought me some lasagna. We stopped at the park and ate. Sort of like a dreamy wintertime date." My voices raised an octave on the word dreamy. I hugged myself and swayed from side to side.

My dad coughed. Breaking my concentration. But he said nothing. As I watched his jaw clenching.

"Dad, don't spend too much time out here or you'll catch a cold."

"Says the daughter who is insane enough to have a romantic date over a plate of lasagna in this freezing cold hell we live in." He countered.

"Yeah... I guess I'm lucky our lips didn't get frozen stuck together huh?"

I was trying to get a rise out of him. I was having fun poking the bear.
Too much fun.

"Get your ass inside before I make your lips get stuck to my fist!" He roared.

I squealed with laughter and hightailed it for the front door. I slid as my feet hit the hardwood and slammed the door shut behind me. Dad was just kidding. He's never laid a hand on me. So I was laughing the whole way in.

"Hey hon, what's so funny?" My mom called out from behind her laptop at the kitchen table.

I peeled off my snowshoes and hung my coat and scarf on the hall tree.