Mind the Gap | ✔️

June 1 @ 6:55 P.M.: Evan

"This is so cool, Dad!" Janice's grin almost reached her ears. Only her dimples stopped the corners of her mouth from splitting her face.

A face framed by a mane of clover-green hair.

She deposited an empty dye bottle on the edge of the once white sink and tugged at some of her newly-coloured curls. "Thanks for letting me do this, Dad."

Janice had wanted to dye her hair from the moment she could talk, but Helen and I had always vetoed the project—until now, that is. When she had breached the topic with me yesterday, I had finally budged to her desire. I had realized that everyone should have the right to express themselves. It made the world a more colorful and diverse place.

I glanced at my wristwatch. Seven p.m. It was time to speed up. The guests for my birthday party would arrive in about half an hour, and I still had to prepare the drinks.

I stood at Janice's back and placed my hands on her shoulders. "Let's hurry up now. Mom will come and pick you up in a few minutes."

Father and daughter grinned back at us from my bathroom mirror.

Janice looked like a green-haired fairy.

"I love women with color in their hair," I said all of a sudden, remembering one in particular.

Her smile faltered. "You do, Dad? Do you know another one? With dye in her hair?"

"Er..." I halted my smile, too. "Um. Why do you ask?"

"Because you just said you loved them." She scratched her nose with a greenish finger and left a stain there. "And Mom says that she thinks you're seeing someone new." Her eyes met mine in the mirror, curious and probing.

I shook my head no. "I am not seeing anyone with dyed hair, Peanut. No."

Was I seeing Venus? Was going on a single dinner date the same as seeing someone? And Braces didn't count. I just happened to see her from time to time, and that wasn't seeing her.

So, technically, I was not lying.

And Janice wouldn't like me to see someone other than Helen, I was quite sure of that.

She nodded seriously. "Good." Her smile returned. "Because, you know what? Mom has stopped seeing George."

Stopped seeing George? I had not known her dalliance with the Chancellor had come to an end. "Oh," I said, curious. "Did she now? What happened?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. I guess... Cuz he's old? And he kept eating all the chocolate we had. I had told you about it at the zoo."

"And how is Mom?"

Helen had always been the stronger of the two of us. More self-assured. More determined. More focused. The one who could cope. The one who would win.

The thought of her plans going wrong made me somehow feel sorry for her.

"Fine. I s'ppose." My daughter pulled at the hem of her t-shirt and looked down at it. What used to be basic white had now turned into a patchwork of lime-green stains. "More or less fine, I mean. But I think she needs another man."

"Another man?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's not nice to be alone. I mean, she has me, of course, so she's not alone. But I'm not a man, you know."

"Right. You're a peanut."

She rolled her eyes, turning her gaze to the ceiling. "Dad. You know what I mean!"

"Whatever." I was not sure I knew what she meant, nor was I going to probe her about that topic.

I checked the time. Helen would come to pick up Janice at any moment. "Now wash your hands and then get yourself a clean shirt. Mom will go ballistic if she sees you like this."