surge of hope. “Great! I’ll get on it tomorrow morning.” She wrapped her arm around his waist. “Thanks, honey.”
He gave her a side hug and kissed the top of her head. “You bet, babe.”
The following evening, Steve knocked tentatively on Madison’s bedroom door. Why am I feeling nervous about asking my own daughter out on a date? He wondered.
“Come in,” Maddie’s voice called to him.
Walking into her room, he noticed the clutter on the floor and desk. Not Madison’s usual way. She tended to be neat and tidy.
“What’s up, Dad?” she asked, flipping her laptop closed and leaning back against the headboard of her bed.
“Mind if I sit?”
Madison pulled her legs up toward her and gestured to the edge of the bed. “Be my guest.”
Steve moved a sweatshirt and sat down. “How’s life?” he asked.
She looked a little puzzled. “Fine, I guess. Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Just seems like we don’t get much chance to talk anymore,” he said.
Madison nodded. “How’s your life?” she asked.
“Well…I guess pretty busy. Work’s been a little hectic lately.” He paused and then added, “But hey, I’m never too busy for you, princess.” He noticed her roll her eyes slightly at the nickname and decided to quickly plow ahead with his request. “So, anyway, I was wondering if you’d be willing to go on a little date with your old dad.”
“A date?”
“You know, just an evening out. The two of us. We could go to dinner and the theater.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two tickets. “They’re pretty good seats. The Wizard of Oz. It sounded like fun.”
She hesitated.
“I’ll take you to the Cliffhanger for dinner, first,” he quickly added. “We could share a piece of that mud pie you love for dessert.”
“I’m trying to watch my calories, Dad,” she replied. “But the play sounds good. And I’m sure I could find a salad or something on the menu.”
“So you’ll go?”
“Sure. When are the tickets for?”
“Friday night. Eight o’clock show. So we should do dinner around six-thirty.”
“Sounds good,” she replied. “I should probably dress up a little, right?”
“Yep. I will, too.” Steve reached over and squeezed her knee. “I’m really looking forward to this,” he added, before standing up. “I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing on the computer.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Steve found Michelle in the kitchen with her lesson plan book spread open on the table in front of her. “So how did it go?” she asked.
“Good. At least I think so. She said yes, so that’s the most important thing. But she did roll her eyes when I called her princess .”
Michelle laughed. “She’s trying to grow up, honey. Someday she’ll treasure that nickname again. Trust me.” She reached out and squeezed his hand then pulled him down for a kiss. “Whether she admits it or not, I’m sure she was happy to have your attention and be invited out for a special evening.”
“Hope you’re right, babe. We’ll see how it goes on Friday.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Maddie? Are you ready?” Michelle called from the bottom of the stairs. No answer. She glanced over at Steve and smiled. “I’ll go up and check on her.”
Steve checked his watch. It was already 6:40, and they needed to get going. Otherwise their dinner would be rushed or they’d miss the beginning of the play.
A moment later, Michelle appeared at the top of the stairs with Madison following behind. Steve could tell from Michelle’s expression that she wasn’t happy. When he saw their daughter, he knew why.
Madison had on a skirt that would have fit her when she was seven years old. It barely covered her rear end as she carefully walked down the stairs, keeping her legs together and trying hard to navigate the descent gracefully in shoes that looked to have five-inch heels. Her sweater was off one shoulder with a bra strap clearly displayed across her bare
He gave her a side hug and kissed the top of her head. “You bet, babe.”
The following evening, Steve knocked tentatively on Madison’s bedroom door. Why am I feeling nervous about asking my own daughter out on a date? He wondered.
“Come in,” Maddie’s voice called to him.
Walking into her room, he noticed the clutter on the floor and desk. Not Madison’s usual way. She tended to be neat and tidy.
“What’s up, Dad?” she asked, flipping her laptop closed and leaning back against the headboard of her bed.
“Mind if I sit?”
Madison pulled her legs up toward her and gestured to the edge of the bed. “Be my guest.”
Steve moved a sweatshirt and sat down. “How’s life?” he asked.
She looked a little puzzled. “Fine, I guess. Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Just seems like we don’t get much chance to talk anymore,” he said.
Madison nodded. “How’s your life?” she asked.
“Well…I guess pretty busy. Work’s been a little hectic lately.” He paused and then added, “But hey, I’m never too busy for you, princess.” He noticed her roll her eyes slightly at the nickname and decided to quickly plow ahead with his request. “So, anyway, I was wondering if you’d be willing to go on a little date with your old dad.”
“A date?”
“You know, just an evening out. The two of us. We could go to dinner and the theater.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two tickets. “They’re pretty good seats. The Wizard of Oz. It sounded like fun.”
She hesitated.
“I’ll take you to the Cliffhanger for dinner, first,” he quickly added. “We could share a piece of that mud pie you love for dessert.”
“I’m trying to watch my calories, Dad,” she replied. “But the play sounds good. And I’m sure I could find a salad or something on the menu.”
“So you’ll go?”
“Sure. When are the tickets for?”
“Friday night. Eight o’clock show. So we should do dinner around six-thirty.”
“Sounds good,” she replied. “I should probably dress up a little, right?”
“Yep. I will, too.” Steve reached over and squeezed her knee. “I’m really looking forward to this,” he added, before standing up. “I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing on the computer.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Steve found Michelle in the kitchen with her lesson plan book spread open on the table in front of her. “So how did it go?” she asked.
“Good. At least I think so. She said yes, so that’s the most important thing. But she did roll her eyes when I called her princess .”
Michelle laughed. “She’s trying to grow up, honey. Someday she’ll treasure that nickname again. Trust me.” She reached out and squeezed his hand then pulled him down for a kiss. “Whether she admits it or not, I’m sure she was happy to have your attention and be invited out for a special evening.”
“Hope you’re right, babe. We’ll see how it goes on Friday.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Maddie? Are you ready?” Michelle called from the bottom of the stairs. No answer. She glanced over at Steve and smiled. “I’ll go up and check on her.”
Steve checked his watch. It was already 6:40, and they needed to get going. Otherwise their dinner would be rushed or they’d miss the beginning of the play.
A moment later, Michelle appeared at the top of the stairs with Madison following behind. Steve could tell from Michelle’s expression that she wasn’t happy. When he saw their daughter, he knew why.
Madison had on a skirt that would have fit her when she was seven years old. It barely covered her rear end as she carefully walked down the stairs, keeping her legs together and trying hard to navigate the descent gracefully in shoes that looked to have five-inch heels. Her sweater was off one shoulder with a bra strap clearly displayed across her bare
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