Dad, Do I Turn You On? Ch. 02

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Birthday Day morning dawned rainy. I hoped it would clear up, so we could play at the pool again, but knew we'd make do, anyway. I started on my version of Eggs Hollandaise, Mandy's favorite meal, while I let the girls sleep. Even though Suzy's birthday was almost 3 months earlier, this had always been the day we chose to observe all three of our birthdays, since the divorce. We called it 'Birthday Day'. I'd already given Suzy her favorite meal, my Garlic Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, since she'd arrived, but planned to make it again for dinner.

Suzy was again the first of the girls up. She came right to me, and planted a passionate kiss on my lips, keeping one eye on the bedroom door. "Happy Birthday Day, Daddy! I love you."

"Happy Birthday Day to you, angel," I said, hugging her.

"Anything I can do to help with breakfast?"

I nodded. "Yeah, toast the English Muffins. The pack's by the toaster, do all six. For each plate, put two halves face up for the eggs, then butter and jam on the other two."

I started coffee, while stirring the sauce. Its smell evidently woke Mandy. "Happy Birthday Day, you two." she said, still half-asleep, pouring herself a cup and sitting down.

"So, does it feel any different, pumpkin?" I asked.

"What? Being 18 and legally an adult? Not really. Feels like any other rainy day, she said, looking out the windows."

"Sorry about that. They don't give weather wands out with the Daddy kit."

"S'posed to clear up tonight." she said.

"Okay, eggs and sauce are ready. How are the English Muffins doing, Suzy?"

"Last one just popped up, Dad, and the plates are ready."

On the face-up muffin halves, I placed a slice of canadian bacon and spooned scrambled eggs instead of poached and then the sauce over that, then served some sausage links onto each plate, and set them in front of each girl, then made my own, poured myself some coffee, and sat down. I raised my mug, as did the girls, and we said in unison, "Happy Birthday to One, Happy Birthday to All" and each took a sip.

Strange, the traditions that can develop in a family, even one that's only together one month a year, and would now be together even less. My eyes teared up.

Mandy noticed first. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

"Oh, just thinking about the last five years of Julys, of Birthday Days, of how we developed this little tradition of ours, and how it's changing now that you two are getting older. Your mom's not the only one who gets to cry over things changing in this family, y'know."

Mandy got up to hug me from behind. "Daddy, I love you. I'm always going to be here for Birthday Day, I promise."

Suzy reached her hand across the table, and squeezed mine. "Me, too. Even if I move out, I'll always come back for Birthday Day breakfast."

"What do you mean 'if'? You planning to live here forever?"

"Maybe," she said jokingly, giving my hand another squeeze and looking me right in the eyes.

Mandy kissed my cheek, then sat back down, and we finished breakfast.

It continued raining, so we simply settled in for a 'Friends' marathon, making it through an entire season before I needed to get up and start dinner. As always, Suzy had two helpings of my fettucine.

We then exchanged our gifts. What I'd decided to get Mandy worked as a gift for Suzy, too. "When your Mom and I bought you girls your cars, all they came with was a CD-Player and AM/FM and neither of you have bought many CDs, this being the age of MP3s and iPods. These are gift certificates for upgrades of your stereo systems - Satellite Radio, MP3/iPod capability, better speakers."

"Thanks, Daddy!" came from both of their mouths, and I got a kiss on the cheek from each of them.

From Mandy, I got two new pairs of swim trunks. From Suzy, a Best Buy gift card. For each other, iTunes cards.

Afterwards, I got out the cake I'd gotten at the grocery store. I'd gotten it decorated with the words "Happy Birthday Day!", and put three candles on opposite sides of the cake, one for each of us. I lit all three candles, and we gathered around, and sang our altered version of Happy Birthday: Happy Birthday To Us, Happy Birthday To Us, Happy Birthday Dear Family, Happy Birthday To Us, and then we each blew out the candle closest to us, making our wishes.

I wondered what Suzy wished for this year, now that her last wishes had come true. Mine was for the foursome to be a success.

Just as we finished, we noticed the setting sun streaming in through the windows. "If that's not a good omen, I don't know what is," I said. The rain had stopped, so I suggested, "Any one for the hot tub? It always seems better after a rain."

All agreed, so we changed into swim suits again, the girls both into their one pieces, me into my 'old standby', and went out to the hot tub. The rain had cooled the water, and the chlorine smell was reduced, and we relaxed in it for 20 minutes at a time, jumping into the pool for a cool down in between, to keep from overheating, and were beginning to get prune-fingers when we finally went back inside after 2 hours, cleaned up, and went to bed.

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"I'm calling for a family circle after dinner," Mandy announced, the evening after her birthday, after we got back from the water park..

It was a tradition from the kids' childhood, where we would sit around the kitchen table, holding hands around the table, and discuss whatever difficult subjects needed to be discussed. Honesty and forgiveness were expected from everyone. The kids couldn't be grounded for things they admitted to during one, that kind of thing. The last one I'd been involved in had been the one where Paula and I told the girls about the divorce. I flinched at the memory.

We hadn't needed one at my Dallas home since then. 'What's this about?' I thought.

After taking care of dinner dishes, we took places around the table, and clasped hands.

"Okay, sweetie, what do you need to talk about that needed the circle?" I asked.

"There's no easy way to ask this. Are the two of you having sex, y'know, with each other?"

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Author's note: Yes, I left you with another unanswered question. Sue me. It was the one logical place to split Chapters 2 & 3. Coming in Chapter 3, Steve & Suzy's answer, Mandy's reaction and a bunch more that I hope surprises and delights you. Feedback always appreciated, even if I disagree with it.