Who's Your (Sugar) Daddy?

*Note to readers: I hope the ending is a pleasant surprise to those who think all May-December romances end the same way.

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"What time is it?"

"Just after six."

"In the morning? Are you kidding me? Turn the light off and go back to bed. You were studying when I came in at 1:30 this morning for crying out loud." Candice grunted and pulled her spare pillow over her head to block out the light.

"I'm sorry, but I have a final in organic chemistry at 10 o'clock."

Candice lifted the pillow up slightly and said, "Well, at least you're not laying around crying about the breakup any more so that's a plus. But some of us around here still have a life and we'd like to sleep in." She made another huffing noise and pulled the pillow in tight.

"I got the photo shoot, by the way."

Candice threw the pillow off and sat up in bed. "Are you serious?"

"Yep. It's paying enough to cover half of next semester's tuition."

"Jesus, Meghan. That's incredible. I told you there was no need to worry about losing some guy—or any guy for that reason. You're as smart as any girl I know and you're totally hot. There'll be another guy soon and another one after that." Candice was exhausted. She'd been out all night looking for a guy of her own. Not necessarily to date but just to hook up with. She had one offer but the guy was so ugly she wouldn't have slept with him had she had five more shots of tequila. As it was, her head was pounding so hard she thought it might explode. To make matters worse, there was Meghan who had gorgeous guys flocking around her everywhere she went. She could hook up with some new guy seven days a week but nooooo! Not her. She was looking for Mr. Right to date, marry, and settle down with. Candice's last thought before she lay back down to finally get some sleep was how she'd give anything for just 10% of Meghan's beauty. Not all of it. Just the cream off the top. She wouldn't even miss it and maybe that way she could laid once in a while.

The relationship. Meghan didn't have time nor the inclination to start thinking about that again. When she told the guy she'd loved and dated for two years she was going to a different college, he was stunned. It became such an issue that he told her he wanted to take a break. Meghan was stunned and she was hurt but the school she'd chosen was a lot closer to home and it had a better science program and that was that. Or was it?

She wanted to ace this test and it was the hardest class she'd ever taken. Sure, she had a 97% average but anything but an A but be unacceptable to her. Her parents both worked to pay her tuition, room and board, and the only way Meghan could even try and repay them was by working hard and doing well. Then again, she'd always worked hard and done well. It was in her DNA. She was good at everything she did and in spite of being an incredibly attractive girl, she was also very kind, very thoughtful, and always polite. She had every right to be a college snob, but she was anything but and she attributed that to the upbringing her parents provided.

They'd been married 25 years and had always sacrificed for their only child. They often willingly went without to ensure Meghan went to the best private schools, had piano lessons, and was able to swim and play tennis. In a word, she was their pride and joy and she loved and appreciated them for everything they'd done for her.

Meghan tried not to think about it, but it was impossible not to. Her dad had lost his job eight months ago after 22 years with the same company and two months ago his health insurance coverage had run out. Mom's job didn't offer health insurance and what people called Obamacare was so expensive and the deductible so high, they just couldn't afford its "affordable" healthcare. It was just so hard for a man in his forties with a high school education to find another decent, well-paying job. So Meghan did whatever she could to help out. This photo shoot was paying almost $3,000 and that would go a long way toward that end.

At noon, she turned in her exam feeling pretty good about how she'd done. She knew the answer to every question and felt confident she'd gotten the A she wanted. She may have even aced it. All she needed to do now was pack her stuff and drive home for the three-week winter break and get ready to do it all again. Well, after the photo shoot, that is.

One of the benefits she received for doing the shoot (in addition to the paycheck) was being able to keep each of the four outfits she modeled. When she left, she walked away with the check in her purse and a garment bag containing two beautiful dresses as well as two very pretty skirt and sweater sets complete with two new pairs of shoes. She laughed when the director told her she keep the jewelry, too. It was all very nice looking, but it was just Cubic Zirconia. Still, it felt nice to have a 'diamond' necklace and earrings. Of course, she now had no one to wear them for, but in the back of her mind she was wondering if she might just run into Steve. Steve Brewer. The one that got away. They'd dated for her last two years in high school while he was at State University before she'd decided to go somewhere else. If he was home from State and still single then, well....

Meghan missed the city. The university was great but it was so quiet. She enjoyed the trees and the serenity sometimes, but she missed the hustle and bustle. Her parents technically lived inside its limits but they were right on the boundary between city and suburb. They were still paying on their modest ranch home and in just five years it would finally be theirs. Meghan pushed the thought of the mortgage and college costs out of her mind. It was Christmas time and she couldn't wait to see her family.

Family. That's what Meghan Keller wanted more than anything. Sure, she wanted a career. With a degree in chemistry, she'd have no problem finding a job with Monsanto or some other large firm that paid well. But more than anything she wanted to find someone she could fall in love with. Someone she could trust. Someone who'd think she hung the moon. Someone who would never betray her and who would treat her like she was the most important thing in the world. But that didn't mean she wanted to be spoiled. She would give as much as she wanted to get. She knew that marriage wasn't a 50/50 proposition. It was 100/100. You first had to BE the right person in order to attract the right person. Then you had to be sure he really was the right person. The kind who gave the other person what they needed rather than what he thought she needed. Giving was an art and giving took on many different forms and meant more than just money. It also included time, and attention, things she and most other women valued more than dollars and cents.

She knew that especially applied to the bedroom. Meghan didn't sleep around but she was no prude, either. She enjoyed sex and had gotten very good at it. More importantly, at least to her, she'd learned what men like and taught herself to enjoy those things as much as the ones she'd enjoyed the first time she tried them. The key was finding a man who felt the same way about giving and getting. She would give 'til it hurt but if he wouldn't do the same, she wouldn't agree to a second date let alone a marriage proposal.

She thought she'd found the perfect guy in Steve. Sure, she was young but she was exceptionally mature and having watched her parents, she knew exactly what she wanted in a marriage and in life. She was convinced that life and that love would be with Steve. But he'd been so angry at her decision not to go to State even though it was four hours further away than the school she chose.

After that, Meghan had found herself bitter for the first time in her life. She hated the feeling, but she couldn't shake it. After many months of anger and resentment, she finally found a way to put the past aside and move on. She was once again feeling her old optimistic self. Even so, her thoughts turned to Steve as she pulled into the old, familiar driveway and turned off the engine.

She'd barely gotten out of the car when she saw her dad fling open the screen door and come bounding off the steps toward her. "Meghan!"

She slammed the door and threw her arms open. "Hi, Daddy!"

Tom Keller held his daughter tight. "It's SO good to see you, honey!"

"You too, Daddy. I've missed you so much. Is Mom home?"

"No, not yet. She had to work today, but she's off tomorrow until next Monday. I've been getting everything ready for you to come home."

Her dad helped her carry in her two suitcases while she carried the garment bag and a Christmas present for each of them inside. She looked around and tried not to cry. There was a modest little tree in the corner that was sparsely decorated with just one wrapped present underneath it. Gone were all the lavish trimmings from past years. The room looked—spartan. A sick feeling welled up inside her but she knew better than to ask.

"It's so pretty, Daddy!" she told him trying to keep her concerns in check. She stood next to it pretending to admire the small, scraggly thing as she set her mom and dad's gifts underneath it.

"It's a little less than we've done in the past, but it's quality not quantity right, honey?"

Meghan nodded as they carried her things to her room. At least it hadn't changed. The same familiar posters hung on the same familiar walls and there was her old, familiar bed right where it had always been. It was then Meghan noticed her dad's car wasn't in the driveway even though he was home.

"Daddy? Is your car in the shop?"

Her dad was in the kitchen getting things ready for their Christmas Eve dinner. He didn't look up when he answered. "Uh, no. Mom took it work today, sweetie."

Should she ask? She hesitated then said, "Okay. Then where is mom's car?"

Her dad kept shuffling things around pretending to be busy but there wasn't much on the kitchen counter. Just a large ham and some yams. "Well, you know. We weren't using the other car too much and it didn't make a lot of sense to keep making payments on it and all so...."

Meghan walked up behind her dad and said, "I understand, Daddy." She knew he'd sold it and she knew why. Their savings were just about gone and next semester's bills were due. They'd sold the car to pay them, but there was no way they were going to tell their daughter just how bad things had gotten.

"This looks wonderful!" she lied as she saw the minimalist fare in front of them.

"Your mom's bringing home some fresh bread from the bakery, too, so this isn't everything."

Meghan told him it was perfect as she turned around to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes.

Her mom did indeed bring home a loaf of freshly baked bread along with a huge hug for her daughter along with a few tears of her own. They were tears of joy, but Meghan could see the worry in her mother's face. Like her dad, she would never, ever tell her how tough things were, but Meghan knew without asking.

The next morning, she'd hoped to see a few more things under the tree, but Santa hadn't come calling like he'd always done in the past. Each of them quietly opened their one gift and made a very big deal out it. Again, no one said a word about the most unusual Christmas they'd ever had.

That evening, Meghan decided to try and talk to them about work and money and school hoping she might be able to offer some help or even some ideas. She began by telling them about the photo shoot and the money she'd made and how she could use that to help them get a second car.

"Oh, no," her dad said. "That's your money, Meg. Besides, you're gonna need it for spending money anyway, so thanks but no thanks."

She sat down between them and said, "I know we don't normally talk about this kind of thing, but can you please just tell me how bad is it?"

Neither of them spoke. "Dad? I know you've been out of work. I know you sold the car. I can take a year off and get a job and help...."

"No!" her dad said loudly. He never raised his voice and it startled Meghan. Truth be told, it hurt her feelings. Much more calmly he said, "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to yell. But no, your education comes first. Period. End of story. You will not take a year off. Your next semester's expenses are paid and we'll worry about the following semester next year. Okay? Now come on. It's Christmas! Let's put on an old movie and make some popcorn like we always do."

Meghan tried to laugh when her dad laughed, but it wasn't real. She not only felt something was wrong, she could see it. He kept blowing on his hands complaining about how cold they were in spite of the room being plenty warm. Halfway through the movie, he began raising his left arm up and saying, "I think I've got some heartburn from dinner."

Her dad was only 52, but he'd been under enormous stress this entire last year. The third time he complained about his arm, she said, "Daddy. I'm scared. Pain in your left arm and in your chest is a classic sign of a heart attack. I want you to go to the ER right now."

He forced himself to laugh and said, "The ER? Are you kidding? I'm fine. It's just indigestion. I'll be fine. I'll just go grab a couple of Rolaids and...."

As he stood up, he clutched his chest as Meghan heard a very loud exhale that sounded like a "whoosh" as her dad collapsed on the floor in front of her. "Daddy! Daddy? Are you okay? Mom, call 911 right now! Tell them Dad's having a heart attack. Hurry!!!"

An hour later, Tom Keller was in ICU with tubes everywhere and monitors all around him. "Mrs. Keller, your husband's had a myocardial infarction or heart attack. While it doesn't appear to be life threatening, we need to keep him here for 48 hours to be sure. I can promise you he'll get the best care available. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask."

"Doctor?" Tina Keller said. "We don't have insurance."

The doctor put his hand on her shoulder and said, "That doesn't matter. We'll provide care for your husband until it's safe to send him home. Your ability to pay has no bearing on the care he'll receive. So please don't worry about that, okay?"

She and Meghan knew that meant he'd receive care but that the family would also be receiving a bill. And cardiac care was extremely expensive. The next day a hospital administrator broke the bad news to them.

"So far, we're looking at just over $52,000. I won't know until he's discharged, but I'm guessing the total will be somewhere around $75,000. Unfortunately, there will be post-discharge expenses for follow-up care. Some will be with your family practice's refereed specialists and some from the hospital in addition to these charges."

Tina had already told the woman they had no means to pay and while she was sympathetic, her job was to inform them how much they owed. Mrs. Keller knew hospitals weren't running a charity and without health insurance, paying the bills was now her problem, not the hospital's.

By the time Meghan had returned to campus, her parent's were just over $100,000 in debt for medical bills with a mortgage due, college expenses looming, plus all of the routine expenses every family faced.

In spite of her protests, her father insisted she return to school and she feared challenging him could make things worse so she'd agreed to go back to school leaving her mother to fend for her dad and herself.

To make matters worse, Meghan had received a long text from Candice who said she wouldn't be returning in January. She'd failed three classes and had no interest or motivation to retake them. She was staying in her hometown and had taken a job in a local department store.

Meghan wasn't exactly sure how to take her new roommate, Nikki Westin. Like Meghan, Nikki was a very attractive girl. Unlike Meghan, Nikki always had the newest and nicest....everything. New clothes, new shoes, expensive jewelry, and what seemed like an endless supply of spending money. She was friendly enough but never offered any hint about where the money came from. Meghan just assumed her family was well enough off to give her the finer things of life. You know, like the new BMW she drove while Meghan walked or rode the bus—when she could afford it.

That evening, Nikki was getting ready to go out—again—when Meghan's cell phone rang. "Hey, Mom. How's Dad?"

Nikki had just stepped into another designer dress and was buckling the ankle straps on some very expensive shoes as Meghan said, "How much do they want?" There was a pause, "Can we get an extension? Not even another week? Oh, okay. I understand. Is there anything I can do to...." Meghan stopped in mid-sentence. "I see. Well, I'm going to see if I can get another photo shoot. That would really help out. Sure. Okay, Mom. Love you, too. Bye."

Nikki was clipping on her real diamond earrings when she said, "Money problems?"

Meghan heard her but she wasn't listening. Her mind was on her parents when out of the blue she thought of something that almost made her smile. She'd bumped into Steve at the hospital. For a moment she forget her own sadness when she saw him. He was in a bed with a cast around his upper arm and a large bandage around his forehead. Initially, she wasn't sure it was him but she was almost certain. She stepped inside the room and said very quietly, "Steve? Is that you?"

His eyes were glassy from the pain medication but after turning toward her and looking for a few seconds she heard the familiar voice say, "Meghan? What are you doing here? How did you hear about the accident? Did my mom call you or something?"

She stood beside him and said, "No. I had no idea." She explained the situation with her dad and how she just happened to be walking by. Steve told her how sorry he was for her and that he hoped her dad would recover fully and quickly. She learned he'd been in a serious car accident on the way home from his school on the opposite side of the state. He was just ten miles from home when a drunk driver crossed the center line and hit him head on. He'd broken his collar bone and suffered a serious concussion. The doctors had kept him overnight for observation.

The two former lovers agreed to get together before New Year's Eve, but one thing or another kept them from ever getting the chance. He hadn't called her so she assumed he really wasn't all that interested. She'd thought about calling him a hundred times, but every time she picked up her phone to dial his number she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"What did you say, Nikki?" Meghan asked absent-mindedly.

Nikki asked Meghan to help her with her diamond necklace then sat down and said, "I was asking if you had financial problems."

Meghan smiled wryly. "Uh, that would be putting it mildly." She gave Nikki the short version of how bad things were at home.

Nikki looked kind of uncomfortable but said, "Hey, listen. If you need money...a lot of money...I know a way to help."

Meghan hadn't given much thought to Nikki's lifestyle, but it suddenly occurred to her she must be involved in either drugs or prostitution. She knew Nikki was a pretty good student so she tentatively ruled out selling cocaine or meth and wondered where she went all dressed up and what she did two or three nights a week. Even so, she couldn't see this pretty young girl having a pimp who slapped her around and took his cut of the money she earned. That just didn't fit.

"So...are you interested?" Nikki asked.

"Well, I guess that depends," Meghan replied.

"On?" Nikki asked.

"On what it is I'd have to do. I just assumed your parents were very well off, but you know, it's none of my business."

Nikki laughed. "Meghan. Even if my parents had tons of money—which they don't—I wouldn't be dressing like this." Nikki used her hands to show she meant the dress and jewelry. "I'd just wear the nicest stuff girls our age like wearing."