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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The house was in perfect order when Eddie and Tanya returned home Sunday afternoon.“ Maybe too perfect.” Tanya thought. Justin and Ryan were playing table tennis. She could hear the fast clip-clop of the ball on the hard surface of the table. Nicole’ car was parked next to Eddie’ s truck.“ Very thoughtful,” Tanya thought, knowing Nicole was still at the birthday party. Tanya headed into the garage to let the boys know they were home.“ What time did Matt leave last night?” she asked.“ I don’ t know. Ryan and I were playing video games,” Justin said, trying not to look surprised by the question.“ I know how you two get lost in those games,” Tanya said, not needing to drive a wedge between siblings. Tanya went to check Nicole’ s room. The bed was made and the trash was empty.
The tracking devise in Nicole’ s phone showed dinner and movie looked more like a swing through Burger King. Matt dropped Nicole off at the end of the driveway and left.“ I’ ll make an appointment for you next week,” Tanya said, as Nicole came bounding through the door.“ For what?”“ To get you on the pill,” Tanya said, to Nicole’ s astonishment.“ I want to thank Matt for the courtesy of wearing a condom,” Tanya waited for a response but the air seemed to have been sucked out of her daughter.“ You never empty the trash unless there is something in it you don’ t want me to see. One day you will have children and these are the things to which you will have to pay attention. Lack of evidence also points parents in the right direction. I am not upset with you. I love you and I knew this would happen, so please tell Matt he doesn’ t have to leave in such a hurry from now on,” Tanya said, hugging Nicole.“ I love Matt,” Nicole could not believe her mom had not gone ballistic.“ I figured that. If he loves and respects you, that is all your father and I care about.”“ Does Daddy know?” Fear filled the words.“ I will break it to him gently. He liked the way Matt took care of you through the Fear Factory.”“ Can you believe Daddy put that whole thing together?”“ If you are proud of your father, tell him. It really means a lot, especially if the words come from the heart,” Tanya said.
There was nothing that could bring Tanya down from the clouds she had been wandering around in for the last couple of days. She knew what being in love was all over again. Just when she thought she had come to the end of the road and there was not much to look forward, Sam stepped into her life. How could she be angry with Nicole for falling in love. Nicole gave her virginity willingly. Tanya had fought to keep hers so she could do the same.
Nicole decided to talk to her father before her mom had a chat with him. She found him in the garage playing darts with Justin and Ryan.“ Could you show me how to check the oil in my car?” she asked, as Eddie won the game.“ Certainly!” Eddie said happily and opened the garage door. He was the one who took care of auto maintenance and was glad Nicole cared about the car he found for her.“ Pop the hood,” He said. Nicole stared at the front of the car.“ Sit in the drivers seat,” he instructed and showed her the hood release. He led her to the front of the vehicle, empowering Nicole by giving instruction only as he pointed out how to check the car’ s vital fluids. She closed the hood and Eddie liked the look of satisfaction on her face.“ I’ m very proud of you Daddy,”“ For knowing how to check the oil?”“ You made this the best year for me at school. All my friends know who my father is. I’ m like some kind of celebrity because of the Fear Factory.”“ I’ m sure that status will die down.”“ But it happens at the start of the school year. It will happen again next year, my senior year! You are the best dad in the whole world!” Nicole said, and gave him a big hug.“ I love you cupcake,”“ You haven’ t called me that in years.”“ You have always been the sweetest thing in the world to me.”“ I love you Daddy.”