On Monday, I decided to approach Dad after he got up from his four hour nap.
"Did you had a fun weekend?" asked Dad.
"I did. Eliza and I did everything together including Providence Place Mall," I said.
"That's good," said Dad.
"I know," I said.
Then, I decided to talk to him about my feelings for Samuel.
"I'm starting to like him more than a friend, but I decided to tell him when I'm ready to do so. I feel that I should have a boyfriend because I'm 14 going on 15 in a few months. I promise I won't date on school nights, only on weekends and school vacations. And, I also promise to be home before 10:00 pm and to call in case I'm running late. And, I'm not sure how to mention this, but I would like to take birth control," I told him.
He's a great listener and said, "Okay. I'll let you start to date. I think you're old enough now. I'll see if I make an appointment to talk about birth control."
"Okay. Aunt Betty and I had girl talk and she said I can call her if I wanted some more advice on boys. Is that alright, Dad?" I asked.
"I don't mind. You can also talk to me, too," said Dad. "If you want ideas to go on for a date, feel free to ask me.
"I could do that as well," I said.
That was a surprise. Dad must be starting to lighten up with that rule. I think I could understood why he was like that: He tried to be a perfect parent and I have been doing fine. When he doesn't let me choose, I just speak up.
Looking back, I wonder if he would be like that for Mom didn't leave us. I am sure she would've taken me if she knew Dad treated me like a little girl growing up.
After Dad left for a meeting, I called Eliza about my talk to Dad and was impressed about the way I handled that. She knew I'm never shy to stand up for myself.
"I'm glad it took my dad to notice I'm growing up. I can relate that to Mary Anne in The Baby-Sitters Club since her father was overprotective until she was 12 after she proved she wasn't a baby anymore. She has a better life ever since," I said.
"True," said Eliza from the phone. "I can relate that to her, too."
After we talked for about ten to fifteen minutes, I emailed my girlfriends and told them about Mom spotting me at Dave and Buster's over the weekend and told them to keep that as a secret, too. When they replied an hour later, they were shocked and agreed not to spill the beans to anyone especially Dad. If I did bring it up, I'd just say I wasn't ready to meet her for what she did to us. He probably won't blame me. I want nothing to do with her right now.
Then, Dad came for me to go out for dinner. After we took off, Dad said, "Your doctor's appointment is all set for next Friday at one pm. We have a doctor's office inside the hospital, too, so it would be easier for me to take you there for your appointments. Your new doctor is Dr. Linda Duarte."
"Okay. Good idea," I commented.
We went to Friendly's. It's our favorite restaurant. We had it back in California. Dad and I love ice cream. The only thing is that I'm allergic to milk, but I take a Lacatid pill every day and it's good for 24 hours. I can still enjoy dairy. It happened a few years ago. On top of that, I'm allergic to bees. I discovered it when I broke out in hive for almost two weeks. That was four years ago.
Meanwhile, Samuel spotted me at Friendly's. He was there with his family. They were leaving while Dad and I were having ice cream. Later, I was getting ready for bed while Dad prepared for work. I like summer. I was in bed by 10:30 pm when Dad left. He comes in to say good-night to me before he takes off for work. I like that.
The next day, I felt a cold coming on. I take a pill right away, but the cold doesn't go away for the next two to three days. I was still in bed when Dad got up at 11:00 am. My nose was blocked and I would keep sneezing. Dad must have been worried about me because when he came in to me, he noticed my nose was red.
"Are you feeling okay this morning? Your nose looked red," said Dad.
"I just caught a cold. I took a pill earlier. I could hardly breathe through my nose. I'm just going to sleep most of the day," I replied.
"Okay, honey," said Dad as he felt my forehead. "You're warm. Do you want soup for lunch?"
"Yes, please," I answered.
"I'll let you have it in bed like I normally do," said Dad.
"Sounds good," I said with a grin.
He made Chicken Noddle Soup and I ate it in bed while I had orange juice. After that, I went to sleep. He still goes to work while I'm sick. I don't mind, but he still tells me if I need him, I can just call him anytime- especially in the middle of the night.
I got better two days later, but I like to take it easy for the day. Dad always tell me that. I only get a cold twice a year, thankfully. Samuel texted me and asked me out to dinner and a movie on Friday at 6:00 pm. I got so excited that I told Dad and he was glad for me. He gave me permission. And, I texted Eliza to tell her that. She replied me with excitement. Samuel likes me more than a friend now. I could see that. On Friday, he asked me to be his girlfriend.
"Yes. I, um, had a good feeling on that," I said blushing. "I like you a lot, too."
At the movies, we had our first kiss and it felt amazing. According to Samuel, I'm his first girlfriend.
When I got home, Dad said, "How was your first date?"
"Awesome. Samuel waited to ask me to be his first girlfriend at dinner and I accepted it. I feel like I'm a grown-up," I said.
"I bet," said Dad.
"And, the best part was we had our first kiss while we were at the movies and it felt great," I said.
"That's good. Not too many people do that on their first date," said Dad.
"Did you and Mom had that moment when you first went out with her?" I asked.
"Not right away. It happen during either third or fourth date, I believe," said Dad trying to remember.
"How did that feel if you don't mind me asking you that?" I asked.
"I don't mind. And, we both thought it was great, too," said Dad. "Like you, we went out to dinner and a movie on our first date. We would have picnics and other things."
"Wow," I said.
"We dated for about ten years before we got married. I remember the moment when I was thrilled when your mom found out she was expecting you. She wanted to keep that gender a surprise until birth. She was glad she had a daughter. Then, two years later, we had our second child, but it died of SIDS six months later. You had a brother named George. We were happy to complete the family. Your mother was upset about George's death," explained Dad.
"I remember that story when Grandma Tricia told me," I said. "Too bad I didn't remember him."
"So, your mother choose not to have another child. She was worried it would happen again. I agreed with her," said Dad.
Then, I got into my nightgown to get comfy. And, Dad left at ten pm so he can get to Dunkin Donuts to get a coffee on the way to work. I was already asleep at the time.
The next day, Samuel and I went to Providence Place Mall. We were in the food court for lunch. Mom, who was on lunch break, spotted me.
"I was surprised when you walked away from me," said Mom.
"So? That's what you did to me and Dad. I wasn't ready to meet up with you. Plus, I wasn't there to see you. I was there to play games," I said. "I didn't even come to see you. I came to visit some stores."
That part was true. I'm not ready to catch up with her right now. After we had lunch, we went to a few stores. Later, at home, I must have been in a nervous wreck about Mom spotting me now because Dad was getting concerned about me.
"So, how was the mall?" asked Dad.
"Samuel and I had a fun time," I replied.
"I noticed something was up. Is everything okay?" asked Dad.
I wasn't sure if I should tell about Mom.
"Well, there's something I would like to tell you. Samuel and I were at the food court when some strange woman came up to me. You'll never guess who it was," I said.
"Who was it?" asked Dad.
"I noticed it was Mom. She was working at Dave and Buster's. Well, Eliza and I saw her last time. I didn't even know she was here all these years," I said.
"That is a surprise," said Dad.
"I was shocked. I didn't know what to say to her or what to expect," I said. "The truth is that I'm not ready to meet up with her right now, especially what she did to us: Disappearing without a note, none of us knew where she was."
"It's okay if you're not ready to catch up with her. I don't blame you for that," said Dad.
"Sorry I didn't bring it up last time. I didn't know how to do so," I said.
"Honey, I'm not mad at you. I understand you didn't want to do that," said Dad.
"I'm debating not to go back to that mall in case she shows up. She was shocked that I walked away, but I told her she did the same thing to us. Besides, I wasn't there to see her, just to hang out," I said.
"You must be very angry with her," said Dad.
"Honestly, yes. It's odd on how I remembered that. I also recall that I cried not knowing where Mom was," I said.
"I remember that day, too," said Dad.
"But you and I managed without her for years," I said.
"That's true," said Dad.
I feel better whenever I tell Dad on what's bugging me. At least he didn't get angry about for not telling him about Mom. I emailed my best friends to tell them about my talk to Dad based on Mom and I added he understood not bringing that up. They were glad that worked out fine.
Then, Mary Jane emailed me along with the other girls saying her birth parents died when she was a toddler in a plane crash. That was the reason she was adopted. Her adoptive parents are actually her godparents. The plane crashed into an ocean on its way to Bahamas and all of 250 people including her real folks and crew members were lost. The plane was never found. Mary Jane was staying with her godparents at that time. She was only two or three. She never knew her late parents. She had just found out earlier. The Coonts figured she was old enough to know.
I thought that was interesting. We both thought her birth mom gave her up for adoption. Her birth parents were George and Julia Knowles. They were longtime friends with the Coonts. I replied by saying that was very nice on how she was adopted. We did not know the Coonts were her godparents. Neither did Janet or Sarah. Mary Jane didn't want anyone to know since she has a happy life. We understood and didn't blame her. The girls and I vowed not to say anything to anyone. She did say it's okay to share it with a parent if we choose to do so.
Later, I told Dad the story. He thought it was a shame that her birth parents were never found after the plane crashed. I thought so, too.
"Her life is so happy that she didn't want anyone to know that she was adopted and how it happened. I understood. However, she said it was okay to tell you if I wanted to," I said.
I'm an expert at keeping secrets. Mary Jane trusts me and the others. She always says we can only tell someone if she gives us an okay. I remembered one time she was depressed when her cat, Kiki, was killed after it was hit by a car. She told me she wanted to kill herself and didn't want us to tell anybody. But I told Janet and Sarah we shouldn't let that happened and they agreed. Not knowing what to do, I told Dad, who wanted me to inform her parents right away. I did. And, she had help from therapist who told her it's okay to be upset about her cat's tragic death.
Dad was impressed on how I handled and that I was a good friend to Mary Jane. I learned that the only time you can tell a secret is when you need to keep a friend safe by telling a trusted adult. The girls and I didn't want to lose our best friend. Needless to say, Mary Jane did thank me for helping her. I told her that's what good friends do.