This is a sequel to "Bear To The Rescue", but it works fine as a stand-alone story.
All sex-having characters are over the age of eighteen.
"Who is she, Dad?"
"Who's who, honey?"
My daughter studied me over her coffee cup. "You know who I mean."
She ticked her points off on her fingers. "You've been moping around the house ever since I've been home. My third-favorite hoodie is missing. And I know I didn't leave an almost-full box of Trojans in my dresser when I headed up to school." She grinned at that last comment. "So, who's the lucky woman?"
Julie had always seen things clearly. Even through her own grief after her mom was killed by a drunk driver, she was always there to see what I needed and to help me get through those next horrible few months. She almost turned down the lacrosse scholarship to Maryland until I finally convinced her that I would be okay on my own.
I sighed. "She's just a woman that I met a few weeks ago. We had a nice weekend together, but she lives three hours away and she's way too young for me." It was clear from Julie's expression that she wasn't convinced.
"Do you still talk to her?"
"We text every once in a while."
Okay, probably every other day. So what?
"Just sounds like someone you might want to try harder with, Dad."
"Like I said, punkin -- she's not much older than you. It feels... weird."
"Did it feel weird that weekend?"
No, sweetheart, it felt like heaven.
"I guess not, but it was just a one-time thing."
"Whatever you say, Daddio." She might have changed the subject, but I could tell that she was not done with it.
I was prepared to pay a little more attention to my daughter the rest of the weekend, but she ended up spending time with her high school BFF Becca. But I did at least resolve not to mope.
###
It was only a few weeks later that Julie texted me to tell me she was coming back home for the weekend. It was late enough in the day that I assumed her classes were over, so I actually called her back, putting myself squarely in the "old" category. Who phones anyone anymore?
"Weren't you just here, sweetheart? I hope you're not coming down so often just to check on your old man."
"Dad, come on. I know you're okay. But I've got no classes Friday afternoon and Becca's throwing a party that night, so I thought I'd come back down for that. Unless I'm interrupting some weekend of debauchery by being home?"
I snorted at that. "Yeah, no, not a problem, punkin. C'mon down and maybe we'll at least get a few minutes together."
I worked a little late Friday and stopped off at the store to pick up a few things -- mostly dog food, when I stopped to think about it. I hadn't counted on a beagle pup having quite the appetite that Bono did. I had no idea where he was putting it all, but he was still growing.
When I walked past Julie's bedroom to get to mine to change clothes, I was sure I heard more than one female voice. I figured Becca had come over or that Julie had brought home one of her friends from Maryland and didn't think to mention it.
"Dad, I'm going over to Becca's! Might stay over."
"I thought I heard her in your room just now."
"No, we were facetiming. Just me. What are you doing tonight?"
"I'll probably take Bono out for a long walk before dark and then settle in with a movie."
"You should give Cat a call."
I got a quick peck on the cheek and an odd wink and then she was off. I heard her EV crunching across the gravel as I went downstairs to feed the pup, figuring I'd take a short nap and then take him out for a ramble.
Then it hit me that Julie had not only known Cathy's name, she had decided she was "Cat" - what the hell was going on?
I pulled up Cathy's number and heard it ring, just as I heard a ringtone coming from upstairs. I figured that somehow Julie had left her phone behind, although that seemed unlikely.
Then I heard Cathy's voice in almost stereo -- faint first, and then a second later, loud and coming through the phone speaker.
I think I've mentioned that I can be a little oblivious sometimes, but I'm not stupid. I took the stairs two at a time and rushed to the master bedroom, throwing the door open to find my beautiful auburn-haired friend lying in my bed, still holding her phone up to her ear.
"How's it going, Bear?"
"What...? How...? When...?"
"You're cute when you're flustered. Julie called me. Said you were missing me. And I've been missing you. So here I am." Suddenly she looked a little uncertain. "Is that okay?"
"Baby girl, it is more than okay. It is perfect!"