It was a sunny Saturday morning, and Scott was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee as he looked out the sliding glass door toward the pool. It was a familiar sight, and it brought a smile to his face. Ever since his daughter, Rachel, was eleven years old, most summer days and most weekends during the school year meant there'd be two or more girls splashing around in the pool. He had the pool put in the year after his wife died from an aggressive form of cancer, somehow trying to make it up to Rachel that she'd be growing up without a mother.
That was nine years ago. In some ways, very little had changed. Rachel still had the same group of best friends, Scott still worked at his same job, and he still missed his wife. In other ways, everything had changed. For two years now, the house was very empty during the school year, with Rachel away at college. His 'little girl' was now a young adult who didn't need him to play lifeguard when she was swimming. And, he realized, this could be the last summer Rachel lived at home. It was a bittersweet moment for him.
Brooke came walking into view and opened the door.
"Hi, Mr. T. How ya' doing today?"
"I'm good, Brooke, how about you?"
"Well, let's see. I've finished two years at my dream college, I don't start my summer job for another week, and I'm spending this beautiful day with my best friend swimming in her pool. I'd say I'm doing great!" she replied with a big smile.
Scott returned her smile as she walked past him on her way to the bathroom. Brooke had been Rachel's best friend from the moment they met. Through grade school, high school, and now college, they remained tight and told each other everything. They got excited for each other's first love, commiserated with each other for every break-up, and helped each other get through those awkward teenage years.
Brooke was also Scott's favorite among Rachel's friends. She was very polite, was good to Rachel, and always had a smile on her face. She helped Rachel a lot when her mom died and, for a ten-year-old, she seemed incredibly understanding of what Rachel needed. Sometimes she forced Rachel to do something fun. Sometimes, she just held Rachel when she cried. And sometimes she just sat with her, in silence, letting Rachel know she was there for her. That sensitivity continued to be present as the girls grew older. Brooke even knew when Scott was having a bad day and would give him a big hug when she came in or when she left.
When Brooke was heading back outside, she stopped just as she opened the door.
"Aren't you coming out, Mr. T? It's awfully nice out," she asked.
"No, I've got to do a little work this morning for a project I'm working on. Maybe later. Besides, you girls don't want an old guy out there stifling your conversation," he said with a smirk.
Brooke laughed out loud.
"Not only are you NOT old, but you've been around us - well, at least me - long enough to know that I'll say whatever I'm thinking, whether you're there or not."
Scott chuckled. It was true. Sometimes Brooke talked about things that made him uncomfortable, but it never stopped her. If she was having dinner at their house or sleeping over, both of which were common events, she had no qualms talking about the boys at school and what they were trying to do on dates. Sometimes Scott had to bite his tongue, but he was always glad she and Rachel felt comfortable talking about anything in front of him - even if he felt awkward.
"I'll try to come out later," he said.
Brooke smiled and then walked back outside, closing the door behind her.
Scott eventually got to his computer and pulled up the spreadsheets he had to work on. He had a little trouble concentrating because of all the screaming and laughing outside, but finally he finished what he needed to get done. He put some soft drinks and snacks on a tray and carried it outside.
"Thanks, Dad!" Rachel yelled from the other end of the pool.
Scott waved back and smiled. He loved Rachel more than she could imagine, and he loved seeing her happy.
Sunday was pretty much a repeat of Saturday. Rachel was already outside getting some sun by the time Scott came downstairs. He was sitting at the kitchen table, already on his second cup of coffee, when Brooke walked through the gate to join Rachel. She walked up to the glass door, looked into the kitchen, and waved to Scott. He smiled as he waved back. Fifteen minutes later, Haley joined them.
At some point, Brooke came in again to use the bathroom.
"Hey, Mr. T. Having a good day today?"
"I am, thanks Brooke. You know I always enjoy watching you girls have fun in the pool. You've been doing it a long time. I hope this isn't the last summer for that."
Brooke sensed a certain sadness as he looked out at his daughter, who looked a lot like her mom.
"You know, Mr. T, you did a wonderful job with Rachel. You were both mother and father, and look at her now. She's kind, smart, well-adjusted and never even got arrested," she said with a laugh.
Scott smiled.
"I never would have made it through some of the tough times without your family," he said. "Thank god your mom was there to help her through the girl stuff," he continued, making air quotes as he said 'the girl stuff'.
Brooke broke out in a loud laugh.
"My mother? Are you kidding? I don't think she EVER talked about girl stuff with me," she said, also making air quotes around 'girl stuff'. "I'm still not sure if my mother knows where babies come from or how to use a tampon," she said, laughing again. "I think you mean thank god for my older sister!"
Scott laughed.
"Well, whoever in your family helped her, please say thank you."
"Will do," she replied, with her voice trailing off as she walked toward the bathroom.
Scott returned to his coffee and frequent glances outside. He couldn't help but notice these were not little girls in his pool but young women with nice bodies wearing bikinis. The entire time Rachel and her friends were going through puberty and developing, he never once looked at their bodies. Usually it was easy, but even if someone was wearing something a little more revealing, he forced himself to only look at her eyes when talking to her and to never even try to sneak a peek at her body when she wasn't looking. These were kids he knew as little girls, and that's the only way he wanted to think about them.
Of course, he also didn't want them to think he was a pervert or to make them feel uncomfortable around him. He liked it when Rachel's friends hung out at her house. First, he was glad she wasn't embarrassed by the house or her dad. But it also meant he could keep an eye on things and know she was safe. Obviously, there were other good parents, but he felt better knowing exactly what was going on when the girls were at his house.
But now, it was a little harder not to think of the girls as women. He knew it might be wrong, but the fact is they WERE women. And most of them had great bodies. He still made sure he was never staring when they were around, since he didn't want to creep them out, but he certainly watched sometimes from the house or when wearing sunglasses to hide where he was staring.
While he was looking outside, Haley got out of the water at the far end and started walking toward the loungers which were in front of the kitchen windows. As she walked, her large breasts bounced in her loose and revealing bikini, with water dripping off her long, blond hair and the rest of her body. Scott stared the entire time she walked toward the house, knowing she couldn't see him through the window.
He was shocked out of his stupor when he heard a voice behind him.
"Yeah, Haley always had the nicest boobs," he heard Brooke say.
BUSTED, he thought.
"Those are something, aren't they?" she asked.
Scott turned red.
"Uh, I don't know. I hadn't noticed."