Author's note: All players in this story are 18 or older.
***
"Lucy..." I heard daddy call me from the front room. "Can you come here, please?"
"Yes, daddy," I said making my way.
When I got to the living room, I saw daddy had a guest. "Hi, Mister Moore," I said to daddy's friend. I sat next to daddy on the couch.
"Please call me Ted, Lucy." He said clearing his throat and shifting in his seat uncomfortably.
"Is everything OK, Ted?" Daddy asked. "Is Mary Joe doing well?"
"Uhh. Yes..." He stammered. "She's fine. Everythings' fine." He struggled further.
Daddy and I were concerned but gave Mister Moore a moment to organize his thoughts.
"Actually... Uh... It was Mary Joe who sent me to talk to you both. His voice shifted up a little. Stopping to clear his throat he turned to daddy. "Vernon, you know last week, when we went out to the bar...?
"Yeah...?"
"Well.." He cleared his throat once more "you had...well...you had a lot to drink that night."
"I did. Go on." Daddy said patiently.
"Well... It's just that... At one point, you had confessed to me about your relationship with..." Mr. Moore looked at me briefly before dropping his eyes. He nervously wrung his hands. "...with your daughter. With Lucy." He finally said.
I sucked in a breath. Shocked that daddy could've told anyone about our secret. I dropped my head and sank back in my seat, praying that I could disappear at that moment. It didn't work.
Daddy chuckled. "Ted. You know I was drunk. I said a lot of things that night. I'm sure I was just trying to be funny."
I tried to relax a bit. I knew daddy was going to protect us, even if he had to lie.
Mister Moore chuckled back "That's how I took it too..." He stammered.
They both laughed nervously.
"...until later that night when you sent me that video of you and... and Lucy..and I" he cleared his throat "...and I knew it was all true." He said, finally making eye contact with daddy.
A little scream escaped me. "Daddy how could you!" I slammed my fist down on the couch and gave him my angriest pout.
"I'm sorry, princess. I'm just so proud of you. And you're so beautiful. And I..." He put his arm around me, pulling me in. ...I'm so sorry princess." he said, "I made a mistake."
"Ok," I said disappointedly.
Mister Moore continued. "The thing is..." another uncomfortable pause. "...Mary Joe saw the video... You sent it in the middle of the night and she demanded to know who would be blowing up my phone at that hour... I couldn't hide it from her." He said looking at his hands again.
The three of us sat silently for a long awkward moment. I had heard them speak if her before and knew her to be kind of tough on her husband.
"Mary Joe...she...she made me come over here because...um..." He pulled at his shirt collar and swallowed hard "I'm sorry. Can I trouble you for a glass of water...?"
I was about to stand, but daddy pulled me back down. "Why did she send you, Ted?" Daddy demanded.
Mister Moore wiped the sweat from his brow. He was a balding, overweight man who clearly had a sweating problem, not to mention a fear of his wife's wrath. "...she wants..."
"Is she going to turn us in?" I asked impatiently.
"No." He said to me, looking at me with as much warmth and concern as possible.
"Then what?" Daddy said.
"Mary Joe...she can't have children...she's always wanted a child, you know?" He looked at daddy, his eyes begging for any kind of empathy.
Dad just replied with a cold glare.
"She said... She said since you two play like...like you're trying to get Lucy pregnant...that you shouldn't mind if..." He swallowed hard "...if I got her pregnant."
Daddy jumped out of his seat, rushing towards Ted. "I ought to kick your ass for suggesting such a filthy thing!" He yelled.
I sat up screaming for daddy to stop. I didn't want daddy to further complicate things by hurting Mister Moore who could then press charges.
Mister Moore fell back in his seat. Holding up his palms towards daddy to block any attack. "I'm I'm I'm sorry!" He studdered "It's not my idea!" He yelled "Its Mary Joe!" Breathing heavily he went on "She's at the house right now with my phone, prepared to go to the authorities and send you to jail unless I bring Lucy back with me within the hour!"
Daddy stopped in his tracks and looked at the man. A sweaty huffing coward of a man, and yet daddy knew his wife would do exactly what he said. Daddy stepped back. He turned away and took two steps. "Fuck!!" He screamed out as he swiped his arm across the end table, sending the lamp flying across the room. The shattering sound was almost unheard over the slamming of my heart.
I sat there with wide eyes waiting for daddy to say something. He threaded his fingers behind his head and paced back and forth angrily, letting everything sink in.
The tension in the room was thick and I felt a lump in my throat. I hated to see daddy hurting. After what felt like forever, I finally said, "Daddy, maybe I should just go...?" I said meekly, hoping daddy would reject my words.
Mister Moore brought himself back upright and tried to compose himself. He seemed mildly relieved to have delivered his message. "Lucy, I just want you to know.." He said to me gently.
Daddy cut him off "Don't you even talk to her!" He said pointing at him. "You've got a lot of nerve coming into my house and threatening us like this, you know?!"
Mister Moore just sat there, looking up at him. I felt bad for the man.