Beth was a slim, blonde who looked a lot more like twelve than the nineteen year old that she was. She was still living at home and working to save enough for a deposit on the apartment building not far away. Her mom had left them a long time ago and her brothers had all moved out leaving her alone with her father. She had begun doing things around the house to make up for not paying rent. You could find her doing the laundry or the dishes. Some nights you'd find that she not only made dinner but was sure to leave some leftovers on the side so her father would have lunch the next day.
After about six months of Beth taking care of the house and cooking after work she noticed her father start looking at her funny. She had been reaching to put a bowl away on a tall shelf and when she turned he'd been staring at her in a way that made her uncomfortable and excited at the same time. Beth decided she must have imagined it though because later on in the evening her father acted completely normal. This went on for some time. She would catch him looking at her and then it would be as if nothing happened. The problem was that she had finally saved enough money to move and thought if there was a time to confront him this would be it. She could talk to him about the odd behavior and if they had an argument she would be able to move almost immediately.
It was a Friday night and Beth had made her fathers favorite dinner. She'd even made sure she looked nice. She'd brushed out her long hair and put on a yellow and white sundress that showed off her tan. She kept telling herself that she was preparing herself because she wanted to be taken seriously, as an adult, even though in the back of her mind she had begun imagining what would really happen when this confrontation came. She went downstairs and joined her father in the family room. The news was playing in the background but he seemed to have been waiting for her. He looked up at her as she came in and smiled.
Her father was a good looking man. He stood around 6 foot and had a lean, well muscled body from working with his hands. The way he looked at her as she entered made her stop and appreciate the fact that she had come from beautiful parents. His eyes were a rich blue and his salt and pepper hair was usually a bit unruly and wind blown. But just now, he looked delicious.
Beth shook her head slightly, not quite sure where that last thought came from. She leaned down to kiss her father on the cheek and crossed the room to sit on another chair. After a few minutes of pretending to watch the TV she turned her head and noticed him staring at her again. This was the perfect opportunity.
"What," she asked. "Is something wrong?"
The smiled at her again and without answering got up and crossed to sit in the chair beside her. "I have something I've been wanting to give you," he finally said after he was again comfortable.
"Like a present?"
"Sort of," was the only answer he gave for another moment. "Do you know how beautiful you've become?" he finally asked. "You look so wonderful all the time I wonder why you don't have boyfriends knocking at the door every night to take you out."