It's not easy being the parent of a teenager these days, especially of a teenage girl. They all want to dress like tramps and every time they go out to a party you're worried they they're going to get drunk or high, or worse. I like to think of myself as an involved father and I make sure to keep up on the trends kids are into these days. I remember being horrified when I read about "rainbow" parties and when those multicolored gasket bracelets were in the news I checked my daughter's wrists every time she came from her mother's.
Luckily for me, my daughter Emily is a good girl. She's smart and has a good head on her shoulders so I've never had to worry about her getting in trouble. Of course that doesn't mean I don't worry. Just because Emily isn't looking for trouble doesn't mean that the boys around her are going to behave themselves. I was a teenage boy once and I know what it's like. I think from the time I was fifteen until I was out of college the only thing on my mind was getting laid. I got a hard on every time I looked at a pretty girl. Hell, I still want to bang every sexy woman I see. And my Emily is a very pretty girl. Trust me, I'm not just saying that because I'm her father. She's very petite and has that blonde hair, blue eye girl-next-door look. She also looks a couple years younger than her age. Emily is a dead ringer for her mother at that age, except she doesn't have her mother's nasty disposition, thank God. If my ex was as sweet as my daughter I'd still be married.
Emily has had boyfriends from the time she was sixteen and I gave them all the evil eye and let them know that if any harm came to my daughter they would not live to regret it. They were good boys from the church, but I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything. When all your blood rushes down below you can convince yourself anything is right. No, I don't trust the boys my daughter dates, but I do trust her. When she was thirteen we went through a Purity Ceremony where she promised to remain chaste until marriage.
Although it was five years ago, I still remember that night like it was yesterday. Emily looked so beautiful in her gown and there were tears in my eyes as I held her hand by candlelight and she pledged to remain a virgin until marriage and to be obedient to my authority. I know a lot of you are probably rolling your eyes. A teenage girl remaining obedient to her father? Well, Emily and I have a great relationship. I never have to discipline her and she's still excited to come over on the weekends. And I believe the virgin part because I trust Emily. She just isn't that kind of girl. I know that if she had trouble keeping her promise she would come to me to talk about it.
It turns out my faith in Emily was justified to because she recently came to talk me to and that night changed everything. I love my daughter more than ever, but things will never be the same between us.
Friday nights have been our special nights ever since her mother and I divorced. She goes on dates or sees her friends on Saturday nights, but our Friday nights have always been sacrosanct. Emily usually arrives around seven, she's more punctual now that she drivers herself, and we have Chinese takeout and watch a movie. Sure I've a lot of movies I had no interest in, but the important thing is that I am spending time with Emily. And besides, there are some hot young women in some of those movies. Don't tell me you weren't checking out Eliza Dusku in her bikini in Bring It On, or that full lipped beauty from The Princess Diaries. I know I might sound like a dirty old man, but just because I'm over forty doesn't mean I don't notice and besides, those girls are just playing teenagers. Knowing she was in The Devil Wears Prada, I didn't mind that Emily chose that for movie night.
"Em, do you want me to put the movie in?" I called out to her. She was in the kitchen putting cartons of leftovers into the fridge.
"In a minute, Daddy. I'll be right there."
I slipped the movie into the DVD player anyway, since it takes so long to get through the previews and the FBI warnings. I dimmed the lights and sat on the couch watching some basketball while I waited. Emily looked nervous when she came back and sat on the couch beside me. She held a pillow in her lap and stared at it while she picked at the edges.
"What is it, honey?" I prompted.
"I want to talk to you about something and I don't want you to get mad. You always said I could come to you about anything. "
"You can."
"And I've never lied to you and I don't want to start now."
"This is sounding serious. Look at me, Em."
Emily flitted those baby blues up to me, but looked right back down at the pillow in her lap. I could tell this was important to her.
"In the fall I'll be going away to school and a lot of things are going to be changing. It's a little scary, going out on my own for the first time, but I'm so excited about it, too."
I was all too aware that my little girl was going to be gone soon. I'm still in denial that she's a young woman now and I don't like to think about her being on her own out there at college. I tried to convince her to go to a local school, at least for the first year, but her mother filled her with all kinds of stories about her time in college and I know it made an impression on Emily. Her mother was no angel when she was younger and I didn't like the kinds of thoughts she could be putting in our daughter's head.
"I know, honey. I just hope you don't forget about your dear, old dad here at home while you're out there spreading your wings."
"I would never! I love you, Daddy, you know that. I always will, too. You'll always be the most important man in my life."
It warmed my heart to hear that.
"But I am going to be out there on my own and I want to be able to experience everything I can. I don't want to be held back. Do you know what I mean, Daddy?"
"Emily, you know how I feel about drinking and drugs. I understand if you go to a college party they're going to be there and I don't suppose a beer would hurt you, but you have to be careful, honey. Never leave your drink unattended or accept an open drink from a guy."
"Daddy, I know all that stuff and I don't like the way beer tastes anyway." She saw the look I gave her and said, "I just tried it. I don't get drunk. But that's not what I was talking about."
