Her college team was playing a big game tonight and like plenty of other students she couldn't afford to make the trip. Her sorority had been invited to several parties to watch the game but she had turned them all down. It was a late game and she had an early class the next day. Vickie still planned on watching the game, but at home.
Unfortunately, she already knew how the evening would go and was in no hurry to get home. Her mom would drink until she passed out, then Vickie and her dad would watch the game on their big screen television in the basement. Her mom was the reason she could never invite her friends over, Vickie never knew how her mom would be from one day to the next and it wasn't something the family advertised.
Having already delayed getting home as much as she could, Vickie reluctantly went in the house. She discovered that mom was already well on her way to getting drunk. "Hi mom, I'm home."
"Where have you been?"
"I just got done with class."
"You came right home?"
"Yes mom." A couple of nights a week she would stay at her sorority, but she had to prearrange those with her dad so he could head off her mom. She would stay at her sorority Mihi Pro Solvo on the weekends. That was when she could escape her mom for a little while and have some fun. During the week she usually came home so she could take care of her dad and try to share some time with him.
"Good, I don't want you fooling around and getting pregnant."
Vickie could feel her face burning; she hated her mom being this way. She and her dad had urged her mom to get help; obviously it wasn't going to happen. Her mom had been this way for years and Vickie was actually surprised that her dad hadn't left a long time ago. At 21 she felt that she deserved better than this, but kept trying to hang on the positive things.
"Go change. I don't feel good, so you'll have to fix supper tonight."
"Okay mom." Vickie headed to her room to change her clothes. She had learned a long time ago not to argue when her mom was in that condition. Besides, fixing supper was not something new for her.
Dan pulled into the drive and turned off the car. He was pretty sure what he would find and just sat there trying to get the courage to go in. Helen had never really been a drinker until their son had gotten killed in a car wreck, now drinking was all that she did. That had been over three years ago and his wife had never gotten over it. Alcohol was the only way she could deal with the pain.
Taking a deep breath, he got out of the car and walked to his front door. Opening it, he saw that he was in store for another evening of her passing out. "I'm home dear."
"Great, fool around with anyone yet?"
Dan knew better than to get into it with her again. Besides, she wouldn't remember it the next day anyway. He sniffed the air, "Something smells good."
"Don't blame me if it sucks."
Dan hurried to the kitchen knowing he would find his daughter there. Vickie was the only reason he still came home at the end of the day. Nah, he was only fooling himself; he still came home for his wife too. He remembered how Helen had been; a sweet and caring person and he missed that woman very much.
Vickie turned around long enough to see who was coming in, "Hi dad."
"It's a good thing that you like to cook."
She nodded that she understood, "It'll be ready soon."
Dan headed for the bedroom to change. He was relieved that Helen hadn't gone there. They had stopped having sex a long time ago. Occasionally she would remember and would try to come onto him. Then they would get into an argument when he refused. He could barely stomach her smell, getting turned on was out of the question. Most nights she would pass out in the house somewhere. When she did it in their bedroom, he would sleep in another room.
After he changed, he headed back to the kitchen. His daughter was the one thing in his life that still gave his spirit a lift. "When's the game?"
She didn't look around, but kept her attention on the stove. "It starts at 9 o'clock something about the west coast people seeing it." She turned her head and gave her dad a pleading stare, "It's almost done, you want to get mom?"
He knew Vickie avoided Helen as much as he did. "Sure, I'll get her."
She breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks dad." Vickie always fixed enough food for all three of them even though most nights her mom didn't eat anything. Vickie had mixed emotions about it too. She worried about her mom not eating and always felt guilty at the relief she experienced when her mother didn't show up at the table. She wanted to be with her dad and supper was one of the few chances where father and daughter could have some normal time.
When her dad showed up with her mom, Vickie gave a quick glance to find out which type of supper they would be having. The first one was where her mom actually ate. The second one was where her mom didn't come at all. She realized that it was going to be the third type of family supper, and the most common one that they had. She and her dad would eat and her mom would sit and keep drinking. She started placing the food on the table, "Dad, you want to get the drinks?"
Helen mumbled, "Nothing for me."
Bringing two drinks to the table, Dan had figured that Helen wouldn't want anything. All he and Vickie could do now was not talk unless they had to, and hope for the best. But tonight they were worried about nothing; Helen just sat and drank without saying a word.
A supper in silence left both father and daughter feeling robbed of some pleasant time together. After supper her dad got her mom out of the kitchen, Vickie cleaned up the dishes and figured that she had the better deal. With the dishes finished, she headed to her room to study until the game started, and to avoid her mom.
Vickie got ready for bed early so that she could make a quick getaway from her mom after the game was over. Her mom wouldn't bother her if she thought Vickie was going to go to bed. Wearing panties and the oversized tee-shirt that she slept in, she waited until right before game time and headed for the basement.
The basement had a sofa, one recliner a few tables and a big screen television. She found her dad in the recliner and her mom was lying on the sofa. Vickie had expected to share the sofa with her mom while trying to stay as far away from her as possible, "Mom, can you move over so that I can sit down?"
"Go find someplace else." Helen had said it with her head down into the sofa cushion and father and daughter barely heard what she had said.
Dan figured that his wife was sprawled out on the sofa. He also saw the 'what am I going to do' look on his daughter's face. He started to say the word 'honey' but stopped - he definitely didn't want his wife to come over. "Vickie, if you aren't too old, you can sit on my lap."
Vickie giggled and headed for her dad, "I'm not too old." But, she was self-conscious because she wasn't wearing a whole lot. Standing the shirt came down to the middle of her thigh. On the sofa there was a blanket that she could have covered up with. Her sitting on his lap would let her dad see way more than she was comfortable with. Her heart and brain were in conflict. She could go back and watch the game on the television in her bedroom and it wouldn't matter how she was dressed but she really wanted to be with her dad.
Vickie climbed onto his lap and sat sideways on him, trying to keep her shirt pulled down as best as she could. At first she was embarrassed and kept pulling the shirt tail down. But, after the game started she was more concerned with what was happening with the game than what she was wearing. She was with the players at every steal and pass, and kept trying to make the shots for them. She was also very vocal about the officiating. "That was a bad call."
Dan agreed, "That wasn't a foul." Vickie had moved around as the game progressed and had caused him to feel things he hadn't felt in some time. It was especially uncomfortable because even though this was his daughter, she was also a nice looking woman. As he became more and more turned on, he couldn't help but notice her smooth legs and what was barely concealed under what she was wearing.
Vickie turned her head towards him, "I want us to win but not that way, the ref's just need to call a fair game." She became worried when she saw his face -
Helen called from the sofa, "Shut up over there."
-and whispered, "Are you all right?" He didn't say anything but he did nod. She went right back to being involved in the game but kept nervously glancing at him between plays. He wasn't all right, and she knew it. "Dad what's wrong?"
Dan really didn't know how to answer; this was his daughter for crying out loud. "Maybe you should go and watch the game in your room."