Dad and the Emo Girl

Each daughter took a glass of iced tea, but just held it as they continued to watch Colly serving Richard and me our tea. Colly's bend in front of Richard was just enough to give him a generous view of her cleavage without going beyond the bounds of propriety. We'd rehearsed this earlier with many laughs.

Richard was gawking, because Colly looked truly 'stunning.' Even allowing for the grind of travel, Colly was the prettiest and most loving person in the room. Richard gave me a look that clearly said, "How did my much older father-in-law hook up with someone so hot?" I slightly shrugged, as though women like Colly happened to me all the time.

The change of clothing apparently moderated my daughter's opinion of Colly too. While the conversation remained on the chilly side for a while, it gradually warmed.

Colly did know how to cook, and she had prepared a beautiful pot roast with all the trimmings, including a small scoop of sherbet between courses just like they do at the Golf Club. I assisted with serving, but publicly praised her culinary skills in front of everyone. I also took a few minutes here and there to smooch with Colly, and whisper little words of love and support to her. I knew my kids' presence must stress her out, and I wanted her to know that I knew it and wouldn't let anything bad happen. I had talked to Colly ahead of time and guaranteed that my first allegiance and love was to her and keeping her protected and whole.

I served us wine, and as agreed, I limited Colly's intake so she'd keep a level head. No one seemed to notice. Colly sat at one head of the table, where any hostess would take her place. She was poised, well mannered, engaging, funny, witty, and displayed a talent of getting along with people that far exceeded her years. More than all the traits that Miss Preppy might exhibit, Colly displayed her love for my family, even acknowledging things Alice had done to the house or worn. Throughout the meal, my eye kept catching on that sparkling ring on her finger.

As dinner progressed, the questions my daughters had thrown at me earlier gradually got answered: how we met, how she'd suddenly needed a place to stay, how I wanted to help Colly with her schooling, and how we'd fallen for each other. Colly talked about her background as an Emo Girl and her transition to Miss Preppy, even talking about how she changed roles some days because of her work at the art store that catered more to 'emo types.'

The fact that Colly and I both seemed rational and caring moderated opinions, not to mention Colly's own maturity. After dinner, I suggested that Richard and I walk Max. This was a delicate time, since I'd be leaving Colly with two vultures who might want to pick every piece of meat off Colly's bones without me there to protect her.

Richard and I were gone about a half hour. I gave him free reign with questions too; however, he was very politic and simply told me that I'd found a gem of a girl, and that he'd be proud to have her as a step mother-in-law, although she'd be about twelve years younger than he was. He laughed a lot at the way age factored into the equation and about my daughter's reactions to such a young lover.

I admitted to Richard that I hadn't even thought that if I married Colly, she'd be a stepmother to Fran and Elise, and be significantly younger than either one of them. That got me laughing, and as I did I felt much of the tension I'd felt regarding their visit evaporate. The humor of a potentially real situation gave me relief.

Richard went a little further, "I've only met Colly today, and heard the various conversations between you. I never heard you refer to that ring as an engagement ring. I'll tell you right now, in my opinion, that if you don't marry that girl you are one stupid father-in-law." He grinned at me and gave a light slap to my shoulder to take the edge off his bite, but I got his message, not that I hadn't already entertained the thought for a few months.

When we got back to the house with Max, he made a beeline for Colly who knelt down and loved him up in greeting. I caught a wink from her that indicated everything was cool. She suggested that Richard and I watch football while she and my daughters finished cleaning up in the kitchen and talked.

I turned on the TV and found a college game, but aimed my ears at what was being said in the nearby kitchen. What I heard sounded like wonderful sweetness to me. The harmonious sounds of Colly asking about me, Alice, Fran, and Elise's childhoods, the kind of parent I'd been, where else they'd lived, their jobs, and a million other normal and kind 'get to know you' discussions. I could hear Colly sharing more of her background as well.

Eventually, Colly came and sat in my lap and kissed me. She whispered, "Bedtime." We excused ourselves. I went to lock up the back of the house, and Colly went to the master suite. As I came back through the living room, Fran stopped me and pulled me into a daughterly hug. She said to me with tears in her eyes, "Good choice, Dad. I love her."

Elise repeated the gesture, "We love her, Dad. She's a keeper. I wish I'd been that mature at nineteen. Heck, she's more mature than I am now." As we hugged, Elise said in a directive tone, "Dad, marry her."

I had tears of joy in my eyes when I went into the bedroom. Colly looked at me with a worried look. I shook my head, and finally got my tongue. "You passed with flying colors. Three A-pluses from your toughest critics. They love you ... but not as much as I do. Richard and Elise told me I'd better marry you before you get away, and Fran would have said that first if she hadn't been interrupted by her sister. So, I was thinking that'd make that ring on your pretty finger an engagement ring, but to make it official, 'Will you marry me?'"

I hugged Colly to me. She said enthusiastically with teary eyes that matched my joy, "OH, YES. Absolutely yes. Yes, with no doubts or reservations. I will love being married to you, and I've thought about it from the moment we met ... but as you know I was scared for a while. I'm not scared now. I love you." She held out her left arm and studied the ring. "I like the idea that this is an engagement ring too. It's time we cemented this relationship."

We stood opposite each other and slowly removed each other's clothing. We found this something we liked to do; it was arousing, sexual, and always led to our making love.

When we were nude, we kissed passionately. Colly pulled away from me, with a naughty look in her eye. "Well, three A-pluses; let's see whether I can get an A-plus for making love tonight." She leaned in and kissed my first tattoo; an ornate heart on my upper arm with the word 'Colly' inscribed inside it. I'd also gotten another tat on the back of the middle finger of my right hand, a simple heart with the letter 'C' in it. My daughter's hadn't noticed either of those yet.

I started to tell Colly what a great partner she was and how much I loved her. I couldn't believe how sweet her kisses were that night as we fell onto the bed and made love.

My father and Colly were married at Dad's golf club in a romantic family and friend's ceremony on Colly's twenty-first birthday. Eight years later, they are more in love than they were when I first met Colly. Elise and I find having a stepmother who is eleven years younger than we are a bit strange, but even stranger is that I have a half-sister who is thirty-five years younger, and younger than one of Dad's grandchildren by a year. Elise and I love Colly too, and we go out of our way to go and visit the two of them. There's an air of love in their household that is contagious. We couldn't be happier that Dad fell in love with and married an Emo Girl. -- Love, Fran.