Mackenzie and the Hot-Dad Legacy

Mackenzie gave me one last kiss, and then headed directly into the bathroom, leaving me alone, ready to face my daughter, and my fears. I lifted my chin up, went to Jennifer's door, and was about to knock on it, when it suddenly opened.

"Daddy!" Jennifer shouted, and she flew into my arms, wrapping them around my chest and hugging me super tight. "I'm so sorry daddy," she said, her words filled with the same tears I knew were streaming out of her eyes.

"It's okay," I said quickly, hugging her tight, and not letting go until she was ready. "You didn't do anything wrong," I said softly.

"But Mackenzie and I-"

"I'm sorry. I over-reacted. It's none of my business!" I said, hugging her again.

"But, it's your house," Jennifer said, and I shook my head and pressed a cheek against the top of her head.

"It's our house. Not just mine," I said. "You're a grown adult. You're a woman now. You can make your own decisions, eat whatever you want.... That didn't come out the way I intended," I said, chuckling. "I did my best to raise you right. To be there when you needed me most. I think I did a pretty good job."

"You're not mad?" Jennifer asked in a worried tone.

"No," I said, giving her another squeeze. "Shocked? Yeah...a little. Surprised? Yes. Since when did you start liking girls?"

"I don't know," Jennifer said, shrugging in my arms. "I didn't really think I did."

I nodded and held her for a long time, until she slowly pulled away from me and then looked me in the eyes. "I have to tell you something else."

"What?" I asked.

"Uh...we need to go sit down."

"Okay," I said, heading for the front room.

"The kitchen," Jennifer said. "No T.V."

"Ooookay," I said, turning around and heading for the kitchen.

Once we were seated facing each other, Jennifer opened her mouth to speak, but I stopped her, and then moved my chair around until I was sitting next to her.

"What are you doing?" She asked me, curiously.

"Sitting next to you. They say, if you sit across from someone, you're ten times more likely to argue. But if you sit next to each other, you're more open to talking...talking it out."

Jennifer leaned over then and put her head on my shoulder. She stayed like that for a long time, and then said, "I have a boyfriend."

"Okay," I said, as if it were no big deal, and it wasn't a big deal. It really wasn't. Now, how he might take the fact that Jennifer had a girlfriend, well, he might be absolutely elated by that nugget of information. When he found out Jennifer's dad was fucking her girlfriend.... I shook my head, not wanting to think that far ahead about how others might take information.

"His name is David. He works with me."

"The manager?" I asked, thinking of the old guy with the same name who was like sixty years old.

"Ewwww~! No!" Jennifer said, and then she started laughing. "No, David works in the meat department," she said, and then she added, "and...he's black."