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twenty three :: dad

twenty three :: dad

My dad was home. 

             And Henry and I were together in the kitchen. Alone.

           Was there a rule for being together in the kitchen, just like what parents' usually say "keep the door open" if a guy is over and in your room? The thought was whirling over and over again as I gazed downwards at the floor. I didn't want to look at Henry just in case I might start giggling like some school girl who had a crush on a good looking guy. Well, I was. 

             Sort-of.

        My dad's booming voice rang through the whole house and I wonder how he could do that. "Leona, are you home sweetheart?" he asked, his footsteps coming closer to the kitchen.

          "I'm here, daddy!" I called out and froze. I'd just called my dad "daddy" in front of my boyfriend. Who happened to be the hottest guy in school! I quickly glanced up and saw him looking at me from across the room, one eyebrow raised in a mocking glare. I flushed the shade of a beetroot and went past him to greet my father.

         "Hey dad," I said, meeting halfway and giving him a peck on the cheek. I had always loved it whenever my father had gone home from and I used to ask him if he had gotten me something on his way home.

      "Hey love, I think I heard you talking to someone or was it yourself?" he raised a brow amusingly. 

          I laughed softly as I took the bag that had been slung over his shoulder, and placed it on the sofa. "Yeah, I was talking to someone."

         I bit my lip, uncertain to how he was going to react when he found out that my boyfriend was here. "Henry's here, dad" I confided and continued to gnaw on my lower lip.

          My dad's head came up and looked at me, "Henry's here? When did he came over?" his voice sounded neutral and I couldn't tell what he was feeling by his tone nor the expression on his face.

       "Yeah" I replied, twiddling with my fingers as anxiety gripped me. There was butterflies in my stomach and I wasn't one to break my parents' rules or them to be disappointment at me. 

       "Well, where is he? He's not in your room, is he?" Dad asked slightly suspicious as he peeked behind me as if he was expecting Henry to be hiding behind me and as if he was to jump out as soon as my dad's words hit him. 

        "He's er, in the kitchen. We just got here" I said, waving a hand to the direction of the kitchen.

       Shooting me a meaningful glance, my dad walked around me and made his way towards the kitchen. I was thankful enough that I didn't blush while I was talking to him, since the memory of what Henry and I had done a few minutes ago still embedded on my mind. 

        I huffed and quickly went after my dad. Also, just wanted to make sure that Henry wasn't doing anything that he shouldn't be doing. When I got to the kitchen doorway, I peeked inside and saw my dad talking to Henry.  

       "So, Leona told me you just got here. Is that right, son?" dad asked, and took a sip of his drink. 

     I nearly barged in and patted Henry's head like a good dog when he nodded, making it a lot easier for me to breathe. "Yes sir, that's true"

     My dad studied him a little closely and said, "You planning on going to University son?"

     I had realized that I hadn't even asked him what his plans were after this year had ended. We only had a few months before exams and then graduation. At the start of the year, I had been so eager to leave high school and couldn't wait to start my new life as soon as my final year had finished. But fate did really have a funny way of showing my future since it had chosen to include Henry in my life at the last minute.