The Life and Death of Girl Unknown (UNDER REVISION AND EDITING)

Chapter 48: The Desert.

Juice

10 years later . . .

"Please daddy! Can I spend the night?" Beau begged from the other end of the phone. Every day her voice matures more and more as she quickly approached the most dreaded time for me, puberty.

"What did Percy say?" I asked her curiously, knowing Percy would've said no. Percy always tells Beau no when it comes to staying out late or spending the night at a friend's house on a School night. He's big brother and when I'm gone what he says goes. But Beau is approaching that time in her life where she wants to be out more and at home less. She's ten years old already, Daylon just turned twelve and Percy is seventeen now. They're growing up really fast and I'm not entirely sure how to handle that, but we've been taking it day by day since . . .

"Percy's being unfair. He had a girl over last night. I should be allowed to spend one night at a friend's house." Beau snitched on her older brother ruthlessly making my eyebrows shoot up and a smirk cross my face. My daughter can be a savage at times, just completely selling her brothers out without a single thought about it.

"Okay baby, just this one night. When I get home you and me are gonna have a chat about your social habits." I warned her to be prepared for "the talk". I dreaded it more and more every day but it needs to be done otherwise it's gonna happen and she's not gonna know what's going on and she'll hate me for not telling her.

"Okay daddy, when are you coming home?" Beau questioned, it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to ask me that when I'm out on a run. It never fails to bring a smile to my face when my little girl asks me that. I can just imagine her standing at my feet, her head tilted back to look up at me with her big dolly brown eyes and long eyelashes that were made to be batted at people when she wanted something. Her tiny hands behind her back and a charmingly playful smile on her face.

"I'll be home tomorrow morning." I replied giving a rough estimate on when I'd arrive back in Charming. I was probably not going to sleep tonight so riding through the night seemed more likely than not.

"So, you'll be home when I get home from School?" She asked in her usual childish way. When she talks to me like that I tend to forget that she's ten years old and not five anymore. The three of them have grown up so fast. Too fast in my books. I've done my best to be the best single parent I could possibly be but we've had our ups and downs like every family does. We've stuck together in the end.

"I'll most likely be at the clubhouse so just meet me there instead, okay baby? Tell Percy to drive you and your brother to the clubhouse after School." I explained to her as Chibs walked out of the clubhouse for the Indian Hills charter clubhouse. I'd been straddling my bike for the entire phone call home. I always call home before bed to talk to the kids. He gave me a curious look, cocking his eyebrow slightly.

"Are you gonna be at my hand-ball tournament next week?" Whenever I get a phone call from Beau it lasts longer than the run itself but I don't blame her. Usually it's Wendy or one of the guys' old ladies looking after them but since Percy is old enough he's been taking care of Daylon and Beau. She misses me. I'm the only parent she remembers.

"Sweet-heart, daddy's gotta go. Tell Wendy that I'm letting you spend Thursday night at your friend's house and Daylon can stay up an hour past his bedtime playing video games, okay?" I granted her desperate wish. I swear I could hear her smile over the phone.

"Okay daddy. I love you. Sweet dreams." She sang to me, the radiant smile showing in the tone of her voice. I smiled at her when I heard her give me a kiss through the phone. Chibs chuckled at me and how I interacted with my daughter, as if he never did this with his daughter.