As Time Proceeds (boyxboy) Complete

Chapter 6 Present

The car ride home was filled with childish giggles from the backseat. Each of her shrills brought an uncontrollable smile to my lips. I loved my daughter with my entire being. “What is so funny, Eel?”

    “Nothing,” she said through a giggle. “I’m just so happy, Daddy.”

    I smiled. Me too. “Why are you happy?”

    “I’m happy because you are!” She said loudly, making me look into the rear-view mirror. She was practically gleaming.

    I had to bit the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning ear-to-ear. “What gives you that idea,” I said, pressing for more information.

    “Kendall does, Dad!” Lilly flailed her arms in the air for emphasis.

    My daughter was indeed far too attentive. “What do you mean?”

    She blew out a breath and fell silent for a moment. “I don’t know; you just look happy. Kendall makes you happy.”

    “How can you be so sure, Eel,” I pried deeper for more information. Something in my gut told me my little Eel knew more than she was letting on.

    She huffed loudly. “I remember him from a picture,” she finally admitted. Finally, we come to the root of her giggling and knowledge. “I wasn’t looking for the picture,” she continued as she explained herself, “but one day, I just found it.”

    I raised an eyebrow. “Where you going through my things?”

    Lilly fell silent. “Yes, and I know it’s wrong, Dad.” She sounded older than a ten-year-old. “I’m sorry, but I wanted some of your long socks to play puppets with.”

    “Next time, ask Daddy, and I’ll get them for you, Eel.” I wasn’t mad at her. To be honest, I was pleased that my mind wasn’t slipping, and I actually knew my daughter well enough to know when she was holding back information.

    I gave myself a mental high five for my parenting skills.

    “I know, Dad. I’m sorry.” Lilly sounded genuinely sorry, so I let it go. “In the picture, you both looked sooo happy, and in the store, you both looked the same way.”

    I sighed lightly to myself thinking back to the day the photograph was taken. Kendall and I spent the whole morning hiking through a state park just as the spring set in. The wildflowers were in full bloom, and unbeknownst to me, Kendall led me to a picnic in the forest.

    It was one of the happiest days in my life. The photo was of Kendall holding the camera out and snapping a photo of us both sitting on a red and black, checkered blanket with the wildflowers surrounded us like a multicolored wreath.

    “That was a long time ago, Eel,” I said finally.

    “I know; you didn’t have any grey hair,” she said through a giggle.

    “It was one hair, remember?” We shared a laugh together.

    A silence fell over us as I pulled into the drive of our home. “You never seem to be that happy,” Lilly said suddenly breaking the silence as I parked, “When you looked at him, I think that was the happiest I’ve seen you in a really long time.”

    I bit my lip. “Eel, you make me happy,” I said truthfully.

    “Mhmm, but Kendall makes you a different kind of happy!” She unbuckled her seatbelt.

    Unbuckling my own, I opened my door and opened the back door for Lilly. She bounded out of the car and stood in front of me, her pale blue eyes meeting mine. “He hurt you though, right?”

    I blinked at my daughter and smiled weakly, still unable to wrap my mind around how perceptive she was. “Yes. He did,” I said kneeling down to her level. “A long time ago, when we were both still kids.”

    Lilly blinked. “How did he hurt you?” She obviously learned her need for information from me.

    “Help me with groceries, and I’ll tell you,” I said, opening the trunk and pulling the grocery bags into my arms. I saved the lone bag with the bread in it for Lilly.

    Once inside and the groceries were in their appropriate places, I turned to find Lilly sitting at the kitchen table patiently. “You really want to know, huh?”

    Lilly bounced in her chair. “Yes!”

    I sighed and sat beside her, facing in her direction. “Like I said,” I began, “we were kids, but Kendall was a little older than me. We spent an entire year together, and he decided that he wanted to see the world and live out his dreams.” Lilly’s attention was fully committed to me, and her eyes shone. “He packed his bags and left me.”

    “Where you mad at him?” she asked with a furrowed brow. Her hand went around the bell.

    I smiled. “I was for a really long time,” I admitted truthfully. “He gave me that bell, and with time, it all got better.”

    Lilly’s eyes widened as she tightened her grip around the bell. “Did you ever see him again?”

    I shook my head. “Today was the first day in just over seventeen years that I saw him.” I almost reached to the place where the bell used to hang around my neck, but I stopped and leaned forward, placing a kiss on Lilly’s cheek.

    My little Eel leapt into my arms, wrapping herself around my neck. “I’ll never leave you, Daddy!” She sounded sad.

    I pulled her close and held her there for a long moment. After kissing the top of her head, I pulled her away and looked into her eyes. “No, Eel. You will leave me eventually.” Lilly opened her mouth to protest, but I continued. “One day you are going to grow up and go chase after your dreams, and I’m going to have to let you go.” My heart stung slightly at my words. I didn’t want to think about sending Lilly off into the world. Thankfully, I still had quite a few years left with her. “I’ll be happy though. You’ll be starting your own life, and that’s what’s supposed to happen.”

    “I don’t want to leave you,” Lilly said, as her eyes watered.

    I pulled her back against my chest, kissing the top of her head one more. “Don’t worry, Eel. That’s not for a really long time, and trust me when I say that you can stay with me until you are my age.”

    Lilly nodded her head against my chest and we both sat silently. I closed my eyes and felt tears well. Lilly really was my everything.

    “You love him, don’t you?”

    Her words took me by surprise. I made sure that Lilly knew love came in all sizes and colors, but I had yet to sit her down and explain that I loved men. I nodded after a moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever stopped, Eel.”

    Lilly lifted her chin and pulled my face down to hers. She was grinning as she leaned forward, kissing my cheek. With that, she jumped to the ground and ran off in a fit of giggles.

    “You’re too smart for your own good,” I called after her. “Do you need help packing some clothes?” I added.

    “No, Dad!” She called back.

    I smiled at her independence. However, I knew she would probably just lob all her Pokemon and Barbie outfits into a bag. For now, I would let her pack her own things before going upstairs and making sure she had everything.