Respect

Xander

“It isn’t that he wasn’t nice. It was more about me being young and looking for a little reassuring. I don’t blame your dad for laughing at me. I was laughed at a lot back then. He was one of many.”

“He didn’t tell me about the award,” she said, and I could hear the hurt in her voice.

“You two still haven’t made up?”

“No. He won’t talk to me. I found out about the award through my friend who saw it in the paper. I called him and he let it go to voicemail.”

I reached for her hand. “I am really sorry he’s this upset with you about me. If you want us to stop seeing each other or being friends, I will totally understand. I don’t expect you to ruin your relationship with your father for me.”

“No,” she adamantly said. “He is not going to get to ruin this, whatever this is.”

“This is us having a good time,” I said, not sure what else to say about the situation.

“Right. Exactly. It’s nothing for him to get his panties in a bunch about.”

“Are you going to go?” I asked her.

“No! Why woul