Page 17 of Second Helpings (Sweet Treats 4)

My dad sighs again, wiping a big hand over his eyes.

“We did more than hit it off, Sienna. There were fireworks between Layla and me. By the time of her initiation, I’d been divorced from your mom for a while, and I was giving up hope that I’d ever find someone again. Of course, I was using the Dads and Daughters service whenever I pulled into a truck stop, but I was also dating a couple women here and there. The dates all fell flat, and it was pretty brutal. I was depressed, honey. I know I didn’t show it on the outside, but I was beginning to think I was going to be single forever.”

I squint at him.

“You were depressed?”

My dad nods, his expression somber.

“Yes. It’s not something that a parent wants his child to know. We want to appear strong and confident, and not as a messed-up, anxiety ridden ball of nerves.”

I stare at him.

“You suffer from anxiety too?”

My dad sighs.

“Yes. No. I don’t know. That part of my life was tough Sienna. The divorce was absolutely the right thing to happen, and it was a relief after the papers were signed. But I was also anxious, depressed, and upset. Long hours on the road by myself didn’t help because the job is so solitary. I didn’t have anyone to talk to, and it’s not exactly easy to keep a weekly appointment with a therapist when you’re traveling all the time.”

I stare at him.

“I had no idea,” I say in a quiet voice.

My dad nods.

“And that’s the way it should be, Sienna. You’re my child. I don’t want you to worry about me. I wanted you to be happy, and to do all the things a young girl would do. I wanted you to try out for sports, for cheerleading, for the glee club, and enjoy yourself. You only have one childhood, after all.”

I shake my head.

“I could have helped, if I’d known.”

My dad shakes his head, smiling at me slightly.

“I appreciate your concern, but sweetheart, I don’t want you to help. This isn’t your life. These are my demons that I had to work through, and it’s not fair for me to drag you down as part of it. I’m the father, and I take care of my family. That’s the way it should be.”

I nod slowly. I’ve always been proud and grateful for the way Tyler’s sacrificed so that we can have the life we have. I just didn’t know he was sacrificing that much during that difficult period.

“So you met Layla,” I begin slowly, “and life began to turn around?”

Tyler nods, his expression brightening a bit.

“I went into the initiation thinking that it would be very average. Of course, I was initiating a beautiful young girl, but it would be a day of soft touches, physical gratification, and then not a lot more. I would show her how a man treats a woman, but then we would move on with our separate lives.”

“Except that’s not what happened,” I say slowly.

“No,” Tyler agrees. “Something sparkled in the air between us. I’d forgotten what it can be like to be with a woman who is your other half. To be with someone who’s incredibly beautiful, but also loving and giving at once. It was only our first time together, but Layla meant something to me, and after that, I knew I needed her. I wanted to be with her, except there was the problem of her dad.”

I nod.

“Of course, because Dads and Daughters is supposed to be a one-off swapping club. You enjoy various daughters, and teach them the intimacies of physical love, but you don’t get into serious relationships.”

Tyler looks at me oddly.

“Is that what Jock told you?”

I think for a moment.

“Not in those exact words, but that’s what I was deducing from our conversation.”

Tyler looks down for a moment, his expression pensive. Then he looks up and begins again.

“Well, the actual story is a bit more complicated than that. You see, the foundation of the club is one-off swapping. He’s right about that. But quite a few of our members pair up with a daughter for the long-term actually. Layla and I aren’t the only ones.”

I stare at him.

“Wait a minute. So you’re saying that there are actually couples that come out of Dads and Daughters?”

Tyler smiles for the first time during this entire conversation.

“Yes, and quite a few too. You know Harold and Maude Longford from over on the west side? They met through Dads and Daughters. So did Marielle and John Stark, over on Cherry Street.”

I stare at him.

“Marielle and John are married and have two kids!” I exclaim.

Tyler grins.

“Yeah, and it’s a happy marriage too. But the long and the short of it is that they met through Dads and Daughters, and a relationship blossomed. They tied the knot way back when, and their union has led to children. It’s a beautiful thing.”

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