Catching up

“Great therapy session. Bad date.”

Brooke said jokingly, which gets a laugh out of the girls this time. Although she played it off as a joke, you can’t help but feel embarrassed.

“He didn’t make a move on me once! Way to make a girl feel wanted.” Brooke says with a pout, continuing her joke.

“I was trying to be a gentleman!” you ride the joke and defend yourself.

“That’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for him.” Stella says, doing side commentary which gets a laugh out of Brooke.

“In all seriousness though, we had a good time. He was a great listener.” Brooke tells the girls.

“What’d you guys talk about?” Cassie asked Brooke. It led to Brooke recounting your stop at the hobby shop, talking about wrestling and her love for it, and her past as a professional wrestler. Brooke didn’t share the part where you guys talked about her insecurities anymore, so she could avoid forcing herself to go through that again.

Stella and Cassie were fascinated with her stories about her time as an indy wrestler, laughing at the audacity of a promoter for making her choose between a slice of pizza or a hotdog as payment for her 5 minute match because apparently they didn’t sell enough tickets to pay the wrestlers in cash.

You also gave your gifts to the girls when Brooke mentioned that she helped you pick out a little token of appreciation for Tanya. The three of them were excited to find out what you got them, and were extremely happy with your gifts. Stella and Cassie even mentioned they can wear their windbreakers during practices, while Tanya was ecstatic to get her new make-up palette. Stella and Cassie actually jumped in on that and the conversation started revolving around make-up, with Tanya and Brooke giving them make-up tips they picked up from YouTube and their own personal experiences.

Eventually, you all left the coffee shop and walked around the city, visiting shops here and there that piqued the interests of some of the girls. You were waiting outside a particular women’s shoe store when Stella came out of the store to join you.

“You know shoe stores have a hundred percent batting average of having boyfriend chairs, right? You don’t need to wait out here.” Stella tells you before wrapping her arm around yours.

“Nah. Didn’t want to miss the cool of a summer day shifting into night. Plus, shopping isn’t really my forte.” you answer her.

“Don’t let me stop you from looking for stuff to buy though.” you add.

“Nah. I’m good. I have enough shoes as it is.” Stella replies.

“Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?” you joke.

“Hey!” she reacts before playfully punching your arm. The two of you just stand there for a few seconds, arms interlocked, and just enjoying each other’s company.

“How’re you holding up from earlier?” you ask your daughter.

“I’m fine, Dad. I just boiled over. She’s never going to get that reaction out of me again. I promise. Ice queen from here on out.” Stella answers you.

“Baby, that’s not healthy too, you know? If my conversation with Brooke earlier is any indication, holding in your emotions can lead to them popping up in your lowest moments. It’s better to address them.” you advise your daughter.

“Yeah. I’ll keep that in mind, Dad. If you ever feel like how I’m coping with it is leading to shittier behavior, tell me okay? Right now though, I’m good with how I handled mom. She deserved every fucking profanity I threw at her.” Stella tells you. You’d want to say she should watch her language again, but you probably wouldn’t have been able to control yourself in that situation too, so you keep your parental instincts at bay.

A silence falls upon the two of you once more, making both of you feel the cooling breeze that just hit as the sun is finally setting.

“Brooke mentioned earlier that your hang out was more of a therapy session, then you mentioned something about it just now. What did you guys talk about that you didn’t share earlier?” Stella asks.

“Brooke’s been through a lot of bad relationships, apparently. Based on her count, she’s been cheated on three times. Been asked to downgrade into a fuck buddy. Been used as a beard. Ghosted. It’s piled up to make her feel like she’s not enough to be someone's girlfriend.” you reveal to Stella.

“Oof.” was the only reaction your daughter could give upon hearing Brooke’s struggles.

“Have you thought about it?” Stella asks.

“About what, baby?” you ask back, not sure what she meant.

“Have you thought about dating her? Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed all the fucking hints we’ve been dropping that we’re okay if you go after her.” Stella tells you.

“If you mean I’ve imagined being with her, then yeah, definitely. From all my interactions with her, she’s a genuinely good person that I’d like to be around more… but I don’t think it would be right for me to go after her, baby.” you answer Stella.

“Why the hell not? If Cassie and Tanya’s stories are to be believed, she’s kinda interested in you too, Dad.” Stella asks you.

“She’s going through something that makes her feel like she’s not enough. How do you think she’d take it if someone who has three girlfriends already asks her to just be a part of a group of girlfriends? Like she’s not enough for that one person?” you explain to your daughter.

“Is that what we are, Dad? What Cassie, Tanya, and I are? Parts of a whole? Pieces to a puzzle? That we only get a fraction of your love because the rest is reserved for other women?” Stella asks you.

“No! Of course not, baby. I love you all individually with everything I’ve got.” you answer her.

“Then Brooke’s not going to think that she’s not enough just because you have multiple girlfriends. As long as you make her feel the way you make us feel. Even if there’s three of us, your love for all of us is equal to your love for us individually. I don’t need to ask you if that’s true or not, because that’s how I feel. You don’t just love me as long as Tanya and Cassie are there. I know that for a fact. She’ll know it too, if that’s how you really feel about her.” Stella tells you wisely, making you realize that your thought processes are still very much clouded in negativity if your immediate choice is to not do something that you actually do want to do.

“If you don’t like her, or you’re not interested in exploring your feelings for her, then say so; but don’t use us as an excuse to not go for someone so you can try to make each other happy. That’s the entire point of us giving you the green light to do that.” Stella adds with finality.

You nod to tell her you understand what she meant. Stella noticed she was being a little too authoritative with her speech and hugs your arm a little tighter, before resting her head on your shoulder to soften herself up a bit. She holds your hand and interlocks her fingers with yours. She directs you to look at the setting sun and the indigo color of the sky, as you both stare upwards into the slowly transitioning night sky.

“I actually went through a speech without saying it. I call this a win.” Stella says, as she looks up at the city skyline slowly lighting itself up. You stare at your daughter’s look of wonder, with a big smile on her face, as you hold each other's hand.

“What didn’t you say, baby?” you ask her, as you continue to stare at her while she watches the buildings turn on their lights.

Stella looks away from the city skyline to look at you before answering your question, “You know~ my two word catchphrase.”

Right. ‘Be happy’.

You are happy.

You can honestly and truly say that you’re happy… and you answer your daughter’s unspoken command to be happy with, “I am, baby. I am.” Stella smiles at you, even happier to hear that as your answer.

“I’m happy you’re going to go after Brooke now.” Stella tells you.

“What?” you ask in confusion.

“I thought you understood what I meant with my two-word catchphrase?” Stella asks you.

“You meant ‘Be happy’, right?” you ask her.

“No Dad, I meant ‘Bang her’.” Stella answers you with a laugh. “I’m kidding!” Stella says before giving you a light kiss on the lips. “Yeah, Dad. That’s what I meant...

“Be... you almost tricked me into saying it!”