Homecoming

I was finishing up a dinner for two when I heard the door rattle and open. I smiled as I heard Amber's voice ring out, "Dad, we're here!" At the plural, I felt my smile fall and my eyebrow rise.

"Kitchen!" I called out warmly, setting two plates of food down on the table. I smiled at the two girls who entered my kitchen. "Hey girls. I'm sorry," I turned to the unfamiliar young woman who accompanied my daughter. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Jack, Amber's father." I extended my hand toward her.

Shaking my hand, the unfamiliar girl responds, "I'm Hanna, I was Amber's roommate in college." It's then that she looked down at the table. "Oh, I guess you weren't expecting me..."

I gave a good-hearted laugh. "No, I can't say I was, but nevertheless, welcome to my humble home, Hanna, it's nice to meet you."

"Oh," Amber chuckles, embarrassed. "I knew I missed something... I meant to ask if it was okay for Hanna to come over. My bad, sorry." It's then that Amber gives me the same puppy-dog eyes she used to give me when she was a kid and wanted something. "She can stay, right?"

"Amber, you're not a child anymore. I mean, would I have liked a heads up? Sure. But you don't have to beg me just to invite a friend over. You're over 20 for goodness sake."

"Aw, thanks Dad!" Amber hugs me before turning to her friend. "We're going to have so much fun! What would you like to do first?"

At this point I interject. "How about eat? You two must be hungry right about now." I motion to the table laden with dinner. "Better hurry or it'll get cold."

The two girls look at the two plates on the table, filled with Amber's favorite foods. "Oh, um... I guess your dad wasn't expecting three. Uh... I guess we can share a plate?"

"Nope, none of that! I haven't seen my daughter in ages and she's brought a friend home with her. You two are not, under any circumstances, only getting a half-plate of food. Hanna, you can have my plate."

The brunette starts to shake her head and decline, but Amber puts a hand on her shoulder. "You might as well. When my dad gets that look on his face there's no changing his mind. All arguing will do is have you eating a cold dinner. C'mon."

When the two of them sit down and start eating, I make my way to the fridge, grab some leftovers, and sit down to join them. The three of us eat for a couple minutes in silence before Hanna speaks up. "This is so good where did you learn to cook like this, Mr. Longwood?"

"Yeah dad, this is great," Amber follows, "I'd almost forgotten what good food tastes like!" I chuckle as the two girls laugh.

"Aw, thanks Amber. Glad you like it." I then turn to Hanna, "I truth is I mostly taught myself. I knew that, after everything that happened with Amber's mother, I was going to give her the best life I could. If that meant learning why preheating the oven was important, then so be it." As we all chuckled, I noticed Amber's face fall a little. 'Shoot... Maybe I shouldn't have said that? Way to kill the mood.'

Hanna must have also seen Amber's face, because she lightly blushed and followed with, "Oh yeah. Amber told me a bit about all that. I'm... sorry if I made things awkward."

Both me and my daughter shook our heads, with me saying, "Oh, no, please don't worry yourself about that! Yes, it's a shame, but it was quite some time ago now. Now is a time for friendship." Noticing their empty plates, I stood and started to clear the table, denying their help when they voiced their objections to me doing it solo. "Girls, it's fine. I can handle cleanup, don't worry yourselves."

"Thanks again, dad. Dinner was great."

"Yeah, thank you Mr. Longwood!"

"You're both very welcome, girls. Oh, and Hanna, Jack is fine." I smile as she laughs and nods, before heading upstairs.

"Well, I guess-" Amber starts, but stops as I cut her off.

"I want to talk to you about this later. You know that, don't you?"

Amber pales and looks down as she answers, "Yes sir..."

"Good. Now, go. Before your friend gets worried." Turning back to the dishes, I hear my daughter's footsteps make a fast retreat towards the stairway.