‘I wanted to keep him, but I simply couldn’t Not because I didn’t like him or he didn’t like me, but because they didn’t like us. He’s not a bad person, but why must they think of him as such? If I love him, I love him! And I don’t see why they must interfere with that! He doesn’t even do drugs or drink! Sure he dresses a little alternatively but that’s it! And they put their opinions to such high regard, and thus they get more paranoid yet proud! What immaculate perception they hold against me! And in all honesty, with such restrictions what do they fear? With such restrictions, what don’t they fear? I’m seventeen now, and it’s time for me to live my own life! I’ve got to confront dad. If he gets mad, I have nothing to lose! Ok, here goes!’

And to that, the girl in the doorway walked proud into the mundane kitchen, lighted by a ceiling light that only made the room feel more stereotypically suburban. The girl clearly didn’t like this, she always hated the suburban feel, but she put up with it.

There at the table set a middle-aged man with a fairly stubby stature and an orange and white polo.

“Oh hello Chloe! How are you doing?” He said, looking up from the newspaper that was propped on his right leg.

“Oh, hey dad. Uh, I was gonna ask you, could we possibly talk about, you know, Ben?” Chloe replied.

“You mean that no-good son of a-”

“Hey! No, don’t say that!” She abruptly interrupted. “I know you don’t like him, and I’m sorry for that, but, I like him! I mean, please, and reasonably, explain why you don’t like him!” At this point, she was nearly begging so he would not interrupt her, a common conversation ender.

“Okay! Will do! First off, he uses drugs! Bam! And don’t think I can’t tell! Mellow all the time and whatnot. Also, his music, it’s not good! Ya know, it’s a bad influence! So violent and such. I don’t like him! Okay? “

“It would be okay if I wasn’t able to shoot down every point you made! One, you have no evidence to base the fact that he uses drugs on! And no, because he is mellow does not give liable proof! And two, yeah, it’s music! Cause you don’t like it doesn’t mean he is bad!”

“No! I’m trying to be reasonable, but, I can only be so if you are!” He was holding the anger back in his tone of voice, but the fact that he was was very clear.

At this point, she felt dumbfounded. The stubbornness was almost to much to bear. “Okay! Fine!...” She paused to calm her voice down. “Okay, I contradict your argument and you say I’m being unreasonable? Listen, I am who I am and-”

“No! I mean, your mother and I find him a bad influence! And don’t contradict me!”

“No! I am an individual dad! Seventeen! And if we are having a serious conversation, not an argument, then I’ll contradict you if you’re wrong! I’m sorry, but, I want to see him, and I know he wants to see me! If I love him, then I love him! Where would you be if Grandpa had stopped you from being with mom?”

His face suddenly got very flushed, “Are you implying that you’re going to start a family young lady?”

Left with a completely dumbfounded feeling, she really didn’t know how to continue, but she did. “No. I’m not! I’m saying that if I did find my ‘one’. And say I actually did find my one! Not hinting anything! What would happen to me if you managed to scare him off? Or if Grandpa had done that with you! Take that into account! I’m going upstairs.”

“No! You wait now!” But she was out of the room and on her way before his message was even heeded. He sat down and thought about what had happened. He’d always treated her like “daddy’s little girl”. Dumbfounded by his daughter’s rather blatant, but understood message, he realized that she wasn’t “daddy’s little girl”. Instead, she was, well, simply “Chloe”. She would never build character if she did not explore and see what the world is like. She will never understand love if she doesn’t find it or lose it. Loss and pain are hurtful things, but regret, ignorance, they’re hostile. At least loss and pain can bring knowledge. He’d decided he’d apologize tomorrow morning. He could hear faint muffles, hear quiet rants just barely in earshot. He had wondered what kind of loss he would be to her. She was at a crossroad, and either way she’ll lose him, or she’ll lose the world. He had made his choice. She was his daughter, and she’d always be his dear flesh and blood. But the world only ever happens once. Life only happens once.