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He drives off, and you head for the house, seeing the living room curtains twitch closed at your approach. You sigh ruefully and open the door. As you knew she would be, Amanda is sitting oh-so-innocently on the couch as you come inside. “Spying again?” you ask dryly, but not without amusement.

She beams, and you can practically see a cartoonish halo hovering above her head. “Maybe.”

You sit down beside her, unable to keep a silly grin off your face as you run over tonight's events with Damien in your head. You daughter watches you for a long moment, and suddenly her face turns serious.

“Dad?”

“Yeah, Manda?”

“This thing is getting pretty serious, huh? You and Damien?”

“Yeah, I suppose it is,” you tell her honestly. It's probably far too soon to be planning long-term, but you really do like being with Damien, and you know he feels the same about you. You haven't told him you love him yet, but it's been perilously close more than once.

“Yeah.”

“Is that all right with you?” you ask, uncertainly suddenly clenching your gut. “I wouldn't want you to think I'm...trying to replace your father or anything.”

“I'm not made of glass, Dad,” Amanda sighs, resting her chin on her hands and looking up at you. “I don't think you're gonna abandon me or pretend he never existed or anything. I want you to be happy. It's just a little weird, you know?”

“Bad weird or weird weird?” you venture.

“Just weird weird,” Amanda answers immediately. “There hasn't been anyone else around like this since Papa. It's taking some getting used to.”

You stew for a minute over how much to tell her. Amanda is an adult in her own right, or near enough, but there are some things you'll always want to shield her from. Finally, you speak. It's just the two of you; how can you keep secrets? “I felt like glass for a long time after your father died, like I was going to break every time the phone rang.” The words are steady, but even now, there's the distant threat of tears behind them. There probably always will be. “I was afraid to pick it up. Afraid it would be more news like that. About someone else. You.”

“Dad...”

“Let me finish, sweet-pea.” You take a breath. “I thought I would never be able to love someone again like that again. I was convinced it would be just you and me forever. But then I met Damien, and I know it sounds corny and stupid, but it's like my heart opened again.”

A small smile curls Amanda's lip. “That's not stupid at all.”

You favor her with smile in kind. “I need to know you're okay, though, Manda. You're still my number one priority, and you always will be. If me being with Damien makes you uncomfortable at all, I'll break it off.” It hurts to say it, but it's true. You'd tear out your own heart if it meant your daughter was safe and happy.

A funny look crosses her face, and your heart leaps into your throat. “Dad!” she exclaims after a moment, hands on her hips. “How selfish do you think I am?”

You calm, letting out a half-embarrassed laugh. “Not at all, apparently.”

She sticks out her tongue. “I like seeing you happy, and he makes you happy. Easy answer. You just have to actually bring him around more, okay? Maybe the three of can do something together.”

“He has been inferring he'd like the same thing lately,” you admit, much to Amanda's delight.

“Ha! We're on the same page already. We have you outnumbered.”

“Alas, poor me.” But you quickly sober again. “That means Lucien will be around more, too, in the future. Are you all right with that?”

“I can put two and two together, Dad, and it's fine. We already know each other from school. We get along well enough.”

“If me and Damien stay together, he'd be like your step-brother,” you muse aloud.

“Maybe literally someday,” Amanda says calmly. “I can handle that.” She stands, stretching her arms above her head. “Anyway, I'm hungry. Do we have any frozen pizzas left?”

As she heads for the kitchen nonchalantly, you call out after her, and when she turns, face open and curious, you can only say, “I'm glad we had this talk. Okay?”

“Okay, Dad. Now, pizza.” You smile to yourself as she disappears into the kitchen, and you feel lighter even than when Damien kissed you. Everything feels right at last.