Aubrey (Revolving With Axis)

042:

                 

I felt her ease out of the bed, still in her red and white stripies, zipped up almost to the top, somewhere between her delicate virginal breasts that I'd been dreaming about. I opened my eyes and realized it was very early. There was a digital clock.

            "Going swimming with mom?"

            "Sorry, did I wake you?"

            "Leaving my arms woke me."

            It wasn't yet dawn, but there was enough light through her bedroom windows to let me see her stinking cute figure.

            She went into her closet and came out a few seconds later dressed in sweats and a sweatshirt, obviously the swimsuit underneath was hers this time. She was stuffing her hair into a bathing cap. "It's just the family pool."

            I rolled over and stretched. The stupid stripies looked way better on her than they did on me. But wearing them had been really amazingly fun. Silly kind of kid fun, sexy kind of adult fun.

            I didn't answer her and that was consent enough. But when she slipped out, I got dressed, left the gigantic mess and headed up to Kell's for a shower and smoothie. I determined to figure out the porn thing without her there.

            So I called my dad.

            That's not a completely natural response for me, but he was an active member of the church, so he would know more of where Aubrey was coming from. And he would be up at five in the morning. I sat at the kitchen bar, staring out at the tops of barely lit trees, and listened to the ringing of his phone.

            "Rafe?"

            "Hi dad. How are you?"

            "I'm good, how are you?" Dad's voice was familiar, comforting, and yes--- authoritative. I had never wanted to hurt him, and was glad for his continued acceptance of my lifestyle changes. I had deviated greatly from my parent's lives. Theirs hadn't been that great anyway.

            "Good. So, I'm going on tour next week."

            "Do you have time to come over and say good-bye? I guess you'll be out of the country for a couple of months."

            "Yeah, I plan to come over. Listen, I'm actually calling for a reason, and I think I might need your advice." My dad was also the one person that I knew who--on his side of the fence--didn't lecture me about my side of the fence. It was simple good parenting. I knew I could count on him not to judge.

            And he knew all my vices. He'd struggled with some himself.

            "Okay. I've got some time." His voice was reassuring, and I sensed he was putting down whatever he'd been reading, probably the scriptures.

            I wanted to get right to the point, since Aubrey had said she didn't swim that long. She'd likely be back soon, and although I could go in a room, and I knew she'd respect my privacy, I also wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

            "So, I've met this girl."

            I heard Dad's snort. I didn't usually ask for relationship advice from him. Financial advice, or career advice, or technological advice, yes.

            He knew it as well. His own weird relationship was testimony enough to his inability to give good advice in that quarter. Besides I had way more experience with failed relationships than he did. "Hm?"