To Keep Her Safe is All I Know

Chapter 6

John was driving Sadie back to Melanie's house after the movies. He sat slouched, his arms sitting loosely at his sides and his hands loosely gripping the wheel. His eyes didn't blink - they drooped shut every couple of seconds before opening again. He stared blankly at the road, like his destination didn't matter. 

"That was fun." Sadie says, trying to break the silence that had come over her father.

John returns to reality and gives a small smile, "I'm glad you thought so, sweetie." He says, looking at her through the rear view mirror, "God, you've gotten so big."

"You look tired, Daddy."

"That's because I've had a lot of work to do this week."

"What do you do for work? Mommy's a doctor, but what do you do?"

"I'm a doctor too, just a different kind. I don't work at a hospital, I work at a clinic."

"What do you do at the clinic?"

"People that are having problems come see me and I help them."

"What do you mean problems?"

"They...don't live their lives the way that they should. They think their lives are okay, but they're actually filled with problems, so their families bring them in to me and I help get them back to normal."

"Oh. That doesn't sound so bad."

"Did you think it was?"

"Mommy said it was."

John scoffs and shakes his head to himself, "Your mother doesn't know what she's talking about."

There's a pause.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"You said you take people that are having problems and make them normal again, right?"

"Yes."

"Mommy said that you tell boys that get crushes on boys that they need to have crushes on girls even if they don't want to, and that you do the same with girls that get crushes on girls. So if a boy has a crush on a boy or if a girl has a crush on a girl, is that a problem?"

John sighs, "I'll explain it to you when you're older, Sadie."

There's another pause.

"Mommy also says that you tell girls that wanna be boys that they need to be girls, and that you tell boys who wanna be girls that they need to be boys. Why are those problems?"

"You're just not old enough to understand, Sadie. I'm helping them, I really am."

"Mommy's old enough to understand and she says what you do for work is bad and that's why you're not married anymore."

"Your mother knows nothing! Do you hear me?! Nothing!" John snaps.

Sadie jolts back, eyes widened.

John softens, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell."

Sadie relaxes a bit, but not entirely.

They arrive back at Melanie's house and get out of the car. John knocks on the door, but Sadie opens it and just walks right in. John hesitantly follows her in. Fred starts barking. Melanie appears at the top of the stairs and smiles to Sadie as she begins to walk down.

"Hi, honey. Did you have fun?"

"Uh huh. We went to the movies."

"Great, I wanna hear all about it."