doppelgänger --> there's never just one {sequel}

andy

Two seconds after Andy heard Dennis heard pull in the driveway that afternoon, the girls birdied inside, busting through the door on their way in, talking over each other, both of their mouths moving at the speed of light. Instantly Andy's guard went up, thinking there was something wrong.

"Daddy, Daddy, I have something to tell you about what happened today!"

"Wait, Daddy --"

"Daddy, guess what?"

Overwhelmed, Andy looked between his daughters, highly confused. "Okay, wait, wait, wait!" he told them until they quieted down. "One at a time. First of all, is there something wrong?"

Sadie shook her head vigorously as Dani replied in a dreamy voice, "Just the opposite."

As Andy's stomach dropped, he thought fearfully, is it that day already? Has that time come?

"So you had a good day?" Andy assumed happily, "thats great!"

"I know!" Dani replied, ecstatic. "I met a guy and everything!"

Andy frowned. So, that day has in fact already come. "Oh. A guy?"

"Yeah. He's this cute YouTuber named Ethan.... he's so adorable and sweet," she explained, looking up at the ceiling and smiling as if she was imagining his looks right there in the thought bubble above her head. She looked back at her father and her sister. "Did I mention he's gorgeous?"

"Yeah, you said it a thousand times over on the way home in the car," Dennis said, closing the front door again behind him after walking in.

Andy put his face in his hands, shaking his head. "Danielle Crimson Biersack, you're fifteen years old."

"Yeah, and about to turn sixteen."

"The point is -- do you even know anything about him?"

"Yes, everything. I got his number and everything."

Andy groaned. "His number is not all of his information. I want to meet him."

Dani's jaw dropped. "What? Not yet! Ethan aren't even following each other on Instagram yet!"

"What? Why does that matter? Does that even have to do with anything we're talking about?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes as if she made perfect sense and the answer was painfully obvious. "Because, Dad. If Ethan and I aren't connected through all of our social media accounts yet, we actually don't fully know each other yet, which means if I don't know him, you can't. I have to know him first."

Andy rolled his back. "Whatever."

Later that night, Andy knocked on Sadie's door. "Come in!" she called, and Andy walked in, seeing that she was sitting in her bed, reading.

"Can I join you?" he asked. She nodded, and he took a seat at the end of her bed. "So."

"So," she repeated, smiling at him.

He shook his head, the grin on his face matching hers exactly. He set a hand on her knee. "I realized your sister had a lot to say earlier about her day today at school, but you, not so much. I was just making sure everything went okay today."

"Yeah," Said replied truthfully. "It actually went really well." She paused. "Well, there's something I was going to tell you and Mom.... it's not a big deal, but...."

"Is it bad?"

"For you it might be," she said with a laugh. "No. It's not bad." She took a breath, meeting eyes with her father. "I met a guy today, too."

Andy groaned. Why do my girls have to be guy magnets without even trying? The first day and guys are already falling all over them and asking them out. Just my luck. Whoever it is I probably won't like, anyway.

"Your protective Dad side is showing."

Andy sighed. "Who is he?"

"His name is Grayson. Dad, you're not gonna believe this, but --"

"What? He's a drug dealer? In a gang?"

Sadie laughed. "No! Dad, he's Ethan's twin brother. You know, the guy Dani met?"

"No kidding...."

"Nope. For real, he is. And they're super close, just like me and Dani."

"Good. You two can keep an eye on each other. Should I know anything else about this guy?"

"Dad, I'll tell you more once I get to know him better and start hanging out with him. We're not even dating yet!"

"Hanging out with him?!" Andy asked incredulously. "Why?!"

Said laughed. "Because I like him, and we're friends. You realize he's not going to take me away from you and Mom, right? I'm not going to stay young forever, Daddy. I'm not a little girl anymore."

Forcing a smile, Andy nodded slowly. "Yeah." He stood up, then leaning down to kiss his daughter's forehead. "Goodnight, Sadie. Get some sleep; I'll see you tomorrow morning for school."

"Okay."

Andy started to walk out of the room, reaching the door. As he stood in the doorway, Sadie stopped him, watching him from her bed, now buried under the covers. "Daddy?"

"Yeah, sweetheart."

"I love you."

Andy smiled a little, looking down. "I love you too." He flicked off the light, the glow of the moon now illuminating the dark room. "Goodnight, Sadie."

"Night, Dad," she replied as he pulled the door shut. Andy leaned against the door, letting out a breath. His daughters were growing up before his eyes, way too fast for him to process. He knew the time would come, didn't expect it to just yet.

It was crazy. They were still teenagers.

I'm not going to stay young forever, Daddy. I'm not a little girl anymore.

Closing his eyes, he could remember a specific time, years ago when Sadie was a small toddler,  running around the kitchen table at Scout's father's house one Christmas Eve. Andy had been chasing her for what felt like forever, Sadie's little legs taking her fast around the round table. Andy stopped finally, sitting down and breathing hard, admitting to his daughter that she was too fast for him to catch and he couldn't do it anymore, leaving her nonstop giggling. Curls everywhere and astray from her head, she ran over to Andy, climbing in his lap and throwing her tiny, chubby arms around his neck. He held her close, taking advantage of the times she would willingly come to him as a child just to hug him. He kissed her head. "You'll always be my little baby girl, Sadie."

Always.