Pictures that tell 1000 words

The issue with Boys

3rd March 2034

"Hi sweety." Joe said cheerfully as his daughter opened the car door - instantly noting a confused expression which was strewn across her face. "What?" He questioned, slightly fearful of the answer.

"Nothing." Lily responded softly as she climbed into the front seat of her dad's Audi, shaking her head softly in response. "It's just that this morning Mum said that she was going to pick me up from school, and that later she would come with me to rehearsals."

"Well, there's been a slight change of plans unfortunately." Joe said as he began to pull out onto the busy road which surrounded the school. "Alex is a little bit sick; so Mum and I decided that I would come and pick you up, and then I'll take you to rehearsals whilst she makes sure that Alex is okay."

Rolling her eyes softly, Lily placed her eyes onto the checked pattern of her skirt. Purposely ignoring the side eye that she was begin given by her father. "Fine." She responded bitterly, an exasperated sigh edged behind her voice.

Noting the apparent sadness in her voice - and the melancholy way in which she held her features, Joe couldn't help but worry. With one child who was sick at home, and another who clearly wasn't happy, the father of two couldn't help but bring up the fears of fatherhood he had indulged in earlier that week.

"How was school?" He questioned tentatively - hoping that the simple act of a conversation would brighter her spirits.

Shrugging gently, Lily began to fiddle with the lose thread that had escaped the button hole of her blazer. Joe on the other hand was waiting on tenterhooks for an answer. But it quite quickly became apparent that he wasn't going to get one.

Turning off of the main road, towards the quiet - country lanes which escaped the business of the outskirts of London, towards the calmness of the Surrey Hills, Joe took a long hard look at his daughters face.

Her crest fallen features and slightly shaking hands, outlining that whatever it was that was bothering the young girl, was really getting to her. "Lily, what's wrong?" He questioned softly as he gently took his hand off of the gear stick and onto her arm - prompting her to move her tearful eyes onto the concerned look she was being given.

"Nothing..." She responded sternly - instantly revoking their eye contact. "I don't want to talk about it."

Knowing when to stop pushing her, Joe removed his hands off of her arm and placed his eyes back onto the road before him. A silence enveloping the two of them, which was only increased by the melodic hum of the engine of Joe's car. A deftly silence which carried them all the way home.

They didn't speak a word - Joe not wanting to make his daughter uncomfortable by pressing her too much, and also too fearful to say something in case he gets it wrong. On the other hand Lily sat there in a combined state of anger, and of sadness.

Something which resulted the young girl to bolt up the stairs the moment that Joe opened the front door. There was no hello to her mum or brother. There was no question of concern for his health. Just the rumble of her feet racing up the stairs, before the distant slam of a door.

"What was that?" Dianne questioned as Joe walked back into the lounge where his son was sat fast asleep, his head resting gently into his wife's side - creating an image which held the power to melt his heart instantly.

Sighing softly, Joe took a seat on the comfortable arm chair in the far corner of the room.

"I don't know anymore Dot. First of all Lily was quite clearly irritated that I came to pick her up rather than you. She was then incredibly quiet all the way home and basically didn't want to know what was what... Either way, she isn't happy." Joe responded - clearly stressed, as he ran his hands through his hair several times. The same nervous trait which Dianne had noticed he had adopted 16 years earlier.