Title: You've Got to Know Where You've Been to Get Anywhere at All
Author: Kristen
Date: Winter 2007
Author Note: For some reason, I saw the trailer to the new Ryan Reynolds movie with Abigail Breslin about the girl who makes her dad tell her his love story and I went, "Huh. That would be fun to write." So I did. I promise that finishing Ruined Forever In the Best Way Possible is high on the "to-do" list, but this little plot bunny wouldn't get out of my head.
Summary: Dad? Can you tell me the story of you and mom?
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"Dad?"
"Yeah, pumpkin?"
Without even looking up from the book I was reading, I could hear my daughter's eye roll. "I thought we've discussed your use of that word."
"Yes, we have pumpkin. And I thought we came to conclusion that it is a father's inherent right to call his daughter whatever he damn well pleases as long as she uses his money for her own personal pleasure."
Now we got the out loud sigh. She got that one from her mom.
"Whatever," Lucy sighed. "Listen, I have to write a paper."
"The American education system at its finest."
"I have to write about my family."
"Yeah? Like the six of us?"
"Well, yeah, but mostly about you and mom."
"Why?"
"I don't know, something about knowing where we've come from."
I nodded. "You've got to know where you've been to know where you're going."
"Whatever."
"So you want me to tell you how we met and all of that?"
"Sure, I suppose."
I adjusted myself in the recliner and took a deep breath. "What's that?"
"It's the recorder I'm going to use. You think that I'm really going to be able to remember all of this business?"
"You do have my brain," I remark, wiggling my eyebrows.
"Exactly," she said, winking at me.
I rolled my eyes at her and said, "Where do you want me to start?"
"At the beginning, Dad."
"It's a very good place to start."
"True statement."
I laughed and started, "Well, you need to know a few things. In high school, I played basketball."
"I know."
"And that your mother was a bitch."
"I know."
I laughed, "Well, know also that when I say that I played basketball, I mean I played basketball. Whatever guy at your school is the jock, that was me."
"Is that why Uncle Chad calls you playmaker?"
"Yeah, I mean, there are some other reasons for that that came later… but essentially yes."
"Dirty, Dad. Dirty."
I laughed, "Although I had shining moments of glory, I generally had zero backbone because I could always fall back on being the golden boy."
"So you're every boy that I hate."
"Exactly."
"So, how did that make you meet mom?"
"Oh, I've known your mother since we were in about fifth grade. Trust me, Luce, everyone knew your mother. Everyone."
"I can see that."
I nodded, "I didn't hang out with your mom, really, until, senior year."
"The accident?" Lucy got really quiet at that word. It's strange, I know that she's basically a woman and that she's on the cusp of growing up for good and all of that, but every once and a while, my baby girl will pop out.
"Yeah, hon." I said gently. "Are you sure you want to talk about it? I know how you feel about talking about…"
"I just don't like reminding you."
I smiled, "It's okay, baby, I mean, it's part of my life. If you want me to talk about my life, I've got to talk about that night."
She nodded. "It was in high school, right?"
I nodded, and took a deep breath. "My whole life changed in that moment. It was right after the opening game of my senior year."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. It's so cliché. Really simple. The car slipped on ice."
"Ice in New Mexico?"
"Yeah, it can get cold."
"Dad, I am sixteen years old. It has never been cold."
"Global warming, baby. Global warming."
"Whatever. Anyway, so the car slipped on ice."
"Yeah, Uncle Chad was driving."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. And the girl I dated in high school – "
"The one that got you to sing?"
"Yeah."
"I just love that you sang."
"She was hot."
"Whatever. So hot singing girl was there?"
"We were in the back seat. Chad lost control of the car on the black ice and we started spinning and the next thing I knew, I was in a hospital and I couldn't walk."
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