"Daddy what's sex?" six year old Emery asked one evening when Harry and Nikki were sitting watching television while their daughter read a book on the sofa. Their older sons were at Leo's for the evening, Emery having felt ill earlier in the day wanted to stay at home. Harry and Nikki looked at each other with terrified looks on their faces.
"S..sex?" Harry asked "Why do you ask?"
"Because one of the boys in my class said he heard his mummy and daddy having sex" Emery replied without looking up from her book, completely oblivious to what she had just said and the reactions her parents were having "What is it?"
"Um…" Harry looked to his wife for help but she just shrugged lightly and gave him a sly smile
"She asked you daddy" Nikki whispered to him and Harry just made a terrified noise before turning back to his daughter.
"Um it's nothing for you to worry about at the moment princess" Harry replied and Emery looked up from her book.
"I have to worry about it?" she asked confused now and Harry got even more flustered
"Yes…no…not until you're about thirty" Harry replied and Nikki couldn't help but giggle.
"What is it then?" Emery asked again "Does it hurt?"
"Oh god" Harry muttered and Nikki had to stifle her laughter in his shoulder as she clung to him "Help me" he hissed to his wife "Um…no it doesn't" he replied when he realised he wasn't getting any help from Nikki
"Liar" Nikki mumbled "Not for you men it doesn't, well the first time anyway"
"Yes well I'm not telling my little girl that" Harry replied in a hushed whisper and turned back to their daughter "Like I said you don't have to even think about..sex..until you are at least thirty"
"Why thirty?" Emery asked and Harry groaned once again wondering why their daughter was so inquisitive
"Because that's the age I'm allowing any boy near you" Harry replied quickly
"There has to be a boy as well?" Emery enquired, quite confused now and Nikki sighed
"Come here baby" she said and Emery jumped off her chair to sit on Nikki's lap "Sex is..something special between two consenting adults"
"Consenting?" Emery asked
"They both want to do it" Harry explained for her and Emery nodded
"What if one of them doesn't want to do it?" Emery asked innocently and looked from Nikki to Harry for the answer. Nikki swallowed the lump in her throat when she remembered what had happened to her at university and Harry placed a comforting hand on her arm.
"Then that's bad and it shouldn't happen" Harry explained "But you don't need to know that now okay"
"Okay daddy" Emery nodded sensing that now wasn't the time to ask any more about that subject "Do they have to love each other to have sex?"
"Lots of people think that sex should only be between two people who love each other yes" Nikki continued not really wanting to talk about one night stands, drunken sex and things like that with a six year old.
"Like you and daddy" Emery said and both adults nodded
"It's also how we make babies" Nikki explained and played absentmindedly with a strand of her daughter's long blonde hair.
"So…if I have sex I'll have a baby"
"No!" Harry said loudly and Emery looked at him in shock "No you don't have sex at all..ever"
"I think that's enough questions don't you think?" Nikki asked after shooting a glare at Harry and Emery nodded and climbed off Nikki's lap "I'll be up to run you a bath in a minute"
"Okay thank you mummy" Emery nodded and kissed Harry and Nikki before running out of the room.
"Harry what's wrong with you?" Nikki asked as she stood up to take their empty mugs into the kitchen "All that talk about her not having sex"
"She's six Nikki" Harry said loudly "she's my baby girl I don't want to think about her having sex, I don't even feel comfortable with her talking about it"
"She may be your baby girl but she's got to grow up at some point Harry" Nikki shouted "and she's bound to hear things I thought it best if she heard it from us"
"What about when she asked about rape?" Harry asked his voice rising "When are we going to tell her that not all sex is good or between two people who love each other?"
"Don't you shout at me" Nikki snarled "It's not my fault she asked those questions"
"I wasn't blaming you" Harry sighed and ran one hand through his hair "It was just a shock hearing her ask that question. I still think of her as the tiny baby I held in the hospital when I promise to protect her from the bad things in life"
"Harry you cant always protect her" Nikki sighed knowing how much Harry wanted to protect his princess "She has to learn by herself"
"I know" Harry nodded and sighed as Nikki wrapped her arms around his waist and he pressed a kiss onto her head breathing in the smell of her shampoo.
Poor Harry and Nikki. Thought I'd put some angst in there as well.
xxx