Disappearing
"No, Tyler, see one half is really the same as two fourths," Freddie tried to explain to his youngest son.
"But then why do they have different numbers?" the ten-year old asked.
"Because the numerator and the denominator just show us how pieces from the whole there are," Freddie replied.
"The numnator and domnoator?"
"The top and the bottom numbers."
"But they're different."
Freddie sighed. He had just gotten home from work and usually by this time Tyler had already finished his homework with Sam. Sam, however, had told him to wait until his father got home since she claimed she still had unresolved issues with fractions.
"Okay, let's just try the next one," Freddie said. "In this problem, they want you to-Oh. My. God."
His and Sam's fourteen-year old daughter, Ashton, just came downstairs. She was wearing a very short skirt and what looked like a pound of make-up.
"No, no, no," Freddie said. "What are you doing wearing all of that?"
"I'm going out," Ashton said.
"Out? Where out?"
"On a date."
"A date?" Freddie repeated. "You-No! You're not- Sam!"
"What?" Sam asked, coming downstairs.
"Why does our daughter think she's going on a date?" Freddie asked.
"I told mom," Ashton said.
"Oh yeah, that's tonight," Sam nodded.
"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Freddie exclaimed.
"Calm down, I told you," Sam said.
"When? When did you mention that she was going on a-a-date?"
"Last night," Sam said. "I told you that Ashton was going out."
"'Out' does not mean 'date'," Freddie said. "She's fourteen! That's way too young! And look what she's wearing!"
Sam turned to Ashton. "Ash, go scrape off some of that make-up. And find a different skirt."
"One that comes down to your knees!" Freddie called after her as she stomped back upstairs. He turned back to Tyler. "Ty, why don't you take a break? Go watch T.V. or something."
"Sweet!" Tyler said happily, jumping out of his seat and running into the living room.
"Why are you being all crazy?" Sam asked once her son was out of the room.
"Because I don't want my daughter running off with some boy when she's fourteen!" Freddie said.
"It's not even a real date," Sam told him. "It's like five other kids and her going out to the movies."
"Are there boys there?"
"Yes."
"Will one be particularly drawn to each of the girls there?"
"Probably."
"Then it's a date."
"Freddie," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "She's fourteen years old; she's not a baby anymore."
"Fourteen is still too young to date," Freddie said firmly. "When you were fourteen you hadn't even kissed a boy!"
"Mom didn't kiss a boy until she was fourteen?" Emma, Ashton's twin sister, asked. She had been at the fridge getting a soda and Sam and Freddie hadn't noticed that she came into the room. "Everybody's kissed somebody by the time they're fourteen!"
"Not everybody," Freddie said. "There's-wait, who have you been kissing?"
"I'm gonna go take a nap," Emma said, quickly running out of the kitchen.
"What is going on with those girls?" Freddie cried.
"I didn't know about that," Sam said. "But Freddie, you need to chill out."
"How can I chill out, Sam?" Freddie asked. "Our daughters are out kissing boys and going on dates! It's like-like-"
"Like what?"
"It's like my little girls are disappearing," Freddie finished softly.
"Aw, baby," Sam said, putting her arm around her husband. "They're still your little girls. You remember last week when Ashton screamed for you to kill that spider for her? I mean, sure, you had to run and get me to do it because you're a huge whimp, but it still counts. And Emma's the only one who will watch those Nature Channel things with you."
"I know," Freddie frowned. "But I just wish they wouldn't grow up, you know?"
"I know," Sam smiled at him.
There was a knock at the door.
"I think that's Neil," Ashton said, running back downstairs now wearing a pair of jeans and much less make-up."
"Neil," Freddie muttered under his breath as he headed to the front door.
"Wait, you're not going to talk to him, are you?" Ashton asked.
"Just let him have this," Sam whispered to her.
Freddie opened the door, expecting to come face-to-face with an overgrown, brainless buffoon. Instead, he actually had to look down to see a skinny pale boy wearing large glasses and was barely five feet tall.
"Hi, is Ashton here?" the boy asked politely.
"Uh, um, yeah," Freddie nodded, slightly taken back by the boy's appearance. "I-I'm her father."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Benson," Neil said, holding a hand out to Freddie.
Freddie shook his hand.
"Wow!" Neil exclaimed, looking at Freddie's wristwatch. "Is that one of those limited edition vintage Galaxy Wars watches?"
"Er, yeah, yeah it is," Freddie said.
"That's awesome," Neil commented. "I was about to place a bid on one of those things, but then I decided to spend my money on this." He pulled out a gold coin.
"Whoa," Freddie said, his eyes widening. "Is that-"
"An actual piece of Sky Naught currency used in the movie," Neil nodded. "You can look at it, if you'd like."
"I've never seen one of these up close," Freddie said, holding the coin gently. "It's-it's beautiful."
"Oh good, I see you met my dad," Ashton said, ducking past Freddie to get out the door.
Sam walked over next to Freddie and caught a look at Neil too.
"You must be Ashton's mother," Neil said, shaking her hand. "How are you?"
"Um, good," Sam said.
"Well, the movie starts at seven," Neil said to Ashton. "We should probably get going. My mom has the car running. We should be home by nine thirty, Mr. Benson, is that okay?"
"Yeah, that's fine," Freddie nodded. "Have fun, you two."
"Bye, mom, bye, daddy," Ashton called to her parents.
"Oh my God," Sam said after Freddie closed the door. "My daughter's dating a total geek! It's true, girls really do try and date their fathers."
"I like that kid," Freddie said. "I think he'll be very good for Ashton."
"You just like him because he's as big a doof as you are," Sam said.
"He's a gentlemen and has excellent movie taste," Freddie said. "Okay, now you need to upstairs and talk to Emma."
"Why?"
"Find out about this boy she's been kissing! For his sake he better be Neil's twin brother!"
