Cal knocked on the boys' bedroom door. It wasn't closed completely, just pushed to, so he gave it a bit more of a nudge when no one objected to him going in, no one being his teenage son. Lewis was up on the top bunk, reading; pleasure, not school by the look of it. He looked over when his father came in. "Hey Dad," he greeted lightly, waving a hand.

"Hi Lew," Cal let the door mostly close behind him, crossed the room and stood at the foot of the ladder. "How was your day?"

"Good," Lewis gave him a thumbs up. "How was your day Dad?"

"Good thanks."

"Do I have to do the table now?" He used 'establish' and 'table'.

"Uh not yet," Cal gave a slight shake of his head. The way ten-year-old Owen peeled potatoes they would be eating in an hour. That was plenty of time for a father-son chat. "I was wonderin' if we could talk?" He twirled a finger by his mouth.

"Am I in trouble?" Lewis asked softly. He used 'bad'.

"No," Cal told him and then wondered if he should follow that up. Had Lewis done something he was expecting to get into trouble for? Did that require a few well placed questions? "At least not yet. Unless you'd like to come clean about somethin'?" He gave a slight smile to show he was teasing and Lewis gave an ambiguous shrug.

"All right," Cal agreed that neither of them were going to push that issue. "Can I come up?" He asked instead, pointing a finger to the ceiling. Whatever that was, Cal was going to let it go. That was the another tough part of being a parent, a lesson he had struggled to learn with Emily the first time around, sometimes, he wasn't going to know everything his children got up to. That was what Gillian was talking about earlier. That their boys would eventually pull away from them and they would know less. It was sad to think about. But also, Cal had another reason to be in his son's room in the first place, and that was to talk about girlfriend's.

"Sure," Lewis agreed, shifting his legs out of the way and sitting up while his father climbed.. He marked his book, closed it and put it on the little shelf beside his bed. Cal sat himself on the end of his son's bed, so his back was against the wall and his legs extended out so his ankles were hanging off the edge of the mattress.

"Mum was tellin' me she met Hollie today," Cal began. He gestured his index finger towards his chin for 'tell me'. He finger spelled Holly. Lewis gave another nonchalant nod, as if that were no big deal. He showed Cal that she spelled her name with an 'ie'. "She said she seems nice," Cal went on, looking for a reaction, brushing his hands against each other.

"Yeah I think she's pretty nice," Lewis responded with a nod, also singing 'nice'.

"She's your girlfriend?" He signed 'girl' then 'friend'.

"Yeah," Lewis nodded.

Right. He was so not helping Cal out with this. Cal wondered if that was because he didn't want to talk about it. Or whether he just didn't see what the big deal was. His face seemed to indicate he didn't see what the big deal was. "How long you been goin' out?" He drew his right index finger up the forearm of his left hand.

"Just a little while," Lewis gave another shrug, both shoulders, not a lie, while making a 'small' gesture. "We have class together and so we've been talking and stuff and then she asked me to have lunch with her." He used 'class', 'together', 'talking' and 'eat'.

That counted as going out?

"So," Lewis shrugged again. His hands settled in his lap. "Now she's my girlfriend." He used 'girl' and 'friend'.

"Right," Cal agreed. He looked around the boy's room. It was pretty messy. Toys and clothes and Owen had made a right abomination of his bed covers as per usual. He would probably whine until Cal or Gillian fixed it for him at bed time too.

"She's really cool Dad," Lewis went on, this time without being prompted. "She's funny and really pretty. Lots of guys like her." His face and hands were animated. Cal gave his son a smile, mostly because the way Lewis was talking about her was actually kind of sweet. He had a glow in his eye that reminded Cal of seeing Kent talk about Simon and Emily talk about Ajay and he wondered if he had looked like that talking about Gillian once upon a time. Or Zoe? He was still on the fence as to his extent of 'loving her'.

"Have you met her Mum and Dad?" Cal moved his hand from mouth to forehead.

"Not really," Lewis gave another shrug. He didn't seem to mind his father prying. "I seen them once cos they picked Hollie up from school."

"You saw them," Cal corrected. The sign for 'saw' and 'seen' were the same.

"Maybe one day you could meet her too," Lewis suddenly added enthusiastically, like he'd just had the bright idea. He extended his index fingers and pushing the fist parts of his hands together. "That would be cool. She's cool Dad. You'll like her." He pinched his middle finger and thumb together in front of his chest, his other fingers still extended and the back of his hand facing his father.

"I'd love to meet her," Cal responded with a smile. What was Gillian worrying about? Lewis was a good kid. He wasn't hiding having a girlfriend from anyone. He probably just hadn't quite got around to mentioning it yet. But it was obvious he liked this girl, really liked her, which was sweet in one way but also scary in another. Lewis was growing up. He was fifteen. But Gillian didn't have to worry. They hadn't lost him. "And your Mum," Cal added.

"Yeah and Mum too. Maybe she could come round after school?" He used 'visit'.

"Sure," Cal agreed. "So long as someone's here." With Owen at practice and Gillian working a late nights sometimes, Lewis could be home alone. Which was a really nice segway. "Lew, see, the thing is... you're fifteen." He half closed and opened his hand, just moving the fingers like he was lightly gripping something and then letting it go again.

"I know," he responded bluntly.

"Bear with me," Cal went on. He signed 'patience'. "I have to say this so just listen all right?" He pressed his fingers behind his ear. Lewis gave him a blank expression. "You're fifteen and she's a similar age," he didn't know for sure but signed 'same'. "And you're at that age where..." He paused. "You like each otha a lot so you want to... fool around and otha stuff." He used 'kiss' but his point was made. Lewis had the decency to look embarrassed, but he didn't interrupt.

Cal let his gaze shift a little and he knew Lewis wasn't looking directly at him, just enough to watch his hands. "But the thing is, you're only fifteen. You don't necessarily have to rush into doin' anythin' you're not ready to, or anythin' Hollie's not ready for." He used 'only', 'fifteen' and 'hurry', while shaking his head 'no'.

"It's not like that Dad."

"I know Lew cos, you're one of the good guys and I know you wouldn't pressure her." He didn't actually know that but by saying it, he knew Lewis would now think about it. "Kids will talk at school, your friends, and they'll boast about doin' it." Cal almost sighed. Why was he beating around the bush on this thing? Just say it. He'd always just said things. "They'll brag that they've had sex but Lew I don't want you to think you have to do the same. Just cos they are. You do your own thing. You stay true to yourself. Your Mum and I, we don't want you havin' sex." He shook his head to make his point as he talked, singing the key words.

"Dad," Lewis started.

"Yeah I know, it's embarrassin', me talkin' to you about it," Cal held up a hand to stop him from talking. "But this is how it is. You're fifteen but you're still a kid," he said it purposefully kindly because he didn't want a talk to be a lecture and a negative thing. He wanted Lewis to think about what he said, not get annoyed he was saying it in the first place. "Don't give up on your childhood so easily. Get to know Hollie really well and treat her really well. I mean that Lew. Sex for girls is really different for guys. We're basically ready to go at the drop of a hat but it's not like that for them. They really need the romance."

"I don't really know..." Lewis started again. "How to do anything anyway," he mumbled. He signed 'how' and shook his head.

"Do anything?" Cal asked, meeting his son's eyes again.

Lewis looked awkward but he didn't break away. "I mean. I really like her and I want to... be close with her and stuff but... is it all right to just... hold her hand?"

"It's very all right," Cal almost felt relieved. Holding hands? That was totally fine.

"But what if she doesn't want me to?"

"Then she won't let you."

"But I want to."

"Then you should go for it."

"Just take her hand?"

"Yeah."

"And if she pulls away?"

"Then she doesn't want to."

"Oh."

"I don't know Lew. Just because she pulls away doesn't mean she doesn't like you or doesn't want to hold hands at all. Maybe, she doesn't want to hold hands at school in front of her friends. Or maybe your hands are cold? You never really know why someone does the things they do. You could talk to Hollie about it. Women love it when you talk about your feelin's. That's bonus point material." Cal raised his eyebrows and inclined his head slightly to make his point. Lewis listened attentively; he gave a nod.

"Just say to her 'I'd really like to hold your hand. Is that all right?' You sound a bit of a sap if you were talkin' to your mates about it, but Hollie would love that." Well she would if she was a typical girl. If she was a real hard ass there was a chance she'd tell Lewis to harden up his ovaries. Cal suspected she wasn't like that though. Lewis wouldn't go for a girl like that.

Lewis laughed a little. "Sometimes it seems so complicated."

"Yeah," Cal agreed with an enthusiastic nod. "It is. And the only way to really understand is to go through it." H raised his hand and 'flicked' his index finger up from against his thumb.

Lewis gave a slight smile. "You're lucky cos you know Mum actually likes you."

Cal laughed. "Yes I am! But it wasn't always like that. Your Mum and I... we were married to otha people rememba?" He cupped his right hand into the palm of his left and then mimicked jamming something into his brain with his thumb.

Lewis nodded.

"So I didn't always know Mum liked me. I didn't always know I liked Mum, in that way at least."

"How did you find out?"

"Uhm," Cal thought back. He read her. And he guessed. "I hoped she liked me so I took a chance and kissed her. But see you're lucky cos you already know Hollie likes you. She asked you out didn't she?"

Lewis nodded with a thoughtful smile.

"So that's the hard part. Now you just gotta... take it slow I think Lew. Figa things out as you go along. She's your first girlfriend. Has she had otha boyfriends?" He made a fist with his thumb laying over the top and shifted it from left to write in a quick motion of his wrist.

Lewis shook his head.

"Maybe she's also a bit scared? If she really likes you back it can be scary." He signed 'frightened'.

Lewis nodded.

"Take it slow Lew," he smoothed the fingers of his right hand over the back of his left hand and up his arm a little. "Get to know her. Spend lots of time with her. Be really good friends. The rest will follow naturally. That's how it was for me and your Mum too. We were really good friends, best friends. We still are." He put more emphasis in his 'friend' signs.

Lewis nodded again and he was smiling once more. He looked more relaxed.

"But Lew. There will be house rules," he used his index finger to point to the top and bottom of his upheld left hand and suddenly his tone was hard. "You can't be alone with her at home or at her house. Sometimes you might be just kissin' or somethin' and all these hormones get all ragin' and things happen. When you're fifteen you're a horny little shit and you don't think about the consequences. So let me think of them for you. I am not raisin' a bloody grandchild all right? You keep it in your pants." Cal shook his head vehemently.

Lewis looked surprised.

"And when you're a little bit olda and a little bit more mature. Make sure you use a bloody condom. Every time. Even if they suck. And they kinda do. But you use them."

Lewis looked more shocked.

"Promise me," Cal demanded. He put his index finger to his lips then moved it down and pressed his palm with the open fingers against the top of the fist of his left hand.

"Oo-kay," Lewis stuttered.

"I mean that. For your protection," Cal pointed at him sharply. "Excuse the pun. You don't wanna be raisin' a baby do you?"

"No," Lewis shook his head vigorously.

"All right. Any otha questions?"

Lewis shook his head again.

Nah, probably not after that hard word. He probably wouldn't be coming to talk to Cal again about girlfriends or sex. At least not for a while, if ever again. "Come down in half an hour to set the table," Cal added and slid towards the edge of the mattress. He jumped down to the floor with a thud.

"Um Dad?"

"Yeah buddy?" Cal turned to face his son again.

Lewis shook the hair from his blue eyes. "Thanks Dad."

Cal gave him a slight smile. "You're welcome."

"Would you, maybe, help me with other stuff? Not sex," he mumbled and broke eye contact, looking down at the carpet before looking slightly towards his father. "But like stuff I should say or, what I should do?" He used 'wh' hand gestures.

"Anytime Lew," Cal nodded, feeling please and proud. "You know where I am if you wanna talk. Any time."

Lewis nodded again. "Thanks Dad."