Chapter 7

Saturday morning, Lydia got up and walked downstairs. Haley was sitting on the couch holding a dress.

"Good morning Lydia," Haley said standing up and pointing at the dress. "I was wondering if you wanted to try on this dress."

"It's so beautiful," Lydia said.

"Your Grandma Lydia made this dress herself when she was your age," Haley said. "She wore it to her first high school dance and I wore it to my first high school dance. I was wondering if you'd like to try it on."

"I'd love to," Lydia said.

Lydia took the dress up to her room while Haley waited. Lydia came downstairs wearing the dress. The sight of her daughter wearing the dress brought Haley to tears.

"You look so beautiful," Haley said.

"Thanks Mom," Lydia said. "Please don't cry."

"Sorry," Haley said. "Oh my little girl is growing up."

Nathan and Keith walked in through the front door. Nathan was holding a paper bag.

"We got sausage biscuits," Nathan said.

"Daddy," Lydia said pointing out the dress she was wearing. "What do you think?"

Nathan looked at the dress.

"I think you're not wearing that to the dance," Nathan said.

"Nathan," Haley said.

"Why can't I wear this to the dance?" Lydia asked.

"Do you want people to think you're a tramp?" Nathan asked.

"Nathan!" Haley shouted.

Lydia ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door.

"I can't believe you told our daughter she looked like a tramp!" Haley shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Mommy just said a bad word!" Keith said.

"So did Daddy," Haley said. "I am so mad at you Nathan!"

"Hales," Nathan said.

"I've worn that dress before!" Haley said. "It was my mother's! She made it herself! Lydia was so honored to wear that dress and she felt beautiful! Then you have to go a be a jerk and call her a tramp!"

Nathan didn't say anything.

"Are you going to say anything?!" Haley screamed.

"Haley…" Nathan started to say.

"Shut up!" Haley shouted. "There is something wrong with you! First you hit Jamie and now you call Lydia a tramp!"

"That was 5 years ago!" Nathan shouted.

"You hit Jamie?" Keith asked in a scared tone.

Nathan looked at Keith.

"Keith," Nathan said.

Keith ran over to Haley and gave her a scared looked.

"It's okay sweetie," Haley said softly.

Keith ran upstairs to his room and slammed the door.

Later, Nathan knocked on Lydia's door.

"Lydia," Nathan said.

"Go away!" Lydia shouted.

"Lydia," Nathan said. "I'm sorry."

"I said go away!" Lydia shouted.

Nathan tried to open the door, but it was locked. Nathan then went to Keith's room. Keith was lying down on his bed.

"Hey buddy," Nathan said.

Keith looked at Nathan with a scared look on his face.

"Why did you hit Jamie?" Keith asked.

"It was stupid," Nathan said. "He told me that he was going to ask Sophia to marry him and I slapped him across the face as hard as I could. It was stupid and I shouldn't have done it. Jamie forgave me."

"What if I make you mad and you decide to hit me?" Keith asked before bursting into tears.

"Hey," Nathan said softly. "I would never hit you."

"I want you to promise me that," Keith cried. "Promise that you'll never hit me."

"I promise," Nathan said.

Nathan sat down on Keith's bed.

"Sit up," Nathan said.

Keith sat up and Nathan held him tightly.

"I love you so much," Nathan said softly.

Nathan looked over to see Lydia standing at the doorway. Nathan got up and walked over to his daughter.

"And I love you so much too," Nathan said. "You look very grown up in that dress."

"Then why did you call me a tramp?" Lydia asked.

"I was scared," Nathan said. "But that's no excuse for calling you that and I'm sorry."

"Why are you scared?" Lydia asked.

"You're growing up so fast and I'm scared that I'm losing you," Nathan replied.

"You're not losing me," Lydia said. "I'm always going to need my dad."

Lydia gave Nathan a hug.

"Now I'm going to get ready for the dance," Lydia said. "I love you Daddy."

"I love you too Lydia," Nathan said.

Lydia went back into her room and Nathan looked to see Haley standing at the end of the hall smiling.

Keith ran over to Nathan and Nathan picked him up.

"I love you too Daddy," Keith said.

Nathan kissed his son on the forehead.

"What do you say while your mother and your sister are at the dance, we go to the arcade?" Nathan asked.

"I love that idea," Keith said.