He looked at his daughter. “I don’t want you to ever, ever feel that you can’t come to me with the truth. Regardless of how ugly it might be. Regardless of how unhappy it might make me. Regardless of whether you’re at fault or not.” He paused. “That’s the most important part of this discussion, which is why I’m saying it first.”

Traci nodded. She’d learned a few things over the years. It generally worked out better for her if she listened first before she talked.

“The two of you have continued dating since spring?” he asked.

“Yes,” Traci said.

“So this boy that you’re going to homecoming with, you are continuing to use him as a convenient date for a school event?”

“He knows all about John. He wants to go to homecoming. He doesn’t have another date so he asked me. I talked to John before I said yes.”

He turned to John. “I thought you were in college.”

“I am, sir. Milwaukee School of Engineering. Home for the weekend.”

“What’s your last name, John?”

“Stanley. My parents live on Circle Drive.”

Traci Anne Stanley. He’d call her Tas. Wow. He needed to slow his head the fuck down. “My daughter seems to think that you’re an okay guy.”

John said nothing. He likely figured this was going somewhere.

“And I think my daughter generally has good instincts about people. But if you give me any reason to think that you’re not an okay guy, then I’m going to hunt you down. There will be no place that you can hide.”

“Daddy,” Traci cried.

John put his hand on Traci’s arm. “It’s okay. I get where your dad is coming from. I’ve got two younger sisters.” He turned and looked A.L. in the eye. “You’re not going to have any reason to hunt me down.”

“Excellent,” A.L. said. He looked at Traci. “From now on, whatever dating you two do will be with the full knowledge of your mother and me.”

“Mom knows?” Traci asked.

“Oh yeah. You’re going to her house immediately after we finish here.”

“How mad is she?” Traci asked.

“I don’t think she’s mad. Concerned, yes. The thing your mom and I need you to know is that we love you. We know that we can’t protect you from every hurt that is coming your way. But we’ve all got a better chance if we’re honest with each other.”

“I’m sorry, Dad.” With that she sort of threw herself into his arms, the way she might have done when she was eight or nine. When she really was a little girl.

“I love you, Traci. Very much,” he said.