Another day at the park, making every night this week we hung out together.   There was a long trek down to the church to look at the lights, and an even longer trek back to the car with G insisting on me carrying her uphill on my shoulders.

All that carrying works up a thirst, and apparently so does attempted vandalism of the neighborhood Xmas decorations.   G wanted to share my beer, so we sat down in the sand of the volleyball court with the beer between us.   “We’ll share Daddy.   I’ll put it right here.”   And exchanged swigs.

Stop looking at me like that, I’m teaching her about sharing!

She was playing with her baby parrot, and since we were having such a great father-daughter bonding moment, I asked her: “do you remember Jo?”

“yes,” she said quietly, G-speak for being uncomfortable with the topic.   Then she rambled a little while about how “Jo was green. jo was loud. jo hurt our ears.”

i asked “was jo your friend?”

a slow shake of the head

“Was Jo scary?”

“yeah.”

“Do you miss Jo?”

silence.

Then we played a very animated game of hide and seek, and she hid in the bushes better than she ever has.   I actually had trouble finding her at first, but she always comes out if i wait long enough and go “hmmmm, I can’t find Genevieve anywhere?!?!”   A little buzz might have been aiding her creativity.   thats cool, in high school she will be the cool girl who likes beer.   And since she’ll have learned to hold her liquor, maybe it will keep her from getting date raped, or least let her be popular.   And maybe she’ll thank me for one more thing that will not pop the balloon.