Chapter 15

ALLISON AND I were the first ones up after her big night out with her older siblings. I persuaded her a swim would wake her up and get her appetite going. I was right. Back on the hotel’s veranda Allison demolished a cheese omelette while I limited myself to the island’s famous black coffee, some fruit and the pile of warm croissants between us.

When she finished her omelette Allison leaned back in her chair and patted her tummy. Then she touched the side of her neck and smiled. Her look would have done credit to the Cheshire Cat. I nodded at her hand. “Allison, sweetie, what’s the story?” Her smile got broader, then she blushed. She moved her chair around close to me and kissed my cheek.

“Dad, you won’t be mad?”

I hugged her.

“Of course not, Allison. You know that. Not unless someone hurt you. Did they?”

Another Cat-like smile.

“Uh uh.” Another blush. “I wanted him to kiss me.”

“Him?”

“Well, last night he was a girl. He wasn’t actually a girl, but they didn’t know that.”

I smiled, mostly to myself. I knew Julian would never hurt her.

“Who’s ‘they,’ Allison?”

“The other kids at this place we went to. Harper knew about it.”

Allison kissed my cheek again. She lingered for a moment, and I started to think we’d better go somewhere more private.

“So, what was special about this place?”

“Harper said it was a place you could be safe at. Even if you were gay or whatever.”

She blushed again.

“Not that anybody’s gay, Dad. Not Harper, not me, not ... anyone.” She gulped. “I mean, it’s OK if you’re gay ... Dad ... oh, heck, Dad, you know what I mean, don’t you?”

I hugged Allison and kissed her cheek this time.

“I do, Allison. So do your mom and Mama Sarah.”

I laughed.

“Come on, Allison. Let’s take a walk.”

I took her hand and we set off up the beach toward the little point and beyond to the cove where we swam. It was already warm enough for me to think about going back in the water. The hell with waiting an hour after a meal. I began to strip.

“Dad, what are you doing?”

“It’s hot. I’m going in again, sweetie.” I pointed to a little patch of green a little ways from us. “Then I’m going to lie down over there and dry off.”

“Me, too.”

After we’d splashed around a little and I’d held Allison where it was too deep for her to stand for a few minutes, we stretched out on the grass on our backs.

“So, tell me what happened. How’d you end up kissing Julian?”

Allison took my hand in hers without looking at me.

“Harper knew about this place. I think the concierge told her. Like I said, it’s a place for everyone, seriously.”

She giggled.

“I mean, Dad, everyone. There were girls dancing with girls, guys with guys, and lots of just regular couples.”

She must have sensed my raised eyebrow. She squeezed my hand.

“You know what I mean, Dad. Come on. I just mean there were some straight couples, that’s all. I know gay people are regular, too.”

I smiled at that but I don’t think Allison saw me. I squeezed her hand.

“Good.”

“So I danced with a bunch of people at first, guys and girls, but I wasn’t really in the mood to make new friends.”

I heard something between a giggle and a snort.

“Later I danced with all three of them, Harper, Julian and Amy. Amy is a really good dancer. So is Harper.”

She squeezed my hand. “I guess you know that, don’t you? I mean, you and Mom and Mama Sarah were dancing with us last year, remember?”

I did. It was some party. A lot of dancing and even more snuggling.

“But, Julian? Wow, Dad. He’s super good. Hot, the way he was dressed. He and Harper danced together a lot. I think Julian didn’t really want to dance with new people at all, you know?”

I heard Allison move and turned my head to see her gesture down.

“I mean, it’s not like he’s got anywhere to hide his...”

“I know, Allison.”

“Him and Harper danced really close. With Amy, too. They kissed each other, all three of them, a lot.”

“What about you and Julian, sweetie?”

Allison giggled this time.

“We kissed a little. On the cheek, mostly, but then he kissed me on the lips and I liked that, so I kissed him back. We had the longest, kiss, Dad. I mean, I know he can’t be my boyfriend, but I still liked it.”

I heard her sigh, and I gave her hand another little squeeze.

“Good for you, Allison.” I whispered. “Good for Julian, too. I know how important that is to him. He felt safe with his three sisters to protect him, right?”