Chapter 32: Getting Closer

The rest of their sophomore years passed in a flash. They went to parties, hung out together, Sophia kept her grades up in spectacular fashion. They hung out with Crash and Jessie, who were getting closer and closer, much to Sophia and Warren's (inward) delight and (outward) amusement. Sophia turned Sweet Sixteen, and eagerly began driver's ed, causing much affectionate grumbling from Warren, who wouldn't be sixteen for a while. They passed their test to compete in Junior Dance, and were working on a free dance to start competing with in the fall.

Sophia talked to her father on the phone, trying to establish some sort of relationship. Then, one Saturday in early July, Sophia accepted an invitation to his house. She insisted Warren come, also, and her father agreed. He offered to come pick them up, but they decided to take the train. They had taken the train into Boston before and loved it, so continuing past Boston and to the South Shore was no problem. Brian picked them up at the train station.

They drove a bit, until they came to a house. It wasn't huge, but it was nice and well kept.

"This is it," smiled Brian. He went to the door, Sophia and Warren following.

Sophia's stepmother, Michelle, was waiting for her. Sophia had talked to her on the phone and had found her to be very nice. "Sophia! I'm so glad I finally get to meet you!" she said, giving Sophia a big hug. "Nice to meet you, too, Warren," she said, shaking his hand, "I've heard a lot about you."

Sophia walked in the house, and looked around. In an adjoining room, she saw half a face and one eye peeking at her-then, when noticed, it disappeared around the corner.

Sophia laughed. "I think somebody is hiding."

Michelle laughed. "Briana? Come on out, honey."

She did-and Sophia gasped. The little three-year-old girl stood in front of her, and, it was almost like looking in a time-warp mirror. She didn't have Sophia's pale complexion-that came from Ellen-but the long, straight black hair; the deep brown eyes, and the button nose-that she had.

"Hi." Briana said shyly. "I'm Briana. I'm your sister." And she politely held out her hand.

Sophia laughed delightedly, approached the child, knelt down, and took the hand. "Hi, Briana. I'm Sophia. I'm your sister, too."

"And there's no mistaking that, is there?" Warren chuckled from behind them.

"You ain't kidding," Michelle agreed.

Warren approached the child. "Hi, Briana. I'm Warren." He kneeled down and extended his hand. She looked at it hesitantly.

"She's a little wary around strange men," Michelle told him.

"Oh, he's only strange some of the time," Sophia quipped. Warren stuck his tongue out at her, which made Briana giggle. She decided to take the outstretched hand.

"Hi, Warren. Are you my sister, too?"

Everyone cracked up laughing at that. "No, Briana, I'm a boy. Only girls are sisters. Boys are brothers. But, no, I'm not your brother."

"Not yet," quipped Sophia, earning a wide-eyed stare from Brian.

Warren just laughed. "Let's see if she can grasp brother and sister before we throw future-brother-in-law at her, shall we? No, Briana, I'm not your brother. I'm Sophia's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Briana asked.

"Future-brother-in-law might have been easier to explain than boyfriend, dear heart," Sophia teased.

"You just keep quiet over there." Warren smirked. He turned back to Briana. "I'm Sophia's very special friend, and when a girl has a very special friend that's a boy, it's called a boyfriend."

"Oh." Briana chewed on that one for a minute. "Does that mean that Sophia is your girlfriend?"

"You got it. You're a very smart girl." Briana beamed at him.

Warren had sat on the couch next to Sophia by this time. Briana insisted on sitting in between them. Neither of them minded. "I have a boyfriend," the little girl proclaimed.

"Oh, you do?" Warren asked.

"Yeah. Alan. He's in my school."

"She goes to preschool in the mornings," Michelle supplied.

"Alan's my boyfriend." Briana thought for a minute. "What do you do with a boyfriend?"

Sophia burst out laughing, turning red, almost choking. "Oh, boy," she managed to blurt out.

Warren smiled bemusedly at her. "Keep your mind out of b-e-d, dear." Brian and Michelle just looked at each other. Warren turned back towards Briana. "Well, there's lots of things you can do with a boyfriend. Sophia and I watch TV together. We go to the movies. We ice skate. We go to parties. We hang out with two of our friends, who are also boyfriend and girlfriend. We play on the computer together. We love to dance together. Lots of things."

"Oh." Briana thought about that one for a minute. "Do you kiss?"

Sophia lost it again. Warren just looked at Briana and said, "Sometimes."

"She watches way too much TV, I think" Michelle said, bemused.

"I don't kiss my boyfriend. Kissing's gross," Briana offered.

"That's good. You don't have to kiss, you know."

"Good." She got off the couch. "I have to go potty now. Be right back." And she was off.

Warren just looked at Sophia, and they burst out laughing. As did Michelle and Brian.

"Wow, she's a trip," smiled Warren

"Warren, I cannot believe how quickly she took to you," Brian commented. "You are really good with kids."

"I've noticed that, too," said Sophia. She looked at her father. "Fits right in with his career goals."

"What are your career goals, Warren?" Brian asked.

Warren just smiled. "Pediatrician." Brian and Michelle laughed at that.

"Good choice, from what I just saw," Michelle agreed.

Sophia was still sputtering. "Have you recovered from the question about what to do with a boyfriend, Pookie?"

Sophia burst out laughing again. "I'm horrible. She asked that, and the first thing that popped into my mind was a very vivid picture of last night. What can you do with a boyfriend, indeed. Well, she'll find out, in 15 years or so."

Warren noticed Brian staring at them. "Pookie, I think you just told your father something he didn't know. And probably didn't want to know."

Sophia blushed, but smiled. "Oops."

Brian eased up a bit, and smiled slightly. "Hey. Remember, this is the second time I've seen you since you were three years old. It's bad enough that you're all grown up. Now I have to deal with you being... uh..."

Sophia blushed. "I think 'sexually active' is the phrase you're looking for, Dad."

Brian grimaced. "Just please, please, please tell me you are using every form of protection known to man."

"Pretty much," Sophia grinned. "I want seven just like Briana, but not now." Everyone laughed at that.

"For my part, I need to get through med school and learn how to treat babies before I start making them," Warren added.

"Does your mother know?" Brian asked.

"Oh, she's known for a while. I don't keep it a secret." Sophia took a deep breath. "You wanted to get to know me, Dad. Well, here comes some things about me you'd probably rather not know, but you need to. Warren was not my first. I spent two years having unpleasant sex that was not completely voluntary with guys that beat me." Michelle gasped, and looked at Brian, who appeared to be close to tears. Sophia smiled. "Now I'm having fantastic sex that is completely voluntary with the most wonderful guy in the world. I can't hide it. It's part of who I am. Considering what I went through before Warren, it's a glorious part of who I am."

"Sophia, I'm so sorry," Brian said.

"Dad, don't. It's over, I'm recovered, and I blamed you for it for far too long and I'm not going to do that anymore."

"I'm partially to blame, though."

"Maybe. Maybe not. The important part is that I no longer blame you. It's not important. It's really not." She got a lopsided grin. "If you can forgive your little baby for having an active sex life, than I certainly can forgive you for having me too young."