As a single parent, he did his best to provide a well-rounded home life for his daughter. He tried hard to be her friend and her father and it worked. She trusted him, kept no secrets from him and never failed to ask his opinion or advice when making an important decision. He was proud of his girl and she knew it.

It came as no shocking surprise when on the eve of her 13th birthday she asked for birth control pills.

"You planning on a big orgy for your birthday princess?" He jokingly asked.

"Not really daddy but I do want to be protected just in case I decide to have sex with someone."

Okay, I'll make an appointment for you. You do realize I'll have to go with you don't you?"

"Noooo! You can't go and embarrass me like that daddy, please say you're teasing me."

"Sorry princess but it's the law. Parental permission is required for you to get the pills before the age of 15."

"Oh daddy, that's not fair."

"Maybe not but it's the law and I know the doctor is going to ask you some pretty embarrassing questions too."

Penny slunk away in silence pondering what was to come.

Three days later found Penny and her father sitting in a gynecologist's waiting room. Penny was very nervous and sat fidgeting in her chair while her father calmly sat reading a three-month-old copy of National Geographic. There were several women in the waiting room, eyeing the lone male with the young girl, jumping to conclusions and frowning in disapproval. Penny was startled and flinched when the receptionist called her name. She turned to look at her father with panic-stricken eyes and found him looking at her with a look of loving confidence that shattered her fears. She smiled weakly, stood up and walked through the door looking much more confidant than she felt.

An hour later, the nurse beckoned him to follow her. He walked through the same door as Penny and was shown into the doctor's office and informed that the doctor would be right in as the door closed behind him. The doctor entered and sat at her desk and looked through the file she had brought with her. Penny's father was shocked. He had expected the doctor to be the same man who had been his wife's ob/gyn, the same man who had delivered Penny years ago.

"I'm Doctor Kline. I've just examined and had a chat with your daughter Penny."

"Excuse me doctor, but I was expecting an older gentleman, not a young woman."

"I took over the practice last year when my father retired."

"Give him my regards and best wishes, he was my late wife's doctor, he delivered Penny."

"I'll do that." She smiled and continued. "In examining Penny, I found that her hymen was ruptured. I asked her about it and she said she had gotten a vibrator from a friend and had gotten overly enthusiastic in its use."

"Yes, I'm aware that she had done this. We have a very good relationship and she doesn't hold any secrets from me, nor I her."

"So she said as well. Your daughter seems to have a very mature attitude about sex and personal protection. I'm very happy to see this in a girl her age. So often I have girls her age coming here to correct their 'mistakes' with RU-486 or even abortions. I'm very glad to know that Penny will not be among those girls."

He smiled at the compliment.

"I'm going to give her an implant that will prevent pregnancy. She will need to have it replaced every six months."

He nodded silently.

"I want to thank you for your patient loyalty, it means a lot to know that your trust spans the generations. Thank you Mr. Baker, your daughter's implant takes about 24 hours to become effective."

He rose as she did, shook her hand and returned to the waiting room. Fifteen minutes later Penny came out rubbing the back of one arm.

"All finished?"

"Yes daddy, I'm ready."

The doctor at the days end sat at her desk. With chin resting on steepled fingers, she contemplated whether she was correct in maintaining doctor/patient confidentiality by not revealing to Penny's father what the young girl had revealed while talking with her. She smiled. Penny's father was in for some interesting times she mused.

Penny's birthday was celebrated with a pool party in the afternoon. Penny's father was kept busy shuttling soft drinks, ice, snacks and cooking burgers on the grill for most of the afternoon. He did his best to ignore the fact that all the girls were wearing bikinis that would have been considered scandalous at a public pool or beach but he was only human and his eyes roamed freely but lingered little as he enjoyed the view. He enjoyed it so much he decided it would be best if he changed out of the tank top he was wearing into an extra large Hawaiian print shirt the fell almost to mid-thigh. He needed to hid the erection that kept rising and falling like the tide every time one of the girls bent over or reached to her crotch to adjust the bottom of her bikini. It had been several years since he had had sex and all the girls proudly displaying their budding breasts and growing curves was getting to him. He persevered but it wasn't easy.

Penny was thrilled at the gifts she received from her friends, but it was the gift from her father that brought her the most joy. A small diamond necklace made from the stone in her mother's engagement ring brought both tears of joy and sadness. Joy that her father trusted her with the precious gem but sadness at the empty place in her heart for her mother.

As the sun began to set behind the trees, Penny's friends now a bit darker tanned, tired from the swimming and stuffed full of food, dressed and departed. Penny hugged each at the door and thanked them again for the gifts. Then they were gone and Penny and her father were alone. They headed back out to the pool area and silently cleaned up the mess then sat beside each other in lounge chairs to watch the sunset's finale of colors shifting across the scattered clouds.

Penny's father pulled out a joint and lit it taking a big toke before passing it to Penny. Unthinking, Penny reached for it, took a toke and handed it back. As her fingertips touched her dad's the realization that he had handed her a joint and she had smoked it and handed it back without comment struck her.

"Oh Hell." She turned her head and looked to see her father grinning at her. "I am so busted."

Penny's father blew out a blue-gray cloud of smoke and knew he had just trapped Penny. With a wolfish grin he asked, "So how long have you been smoking pot Penny? Obviously long enough not to choke on it."