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9. Closer
Steve heard the front door open and close as he finished The Pitstop inventory order from his den.
"Robbie, is that you?"
"Yeah!" Robbie called from the living room. Steve quickly faxed the order in and went to join him.
"How was school?" Steve asked as Robbie pulled out an algebra book from his backpack.
"It was fine," Robbie said a little anxiously.
"What's up, kiddo? Is someone bothering you?"
"No, it's just...a friend asked me to prom."
"What? But you're only a freshman!"
"I know, I'm too young..."
"That's not what I meant. It's great! What's her name?"
"His," Robbie said, biting his lip. "It's my friend Alex."
"Wow. Will they let you?"
"Sure," Robbie giggled. "It's not 1999."
"Well, you'll have to excuse this dinosaur, it's been a million years since the word 'prom' even crossed my mind in earnest." Steve watched as Robbie mindlessly worked out his homework while they talked. "Do you want to go?"
"Um...kind of? I don't know."
"What's stopping you?"
"I don't know. I guess part of me is worried what the other kids might think. But I guess...most of me doesn't care, you know? What's the worst that can happen?"
"Right."
"And I told him I'd have to ask permission....but I just...I dunno. I just figured you'd say 'no' because that's what I'm used to. But you and Edward obviously wouldn't mind that a guy was taking me."
"So again I ask, what's stopping you?"
Robbie closed his book. "Nothing."
"Good. Then you should go."
"Really?"
"Yes. We'll have to meet him, of course."
"Sure."
"And we'll have to take a million pictures of you guys in your tuxes by the mantle."
Robbie blushed. "Oh god."
"And of course, we'll have to ask what his intentions are," Steve said, as Robbie scurried off to his room.
"Dad, you're so embarrassing," Robbie laughed, closing the door.
The moment, the added title, was not lost on Steve. He stood there for a moment basking in it. A text alert from his phone interrupted the moment. It was from Edward: "If you haven't started dinner yet, we should take Robbie to try Ethiopian food. It'd be fun to expand his horizons." Looking at his phone, looking at the door to Robbie's room, Steve smiled. With the Defense of Marriage Act getting struck down by the Supreme Court, he was just that much closer to the life he'd always dreamed of.
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"Robbie, is that you?"
"Yeah!" Robbie called from the living room. Steve quickly faxed the order in and went to join him.
"How was school?" Steve asked as Robbie pulled out an algebra book from his backpack.
"It was fine," Robbie said a little anxiously.
"What's up, kiddo? Is someone bothering you?"
"No, it's just...a friend asked me to prom."
"What? But you're only a freshman!"
"I know, I'm too young..."
"That's not what I meant. It's great! What's her name?"
"His," Robbie said, biting his lip. "It's my friend Alex."
"Wow. Will they let you?"
"Sure," Robbie giggled. "It's not 1999."
"Well, you'll have to excuse this dinosaur, it's been a million years since the word 'prom' even crossed my mind in earnest." Steve watched as Robbie mindlessly worked out his homework while they talked. "Do you want to go?"
"Um...kind of? I don't know."
"What's stopping you?"
"I don't know. I guess part of me is worried what the other kids might think. But I guess...most of me doesn't care, you know? What's the worst that can happen?"
"Right."
"And I told him I'd have to ask permission....but I just...I dunno. I just figured you'd say 'no' because that's what I'm used to. But you and Edward obviously wouldn't mind that a guy was taking me."
"So again I ask, what's stopping you?"
Robbie closed his book. "Nothing."
"Good. Then you should go."
"Really?"
"Yes. We'll have to meet him, of course."
"Sure."
"And we'll have to take a million pictures of you guys in your tuxes by the mantle."
Robbie blushed. "Oh god."
"And of course, we'll have to ask what his intentions are," Steve said, as Robbie scurried off to his room.
"Dad, you're so embarrassing," Robbie laughed, closing the door.
The moment, the added title, was not lost on Steve. He stood there for a moment basking in it. A text alert from his phone interrupted the moment. It was from Edward: "If you haven't started dinner yet, we should take Robbie to try Ethiopian food. It'd be fun to expand his horizons." Looking at his phone, looking at the door to Robbie's room, Steve smiled. With the Defense of Marriage Act getting struck down by the Supreme Court, he was just that much closer to the life he'd always dreamed of.
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