Kait/Simeon talking about Renee; G
"Yes daddy? You wished to see me?"
Kait stood in the doorway of his office. She knew better than to walk into this one room in the whole house without asking. He looked up at her, and gave her a weary smile accompanied by a quick hand movement that she was to walk in. Smiling in return, she walked in until she was right up level with the desk.
"I regret business has taken me so much since Christmas, my dove," he said to her tenderly. "We haven't had nearly enough time to talk to one another, have we?"
Kait smiled. "I understand you are busy. I knew that as soon as you were able, you would call me to you."
Simeon let that slide. "Come, sit. Tell me how your photography is going. You took an interest in that while studying in France, if I remember correctly."
Nodding, Kait came closer to sit. "Yes, they offered it to us over there as one of the classes. But this course is completely different." Her face glowed as she described it. "Before, it was... I don't know, just one small thing in the middle of everything else. But this course... the main focus is on the photography itself. I love it!"
There was a stillness about her father. Like he was trying to figure a way of asking something he didn't want to know. "And is that how... this photography course how you got back in contact with your little French friend?"
"Father?" Kait squinted. She didn't quite know what he meant by this.
"You know, the girl you were close friends with when your love of photography sprang to life." Although she tried, she was a moment too late and her shock showed on her face before she could wipe it clear. Worse, she knew Simeon had noted it. "I see. Kaitlyn, you know that I like to encourage your friends visiting..."
"I did ask that Renee could stay here for a couple of days," Kait cut in. "You said that it was fine then."
"I am concerned," her father emphasised, "Of this girl's influence on you, dove. I realise that college is the time for experimentation among your age group, but I would like it understood, Kaitlyn, that I would wish for no 'experimentation' under my roof."
Kait stood up. "Father? What are you saying?" she asked.
"Calm down, Kaitlyn. I am not asking for your friend to leave. Of course, as your friend, she is more than welcome." Simeon locked hard gazes with his daughter. "But once the adequate time has passed, I should expect her to get over the loss of her exboyfriend," Kait blushed at the small but essential lie, and knew again that her father's sharp eyes noted it, "And no longer bed herself in your quarters. Is this understood?"
Kait bit her lip. Just how much did her father suspect that he was not saying? She nodded once, hiding a part of her face behind hair. "Yes father," she said in a small voice.
"Now, is there anything further you wish to tell me?" Simeon asked.
Her hair still forward, Kait shook her head. She thought she heard him sigh, but wasn't sure if it was a sad or relieved sound.
"I thought not." A definite sad look passed over his features, Kait noted, glancing up. He was not the only one with a sharp eye. "I would wish you to bring home more boyfriends, Kaitlyn," he said, a small amount of worry in his eye now when he looked at her. "It is not common for a girl to get to your age without ever having had a boyfriend. Is it that I am such an ogre, my dove? That you are scared to introduce any new beau to my presence?"
"Of course not, Daddy!" Kait cried out. "How could you think it?"
Simeon shook his head. "No reason. Call it simply the fancies of an old man."
"You're not old, Daddy," Kait said, in a tone that bespoke this conversation being had before.
"Of course not, my dove."
There was a silence that stretched between them. Eventually, Kait nodded and said, "I should probably go then. Is your business still so busy? Or have you gotten through the worst of it?" as she got to the door again.
"This time of year is always the most busy," Simeon answered. "You know that."
Kait stood in the doorway of his office. She knew better than to walk into this one room in the whole house without asking. He looked up at her, and gave her a weary smile accompanied by a quick hand movement that she was to walk in. Smiling in return, she walked in until she was right up level with the desk.
"I regret business has taken me so much since Christmas, my dove," he said to her tenderly. "We haven't had nearly enough time to talk to one another, have we?"
Kait smiled. "I understand you are busy. I knew that as soon as you were able, you would call me to you."
Simeon let that slide. "Come, sit. Tell me how your photography is going. You took an interest in that while studying in France, if I remember correctly."
Nodding, Kait came closer to sit. "Yes, they offered it to us over there as one of the classes. But this course is completely different." Her face glowed as she described it. "Before, it was... I don't know, just one small thing in the middle of everything else. But this course... the main focus is on the photography itself. I love it!"
There was a stillness about her father. Like he was trying to figure a way of asking something he didn't want to know. "And is that how... this photography course how you got back in contact with your little French friend?"
"Father?" Kait squinted. She didn't quite know what he meant by this.
"You know, the girl you were close friends with when your love of photography sprang to life." Although she tried, she was a moment too late and her shock showed on her face before she could wipe it clear. Worse, she knew Simeon had noted it. "I see. Kaitlyn, you know that I like to encourage your friends visiting..."
"I did ask that Renee could stay here for a couple of days," Kait cut in. "You said that it was fine then."
"I am concerned," her father emphasised, "Of this girl's influence on you, dove. I realise that college is the time for experimentation among your age group, but I would like it understood, Kaitlyn, that I would wish for no 'experimentation' under my roof."
Kait stood up. "Father? What are you saying?" she asked.
"Calm down, Kaitlyn. I am not asking for your friend to leave. Of course, as your friend, she is more than welcome." Simeon locked hard gazes with his daughter. "But once the adequate time has passed, I should expect her to get over the loss of her exboyfriend," Kait blushed at the small but essential lie, and knew again that her father's sharp eyes noted it, "And no longer bed herself in your quarters. Is this understood?"
Kait bit her lip. Just how much did her father suspect that he was not saying? She nodded once, hiding a part of her face behind hair. "Yes father," she said in a small voice.
"Now, is there anything further you wish to tell me?" Simeon asked.
Her hair still forward, Kait shook her head. She thought she heard him sigh, but wasn't sure if it was a sad or relieved sound.
"I thought not." A definite sad look passed over his features, Kait noted, glancing up. He was not the only one with a sharp eye. "I would wish you to bring home more boyfriends, Kaitlyn," he said, a small amount of worry in his eye now when he looked at her. "It is not common for a girl to get to your age without ever having had a boyfriend. Is it that I am such an ogre, my dove? That you are scared to introduce any new beau to my presence?"
"Of course not, Daddy!" Kait cried out. "How could you think it?"
Simeon shook his head. "No reason. Call it simply the fancies of an old man."
"You're not old, Daddy," Kait said, in a tone that bespoke this conversation being had before.
"Of course not, my dove."
There was a silence that stretched between them. Eventually, Kait nodded and said, "I should probably go then. Is your business still so busy? Or have you gotten through the worst of it?" as she got to the door again.
"This time of year is always the most busy," Simeon answered. "You know that."