The Assignment

After Kiki left the table to head to her room, Aspyn turned to me. “Thank you for saving the night.” She smiled. “I’ll have to make it up to you.”

Now I really wished we were alone. That made me want to take her right on this table. “Keep saying shit like that, and I’ll bring you dinner every night.”

Kiki came out again, holding a math workbook.

“Troy, can you help me with my homework?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah…sure, if it’s okay with your aunt.”

“Only if it’s okay with you,” Aspyn said.

“Of course it is. I’d love to help.”

I got up and followed Kiki back to her room. Over the next several minutes, I helped her work through a few math problems.

After we finished, she whispered, “I didn’t really need help with my homework. I have to ask you something.”

“Oh, okay. What’s up?”

She let out a long exhale. “There’s this girl. She’s the worst. So mean to me. Anyway, they’re having a father-daughter dance at school in a week. Everyone knows I don’t have parents. And Maisy was all like, ‘Too bad you can’t go to the dance because you don’t have a father to take you.’ I wasn’t gonna go. But she made me mad when she said that. I was gonna ask my grandpa, but he’s kind of embarrassing and smells like cigarette smoke. I don’t know who else to ask.” She paused and handed me a flyer. “Will you come with me?”

Her question hit me right in the gut, and I had no idea how to handle it. I looked down at the paper. “Is it only for fathers, or can anyone go? I mean, how would we explain me?”

“I don’t know. But I want to show her I can still go even if I don’t have a dad. I just can’t show up alone. I need a guy to go with.”

How can I say no? But I also couldn’t say yes—not without clearing it with Aspyn.

“I’ll tell you what, if it’s okay with Aspyn, I would love to accompany you.”

“I knew you were going to say that.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “She’s gonna say no. Because you’re not my dad and because she told me things were complicated with you.”

Of course she did. “I can’t agree to take you without her approval. She’s gonna have to know anyway. But I’ll try to convince her, okay?”

Her shoulders slumped. She looked defeated, as if she never expected her aunt to say yes. “Okay. Thanks for trying.”

My heart broke for her. I understood full well what it was like to feel left out because you didn’t have a parent around. I knew Aspyn did everything she could for Kiki, but no one could replace her parents. Not to mention, it took courage to ask me—a virtual stranger—for a favor like that. It also angered me that some snotty-nosed kid would go out of her way to make Kiki feel bad about something she had absolutely no control over. Made me want to punch that kid’s parents for raising a little asshole.

Aspyn immediately registered the serious expression on my face when I reappeared in the living room.

“Is everything okay? You look like she ran you ragged. Did you barely survive the math homework?” She laughed. “It always surprises me when elementary school math stumps me. Is it just me or has it gotten so much harder since we were in school?”

“It’s not that. The homework was easy.”

Her smile faded. “What happened?”

I sat down and lowered my voice. “Did you know about this father-daughter dance at her school?”

“She mentioned it, yeah. Told me some girl had made a comment that upset her.”

“Yeah. It pissed her off pretty good.” I paused. “She asked me if I would go with her. Would you be okay with that?”

Aspyn closed her eyes and sighed. “You’re kidding…”

“No. She’s very serious about it.”

“She wants them to think you’re her dad?”

“Not at all. She just wants to stick it to that girl—throw her off by showing up with me.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Troy.”

I blew out a breath. “Kiki knew you’d say that.”

“Do you think I’m wrong?”

She seemed a little angry. I didn’t want that, but I’d promised Kiki I’d try.

“I can understand why you’re hesitant. But I can also see why it might be important to let her show up with me.”

Aspyn leaned her head on the back of the couch. “It’s so hard sometimes. I don’t always know how to handle things with her.”

“I didn’t give her an answer because I obviously can’t overstep. But just know that I would be happy to take her, if you’re okay with it. Absolutely no pressure from me. I’m not gonna say another word about it.”

I could understand why Aspyn wasn’t eager to have me go to the dance with Kiki. I didn’t want to become the next guy to disappear from Kiki’s life as fast as he’d entered it. I needed to tread lightly here. At the same time, I totally understood Kiki’s need to stick it to that punk-ass kid.