Page 90 of Break the Barrier

Lue’s eyes are glistening with unshed tears, and my hand curls into a fist at the blasé manner the boy on stage has.

He stalks off, and Lue is left to look out over the audience, her hands wringing together and her emotions on the edge.

She continues her dialogue then. “We cannot fight for love as men may do. We should be wooed, and we’re not made to woo. I’ll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I.” Lue takes a beat, swallowing against her emotions, and a new determination comes over her features. “I love so well.”

Then, she’s off the stage, and it moves onto another scene.

“You were amazing!” I scoop my daughter into my arms, spinning her around for a minute before setting her back on her feet.

“Thanks, Dad,” she says, almost shyly. But just like my daughter, her shyness fades as fast as it comes. “I can’t believe the first show is over.”

I hold out the flowers I got for her, and she takes them, thanking me before looking behind me. “Where’s Thea?”

“She’s waiting for you whenever you’re ready. She wanted to give you a minute.”

Lue frowns like she doesn’t understand this concept, though I know my daughter fully understands what I mean.

“She should be back here with us. She helped me get ready. Plus.” Lue shrugs. “She’s like family.”

I bite my lip and nod my head. I wasn’t planning to bringthis up right now, but she was leading me toward the conversation so naturally that I’d be a fool not to take the offer.

“Speaking of that,” I start, wondering how I should really go about this. “Thea’s apartment is having issues.”

“Issues?” Lue smiles at a castmate as they walk by. “What kind of issues?”

“Issues that need her out of her apartment to fix them,”

“Oh.” She looks at me with a shrug. “Is she gonna stay at our house then for a few days?”

I sigh in relief, wondering why I’d gotten myself all worked up when my very loving and generous daughter is offering up the solution without question.

“Would you be okay with that?”

Lue eyes me in confusion. “It’s just Thea, Dad. What’s the big deal?”

I laugh at her answer and nod my head. “Okay then, it’s settled.”

“Okay.” Lue looks at me like I’m being embarrassing, and I’m realizing for the first time that we may just be entering into embarrassing territory for her.

She was about to turn fifteen, we were going to have to start doing driving lessons, and she was probably becoming interested in…boys.

I shudder but keep it to myself.

“I’ll go change and then come out front,” she says, dashing off to do just that.

I make my way back to Thea, and she notices the uncomfortable look on my face. Her own expression shows concern, and she makes her way to me, grabbing one of my hands, her other clutching the bouquet of roses she got for Lue.

“What’s wrong? Is she okay?” Her concern nearly guts me, she really loves my daughter.

“My daughter is becoming a woman.”

Thea’s eyes widen, and she looks back to where I just came from. “Oh no, does she need help?”

I frown at her. “What?”

Thea looks back at me in confusion. “You said she’s becoming a woman…” The words trail off with an unasked question.

“She said you should stay with us, and she’s going to start driving soon. Also, boys are going to start asking her out, and I don’t know if I can handle that at all.”