Rest and Recover

Shyanne was followed by a very tall man, dressed in plaid with greying hair and a beard. He looked at Sean with pity for a moment, seeing the damaged state he was in. When Shyanne moved out of the way, he reached forward and shook Sean’s hand. His shake was strong, his fingers callused and large. ”I agree,” he said, his accent strong and southern. ”My daughter said quite a bit about you.”

”Daddy,” Shyanne warned. This was quickly becoming like one of those couple meet the parents things, and that was not what this should be like. Richard looked at Shyanne, shook his head lightly, and turned back towards Sean.

”All right. Looks like I’ve got to stick to the point, boy.” He said. He gave Sean a level look, a very odd mix of judging and proud. ”I can’t thank you enough for what you did for my little girl. If it weren’t for you, I might have had to come up here under much different circumstances. Even though I wish you weren’t here in this situation, picturin’ my baby girl here in your place is somethin’ I can’t really do.” He said. ”I know many men, many who try to say they’re tough and brave like those boys who were pickin’ on ya, but I rarely me someone with as much bravery as you got, to take on someone twice your strength to protect a friend.”

The boy had a firmer handshake than Richard expected, given his condition. It made him smile just slightly and his eyes twinkle with mirth. Shyanne was observing the interaction, oddly quiet, feeling flustered though she didn’t know why. She had nothing to be flustered over! It was likely the way her father was talking to Sean, like he was some kind of hero or something. She stared at Sean, biting down on her lower lip. He should have called the police, not gotten himself injured, and he shouldn’t be being applauded for her father for being so stupid!

Richard nodded at Sean’s comments. ”As any man should be. Believe me, I know my daughter can be a bit mouthy when she wants to be – “ Shyanne let out a squeak of protest, then blushed and folded her arms across her chest tightly with a pout, ”but she can’t always defend herself when the wrong sorta person’s involved, like that punk ass boy.” If Richard got his hands on the kid, he was going to send him straight to hell.

He caught Sean steal a look at Shyanne when she wasn’t looking and leaned back slightly in the chair he’d occupied. How had his daughter met this boy again? From what he recalled he was a bit older than her, in the college, a theater major. The initial stories she had told of a boy named Sean had made Richard believe the boy was spineless, and at the whims of a woman’s words. ”I feel that same way about my wife – I can never have her be hurt when I coulda been in her place instead.”

”Daddy,” Shyanne complained. ”Sean was just – he should have called for the police to come and break the fight up, not get himself –“

”And wait for them to arrive while that boy got his hands on you? I don’t think so, Annie.” Richard said, giving Shyanne a measured look. ”Anyone could have called for the cops – clearly they did, when the fight got bad. But in an instant you gotta make a call, and he make the right one.” Richard saw Sean looking at his hands. ”Even if you’re in here now, losing can only make you stronger.”

”What?! Daddy, you are making like zero sense. The gym makes you stronger, not getting beat up!” Shyanne insisted.

”Losing gives you weakness that you turn into strength. Now you know how to train to keep protecting the people you care about.” Richard looked at Sean. ”you don’t look like you’ve ever fought more than this. Tell me boy, don’t you feel like you know more than you did before? About how to fight?”

Shyanne’s mouth opened at Sean’s comments. ”Well duh!” She said, before her father could speak up, ”How about don’t pick fights you can’t win?!” She glared at Sean. ”My daddy may think you’re all heroic but I still think it was stupid for you to go and get yourself beaten up.”

”Oh don’t hurt his pride anymore, Annie.” Richard said, cracking a grin. He found the joke in good humor even though his daughter clearly didn’t. ”She’s just like her mother – a worrier. That’s the woman in her speaking,” He gave her a look and Shyanne flushed. ”It’s surprising Shyanne is actually angry about this. Whenever her brother defends her she applauds him for getting hit in the face.”

”Well that’s different, that’s Steven! He loves to get beat up.” Shyanne said. Richard shook his head.

”It ain’t different, baby girl. He’s a man. Only difference is you don’t like seeing this one beaten up.” He said. ”Already this one’s better than that other one. What was his name? Bradley? Boy couldn’t tell his ass from his face. This one actually has sense.”

”Oh my God daddy! Sean and I are not dating.” Shyanne said. Her father raised his brows, and looked at Sean, as though to say, ‘really’?

Shyanne glared at her father because upon hearing Sean’s comments, he broke into a grin. ”What in tarnation?” he asked, clearly not buying it.

”Daddy,” Shyanne put her hands on her hips. ”Sean is so not my boyfriend. He’s – he’s Sean! And yes, he obviously cares about me enough to care about my safety but that’s because I’m like, the reason he’s popular and his superior in the theater,” She got haughty as she stuck her nose up. ”So he wants to keep me safe if he wants to make something of himself.”

Richard’s gaze grew level with Shyanne. ”A man can make anything of himself. He don’t need the help of a haughty princess to do it,” he said. ”Whatever you are to my daughter, I admire you for having the strength to stand up for her when she runs her mouth. But if I were your age, I don’t think I’d be sticking up that much for any girl I saw as just a friend,” Before Shyanne could interject Richard eyed her. ”Good, brave men are hard to find in this day and age, Annie. Most of ‘em are hiding behind their phones like the girls.”

Shyanne shifted, unsure of how to feel at that. She glanced at Sean and frowned as though it was somehow his fault her dad thought he liked her.

Shyanne shot Sean a dangerous look, as though to say, ‘shut your mouth!’ She caught his smirk and thought it was dangerous that this guy thought he could be all edgy and hardcore just because he’d, like, fought a douchebag for her honor. He needed to be put back in his place real quick! Flustered, Shyanne decided, was not a good look for herself.

Richard observed the look between the two kids and shifted slightly in his chair. He glanced to Sean when he said that Shyanne was his only friend. ”Surely that ain’t true, brave kid like you’ll have no problem making friends with the right sorta crowd.” Richard said. ”And I know it ain’t much but anyone who saves my daughter’s life is considered a friend’a mine, too.”

Shyanne groaned and shifted, again. ”I am not your only friend. Like, Seamus knows you. You both are like Irish right? Cause of your names? Instant best friends.” She waved her hand in the air dismissively. Richard smiled.

”There. A good start to any friendship is your roots.” He said. ”You fond of your roots, boy?”

Richard waited for a response from the boy, and he seemed to take his time for a moment. Richard’s face went back to its usual gruff expression, as he leaned back in his chair. The Gaelic that came from his mouth shocked Richard, but it seemed to shock Shyanne even more as her jaw dropped and she stared at him as though he had grown a new head.

”You speak a different language?!” She asked. What a time to reveal that! Ugh! Shyanne shifted on her feet and bounced a wave of blonde back over her shoulder, her eyes practically on fire. ”What the heck is that?”

”His roots, baby girl.” Richard said. He nodded firmly. He was a full-blooded American man, and proud of the fact he came from nowhere other than the south. This kid here seemed to be from Ireland – the red hair was somewhat obviously. While he would have preferred his daughter be with a nice, well-mannered southern boy, in his experience the Irish were pleasant folk, hard workers, and knew how to treat their women. ”I knew a boy in school who came from overseas. One of the greatest kids I knew, couldn’t even tell he was from somewhere else ‘till he opened his mouth and spoke with that accent!” He laughed. ”It’s important to embrace your roots. Us Volle, we come from Oklahoma first and foremost and Americas our land, but the great ancestors came over from Germany to better their lives. That’s what this land is for – better lives.” He said.

Shyanne exhaled. ”Daddy, he doesn’t need a history lesson on America! Or us!” She glanced to Sean with narrowed eyes and stepped closer. ”What he needs to do is, like, explain what he just said, but this time in American!”