Enough to Miss Christmas

"I'm not going to tell you that because after your father and I discuss it, I don't want you thinking we don't agree. Fair?" She nodded. "Now, before I ask him, I need to know a lot more. This is new territory for me . . . for us. Do you like him?"

"I guess. I don't really know him. He's very shy. Julie says he told her friend Tony he likes me. He looks at me a lot. I catch him doing it but he looks away."

"Any boy who doesn't look at you is either blind or crazy. You're a gorgeous knock out."

"Sarah! Be serious!"

"I am. Tell me, do your friends date?"

"Tony comes over to Julie's house for dinner and stuff, but I don't think they've gone out, like on a date. Anne doesn't have anyone, at least not yet." She named two soccer friends who were older and had boyfriends.

"Where would you go?"

She shrugged. "He didn't say. He barely managed to ask me."

"The movies at the mall I suppose. Someone would have to drive you." I mourned the loss of the old walk-to in town theaters of my youth.

"I guess. But if you ask Dad, can you do it soon? I don't want to wait overnight for an answer."

I agreed and left after a hug, to confront a protective father.

"What's up?" were his first words. When I explained, there followed a resounding, "no way!"

"I agree she's probably too young, but I think it may be an opportunity," I said, trying to keep the discussion alive.

"An opportunity for whom? Some little thug to put a notch in his gun? I thought this stuff wouldn't come up until she was sixteen or seventeen, at least."

In spite of Paul's first reaction I managed to get him to discuss the situation logically and thoroughly. I convinced him a compromise of some sort would gain us more points than an arbitrary denial.

"After all," I said, "she came to us and asked. She didn't go sneaking off to meet someone. She deserves credit and we owe her a chance to show her level of responsibility and demonstrate we trust her judgment."

"I trust her. It's the slug who's after her I'm worried about." But he reluctantly agreed to meet the boy, and if he passed the muster, we'd consider driving the young couple to and from an age appropriate movie.

"That might be the toughest part," I said. "Until she's thirteen, there isn't much she can see that isn't a cartoon." I didn't describe the movies I'd taken her to see, even a couple of R rated ones.