"Mr. Simmons?" I asked from behind Arlo, I felt a little uncomfortable calling him dad. At least before I had a chance to apologize for treating him poorly the other week. We had been on vacation for a week now and I had only just managed to work up the courage to talk to him about my birthday gifts.

"Pia, you don't have to call me Mr. Simmons. You can call me dad, or Arlo if it makes you more comfortable?" Mr. Simmons wasn't insulted by my using his proper title but laughed instead, I blushed as I sat myself down on the deck chair next to him, turning his way so that I could talk more comfortably.

"I just wanted to apologize for yelling at you when you brought my gifts to mom's house. I thought you were trying to buy my love by giving me gifts but when I opened them I realized you were trying to earn it. If I had known that all your gifts were home made I never would have said the things that I did." I couldn't even look at him I was so ashamed of myself, I think the words I had used while yelling at a surprise Arlo were along the lines of, 'cheap trick, stupid and loser.'

Arlo didn't say anything for a long time and I wondered if I had insulted him beyond repair, when he shifted in his seat I looked at him only to see a smile on his face as he studied me.

"Pia, from the first time you walked into my classroom I realized you were far too smart for your own good. I suspected you might have reacted the way you did when seeing sixteen gifts but I wanted to bring them around anyway. You're my kid, nothing is going to change that...I think I would have been a little insulted if you had accepted every gift without fuss. Your mom raised you good, you stick to your morals and values and even if people bully you or put you down you're still willing to fogive them." My face went absolutely beet red, I knew it because the heat in my cheeks increased ten-fold and I looked away from Arlo again as I realized he wasn't as dumb as he wanted people to think.

"Don't think I didn't notice it Pia, I was ready to step in on your behalf but then the Summers triplets showed up and I encouraged them to befriend you. You really came out of your shell then and I was so, so proud of you for overcoming everything that you've been put through. Aside from my wife...and maybe your mom, you're the best person I know. You've got a good heart and a great mind, so don't hesitate to lean on your entire family if ever you need to, okay?" Arlo's compliments were so unexpected and I didn't know how to process them but nodded. He had encouraged Nate and them to be friends with me?

I wanted to ask them if they had become my friend because of Arlo or on their own, they had acted like Arlo was a total stranger and had even been shocked when I had told them that he was really my dad.

"Thanks...dad." The word sounded so weird when I spoke it, "dad...dad, dad. It sounds so weird to say it finally." I thought out loud, Arlo suddenly burst out laughing. Looking at him I had to smile, he found so much to laugh about in the week that we had been on vacation that I wondered where the serious teacher was that taught me.

"It's okay kid, you take your time getting used to that word. Your old man isn't going anywhere." Arlo continued to laugh as he stood from his deck chair and motioned for me to go inside with him. Laughing, I stood and followed him inside, Jane had lunch all laid out on the table and my mouth began to water.

At sixteen I sat down at a table with a family for the first...or maybe second time ever and wished that I had this growing up. Though my wish wasn't as feverent as some had been in the past, it was more a whisper, an afterthought as Jane said grace and began dishing out lunch.