With flowers in my hand and butterflies in my stomach, I stood on the Varner’s front porch. I thought for a minute about the girl on the other side of the door, and how I hope she’d like our date. I reached up my hand and rang the doorbell. The door opened to a bright-faced 13 year old girl that I am totally crazy about. At that moment, the butterflies turned into bricks and my stomach sank to know that this girl would be my companion for the evening. With a slightly cracking voice, I said, “I’m here to pick up Madison.” She let me in and I saw her Mom standing there. “Hello, Mrs. Varner. You look radiant this evening.” As Madison got her coat on, I assured her Mom, “I’ll have her home on time.”
With an approving smile from Mrs. Varner, Madison and I walked out the door and what can I say–the evening was absolute magic. Not because of the movie or that we had the best seats in the theater or that we laughed so hard joking together as we waited in line to get in, but because I think we really do like each other. And as her Dad, I like that a lot.