Chapter Text
“Sophie! You get back here right now!”
Ryan’s daughter just laughed as she raced down the white stone steps of their village, waving his 13 year old diary like a victory flag. A diary that, coincidentally, happened to be the age Sophie was turning next month.
Ryan could feel his age catch up to him as he chased Sophie to the bay. Not that being 32 was old, but it didn't help that the sun was beating down overhead, the way it always does on Kalokairi island. Her blonde waves bounced as she ran down the grassy hill beside their villa. The turquoise water sparkled in the distance. While Ryan was huffing too hard to speak, Sophie had enough lung capacity to read his most intimate desires out loud, giggling hysterically.
“He’s the one, I know he is! I’ve never felt like this before!”
“That’s PRIVATE!”
Sophie stopped a few feet away and grinned, holding the worn blue book to her heart. “Honey, honey, how he thrills me-“
“You are so grounded!”
She sighed dreamily and mimed fainting. “Honey, honey, nearly kills me-”
Ugh. Ryan had forgotten about his mediocre poetry. How had he ever been such a romantic? He lunged for the diary, but she held it just out of reach. Just another reminder that his daughter was already taller than him. Not that it was a high bar.
"I've heard about him before..."
He cursed a blue streak as she took off towards the pier. She certainly didn't get her stamina from his side of the family.
"I wanted to know some more..."
With Ryan's sandals kicking up sand with every step, he wasn't getting anywhere. He chucked them off to address more pressing matters, such as his daughter learning the exact circumstances of her conception.
"He's so wild, and such a funny guy, and-!" She skipped gleefully along where the waves kissed the shore, laughing too hard to continue. Ryan almost grabbed the diary before she backed into the water with a smile, knowing Ryan would hate to get his jeans wet.
"We danced on the beach, and we kissed on the beach, and..." She paused and frowned. “Dot dot dot? What does that mean?”
Please, no. Ryan had already given Sophie the “talk” once, he had no interest in putting them both through that again. “It means the story is over! Give it back!”
“No way it's over! I’m only a few pages in!”
Ryan put his hands on his hips. "Young lady, every page you read is another week in your room! Hand it over right now!"
“Not until I know his name..." She flipped through the pages impatiently. "Shane Mad-jay?”
“Madej,” Ryan corrected reflexively. He cringed. He hadn’t said that name out loud in, well, 13 years…
“Who is he?”
“No one important,” Ryan grumbled. He finally gave in and plodded into the water, snatching the book away.
Sophie's smile faded. “I thought we didn’t keep secrets, Papa.”
“We don’t,” Ryan tried to say reassuringly. “This is just, well..." How would I even begin to explain this? "I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
“Older?” Sophie crossed her arms. “I’m going to be a teenager next month! That’s almost an adult.”
Ryan smiled wistfully. It was hard to believe how fast his little girl had grown. He'd never forget the day Sophie was born. After 9 months of hell, knocked up and abandoned on a strange island, Ryan's water broke at the break of dawn. He drove himself to the local hospital, gritting his teeth and swearing up a storm as the contractions kicked in. You did this to me, Shane Madej. While invisible jaws were devouring Ryan's insides, the bastard was back in the United States probably reciting his wedding vows to a woman he’d conveniently forgotten to mention all summer. The only thing I'd wanted from Greece was top surgery.
But, a few agonizing hours later, Ryan realized that didn't matter. Nothing mattered, besides the beautiful baby girl he held in his arms. He looked down at those round, hazel eyes and instantly, he wasn't alone anymore. He didn't need his transphobic family, he didn't need a partner, and he most certainly did not need Shane Fucking Madej.
He grinned at his daughter, who was still eyeing the diary in his hands. He moved it behind his back. "Give me a few more years before you start saying you're an adult."
"You're going to have to face it, Papa. Thirteen means I'm going to be a woman. This is going to be the most important birthday of my life!"
Ryan laughed. "You think so? What about being able to vote at 17? Or get your license at 18?"
"Yeah, yeah," Sophie said dismissively. "I'm just saying, this party needs to be special."
"Hm, I dunno." Ryan rubbed his chin and looked off to the side as he pretended to consider it. "It's going to be pretty hard to celebrate when you're grounded."
Her face fell. "What?! You wouldn't-!"
Ryan had never been good at discipline. "Of course not, Sophie girl. I'll make sure your birthday is as special as you are."
Sophie beamed.
"But you are grounded the day before. And the day after."