Growing Pains 9: Are you going to spank me, Daddy?

[NMD]

It was 12 years ago today that my wife died. The cancer was mercifully swift. She left me two
beautiful and intelligent daughters who in turn have brought me a third. Driving down the
Blackfoot Trail after work, I found myself thinking about my three daughters. Yes, three. I
consider Cara to be just as much my daughter as Marie and Ashley.

Marie is my oldest and is in 12th grade. Ashley is next, in 11th grade. They are both fine girls
and have their mother's looks, intelligence and compassion. Not only that, they are both
being a great mother to Cara.

I don't know what her father did to her, but she is afraid of her own shadow sometimes. What I
would like to do to him would get me jailed for assault. it would be best we never meet then!

Cara is in 10th grade. School is difficult for her but she is trying. The effort is slowly starting to
pay off, especially after I spanked her for not doing all that Social Studies homework. I
don't want to spank every day but my girls know that I WILL spank when they have earned it.

I drove into the driveway and parked the car. Cara was waiting for me at the front door, with a
very worried look on her face. I knew that this could only mean one thing. "Hello, Cara," I said,
calmly. She told me that she had something she had to show me. She took me by the hand
and led me downstairs.

I saw the problem in the Laundry Room. "I broke the window, Daddy," she said, afraid to look
me in the eyes. "How did it happen, Carissima," I asked. I love the little smile she gets when I
call her that. She explained that she accidently locked herself out of the house and pried
open the window to get in. When she got halfway through, the window slid down her back and
broke on the floor.

She looked up at me, nervously rubbing her bottom. "Am I going to get a spanking, daddy," she
asked, her voice shaking ever so slightly. I thought about it for a moment, which probably seemed
like an eternity for her.

"Well," I began. "If you had broken it deliberately or in anger then yes you would have to be
spanked. I don't think this is the case, is it?" She shook her head. "But you were careless, weren't
you," I asked. Reluctantly, she nodded. "You need to learn to be more careful, Cara," I said. "I
will, daddy, I promise," she said, with pleading eyes. "You don't need to get the wooden spoon for
this one, Cara.

She broke into a huge smile that made her face almost incandescent. "You told me about it as soon
as you could. If you had tried to hide it from me and I found out on my own, then yes you would
have been spanked. It looks like you have learned how to be responsible lately, haven't you?" She
smiled and blushed. "So instead of a spanking, you will have to pay me $10 in restitution, ok?"

"Yes, daddy," she said, giving me a hug and kiss. Now, I have something to show you," I said with
a smile. I took her by the hand and led her upstairs. With a puzzled look on her face, she followed
me. We went into the kitchen. "Am I still in trouble" she asked, a bit nervous. I smiled. "No you
aren't. I have some good news for you. The adoption came through today. Now you really are
my daughter," I said, with a smile.

I thought she would squeeze me to death, she hugged and cried so hard. "I am so happy now
thank you thank you thank you," she said, obviously very happy. My other two daughters came in
and we all had a big group hug for a while. We then settle down for supper.

Supper was fine. the girls did the dishes and then did their homework. i did have a bit of fun with
Cara though. after supper she said that she started playfully teasing me. I grabbed her and
unceremoniously dumped her over my lap. she screeched in playful shock.

She covered her bottom with her hands. That of course left her rib cage exposed, so I tickled her.
She protected her ribs, shich left her bottom exposed. so I gave that a few playful swats. I then
went back and forth like that for a few minutes. I then said "Are you going to behave now?"
Yess," she said, between giggles and gasps for air. I let her up and we hugged and giggled some
more.

I tucked them in for the night a couple hours later. It is silly to tuck in girls who are well into their
teens but they like it. Gives them a few minutes alone with their dad. And i savour those times too.