Dorsai - Jan

She gave me a dirty look – hurt my feelings terribly, it did – and left.

When she was gone, Steve looked at me, and said "I finally understood what you told me the other day, when I called you. And what you and Kelly told me after the graduation. And I CAN respect the choice she makes – because it's the right one for her. How the hell did you figure all this out?"

"The pieces were there the whole time; I just got lucky and saw how they fit."

"I think there was more than luck involved – but however it happened, I've got you to thank for making my daughter far happier than I've ever seen her before – and even happier after this. Could I talk to her, and tell her it's okay, now?"

"That's your call, of course – but if you want to let her sleep, you can dictate a message to her through my home control system."

"Your what?"

"Home control system. Voice activated. Automation, all that neat stuff.

Wanna see?"

"Sure -"

"Mabel!"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Den lights to fifty percent, please. Music, jazz, volume one point zero."

The lights dimmed, and music came out of the speakers – a local jazz station, at low volume.

Steve just sat there, amazed.

"Den lights to full. Music off."

The lights went back to full brightness, and the music died.

"That's all."

"Thank you, Sir."

He looked at me and asked "What else does it do? Who's Mabel? Who did this?"

I grinned, and said "Mabel is the system – Machine Access By English Language; voice activation, right? It maintains air temperature, does alarm clock stuff, can make coffee in the morning, handles all the phone, audio and video, fire alarms, security, and about anything else I could think of; I did it."

He just stared at me a few moments before I reminded him "You can leave Susan a voice message, and make it as private as you want."

"How?"

"Just call Mabel's name. When she answers, say 'voice message for Susan'. When Mabel says 'recording', say your piece, and when you're done, just say 'end of message'. If you only want Susan to hear it, just say 'private' instead of 'voice': 'private message for Susan'. Mabel knows her voice, and whether or not anyone else is in the room with her.

If it's private, Mabel won't play it back until Susan's alone – and the door is closed."

He looked at me, shaking his head, before saying "This is simply too much. I don't care if anyone else hears it; as long as Susan does."

"Okay, then. I'm going to go into the kitchen so you can have some privacy, anyway. Need me to show you out?"

"I don't think so. Why, can't Mabel do it?"

"Sure – if you didn't mind asking her!"

He gave me the finger, and I laughed as I headed for the kitchen. Before I got there, I paused and watched as he got started.

"Mabel?"

"Yes, sir."

"Voice message to Susan"

A pause, then"Recording"

At that, I went into the kitchen, and sat there finishing off my water.

A few minutes later, I heard the front door close.

Kelly and I were both next to her when Susan woke up. She looked at both of us, and tried to smile.

Both of us kissed her, and asked her if she was feeling better. She said she was, and I asked if she wanted to stay there, or go into the den.

She said the den sounded good, so we got up – and when she got out of the bed, I picked her up and carried her to the couch before setting her down again – over her mild protests that she was fine.

Kelly asked her if she wanted a cup of coffee or anything, and she admitted that a cup sounded pretty good. Kelly went in and got it, bringing out a cup for all of us.

As we sat there sipping it, I told Susan "We were worried about you. A lot."

She looked at her lap, and Kelly said "No, it's okay – you didn't do anything wrong – like Dan said, we were just worried about you; because we love you, and care about you."

Susan started to tear up again, and I quickly told her "It's okay, Susan. We understand. Kelly called your parents, and they came over here and we had a nice talk. Your dad left a message for you when you want to hear it."

"You asked my folks over here? Why?"

"Because we love you and care for you and were worried about you, silly!", Kelly told her.

"Susan, it's okay – really. When you listen to the message your dad left, you'll understand, okay?"

"What happened?", she asked.

"Kelly invited them over, so she should be the one to start telling this.", I said.

Kelly gave me a dirty look – it hurt as bad as the last one I'd received – and started telling Susan what had happened.

"When you fell asleep in there, I was really, really worried about you – worried enough that I called your folks. After you talked to us, you know, before we took you in the bedroom, you told us that they were really making things tough for you, so I wanted to talk to them and find out what was going on. When they got her, I kind of shook them up a little bit, and then let Dan have them. He can tell you the rest."

"Shook them up? How?", Susan asked.

"She answered the door naked.", I told her.

Susan giggled, and got an amused expression on her face before saying "Yeah, I suppose that would do it. What then?"

"Well, she came in there where I was holding you, and offered to take over for me. She kinda forgot to tell me that your folks were here, so I got a bottle of water, and went into the den – and there they were, and there I was, naked as a jaybird."

"Did you put something on?"

"No, why should I? This is my house!"

She giggled again, and said "What did they do?"

"Your mom hinted that I should put something on, like Jan did, but I just ignored her. We talked for a little bit, and then I kind of explained things to them, so they could try to understand a little bit about what we're like here. Your dad got it way before your mom, and when she tried to fuss, he basically told her to shut up and let him handle it. That was when he made a voice message for you, and left."

"Can I hear it?"

"Sure – just ask Mabel to play your voice messages.", I told her. "We can leave for a bit, if you want to listen to it alone."

"No, that's okay. Mabel!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Voice messages for Susan"

"You have one voice message."

"Play message."

After a second, Steve's voice came out of the speakers.

"Susan, honey, I'm sorry that I have to leave you a message like this.

Not because I don't like to talk to you, or because I don't love you, but because of what it means that I have to even leave it.

"I know, now, that your mother and I have been kind of a drain on you these last few weeks, and I'm sorry, for both of us. But I want you to know that you've also been a lot of help to us, too.

"Your mother and I didn't know how much of a strain we'd put you under until today, when Kelly and Dan asked us to come over – and we got a chance to SEE it for ourselves. Honey, I'm sorry, I truly am.

"I want you to know that, thanks to Kelly and Dan, I understand – a little bit – what they mean to you, and how very much you mean to them.

And I understand that there's something that you want to do.

"Dan talked to your mother and me, and I finally understood how we were putting you under so much stress. And thanks to Dan, I understood WHY it was stressful for you. And even more, I understood how it was me that was causing it.

"Susan, I want you to know that I understand, now, that having sex, and making love, are two very different things – and that actually making*love* is so much better than simply having sex. I also understand that*making love* is something that you feel you have to do – because you think it's right for YOU. I understand that, honey, and I respect it – a lot. When you make a choice like that, it tells me that you're grown up now – but I also know that I still love you, and that you still love me, no matter WHAT happens with us, or between us. So I'm asking you to forgive me, and your mother; and telling you, because I love you, to go ahead and do what you want to do because I respect your choice.