The Good Day

Kyle had done the whole thing. The works. A real classic picnick. There were sandwich materials, chips, cookies, lemonade, everything. Not to mention the red and white checkered blanket they were sitting on. It looked like a real old movie, or something.
Kelsey couldn't eat one more bite, so she lay down, head propped up on the tree trunk, and watched the clouds with her father. She thought he'd fallen asleep, but when she looked over at him, he was just watching her, with a big smile on his face.
" You know what's special about this place?" He asked her.
Kelsey gave him a puzzled look, trying to think hard. To think if she'd ever been here before, but she couldn't come up with anything. Finally she shook her head.

Kyle sat up against the tree trunk, and let out a deep sigh. "This is where I took your mother on our first date."
They sat in silence for a good while, while Kyle watched the leaves shake in the breeze. "She was so beautiful, in her white sun dress... She looked like an angel." The smile on his face was getting a little dreamy, and she could tell that he was picturing her mother.
She tried to imagine her mother that way. Surprisingly, it was easy. She'd always thought of her mother as the nicest woman she'd ever met. It was only recently (aka. two days ago) that she started acting different.
"You know," He sighed, looking back at Kelsey, "I don't blame your mother for what happened." His smile fell slightly, but he tried to keep it going. " She was really stressed at work, and she and I had only gotten married because we were pregnant with you. She loved me once, but over the years that just faded away. She couldn't handle being with someone that she didn't love."
Kelsey examined his face. He looked so sad in his eyes, but he never stopped smiling.
"I'm not sorry that we got a divorce, but I do wish it would have ended differently." He perked up a little, "You want another cookie?"
Kelsey giggled, and declined. "I think I'm going to barf if I eat anymore, Dad."

"Kelsey Baker, is that you?"
Kelsey jumped, not expecting someone to be calling her. "Coach?"
She swung her head around to find her High School gym coach, wearing a running suit, and jogging in place. "Hey, how are you?"
She stood up, and shook his hand, being polite, as she usually was. "I'm fine, how're you?" She inquired.
"I heard about what happened to you." He stated, flatly. "Terrible, absolutely horrible what people can do to one another."
"But how did you-"
"Oh, it was on the news. I'd be surprised if the whole school didn't know about it." He said, a smug smile almost creeping onto his face.

Kyle had stood up just as Kelsey had, but waited until now to say anything. He stepped in front of Kelsey, and stuck out his hand. "My name is Kyle Baker, and you are?"
"My name is Scott Ryle, I'm Kelsey's gym coach." He said. A forced smile was plastered on his face, as if he hadn't noticed Kelsey's father before that moment. "Or, I should say, I WAS Kelsey's gym coach. I can't believe she's graduated already... But of course, she wasn't able to make it to the ceremony."
"I'm aware." Kyle growled.
Scott's eyebrow twitched up, "Oh, you are? Well I'm sorry, I wasn't sure how long you've been in the picture, again. After all, it's not often that fathers come back, once they've abandoned their families."
Kelsey found it eerily amazing, how Coach Scott was able to insult her father directly to his face, but never once have is pleasant tone of voice falter. But that didn't stop her from intervening, especially when Kyle was so close to punching him. "Stop it, will you?! What the hell is your problem, Coach?"
Both men jumped, and looked utterly confused, as if they'd forgotten that she was even there.
"You're right, Kelsey, I'm terribly sorry. That was absolutely rude of me. But please, do call me Scott from now on. I'm not your coach anymore, remember?" He laughed, and gave her a wink. "You know, I must be going." He came over and gave Kelsey a hug, whispering in her ear,
"If you ever need anything, I just live a couple streets down from here. You can come to me anytime."
He let her go, and turned to Kyle once more. "You've got a wonderful daughter, Kyle. She was one of my favorite students." And then he ran off.

"Dad, I am so sorry, I had no clue that he even lived around here!" Kelsey felt absolutely horrid that Scott had been so rude to her father, as if he had been her responsibility. "I'm really really sorry."
Kyle hugged her, and wrinkled his nose. "It's not your fault, baby. But man- That guys got some nerve, talking to me like that! And what a creep, you saw him wink at you, right?" His face was starting to get red, just talking about it. "That guy just pisses me off. How dare he say that to me, and then HUG you! What nerve...."
Kelsey honestly felt like laughing. She had noticed that Scott winked at her, and it had been creepy. But coming from her father, it just sounded funny.
"Come on, I'm bringing you home." Kyle said abruptly. "You smell like man sweat."