First-borns and First Dates

Reflections from a Friday night:

You know how they say, “time flies”? Well, just last week the 15-year-old asked when she was allowed to go on dates and tonight I’m sitting outside the Books-A-Million, while she has coffee alone WITH A BOY.

First, I’m going to pause right here and let the location sink in. My Girl’s first date is at a bookstore. Y’all, that there is parenting done right.

She set the whole thing up; I was basically just the chauffeur. I guess all moms end up being glorified taxi driver (that is, if the smell of sour milk and/or stale french fries equals glorified). Once dad and I had given her permission (with parameters, of course) to go on dates, she asked out a boy from church and made the plans. I was not *allowed* to take a picture of her with the boy or to post anything about the event on social media; to which I agreed, with the understanding that she’d be in for full blog treatment. 🙂

So here’s what happened (the beginning of every good story, right?):  I dropped her off in front of the bookstore and went into a neighboring store with the understanding that she would text me either that the boy was already there waiting for her or upon his arrival. An era goes by sans text. Okay, not really. After a few minutes of no contact, I’m thinking all sorts of things so I text her:

There was maybe a couple of seconds pause between each of those texts. By this time, I’m in full-on panic mode. I mean, I watch Criminal Minds. Look again at that picture of my view.

Here I’ll blow it up for you.

Doesn’t that look like the type of van an unsub would drive? In my head, she’s been kidnapped and is probably already dead. It’s been 11 minutes. Clearly, I’m not cut out for this “my child dates” thing.

I go storming in (really, no exaggeration, I think I almost pulled the door off) to the bookstore, and immediately see the Girl sitting at a table with a boy. Fortunately, his back was to the door. But she saw me and I saw her and there was that moment between a mom and daughter when no words need to be said but everyone knows we’re gonna TALK IN LOUD VOICES about this later. So I turned around and walked out, returning to my taxi van and awaiting the end of her date.

From what I could tell from our conversation after, the date went well. Does that mean they’ll go out again? Does she like him? Heck if I know. She’s a teenager. They never give straight answers to anything. Oh my gosh, she’s a teenager.

And just yesterday I was changing her diapers. Okay, not really, but it sorta feels that way.