A blizzard to realize I care

The annual Snow Ball proved to be true to its title in 1994. The night of the big semi-formal dance was an absolute blizzard. My girlfriends and I weren't about to not go though, we bought our dresses several weeks before and were all glitzed up to the nines.

We had planned out our transportation in advance, my mother and my soon-to-be stepfather would drive us there and E's father would pick us up when it was all over.

The three of us hopped into the back of my mother's Acura, my soon-to-be stepfather at the wheel, mother deciding she'd stay home. The highway was treacherous and we were the only car on the road. Even though the roads were bad, the three of us were being silly and singing along to the radio.

Psycho Killer came on the radio and both E and M squealed and giggled with pleasure. I liked the song but didn't know it nearly as well as they did.

Right as we got to the "Psycho killer qu'est que c'est" bit he lost control of the car and we spun in circles straight toward the guardrail leading to a ravine below. Luckily we didn't hit the guardrail, but it was enough to silence us girls for the remainder of the trip.

When we arrived at the school we said our goodbyes and went off to dance our night away. I couldn't relax though, I knew his drive home would be long and that the Acura was a horrendous car in the snow. Yet, he made sure we got there, not once saying he wouldn't bring us.

After about a half an hour and almost in tears I called home to check and make sure he arrived safely.

He came into my mother's and my lives when I was 15. I was a terrible brat to him, I didn't want him around and I made it terribly clear. I was mean and horrible for the first year from when they were dating to when they were married, but as time went on I let down my guard and realized he wasn't there to make my life horrible, but because he loved my mother and in spite of it all, he truly seemed to care about me.

That night as he dropped us off and I worried about him, I realized that terrible brat of the past was gone and I finally had accepted him and cared as much about him as he did for me.

While he's only been around for half of my life, he's more a dad to me than anyone.