On the drive home from school, the sun was scorching hot despite the shade of the old trees lining the street. She barely noticed. Her mind was preoccupied. Over the past two weeks, she had seen her father coping better with the situation. 

Today was the first time her father went to the company. He had met with Mr. Ryan a few times over coffee at Starbucks, and each time he returned, he was deep in thought. 

At first, she worried he'd revert to his serious, aloof self. But the happy smile she saw was open and genuine, warming her every time. This father was so different.  She felt guilty for liking this father more. He spent time with her, talked, joked, and last night before bed, he pulled her into a hug and whispered,

"Thank you for everything, sweetheart."

It wasn't all roses.  He couldn't cook. He didn't know his way around the kitchen. He knew what spices and herbs were, but not how much or how to use them. He could make pasta, but overcooked it. He recognized every piece of kitchen equipment but forgot what to do with them. Before, he could create his own recipes. Now, he used his smartphone. 

Getting reacquainted with him was fun, though. She asked for an allowance raise, and when he asked how much, she'd upped it to thirty-five dollars a week without him complaining. 

Even more fun was daring to ask him about getting her ears pierced, and he agreed!  Before, he'd refused point-blank…

Nid couldn't help but smile to herself. She'd told him about his unused yearly membership at the Fit-M gym, and he'd actually started going back!  This had replaced his gardening, which she thought was a bad thing, as the garden was starting to look unkempt. Maybe she'd suggest he hire a gardener, like he had a pool service. 

Nid was still chuckling to herself as she walked, lost in thought.  Dad liked action movies now!  He even liked popcorn! 

What was even better was cuddling up with him and watching movies together. He put his arm around her shoulder. He never used to be affectionate. Now he was, and she loved it!  She felt loved. She adored the look in his eyes when he looked at her. It was full of… pride! 

The new dad was almost too new for her. She liked him and wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. She knew the adjustment was hard for him, but deep down -she was glad he’d lost his memory-

The new Eric didn't shave every morning. He didn't wear suits. He laughed at his own mistakes. 

She threw her backpack on her bedroom floor and changed out of her school uniform.  Finally, the summer break she had been waiting for! 

She walked to the kitchen to get a snack and noticed the mess in the living room, something the old dad would never have tolerated.  Strangely, the mess bothered her, so she started cleaning up. 

A thumping sound came from the front door, leading Nid towards it. Eric, in casual jeans and a white t-shirt, his blond hair neatly styled from earlier in the morning still looking good as if he hadn't gone anywhere, noticed her, smiling at his return from work. 

"Dad doesn't know anything!" he laughed good-naturedly. 

"So, what's new?" the young girl asked, laughing along with him. 

"I don't know. Whatever Mr. Ryan suggests, I just do it," he replied, crossing his arms. 

"Good,"

she replied before heading to the kitchen. He followed her. 

"I don't know anyone at work except Mr. Ryan, and they seem happy about it. What the heck!"

Nid placed the dishes in the dishwasher and suggested, "Maybe they like the new dad, just like me."

He sat down at the kitchen table. "It's hot. Is it always this hot?"

"No, it gets cold in the winter," she replied, smiling again. 

"Ryan says I can't code at all. Apparently, that's not my strong suit!"

Nid laughed and shook her head. "I know."

The long-haired girl woke up feeling extremely thirsty. Her room was pitch black. She picked up her smartphone and saw that it was 2:24 AM. 

She rarely woke up in the middle of the night, and never because she was this thirsty. It must have been because her father used too much soy sauce in the stir-fry... which was terrible. 

Although still sleepy, she got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. As she neared the end of the hallway, she saw a dim light spilling into the living room. She stopped and looked inside. 

Father was sitting on one side of the sofa, still fully dressed.  He had one knee resting on the other. The table lamp beside him cast a dim light. He wasn't watching TV. He wasn't reading. He seemed to be looking far away, and then she saw his eyes, eyes filled with pain and confusion. Worry gripped Nid. 

A wave of worry and annoyance washed over her. In the past few weeks, her father had seemed so relaxed, as if he had adjusted to his condition. Funny!  Stupid, sometimes. This new father of hers was always so considerate. But looking at him, she knew he wasn't better at all. Then another thought struck her.  He was being bright and optimistic for her!  He was still hurting and hiding it for her! 

A warm love spread through her, even though her heart ached like never before. This father was so different from before, but so much better too. 

She moved to sit beside him quietly, without a word. 

He automatically put his arm around her and gave a small, forced smile. “Hey, why are you still up so late?”

“I woke up thirsty. What about you, Dad? Why aren't you in bed?”

“Nothing,” he said softly. 

“Don't lie, Dad. Something's wrong. I know.”

He was silent for a moment, then sighed. “In my head, it feels strangely empty,” he told her. 

Nid didn't understand, so she asked, “What do you mean by empty?”

He rubbed her shoulder. “When I sit quietly alone, my mind is filled with silence. Those memories float around for a moment – events, feelings, both good and bad.  Those memories become a haunting emptiness. I have nothing but a quiet void, like a slate wiped clean without a trace. There are no memorable memories to keep me company, nothing to fondly recall, and nothing to recall with anger, shame, or pride. I have nothing to fill this emptiness. I don't know how to deal with it.”

He smiled slightly. “But don't worry. Eventually, I promise, I'll adjust.”

Nid pulled her knees up and hugged them tighter. “I can help,” she said. “I'll try to tell you about what happened. We'll do it slowly, bit by bit.  Don't worry, Dad, because worrying doesn't make anything better.”

Eric reached out and squeezed her arm gently. “Sometimes, stories can't replace feelings or emotions. Would it be alright if I wanted to forget everything and start a new life with who I am now, and not be the person I was in the past?”

The young girl smiled, her eyes sparkling. She hugged him tightly, taking in his soft scent. It was different, and she tried to understand why. Then it clicked. He used to wear aftershave, but not anymore. Now his scent was different, cleaner, clearer, and even more pleasant. 

“Whatever you choose, Dad, I respect your decision. I think it’s good that I get a new version of you,” she said, proud of him. 

He stood up, leaned in close, and smiled at her, his eyes gentle. He kissed her cheek softly. “Thank you for being both my daughter and my best friend.”

Back in her bed, Nid could still feel the touch of his kiss on her cheek.  Warmth spread through her body. She knew why. She loved him. She loved this father, the one who spent time talking to her, not staring at her; the one who hugged her, touched her gently; the one who smiled happily; the one who made her laugh; the one who made her feel special. 

A familiar feeling surfaced, surprising her. The warmth of excitement, the quickening pulse of her heart, a deep yearning stirred within her in the quiet of her bedroom.  And she let it grow, the awakened feeling spreading through her. 

This was the first time she reached down into her pajamas to caress her panties.  She saw images of her father playing, her father laughing, her father being silly. As she touched herself, she fell into a reverie of his scent and his lips softly brushing against her cheek. This time, as her vagina responded, growing moist, her face flushed, her heart raced.  The image of her father kissing her passionately, his touch making her yearn, and as her body built to a crescendo of pleasure, she reached inside her panties and stroked her clitoris faster, imagining Eric giving her pleasure. Daddy loved her, loved her the most. Finally, she climaxed, gasping for breath as waves of pleasure washed over her. Oh god, it felt so good! She couldn't help but exclaim. 

The beads of sweat began to cool on her forehead as she lay still, her heart still pounding. This time it was much more intense. Her body was drenched and weak, her panties soaked. But strangely, she felt no shame in having dreamt of her father in such a sexual way. It felt good... really good! 

It was a bright new morning. The muscular young man seemed particularly refreshed, perhaps because the open conversation with the young woman last night had released all his previous worries. He was ready to be himself, regardless of whether his memories would return or not.  His current focus was only on “Nid”! 

Nid walked weakly out of the bedroom. She looked at him with new eyes. She didn't feel guilty about last night at all. In fact, it still thrilled her. 

"Good morning," he greeted her and headed to make coffee. 

He looked very sexy in his old, soft cotton shorts, a loose olive-green T-shirt, and a perfectly fit physique. He had lost weight from exercising. He was 185 cm tall. She liked that he didn't shave. The beard and mustache made him even more attractive in her eyes. 

She tried to distract herself. "You didn't tell me everything about yesterday at the office. How was it?"

"I didn't? I don't seem to know anything about coding or programming. God only knows how I started a software company. Ryan told me I'm a strategist and salesman. That's the problem. I don't know anything about our software programs. How am I going to sell them?"

"You'll learn," Nid winked at him, a sign not to worry. 

"True. Guess I will learn."

Before she could answer, he changed the subject. "Where's the rain?"

"It's coming. The weather app says it will start raining this morning."

“Good.”

Just as the weather forecast predicted, rain began to fall, followed by loud thunder, while Nid was tidying her bedroom. 

“Nid! Where are you! It's raining! Come here!” he shouted for her. 

She giggled involuntarily. It was so strange to hear such excitement from him, especially over something so ordinary. 

“Nid!”

“Coming, coming,” she replied, making a funny face at him. 

She found him standing at the living room window, looking out.  Seeing her, he smiled. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. 

“Where are we going?”

He led her to the front door. “For a walk in the rain.”

“There might be lightning,” she warned. 

“Who cares? Let’s go.”

She wondered how anyone could find such simple pleasures so enjoyable.  Hand in hand, they walked down the street, smiling. He tilted his head back, lifting his hands to feel the downpour.  She was happy to see him happy. She felt the fun too, even if passing drivers might think they were crazy or something…

The pouring rain chased away the warmth from the air. She shivered. “Let’s go back,” she suggested, grabbing his hand. 

“Okay”

After arriving home, they both separated to take showers before a cold could set in.  Eric's stomach rumbled, signaling his hunger. 

“Shall we eat out?” he asked Nid, who had just walked out of the hallway. 

“Great! We haven't eaten out in a long time,” Nid smiled back happily. 

In the Range Rover, he asked, “Where should we eat?”

“How about Luck’s in downtown? The steak there is delicious.” She licked her lips as if her mouth was watering. 

“It must be very delicious. Let's go,” Eric accelerated out of the house quickly. 

Fifteen minutes later… both of them arrived at the hottest steakhouse in town. 

“Table for two?” the staff greeted and led them to a table in the restaurant. 

“I'll have the T-bone steak with red wine, and every signature dish of the restaurant.” The staff was stunned by the order because it seemed too much for just two customers, but she didn't say anything except, “Certainly.”

Nichanart was shocked as her father mentioned almost every dish on the menu! She asked him if he was sure, and he confirmed with her that he was. 

“Are you crazy?” she asked when the staff walked away, still bewildered by the order. 

“No, I want to try every dish. Think of it as a mini food exploration.”

“But… do you have any idea how much it will cost?” She made a shocked face. 

He smiled. “Don’t worry. One thing I learned from meeting Ryan is that we’re not short on money. Actually, we have quite a lot.”

For her, this was another example of how much her father had changed.  Before, he had been quite careful with money. That was the reason she attended a public school instead of an expensive private one like most of the other kids in the neighborhood. 

That dinner turned out to be the most fun dining experience she’d ever had. They sampled nearly twenty dishes, one bite at a time.  Her father would comment on what he liked and disliked, which were all rather exotic. They took turns tasting and discussing each dish with gusto. 

They popped food into their mouths and talked about each dish as other patrons looked on in amazement, as new plates kept arriving. 

By the time they got home, it was late and they were both so full they could barely walk. He kissed her cheek and gave her a tight hug before they parted ways to their respective rooms. 

In bed, she let the events of the day replay in her mind, smiling to herself. This time, the thrill was welcome. This time, she let her imagination run wild, allowing herself to dream of sexy activities with her father. Exploring, discovering, being touched and kissed, embracing in bed. This time, as she caressed her intimate spot, as she felt the arousal building, her dream grew hotter, then more intense, and her orgasm exploded. Her breath hitched, a moan of pleasure escaping her lips…

She felt hot, sweaty, her heart pounding.  She relaxed, her legs sliding down flat against the bed. This time, the orgasm was more intense. 

She thought about it. She knew everything about sex. It was impossible not to, it was everywhere, from fashion to the internet, sex was pervasive. Even amongst her girlfriends, sex was one of the most talked about topics. 

Nid didn't think she was shy about sex. She just hadn't found the moment, or the guy, that made her excited enough. She’d never had a real boyfriend.  She might have kissed Justin, which wasn't sex, and he wasn't her boyfriend anyway. 

She knew about sex after discovering her magic button, otherwise known as the clitoris, a couple of years ago. That first time had been an eye-opener, and she’d enjoyed masturbating ever since. That’s when she first started researching sex. Teenagers are curious, it’s normal. She wanted to know what it would feel like. The curved handle of a hairbrush was the perfect tool. Not too long, not too thick, smooth. It took a few tries, a little pain, and she understood what penetration felt like. Not bad. Quite good, actually…

What she liked most was playing with her clitoris. Feeling the warm, slippery sensation slowly building. The waves of gentle tingling intensifying. The tingling turning into pleasure. The pleasure of orgasm. It was amazing. 

She lay quietly, wondering if her father had feelings for her. Was his sex good? Even before his amnesia, she had never seen him with a woman, never seen him on a date…

Clearly, he enjoyed being with her, she was sure of that. But what would happen if he felt attracted to her?  Wouldn't that be exciting! 

She frowned. He might have forgotten his past, but he knew incest was wrong. 

Even she had once thought incest was a disgusting idea. But that was before. That was when her father was the old father, not this new one! 

The sound of the intensifying rain calmed her thoughts. The events of the past four weeks made her smile. 

She wished there was a way she and her father could get even closer…