The New Office

Six

--Scott--

I couldn't believe Mitch was pregnant. With my baby. I'm going to be a dad. I mean, I'm already a dad to Andrew but not biologically. To raise a kid from birth is amazing, but I don't want Andrew to feel like now I'm having a baby with Mitch that I'm set and he won't be my kid too. They'll both be my kids. I'll love them each the same, no matter what.

"Hey Mitchy." I said as I sat across from him at the counter.

"Hey Scotty. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you. With you being pregnant and all." Mitch stopped what he was doing and looked up at me with worry on his face, "Nothing bad though. I promise."

"Oh okay. What is it then?"

"I'm worried that with you and I having a baby, that Andrew will feel like I don't need him anymore. Like he'll stop calling me dad and he'll feel like I'll stop considering him my son. Because I don't want any of that. He's my son no matter what and I'll love both of my kids the same-"

"Stop. Listen to me." He leaned in on the counter, "Andrew knows that you're his dad. And really, he doesn't have another option. If you show him that nothing has changed, he won't think anything has." He went back to what he had been doing. I thought about it all. If I don't make Andrew think he's not my son anymore, then he won't think he isn't.

----

"Hey bud. How's Wyatt?" I asked about Andy's cat.

"He's sleeping dad. See." He pointed to his bed from his place on the ground. He was putting a puzzle together. Wyatt was curled up into a ball on his bed.

"Aw. He's so cute. I can hear him purring from here."

"He likes to sleep. And if he isn't sleeping, he's jumping around everywhere."

"Oh wow. Well he is a cat. But Andrew, do you wanna get ice cream with me?"

"Right now?"

"Today yes, not right this minute though. Daddy will be home soon and I'll tell him you and I will go out."

"Daddy isn't coming with us?"

"Nope. Just you and I bud. Is that okay?"

"It's more than okay. I like you just as much as daddy, don't worry."

"I do worry bud. You know I won't love you any different when the baby is here, right?"

"Why because that baby is yours? It won't be my real dad's. Like me. Even though you're my dad more now."

"Well I worry you'll think I won't love you anymore because I'm having a baby with daddy. Because even though Joel helped daddy make you doesn't make you any less of my son, you know that right?"

"I know dad. You're more of my dad than Joel was." He put a new piece on his puzzle as Wyatt woke up and rubbed against my leg.

"I'm happy you feel that way bud. Because I love you a lot. A lot, Andy."

"I love you too dad. A lot. I'm happy I have you, really happy."

"I'm happy I have you, and your daddy. You guys mean so much to me. And so will this baby. What're you hoping it is?"

"Like boy or girl?"

"Yeah. Do you think it will be a boy, or a girl?"

"Uh. I hope it will be a girl. But I wouldn't mind either way. If it's a girl, she'll have all us guys to keep her safe."

"That's cute. I'm hoping for a girl. I already have two boys in my life."

Andrew chuckled, "Right. I think that'd be nice if it was a baby girl."