I Wanna Be Yours

"Chapter 11"

David Langston Shepherd is an exhausting little boy.

As much as Carolyn loves him, sometimes she wonders how her son can cope having him around and juggling his internship as well. Now that David is a little more settled in school, it's easier to relax in the mornings and actually take care of her own stuff, but whenever he's with her for a full day, he drains all her energy.

She did not look forward to knowing that Derek would have to take his forty-eight-hour shift on a weekend. Keeping David entertained for two full days is probably one of the biggest challenges she ever had to face as a grandmother. She's only glad it's already Sunday.

And yet, no matter what, she always has a blast with him.

David is an old soul. He's loud and talkative and can come off as bratty sometimes, but he has a huge heart. He loves wholly, without reservations, and if you're in his graces, you will forever feel that love, even if he doesn't willingly touch you or he grimaces at the way you prepare your food. Everything that makes him David, she hates and loves all the same.

"Nana, is Daddy back, yet?" he asks for the umpteenth time, appearing in the kitchen while she's checking the pantry and the fridge for groceries, to make a list for a shopping run the next morning.

"No, not yet. I told you he'll be back tonight. You can spend all day with him tomorrow."

"But I gotta go to school," he protests, slumping in a chair.

"He'll have all the time for your after. He'll go with you to see Benny, you will play together, and then you'll have all kinds of fun."

David doesn't look fully convinced.

"Are you ready for church?" she asks, hoping that changing the subject might help.

David stands up and twirls a little, so that she can see he has decent clothes on. Usually, Carolyn doesn't take him to Mass, knowing that it can become uncomfortable for him, but she has no other choice today. If it's not a horrible day for him, he usually manages church just fine, so Carolyn is keeping her fingers crossed that today will be a good day.

She takes a deep breath and smiles, then decides that they have to eat out today, since they barely have the bare necessities to scrape by a meal. A grocery run after church might be asking too much out of David. That, and maybe they can stop by the hospital and have lunch with Derek, for David's sake. If they survive church unscathed, she will consider bringing her son takeout; she's sure Derek will appreciate it.

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David sails through church just fine. He fidgets and looks curiously at all the pamphlets and papers on the pews, but he also sings along to some hymns he has now learned and looks glad to be there.

There's nothing Carolyn could want more.

They walk home talking about mundane topics, David looking happy to be walking in the sun on this fall day.

When she announces that they're going to grab food for his dad and eat all together, David squeals with joy and practically runs home, barreling into the garage right away.

David keeps bouncing in the car too, grinning and smiling and being his usual energetic self, though this time it brings a smile to Carolyn's face.

They stop at an Italian place and grab a couple of containers of pasta, vegetables and seconds, then they also pick up some tiramisù to make it a proper Sunday meal. All in all, they could feed a small army, as usual, but Carolyn is thinking ahead: she knows that if Mark is there and not in surgery, he and Addison will definitely join them for lunch, and so will whoever was supposed to eat with them. Carolyn knows to come prepared. Better having leftovers to heat up rather than not having enough food for all of them.