You Can't Hurry Love

5| Dads Suck Sometimes

Fred arrives back from taking FP to his therapy appointment. They told the women they went shopping, which was partially true. FP used his recent paycheck to treat himself to some necessities right after therapy. He's slowly but surely building himself back up.

The men walk in and Fred hangs up the keys to his truck. FP kicks off his shoes and puts them in the hall closet, then hangs up his jacket on the coat rack.

"How was the mall?" Hermione asks.

"Fine. This one bought himself the same flannel in different colors."

"They were on sale!"

Hermione laughs. "Sounds to me like the teenager in you came out."

"I don't know why he's complaining. He wears the exact same thing I do." FP points out. "You should be glad you won't have to share your clothes with me anymore."

"Looking forward to it. All my shirts started to smell like your cologne."

"I'm gonna miss that smell on you." Hermione sighs.

"See, the ladies dig it."

Fred rolls his eyes and goes over to his fiancée to give her a kiss. FP takes his things to his room.

"What did we miss?"

"Nothing. Alice should be back any minute now with Charles." Hermione answers. "We treated ourselves to a little spa day."

"Sounds nice. A massage sounds great right now." Fred cuddles up next to her on the couch. He coils his arms around her. "Maybe we can work something out?"

"What do you have in mind?" Hermione smirks. "Maybe something can be arranged for tonight."

FP walks into them making out mere moments later. "Get a room!"

"Shut up," Fred pulls away, flipping him the bird.

"He's just a little jealous, mi amor. He has to get used to sharing you with me."

"In his dreams," FP flops onto the arm chair across from them. "As a matter of fact, he's lucky I steal him away from you for a couple of hours. You're exhausting, Mione."

"Is that true?" Hermione eyes Fred.

"You trying to get me in trouble, brother? No, mi vida, I could never get enough of you." Fred puckers up but Hermione shoves his face away.

"I'm just kidding. Give me a kiss, you fool." Hermione pulls him in. She giggles against his lips.

The front door flies open and a grumpy Charles enters the house.

"Hey, bud, how was school?" Fred asks.

The boy runs up to his room and slams the door shut.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asks Alice when she comes in.

"He's upset about Pickens Day coming up."

"Ah," Fred and Hermione understand.

"Why?" FP doesn't get it. "Doesn't he like the festival?"

"It's a touchy time of the year for him," Fred answers his question.

"Oh."

"Well he might not even have to go this year." Alice sets down her purse and takes a seat on the couch. "I have a shift I can't get out of this Saturday. I completely forgot about the picnic his school is hosting that day."

"Can't we just take him for you?" FP's clueless to why he doesn't really like going. Sure, when Charles gets there he has some fun, but it also makes him sad to be around all the other kids and their parents. Alice looks over at him and FP regrets putting himself in the conversation. "Sorry, I know. It's none of my business."

"No, it's not that. He just has a love hate thing for it." Alice explains.

"Why? Sorry." He sighs. "I'll just shut up."

"We usually take him, but it could go either way." Fred explains further. "There's this dumb potato sack race the kids do with their dads and well..."

"Oh," FP understands. That damn Hal.

"I do it with him, but it doesn't really seem to cheer him up." Fred fills the position for the day every year and though Charles loves the man, he wishes he was like the other kids with their dads.

"Do you mind if I talk to him?" FP surprises everyone with his question. It especially catches Alice off guard. Alice doesn't know what to say. He doesn't take her silence as a good sign. "Uh, you can totally be there with me to supervise. I know I'm still some stranger to the kiddo."

"Go ahead."

"Really?" FP is now the one shocked.

Alice shrugs. "Maybe he'll talk to you."

"I'll try my best," FP assures her. He gets up and makes his way to the stairs with a mission.

"You're sure about this?" Hermione questions Alice when FP is gone.

"He's what Charles wants, isn't he?"

FP knocks on Charles's door. His heart breaks when he hears him crying. "Charles, it's FP, can I come in?"

The little footsteps inside shuffle over to the door. He pokes his head out to see the man.

"Hey, buddy, I hear you're a little sad about Pickens Day."

"My mommy can't come with me."

"I know she can't go, but she really does want to. You know that, right?"

He gives him a little nod.

"You still have your uncle Freddie and aunt Mione to come with you. Even me." FP crouches down to his level. He wipes away his tears. "You can still have fun. Your mommy wants you to have fun."

"But all the other kids have their daddies there to play with," He croaks out.

FP pulls him into a hug and rubs circles on his back to comfort him, "You don't need a daddy to have fun. Believe me. I never went with mine. I went with my mom."

"Really?" He sniffles and pulls back to look at him.

"Yeah," FP smiles back at the memory. "She rode on the rides with me. We ate lots and lots of popcorn and cotton candy. We did everything there together. We didn't need my dad."

"How come your dad didn't go? You have one," He frowns. "I don't."

"Your dad may not be here for you, but believe me. He's the one missing out. You get to do all the fun stuff without him. You don't need him."

"But I want a dad like the other kids."

"I don't want mine."

"Can I have him if you don't want him?"

"You won't want him," He shakes his head. "He was very, very mean. I wish I had a nice dad."

"Why was he mean? Didn't he like you?"

"Not really."

"Why not? You're nice."

"I don't know either, boy. Dads suck sometimes."

"My mommy doesn't talk about my dad. She says it makes her sad."

"But she has you there to make her happy again. I bet you're the best son she could ever ask for."

"She's says I'm her favorite person."

"I bet you are," He chuckles. "So what do you say? Do you want to go to the festival with us? I promise it will be fun."

"Okay!" He grows excited. "Can we get our face painted like a tiger?"

"Anything you want."

"It's going to be awesome!"

Charles leaps into his arms. He hugs him tightly.

Alice listens from around the corner. She debated joining in, but hearing how FP handled it made her stop. She rubs her eyes and leaves them alone instead.