You Can't Hurry Love

14 | Birthday

Charles blows out the candles on his cake as soon as they stopped singing to him. Alice snapped a picture on her camera and giddily smiled. She shows FP. Their son is now seven years old.

"Did you make a wish?" Fred asks.

Charles looks around and smiles when his eyes land on his parents. "I don't need to."

"Are you ready to open your birthday gift from me and your mom?" FP catches the attention of the boy.

"Yeah!"

"Great. Wait right here. I'm going to go get it." FP has to make a quick trip to the garage.

In the meantime Hermione takes over Charles's attention. "Guess what uncle Freddie and I got you."

"What?"

Fred pulls out a box they hid in one of the cabinets. "We know how much you love those Baxter Brother books." He slides it down the table. "So we found you one of the latest copies."

"What do we say?" Alice asks the boy.

Charles's jaw drops. "Thank you!" He excitedly rips open the gift wrapping to get to his gift.

Fred and Hermione fist bump. They did well.

"Look, baby." Alice gestures out the window. FP rolls into the backyard with a bike.

"I get a new bike?" Charles jumps out of his seat to run out.

FP squeezes the horn. "Do you like it, boy?"

"Yes!" Charles runs up to him. "Can I ride it?"

"Of course. It's all yours."

"Wait, there's no training wheels." Charles frowns. He doesn't know how to ride two wheels.

"We'll teach you. It's okay."

"Can you teach me now?"

"Yes, hop on. Let's go out front. It'll be easier on concrete floors."

Alice walks out with a helmet and adjusts it to his head. "Now you can go." She pecks a kiss to his cheek.

FP helps him navigate to the front of the house and holds him steady. Alice points her camera in their direction, ready to take a cute bonding picture of the two.

"Don't let go."

"I won't. Make sure to balance." FP gives him a little push to start. "Yeah, just like that."

Charles sticks the tip of his tongue out as he concentrates. He begins to pedal as he remembers on his old bike.

"See you've got it. You're a natural." FP lets go. "Keep pedaling."

"Don't let go," He doesn't realize he's doing it on his own.

"It's all you, bud. You're doing it!"

"I'm doing it?" Charles realizes he's by himself. "I'm doing it! Mommy, look! Look, can you see me? Can you see me? I'm doing it!"

"I see you, sweetheart!" She snaps a picture.

"Hit the brakes! Charles, squeeze the brakes!" FP runs after him. Charles ends up in a bush and his father is quick to his side. "Hey, you okay there?"

Charles checks his elbow. He earned himself a scrape. "You let go."

"I'm sorry. I know I said I wouldn't. You were doing so well on your own." FP helps him up. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"I did it. I'm bleeding, but did you see me? I was riding a big boy bike!"

"You were cruising for a bruising." FP chuckles. "Maybe let's not get you the kind of bike I had just yet." A motorcycle was out of the question.

"My baby," Alice checks him all over. "Are you okay? That was quite the fall."

"I'm okay. It only hurts a little."

Fred brings out the first aid kit. "How can I help the little soldier, sarge?"

"Disinfectant and a bandage," Alice answers.

"You heard her. To the infirmary he goes," FP scoops up the boy. He takes him in and sits him on a chair.

Fred cleans the wound with a disinfecting wipe and opens a bandage. "Fortunately, we won't need to amputate it. You'll make a full recovery, young man."

"Did you ever need to go to the infirmary, daddy?" Charles asks out of curiosity.

"Hmm, yes, but nothing too bad. Looks like we both made full recoveries."

"You're all set to go play with your friends out in the backyard." Fred tells Charles.

Charles nods and excuses himself out to find his friends.

"Since we're on the topic. How are you doing?" Fred hasn't checked in with FP in a while.

"Pretty good I'd say. I'm happier. I'm sleeping better. I'm still having off days, but I've been managing much better. And yes, I'm one hundred percent sober. I feel great."

"That's good to hear," Fred smiles. "I'm sorry if I had been too pushy about things. I know I kind of just tried to handle things my way."

"You're good. You gave me that little push I needed."

"You're like the brother I never had. I'll always have your back."

"You have two brothers," FP smirks.

"You know what I mean."

"Isn't Frank still in the service?" He's certain he's heard his name at one of his army events.

"Yeah, he went off sometime after he graduated. He never mentioned you were serving, too. I never would have known if it weren't for you standing outside my house months ago."

"I can't believe I've been here for months. I never would have thought I'd come back, but I'm grateful I did." He looks past Fred to land his eyes on Alice and Charles.

"What drew you back?" Fred wonders. He knows how much the bad memories top the good ones. It couldn't have been easy taking the risk to come back.

"Other than having no choice you mean? I was hoping to maybe start all over again in the town that started it all."

"Do you think you did?"

"I like to think so, yeah." Coming home to a son has changed his whole world for the better. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would have a child with the only woman he's ever fallen deep in love with. He found his happiness.

"Do you think you would be interested in being my best man?" Fred works the question that's been on his mind into the conversation.

"You want me as your best man?" FP couldn't believe it.

"I want my best friend to be in my wedding." Fred is serious on his offer. "Now that you're in our lives again I don't want to miss the opportunity to have you share that moment with us. Hermione and I would love it if you said yes. So, what do you say? Will you think about it?"

"It would be an honor to be your best man."

"Then it's official. FP Jones, you will be my best man at my wedding very, very soon."

+++

FP adjusts himself on the air mattress Fred blew back up for him. In honor of his son's birthday he thought it would be nice to spend the night.

Alice brings down a few blankets to keep him warm through the night. He sits up when he hears her coming down the stairs.

"Thought you'd like these," Alice places them on the corner of his bed.

"Thanks, it does get cold down here at night."

"I'll let you to it then...good night."

"Alice?" He stops her. She turns around. "I..." He shakes his head. "I'm glad to be here as his dad, not as FP."

"We're happy about that, too."

"Good night, Al." His heart flutters.

"Good night, Jonesy." She smiles and shows herself out before he could see her blushed cheeks.