Tolerance || Daddy's Home

Christman Tree

The next best thing about Christmas has to be decorating the tree. I would say we were all enjoying this, but with a $20,000 tree, I think it's hard for Dusty and dad to say the same.

Man, I remember the first time decorating a tree. It was a little one gifted by a stranger to the orphanage. It wasn't as special but very kind.

   "All right. Somebody want to plug her in?" Dusty said from the top of the ladder with the star on hand.

   "Yeah, I got it." Dad bent down to grab the cable only for the tree to light up momentarily.

So cool.

Once he had plugged it in, the tree illuminated the room with colored lights. I loved this part, the tree always turned out to be so beautiful. It really gets one in the Christmas feel.

We all stared in awe as the finally piece, the star, was put in place. We gathered around taking it all in.

   "What do you think?" Dusty smiled down at us slowly making his way back down.

   "It's so pretty." Megan muttered.

Mr. Mayron took a glance at her. "Well, it ought to be at 1,200 bucks a foot."

   "Dad, we're lighting the tree!" Dad called for pop-pop. Oh, shit! I knew there was something missing.

   "Dad! Pop-pop is still outside." I informed. Everyone had turned to look at me. Some with worry and others with amusement. That 'other' only being Mr. Mayron.

   "What?!" Dad exclaimed taking me in by my upper arm. He stared in shock. From the look in his eyes, I can just tell he was coming up with the most dangerous and bizarre scenarios.

   "Yeah, I thought it was a little quiet around here." Mr. Mayron remarked.

   "Come on. We'll go back." Dusty grabbed his jacket as Dad, and I followed behind him.

———

So there we were, outside in the dark cold night looking for pop-pop. I was the one leading them since I was the last to see his general direction. But the thing that has me questioning all this is, what is he doing?

It's been hours since we came back, so what was he doing during all that time?

   "Dad! Dad? Dad!" My dad shouted expecting a reply back. We'd been at this for nearing twenty minutes and nothing. Perhaps, we were still out of range or pop-pop was in some kind of trouble.

Much to my surprise, he finally answered back. Just off in the distance his muffled voice rang.

   "Dad! Where are you?" Dad asked pointing the flashlight every which way. I had walked past him listening to him answer dad again.

   "This way."

I ran hearing dad coming close behind. It wasn't long until we'd reached him. He was laying on his stomach with his face implanted into the snow. He had what appeared to be gray wolves in his back. I've learned from that one summer camp dad enlisted me in, to never make eye contact them. But, of course, dad made direct contact with the 'leader' of the pack.

   "I already did! Right in the eyes." Dad whined after pop-pop had instructed not to look into their eyes.

   "Don't show any fear."

The wolf dad had made eye contact with kept staring back at us. It is so tempting to go and pet them but then again they can tear our limbs apart.

   "I don't want to watch the wolves eat you!" Dad cried. He held my forearm backing me away. I stood behind him as he continued to whine.

   "Dad, he isn't going to die. Calm down." I whispered to him. He nodded getting a sob out alarming the wolves.

   "Breath deeply and pull yourself together."

Dad apologized shrinking back into me. I held my hands out for him to take which he did. I don't blame his reaction. If he were in the same spot I would be freaking out too.

   "Hut!" The loud shout form Dusty had not only startled the wolves but me as well. He just came out of nowhere, in the dark scary woods.

"Hut! Hurt!" Dad mimicked confusingly. "Did you say 'hut' or 'hurt?'"

We helped pop-pop up from the snow. His face was beat red with small pieces of ice stuck to him.

"Dad, what happened?"

"Oh, you know, I saw the nicest tree a ways off and I got a little off course."

"A little?" I asked getting a shove from Dusty. I shrugged untying my scarf to wrap around pop-pop.

"I tried to call, but all of a sudden my signal dropped!"

Dusty and I glanced at dad as pop-pop mentioned that. He bashfully looked away keeping his hands on him as we walked back.

"I tried to find my way back but at some point I lost consciousness. That's about when the wolves must have come across me."

Pop-pop looked down finally noticing them holding him up. "I'm all right, fellas. You don't have to go to any trouble. It's all good." Just as he said that he came tumbling down, face planting onto the snow.

Oh, boy. This is gonna be a long way back.

———

I correctly predicted the way back to be long. It's been nearly thirty minutes since coming. Sara and I have been bringing things to get him to warm up. Mr. Mayron was nice enough to help take his shoes off as dad came to pop-pop's comfort. And Dusty was also here looking over them.

"I'm sorry for all the hugs. I kind of don't want to let go." Dad confessed laying his head onto his dad. Dusty would occasionally glance my way turning every time we made eye contact.

And every time we did, it got me thinking. He's mentioned in the past that I could call him dad. It is nice to have someone else to call dad, don't get me wrong, I lo— like Dusty. He's become a great parent. It's just... there is still this feeling that he might still be trying to one-up dad and I don't want to get in the middle of it.

"I thought I'd lost you out there to those nasty wolves. Do you have any ideas how much I love you?" Dad told pop-pop lifting his head to face the man. This time I was the one to look over to Dusty to see him glance at his father.

"Well, of course I do. You tweet about it everyday. You know how much I love you too, don't you?"

Yep, that one is on me. It was my fault for showing dad social media platforms. It's sweet but too much at time. Especially when your own fathers posts embarrassing childhood photos. Thank goodness, dad's account is private.

"Your answer is right in here." Dad said pointing to his eye. Pop-pop gasped confirming he can 'see' it.

Mr. Mayron scoffed continuing to unlace pop-pop's boots.

"Okay, now that everyone is accounted for. Can we please talk about who is paying for that monstrosity?" Sara quipped bringing another blanket for pop-pop.

"Well, you know, it was Dusty's idea to cut down the tree."

And he were go with the bickering. At first, with this whole co-dad thing, it wasn't noticeable. As the years progressed I finally saw how much those two were harboring.

And of course this brought amusement to Mr. Mayron.

"Hey!" Pop-pop shouted catching everyone's attention. "It's a beautiful tree! It's beautiful, all right?"

I ran a hand through my hair as I got up from the couch. I gave a small wave to the guys not wanting to hear any more of their fights. Not until morning at least.