daddy ☞ n.m.

t h r e e

nathan montgomery maloley

"thank you so much, sir. i promise i won't let you down." i say as i shake the hand of the man who just gave me a job working at his restaurant.

"i know you won't, maloley. you start tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. sharp. here is the key to your locker, number 11. i will have your uniform, apron, and name-tag waiting for you in your locker for your first day tomorrow. i expect great things from you maloley. great things." he says as he hands me my locker key.

i smile, thank him again, and exit his office.

"so, how'd it go?" julia asks, her smile gleaming.

"i start tomorrow." i say smiling.

"yay! me too!" she says excitedly.

we walk over to a coffee shop and have some quick coffee and breakfast before driving back to my parents' house.

-

"thank you again, julia. you really helped me. even if it is a little start working as a waiter, it's still closer to my kids and i getting a better life." i say while i walk her to her grandmother's front door.

"no worries. i'm glad to help." she says before giving me a hug and saying "see you tomorrow, coworker." and then walking into the house.

i walk back over to my parents' house and unlock the front door.

"how'd it go, son?" my dad asks as i walk in and see him doing some paperwork on the coffee table.

"i got the job and i start tomorrow." i say.

"oh sweetie. i'm so happy for you." my mom says as she walks in the room.

she runs over and gives me a hug.

"congrats. let's hope it impacts your future soon." my dad says, licking his finger and flipping the page in the packet of paperwork.

"i just put the kids down for their nap. do you want me to make you some tea?" my mom asks.

"thank you and i think i'm good for now. i might head over to sam's house in a minute. he texted me saying that everyone was hanging out over there right now." i say, not really feeling too hungry.

"okay, be safe please." my mom says before heading over to the couch and turning the tv on.

"bye. love you guys." i say as i head out of the front door.

i hop into my car and start driving over to sammy's house.

-

"okay okay. i'm gonna say it cause i know we're all thinking it. what's going on with you and that julia girl?" sammy asks me, raising an eyebrow.

"nothing. she's just helping me get my life back together. we're friends." i say before tilting my head back and taking another swig of beer.

"mhm. i'll believe that on the day that hell freezes over." swazz says, not taking his eyes off of the tv screen as he plays nba 2k17.

"it's true. nothing's going on between us." i say, shrugging my shoulders and then leaning back into the couch.

"so, what you're saying is, you wouldn't mind if i went over to her house sometime this week and fucked her? hard." swazz said stressing the word "hard."

"dude, if you fucking touch her, i will twist your dick off. none of you are allowed to go near her, i know how you guys act with good girls. i'm not letting you fuck up this girl's life." i say, threatening all of the guys.

"aw, look who's being protective and territorial over his 'friend.'" sammy says, teasing me.

"oh fuck off." i say irritatedly before finishing the rest of my beer.

"how are the kids doing?" madison asks as she stands up from beside gilinsky's side on the couch.

"they're good, i guess. they don't really know what's happening right now. i want to be strong in front of them but the things they ask me sometimes, it just... i don't-i don't know how to describe it. it makes me feel weak, like i'm vulnerable and susceptible to every terrible thing in the world. they ask the most innocent questions, and i get it, they're scared. they don't know what's happening. i'd be worried too. that's why i feel like i have to be strong in front of them, because if they see me crying or scared or worried they'll become even more scared." i say, almost crying at the thought of my kids being scared of the 'great unknown'.

"damn. well just know we're here for you, dude. you're like a brother to us, and we'd take a bullet for you and both of those kids if we had to. we're at your every beck and call. you need us, we'll be there." gilinsky says to me and everyone else agrees simultaneously.

"thank you guys. i'd do the same for all of you. i don't know what i'd do without you guys." i say honestly, before i take a hit of the blunt johnson passes to me.

sammy pats my back in a friendly way as he stands up from the couch to go get some chips.

-

"okay, two words. first word: 'L'!" my mom screams as we play charades, trying to guess what celebrity my dad is doing as he makes the shape of the letter L with his fingers.

he make an N with his fingers and my mom finally guesses that it's ellen degeneres.

"hey i think i'm going to head to bed. you guys play without me." i say to my parents, kaylan, and stew.

they say goodnight and i head up the stairs into the guest bedroom.

i set my alarm for 7:00 so i can get ready for work at an appropriate time and slip under the covers.

'i hope tomorrow goes well...' i say in my head before dozing off.
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i hope you guys enjoyed!!! i know it's a little shorter than the other chapters but i'm kinda having some writer's block so i'm really sorry about it being a short chapter.

love you all!

-frankie 💖