Growing Season (MxM) Complete

Ch. 4 The Search

CH 4.

"Sorry, but I really can't help you." A middle aged man said. The first door slammed in Gareth's face as soon as the man caught sight of the minivan jammed packed and the faces peering out the windows. Gone was a possible one bedroom basement apartment in a semi-detached home.

"No kids," a matronly woman in a loudly flowered housedress said firmly at the next location. Gareth was disappointed, her house had two rooms available and was within walking distance to the kids' school.

"But...." Gareth said weakly, hoping he could gain her empathy.

The woman's face turned cold. "No. Kids." And she solidly shut the door, throwing the chain on for good measure, like Gareth and the children would force their way in--break the lock and hold her hostage for her rooms.

Gareth was getting desperate.

The next option was sharing an apartment in a crumbling building not known for it's wholesome family atmosphere. Gareth left the kids in the van under strict instructions to stay put and keep the doors locked, and took a quick look back before he went in through the cloudy front doors, streaked with moisture and grime. The lobby had a pervasive odour of urine emanating from....maybe the carpeting in the hall or the suspicious puddle in the corner? Possibly both. Gareth carefully passed by the person 'napping' in the stairwell until he got to the scratched door on the third floor.

"The room's available and furnished?" Gareth asked hesitantly of the greasy-haired lanky figure at the door.

"Sure, man...I just have to get my snake out of there." 

Gareth could see a large bong on the coffee table scarred with burn marks in front of an orange and brown plaid sofa and a few posters of scantily clad women draped across various vehicles on the wall over the person's head. He appeared to be twenty-something and very definitely on something. Hopefully just pot. And then there was the smell...

Maybe not that desperate.

"Ummm, maybe I'll just get back to you," Gareth said, backing down the hall. 

"Okay, man, whatever." 

He almost ran to the front entrance, narrowly avoiding a female setting up shop for the night. At least she was employed, he supposed. The apartment available to share was super sketchy as was the whole building. But if there were no other options after a few more stops, this might have to do. He really hoped not.

"Daddy, I really need to pee," Franny said quietly. Her legs were crossed and she was bouncing a little in her seat. Gareth had five minutes, tops, to find her a bathroom before things got dire.

The kids were being troupers given the circumstances. Losing their mother and their home in one day was really terrible, especially given what Leeann had said when he was there. He was sure she'd uttered terrible things when he wasn't. And Gareth still hadn't tried to get the full story from them yet. He didn't even know how the coffee table had been broken, although he was sure the kids weren't responsible. Either way, a broken piece of furniture wasn't worth telling the children she wished they didn't exist. In any circumstance that was just plain wrong.

"Okay, honey. I need to check a few more ads, anyway." He gave her a reassuring smile. Far more reassured than he actually felt.

Gareth drove for a few minutes down the ever darkening streets, lights flickering in front of the windshield before he eased the van into a parking spot at a coffee shop with free wifi.

Giving Daisy five dollars, the kids all went in to use the bathroom and get a little treat. He checked the ads on his laptop while making calls with his phone. His jaw was aching from clenching and his cheek was sore when the phone pressed against it, but housing was by far the more pressing issue. Hopefully something would turn up before the battery on his laptop packed it in. As it was, it was down to fifteen percent, but there were a few places he still hadn't checked out yet, and a new ad was just posted, too.