Kind Hearted (Patrick Kane)

35- Past, Present and Future

Victoria

The first order of business after I told the landlord that I wasn't renewing the lease was to get my dad into his new place. We were going to have him go between the old apartment and the new apartment he has that's across the street from Patrick's so he can get used to living on his own but still have me around if he needed me. I know he doesn't need me half as much as he thinks he does, but for my whole life my dad has been by my side. He wants to do things for his own but he still wants to be a part of my life too. And I promise that no matter what happens he will.

Luckily getting him to move wasn't too hard. Growing up poor you never have a lot of things to take with you when this happens. Of course he's going to need his bed and the couch at the new place which leaves me stuck at Patrick's place for a while. But it really wasn't that hard to start getting my dads things from one place to another.

And along with a few of his things, I promised to send him away with a little buddy too. It was a part of the deal. So Patrick and I take him to a local dog pound. It broke his heart to see all the dogs who just want to be loved and he wasn't allowed to take them all and give them the love they deserved. Explaining to him that the new apartment complex allows one animal is a real job.

"How do I choose" he asks as he looks around. He looked like a little kid at the store trying to choose one piece of candy.

"Find the cute one that reminds you of me" I tease.

"There's nothing around here that's like you, I can promise you that" he smiles and I start to blush. How lucky am I to have such a great father?

I let him go off on his own to find his soul mate and I find Patrick who was surrounded by dogs. I laugh as one tries to kiss his cheek and he tries to push the little dog off.

"I hope that dog is a boy" I joke and he laughs.

"Don't worry. She's not my type" he says picking himself up off the floor. "So did you guys find a dog yet" he asks and I shake my head.

"My Dad always tells me that no matter how hard I try I can't help everyone. And unfortunately those rules apply here too" I say.

I watch as my dad stands in a pile of dogs looking around just trying to figure out where to start with all of them.

"What do you think is going through his head right now" Patrick wonders.

"Everything" I admit and he laughs.

"That's not a bad thing" he insists.

"Well, not all the time" I admit.

"What do you mean" he wonders.

"I mean that we spend so much time planning for the future. He can't figure out if he wants a puppy because he's going to have to train it. But he's also thinking he doesn't want a older dog because the chances are that it got taken here because something is wrong with it.

We spend so much time thinking about what can happen, what can't happen. Thinking about all these things we don't have control over and it's honestly one huge waste of time. Regardless of what my dad chooses he's going to love the hell out of that dog.

Then you start thinking about your past. Maybe something that impacted your life or maybe not. Maybe it's a good memory you wish was still with you or a bad one that haunts you. But when you just went from past to future, we always forget about the present. We forget that we are living right now, not in the past or in the future. The moment you're in was once the future and will soon become the past. But the present never seems enough for people. We spend so much time thinking about the other two that it won't matter what we're doing right now. But I think it should matter" I explain.

"I like the now. Right now I have you and that seems like more than enough. I don't know what the future holds, and I don't want to look back right now. I want to look at you and then remember that it doesn't get better than this. I don't need to worry about my future because you're in it and I know it's in good hands. And my past is no longer haunting me for I don't look back there anymore. That's not where I'm going.

You. You are my best past, present and future. And I love you so very much" he claims.

"And they say I'm the sweet talker" I tease and he laughs.

"I have the best teacher. I've loved learning from you these past months. I've loved learning about myself and others. And the best part is, there's still more to learn" he smiles.

"Would you look at that, you do listen" I tease.

"Maybe I'm sweet talking you because I want a dog" he claims.

"And who's going to take care of the dog when we're both gone for a long time" I ask.

"Another dog" he says with a cheesy smile and I laugh.

"Not going to happen" I insist.

"Well they say that a dog is the best way to get ready for a kid. What if we have a kid soemday" he wonders.

"Do you want kids" I wonder.

"I do if I have them with you" he claims and I smile.

"How many kids do you want" I ask and he thinks about it for a second.

"Three" he answers. "How about you?"

"Who said I wanted kids" I tease.

"The fact that every time you see a kid you have to gush over them. Or the fact that Gracie has to fight you to get her kids back. Or the fact-"

"I get it! Okay" I ask and he smiles. "And the answer is as many as I can handle. Kids are great. To give someone a opportunity to change the world, that's amazing. And I want to make sure that my kid understands how powerful they can be. How they can spread kindness with just a simple smile" I sigh.

"I think George is a good name for a boy and Mariah for a girl" he jokes and I playfully shove him. "I'm kidding" he assures me as I shake my head.

Finally my dad picks out a cute little Australian Sheppard dog who was obsessed with him. So we buy him and take my dad and his new best friend to the dog store to get him some things.

"What are you gonna name him" I wonder.

"Hmmmm. I think he looks like a Ralph" he claims.

"Like uncle Ralph? You can't name him after uncle Ralph" I insist.

"Oh, you're right" he admits.

"What about Timothy. Or Timmy" Patrick asks and my dad smiles.

"That's good. I don't know a Timothy" he claims and I roll my eyes. Good thing too, because all of my dads friends and relatives are super weird.

After we get them all set up we take them over to my dads new apartment. The only thing in there was the furniture, but to a puppy that doesn't matter. So I watch them run off and smile as big as ever as they start their forever together.