Flashback:
"Uncle Dean is going to feed you some really good ice cream." Dean scooped a small amount of ice cream onto a spoon and fed it to Adelina.
The baby smacked her little lips together as she enjoyed the sweet treat that was fed to her and opened her mouth for more. Dean looked behind his shoulder to see everyone still making their plates of food and snuck the baby another scoop of ice cream.
"There we go," Dean said. "Okay, I need to wipe the evidence from your mouth."
Adelina giggled as her uncle wiped her face clean with a wipe and also wiped her hands as they had been a bit dirty as well. Dean had handed her over to Pam once she sat the picnic table he had already been sitting at and went to make his plate of food. When he came back, he saw Adelina eyeing her mother's food with her big brown eyes that wouldn't stop staring at the baked beans on her mother's plate.
"I fault you for getting her hooked on food so early," Pam said.
Dean shrugged as he took a bite of his cheeseburger.
"Sorry," he said with a sly smile.
"Everyone is still asleep," Moe said to Dean. "You want to start on breakfast?"
"Sure thing. But I need to relieve myself real quick." Dean rolled out of the bed and went to the bathroom.
Moe had pushed the bed back into the couch and placed the pillows neatly on the couch then headed to the kitchen to start making eggs. Dean joined him soon after and began to make both pancakes and waffles to go along with the eggs and bacon that Moe had started cooking.
"Are you nervous or excited about little Moe, Jr. on the way?" Dean asked.
"Both. Being a father has really taught me a lot. Taught me patience, taught me how to make the best dad jokes, and it's taught me to appreciate my family more. I enjoy spending time with Pam and Adelina."
"Fatherhood taught me to think of others and not just myself. When I was single, it was just me. But when I had met Renee and when we had Destinee, that all changed. I'm raising wonderful children that brighten up my world and so are you." Dean poured the pancake batter into the hot skillet on the stove then poured the waffle batter into the waffle maker and closed the lid.
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm a good father…then I realize that no one is perfect. I just have to be the best father I can be. I know we sometimes feel like failures, but in reality, we aren't. We just have to remember to be there for our children, wives, and other family members when they need our love and support and everything will be fine."
"That is true indeed."
Their washing machine had stopped working so Dean and Renee found themselves at the laundry mat washing clothes on a hot summer afternoon. Renee had been sitting down at a small bench with a small table as she watched Dean put their dry clothes into the dryer and offered him some Cheetos when he sat down next to her.
"Thanks," he said. "How are you feeling?"
Renee gulped down half of her water bottle before eating more Cheetos and finally responded to him.
"Fine. Just starving."
"I know. I see someone is still mad."
D.J. was sitting in his stroller with an angry look at on his face as he was not please about being at the laundry mat but Renee and Dean had made sure he was near the fans and air conditioning so he wouldn't sweat. But he was still agitated as he began to cry out loud which prompted Dean get right back up, take D.J. out of his stroller, and rock him back and forth in his arms to calm him down. To Dean's surprise, D.J. did become calm as he stuck his tiny hand in his mouth and began to chew on it while looking up at Dean with his big brown eyes.
"Spoiled little man, you are!" Dean said and chuckled to himself. He kissed the top of D.J.'s head but kept rocking him back and forth in his arms. "Back and forth you go."
Renee smiled as she watched Dean cradle D.J. in his arms to keep the baby from crying out loud.
Present:
When it was D.J.'s turn to see the therapist, he insisted that his parents remained by his side and felt reassured when Renee told him that her and Dean weren't going anywhere and Dean himself knew he had to be there for his son.
Dean sat in the chair in front of the therapist's desk as he listened to Renee do all of the talking as she had explained how D.J. had stuttered whenever he spoke and that he wanted to seek help for it. D.J. then explained how he he'd be happy to finally stop stuttering and be able to speak with no problem. When the therapist has asked Dean a question, he wasn't aware that he was being spoken to until Renee placed a her hand on Dean's while leaning forward towards him to get his attention.
"Dean? Miss Drummond is asking you a question," Renee said.
"Oh?" Dean looked up at the therapist and straightened up in his chair. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. When would you like for the sessions to start today or tomorrow, Mr. Ambrose?"
"It's up to D.J. Do you want to start them today?" Dean had looked at his son who was looking back at him with a smile on his face.
"Yes. A-and I w-want y-you and Mommy here," D.J. said. "D-don't l-leave me."
"I won't." Dean playfully rubbed the top of D.J.'s head and gave him a small smile. "I'll be right here."
Renee couldn't help but smile to herself when she heard Dean say that as part of her thought he was going to run out again but if he did decide to do that, she would simply reel him back in.
The first session had been successful as D.J. felt comfortable with the therapist who was patient with him and even gave him a lollipop for doing such a great job. Dean had finally relaxed as he noticed he was still a bit tense from worrying too much about D.J. and needed to remind himself that he wasn't a bad father because he didn't take D.J. to see a speech therapist sooner to help him with his stuttering.
Dean and Renee took D.J. to the park so he could burn off some of the energy that he had in him while his parents sat down at one of the benches near the playground area he was in.
"Stay near us!" Dean called out to D.J. When he received a thumbs up from D.J. who then slid down a slide, he put an arm around Renee who cuddled up next to him. "If that were Daisy, she would've given me the finger."
"Hmm! She probably has given us the finger before while sitting in the backseat of the car, yet we didn't know she did so."
"I dunno. Maybe she has…"
"Are you seriously wondering if she's ever given us the finger in the backseat before?"
Dean slowly nodded his head as he was in deep thought because he was now picturing Daisy's little middle finger going up in the air towards him specifically.
"It could've happened…anyways, I'm glad D.J.'s therapy session went well."
"I am, too. I'm very glad that you stayed and didn't leave."
"I couldn't leave D.J. I could never leave my own children behind in any situation."
"Just remember that you're a great father and you're not a failure in any way because you're not. D.J. loves you for always being there for him and don't you forget it."
"Thank you." Dean gave Renee a kiss on her cheek and squeezed her tightly as he smiled big.
Renee smiled as well but her smile went away when she thought of a question that she sort of didn't want to know the answer to but at the same time she wanted to. And needed to.
"Dean, are you smoking again?"
"No…sort of."
"Sort of?"
"I've had that pack for a while…today, I had my second cigarette. Last weekend, I smoked one."
"So, you've been smoking a cigarette to calm your nerves?"
"You can say that."
Renee took a deep breath as she looked up at the bright blue sky that had the equally bright sun beaming down on the earth and admired the trees and mountains that weren't too far from the park. Dean glanced at her when she didn't say anything else because he honestly believed that she was now mad at him because he had picked up cigarettes again but her facial expression was confusing him as she didn't look mad.
"I know you're expecting me to be mad at you but I'm not. Getting mad at you isn't going to make the situation or any situation better, Dean. Remember, we need to learn how to talk to each other and not yell, argue, or fuss with each other because that is how we should communicate. We're going to have our bad days and yeah, we're going to yell at each other in the future over something because that's life but yelling, arguing, and fussing isn't going to solve anything. I'm not mad about the cigarettes."
Dean took a deep breath and nodded in his head in agreement.
"I understand. But I want you to do something for me when we get home."
"Which is?"
"I wanted you to watch me dump these things in the trash where they belong." Dean tossed the cigarettes into the trash bin on the side of the house and closed it. "I need to stay away from those things."
"Yes, yes you do."
"Kick my ass if I touch another cigarette."
"Oh, I will."
They had went into the backyard to tell the kids to come inside and get ready for bed as they had been outside playing a game of softball and Destinee and D.J. came back in without a problem but Little Miss Daisy refused to come back in.
"Daisy, come back in here now," Dean said as he walked into the backyard.
Daisy pouted then stuck up her right index finger at Dean which stopped him in his tracks as he stood in front of her with his mouth slightly open as she didn't have her middle finger up but the index finger was close.
"No!" she said.
"You better put that darn finger down, missy. Or Mr. Cow goes bye bye!"
Daisy gasped as she ran towards the house to rescue her beloved stuffed cow that she didn't want anyone touching.
Dean walked back into the house, locked the backdoor, and looked at Renee who had finished cleaning up the kitchen. He put his hands on his hips as he shook his head at her and burst out in laughter as Daisy sticking her index finger up was quite funny.
"It was close to the middle finger. I saw the entire thing," Renee said.
"I know. Her expression and everything was funny. Well, it's time to bring out the Whip Cream and some ice cream."
"You just ate desert!"
"A man's gotta eat."
"You better wash your damn bowl and put the cream back into the fridge or you're sleeping on the roof tonight!"
"Your wish is my command, my lovely lady Renee."
Dean smacked Renee's ass then proceeded to make himself a nice homemade ice cream sundae.
