Hi everyone! Welcome back!
This chapter is an easy going filler with Father Son stuff. Enjoy!
True-Heart Cottage
Mid-Morning
Steam came pouring out of the bathroom as Connor, wrapped in a towel, opened the door that connected to the master bedroom. He would have loved to sleep in, snuggling his wife, but his dad would be at the manor soon and they had plans to spend a few hours together.
As he towel-dried his hair, Tris poked her nose in through the crack of the door and boofed softly. Connor walked over to the door and let her in; she padded into the room and leaned against him as if telling him good morning. He grinned down at her and scratched her behind the ears.
As she groaned in pleasure, he laughed softly at her. "Give me a few minutes and then we'll go for a car ride, okay?"
At those words, Tris's floppy ears picked up and she tilted her head to the side. Connor chuckled at her, "Yeah, I said 'car ride.' But you gotta let me get dressed first, okay?"
Kira's amused voice made him turn around. "Come here, pretty girl."
As she jumped on the bed, Connor dropped the towel and began to get dressed.
"So, what are you going to do with your dad today?"
"Well, after taking this girl of ours to the groomers, we'll just have a guy day. Probably get lunch and visit the home depot, you know, manly stuff."
Kira grinned at him as he pulled on his jeans. "Well, have fun being all masculine. I'll probably just hang out with the ladies and do some online shopping for baby stuff."
Conner pulled on a red tank top and his choker. He walked over to the bed and sat at the foot of it. "Hey, I saw that you left your laptop on last night, on that baby dresser made of driftwood. Is that what you had in mind for our little orca?"
Kira nodded. "Yeah, I like how it looked and it would fit that ocean theme. Lighter color wood to brighten up the nursery."
Connor grinned at her. "Ok, just checking. While you're shopping online, you could google the local stores. If you find something you like, call me and tell me where."
Kira leaned forward and kissed his lips. "Will do, have fun with your dad!"
Connor kissed her back. "Yes, Ma'am,"
At that moment, Tris thrust her boxy head between them and licked them both.
Connor grinned at the dog and scratched her behind the ears again. "Okay, little girl. You ready to go?"
Tris woofed at him again.
Kira laughed at her again and kissed the side of her head. "Okay, pretty girl. You behave yourself for your dad, okay?"
Tris gave her mom a sloppy kiss and then hesitated to jump off the bed. "I think a ramp would be a good idea too, if you can find a sturdy one. I hate seeing her face plant whenever she tries to jump off the bed."
Connor laughed and helped her off the bed; she licked his face and then ran towards the door. "She's such a strange girl."
Kira got up and opened the door up all the way and Tris ran out and went through the doggy door boofing for joy. When she was gone, Kira turned back to Connor and kissed him properly. "Go have fun, Jock. I'll see you when you get back."
"Love you." He said and kissed her back.
Tris came barging through the door and jumped up again. Connor only shook his head and walked to the rack and picked up her leash; Tris raced past him to towards the Manor.
Does she realize we're going to the groomers?" Connor muttered.
"Probably not…but she will soon." Kira answered him as she handed him his wallet and keys. Slipping on his sunglasses, he pecked her cheek one last time and walked out the door towards the manor.
David was waiting in the kitchen when Connor arrived. Tris was already there thrashing his father's legs with her tail, but when he walked in, she whined at him and sat at his feet.
"Never keep a lady waiting." David said with a wry smile on his face.
"Yeah, but I don't think that applies when that lady has three legs and can still run faster than me to the manor." He paused and clipped the leash to her collar.
"Come on, Tris, let's get this show on the road."
It took some doing to get her into the backseat of the SUV and Connor made a mental note to get a ramp for this vehicle too.
Soon enough, they were on the road and headed to Petco.
When they walked in, she suddenly realized where she was and she almost made Connor trip over by sitting on his feet looking nervous.
Connor chuckled at her and scratched her behind her ears. "Hey, don't fight me on this. It's only a bath and you need to have it done at least once a month." Tris whined again and then slowly got off his feet.
Connor knelt to her level and scratched her behind her ears. "I promise that I'll be back before you know it and we'll buy you some treats, okay?"
That seemed to win her over and she walked with her tail down towards the grooming station.
There a young adult with rose tattoos on her arms, piercings everywhere and a bandana wrapped around her head greeted them.
"Welcome to Petco! I'm Rosie, how can I help you?"
"Hey, I'm Connor True-Heart and this is Beatrice, or Tris for short. She's got a spa appointment for today."
Rose nodded and typed the information on the computer and nodded. "Yep! I've got all her shot information and everything's in order." She paused and then looked at Tris who was leaning nervously against David's legs. "Wait, this isn't the Tris that those kids were shopping for a few weeks ago?"
"Yep, that would be Tris. We put the kids to work to build her a yard of her own and they did amazing work. She's got the fairy tale garden that all dogs dream of."
Rose grinned at him and then came around to kneel down in front Tris. "Hey you pretty girl. You ready for some serious pampering?" As she said this, she held out her hand for Tris to sniff.
The pittie looked her over and then sniffed.
"She's a first timer, outside of the shelter, she's never been to a groomer. We've only had her about a month." Connor added.
"Well, there's a first time for everything." Rosie answered as Tris finally trusted her enough to walk over to her and sniff some more.
"That's a good girl." Rosie crooned as she slipped a leash over her neck. Conner knelt down. "I'll be here when you're done."
Tris boofed at him and licked his face again. As Rosie led her to the back, Tris shot him a look that he had to fight hard not to notice. He was quiet as he waited for Rosie to get back to the front.
When she did, and noticed his face she shook her head. "Don't sweat it, all dogs give the guilt tripping look. I promise that she'll be treated like a celebrity. I noticed that she's a tripod, are there any other health issues I should be aware of?"
"Nothing that isn't already in her file. She's got a perfect bill of health from the vet."
"Alright then. We'll call you back here when she's done. I just need to confirm your cell phone number."
"So, Dad, where do you want to eat? It's my treat."
You know what? I'm kind of in the mood for some fast food. My beautiful wife doesn't like me eating out, but she's busy with River and this is my chance."
Conner grinned at his father. "You rebel."
"You betcha, son. Let's hit up that drive in. It's been a while since I had a thick juicy burger loaded with all the fixings!"
"Conner thought hard. "So, we're going to Sassy Sadie's?"
"Yep! That's the place to go!"
Sassy Sadie's was a drive-in restaurant that had only been around four years. The whole place was modestly decorated in a rustic style and it boasted the biggest smoker in Angel Grove and the food was amazing!
Once they put their orders in, David looked his son over. "Son, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."
"Yeah, what's that?"
"What exactly happened on that cruise ship, before you conceived my grandbaby. You said you spoke to that wise woman that approached you on the ship. What did she say to you?"
Connor exhaled softly and thought back. "Kira had a small freak out, we'd thought we might be pregnant and we were happy about it, but after that whole weird thing that somehow reactivated our powers, Ashley and Andros gave us both exams and we found out that there was no baby. To put it bluntly, she shut me out; it's not the first time she did that, but that's another story. Anyway, I decided to take a walk on the upper deck to give her some space. I'd been there a while when that strange lady approached me and told me that she could sense other shamans. I found out later that she and her grandson hail from an Inuit tribe in Alaska."
"That was the first time I'd ever heard the spirits. The next night, after Kira and I had done it and the baby was conceived, I dreamt of the orca. I wasn't sure what it meant until the next morning and the son handed me the totem necklace."
David nodded. "That's a shaman power. Being able to hear the spirits talking."
Conner paused. "There's something else, Dad. I can also see living spirits."
"Like how?"
"Well, it's something that didn't start happening till after the showdown at the hospital. I didn't realize what was going on because I was out of it and I attributed it to the massive headache I had. The next morning, when I woke up I saw Kira in a whole different light, literally. It's like I see her and then if I focus on her long enough, I can see her spirit and what shape it's in."
"And what did you see?"
"Some scarring. In her heart and in her mind. They're barely there but she's still happy and glowing and I could just see an additional spirit that I know is the baby. It was hard to see at first because it was eclipsed by Kira's light, but it's there."
"Well, that makes sense, because unlike what some people may believe, those unborn babies have a spirit too." David paused and then looked at his son steadily. "Now, look at me with your shaman eyes and tell me what you see."
Connor allowed the power to manifest itself and he looked at his dad in a new way. Sure, there was the usual amount of scarring and the glow was there, but there was also something extra. Over his heart was the outline of a hawk.
"You're a hawk."
David nodded. "That's my spirit guide. Your uncle calls his falcon a Ninjetti Animal Spirit. Your baby will carry the orca spirit. It's a power that's common among shamans. It's how she could identify you. At that point, your power wasn't fully awakened; after that showdown when you were out of it, and you felt that power come to life, that was when it happened for you."
"What's my spirit guide; can you see it?"
David nodded. I would have thought that you'd figured it out already. Your dino gem brought part of it out to play.
"My super speed?"
David nodded. "It's a wild horse, your spirit guide is a mustang."
Conner gave him a weird look and then smirked. "And the fact that I drive a Ford Mustang is just coincidence."
"I think that deep down you've known it all along." David paused and looked at his son. "Your brother found his guide too; it's the wolf spirit. It manifested at the Powwow when he and Kailen went to pick a husky pup to adopt. His eyes glowed blue when it awakened and the puppy that was destined to be with them howled at him."
"What does all this mean?" Conner asked.
David shrugged. "Who knows? I guess it's something you'll just have to find out as you go."
Nothing more was said as the waitress walked out to their SUV with their tray of food. Both men enjoyed their food and ate in companionable silence. As they sat back, letting their food digest, Connor's cellphone went off and he pulled it out seeing a message from Kira.
He scrolled through it in silence before smiling and typing something back. When he put his phone away, he looked at his dad who was giving him an expectant look.
Kira and I were talking about baby furniture this morning, and she found a dresser she liked that's made of driftwood. It would fit the theme she wants perfectly. She found a shop that sells that kind of thing from natural resources."
David smiled as he wiped his mouth on the napkin. "So, where to?"
The Wares of the Earth Boutique
The place was pretty much what Conner had been expecting. It was a smaller warehouse that had been converted to a nice earthy shop that was run by a couple of craftsmen enjoying their retirement. Their wives and children were involved in the shop too as was evidenced when father and son walked in and a young teenager greeted them.
"Hi, I'm Harmony, welcome to our warehouse! Is there anything specific you're looking for?"
Harmony looked to be about Autumn's age, give or a take a year or two. She had long brown hair that was pulled back in a clip and she wore distressed jeans and blue plaid shirt and work boots.
"Hi! I'm Connor and this is my father, David. We're here looking for some baby furniture. My wife texted me and said you might have some driftwood dressers in stock.
"Yep, we do. Come with me!"
She led them to the baby area where a mockup of a nursery stood with some homemade quilts hanging on the wall. "All of our furniture is made from recovered materials including trees that were already dead and wood that drifts in from the sea. No two pieces in here are alike."
Conner walked over to the dresser and knelt down, looking it over with careful attention. The piece was beautiful and had rounded corners and the drawers slid in and out smoothly. There were six drawers and a smooth top. The natural wood was the perfect shade and just looking at it, he could see it would be the perfect fit for what Kira had in mind.
Still, he pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of it and sent it to his wife. A minute passed and then she called him back.
He smiled when he saw her number and answered. "So, what do you think, Rockstar? It comes as a set with a crib and a rocking chair. Say the word and it's yours."
"I have no idea what I'm doing, but if you think it will fit with the theme, then get it. How's the quality of it?"
"I checked out the dresser, and it looks solid. Let me check the crib and the rocking chair."
He paused as she waited and inspected the crib and sat in the rocking chair. It was steady and handled his weight.
"Everything looks good and if it'll hold my weight, it'll handle yours no problem. This is handmade furniture and I think it'll look great in our little orca's room."
"Can you send me a shot of the set?"
Yeah, give me a second." He looked over at his dad and saw him already taking a picture of everything. After another minute, she spoke. "I like it. Go for it!"
Ok, it's yours." He smiled and added. "How's the online shopping going?"
"It's good, a little overwhelming. I'm not sure I'm in nesting mode, yet. I'm just looking into what we'll need."
"You do know you can shop for things you want too? It doesn't all have to be for our orca."
"Yeah, I know. I'm kind of looking into early maternity clothes too."
"You look like a goddess in anything you wear…don't hold back."
"Ok, Sweet talker. I'll let you get back to your day." He could hear the amusement in her voice and he shook his head.
"Ok, if you need anything more, let me know."
"Love you, Conner."
When he hung up, he saw the young teenager and an older adult waiting for him. David was watching him with a look of amusement on his face. "So, what's the verdict?"
"We're taking the set."
The older adult that stood next to Harmony was beaming. "I'm so happy to hear you say that. I'm Hank and I'm the one the built this set." He said as they shook hands. "I can promise it's top quality."
"I'm Conner; my wife, Kira said this is the set we want."
"Well, I'm pleased to hear that, but don't you want to at least know how much I'm selling it for?"
Conner looked at his dad and then at the older man. "Yeah, I'm prepared to pay whatever you want to charge."
The man gave him a look. "First time father?"
Conner couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Yeah. I am, but that doesn't mean that we're diving nose first into this. I have the money to pay for all this."
Hank nodded and then added. "Okay, then. Let's get you squared away."
When they had concluded business and had set up delivery for the next day, father and son walked out to the SUV and climbed in.
"You've been really quiet, Dad. Is something on your mind?"
David smiled and shook his head. "It's just a lot to take in. I missed a lot of years of the both of you growing up, hearing about you only through my brother and now that I have you both in my life, I'm watching you become a father yourself and buying baby furniture…it's just a lot to take in."
And then there's the fact that you have four kids now along with a daughter in law, grandson and another grandchild on the way…"
David smiled. "There's that too. All I can do at this point is hang on for the ride."
Conner nodded. "And what a ride it is. Don't forget that Christmas is coming up and we're taking that family vacation."
David grinned. "That's going to be great. I've already opened a credit card to Toys R Us. I've been waiting all this time to spoil some kids, we can rival Home Alone 2."
Conner laughed. "That's a lot of toys how are you planning to haul them all, rent a U-Haul truck?"
"If that's what it takes, I'm prepared to drop some change to make Christmas happen for everyone."
Conner shook his head and was about to say something else, but his phone interrupted them. It was Rosie, letting him know that Tris was ready to be picked up.
"Time to go pick up my furry granddaughter?" David asked with a grin.
"Yep, let's go get her!"
About an hour later
Kira was in the kitchen when the front door opened; when she heard the sound of three doggy paws dancing around in the foyer, she smiled. She laughed when her furry daughter came bounding up to her woofing for joy at being home again.
When Conner walked into the room looking windblown and disheveled, she stood up and wrapped her arms around him. "Hey jock, did you have fun?"
Conner pressed a kiss to her lips. "Yep. Loads of fun."
So, what are your thoughts on this? Leave a review for me!
See you next chapter!