Shawn's Pov

After twenty or so minutes of slaving away in the kitchen, me and my dad had finally finished with what we thought was the perfect "breakfast in bed" scrambled eggs w cheese, bacon, sausage and biscuits. It took our combined effort to not burn the house down. We made a silent agreement that mom wouldn't find out...

"Okay, that should do it, I'll take this upstairs and surprise her" my father says while looking at me.

"Hey um, don't ya think mom will be mad at me for going shopping with you today? I mean, I am on punishment" I said with downcast tone.

"If she's gonna be mad at anyone it'll have to be me, I'm already in the dog house, but it's her birthday, I'm sure she'll lighten up a bit" I nod, knowing my Dad has always had a way with words, "dads are smart like that"

I run to my room and grab some clothes to throw on for the day, I settle on a blue button up and my beige cargo shorts. I like this outfit, my dad calls me "mini-me" whenever I have it on.

After I'm done getting dressed, I decide to read a bit more, I look up at the clock and it's already ten minutes until eleven. I set the book down and leave my room.

Peaking upstairs I hear the faint sounds of my parents arguing, it sucks that even on a day like today they refuse to get along.

"I'm sorry lee, I just need sometime alone today alright? Just try and spend the day with our son" I hear my mothers words clear as day.

The door to my parents room clicks open and I scurry back into my room. I hear footsteps approaching my room and I immediately grab my book again and pretend to be reading. *knock *knock, my dad knocks on my doorframe and ask

"hey buddy, you ready to head out?" I turn to him and nod "yeah, dad I'm ready!" I say with enthusiasm, though on the inside I can't help but feel this pit in the bottom of my stomach.

Today was supposed to just be me and my dad hanging out and having fun while pickin gifts for mom...

So then why does today feel so wrong?

I'm currently sat in the back seat of my dad's car, looking out at the rain as it starts to lightly tap the window. I've always hated rainy days, whether it was a bad day at school or my parents arguing, nothing good ever came of it.

My parents moved to Atlanta shortly after I was born

My father was from Macon, it's okay there I guess. We only ever went there to visit my grandparents and occasionally my uncle Brandon, he works at a pharmacy there. He's the only other person I know that's as cool as my dad. We don't hear much from my mothers side though, her dad didn't like my dad, for some reason. Whenever I brought it up she would tell me something about grandpa being "set in his ways".

My mother came to America on a scholarship when she was seventeen, and studied culinary arts for years. My mom was always on the move, never settling in one place for too long. I try talking to her more about her life but she never really opens up about it. "She so distant..."

My thoughts are interrupted as my father speaks "alright we're here, stay close and don't wander off too far ya hear?" I nod and Give mock salute "yes sir!" We laugh as we head into the mall, before we left the car though I grabbed my disco broccoli wind up car "dad, it's lunchtime ain't it? Can we grab something from the food court?"

"I guess we could grab something to eat right quick, what are you feelin?" I purse my lips for a second to think "Chinese!" I look up at him and he has a mischievous grin on his fa- "oh, no"

"Please dad, don't make a "blackenese" joke" I love a crude joke here and there but my dad is the king of dad jokes.

"Okay, okay, I won't" he puts his hands up in a jokingly defensive manner, I sigh in relief. We take a twenty minute lunch break, the Lenox mall was packed so it took some time for our food, we make small talk here and there about school, and a couple questions about work as a teacher.

Sometimes it feels like my dad is the only person in the world I can talk to, and I'm really thankful for that.

After finishing my food, I slap both my hands on the table and ask father "ok, so what's next!?"

"I was thinking we head to the jeweler, see if we can't get your mother a pretty necklace" my father replied.

We take the elevator to the second floor and make our way to the jewelry store. I soon as I walk in my eyes go wide at all the shiny and no doubt expensive looking jewelry "Holy sh- dad glares at me "holy cow!" I corrected.

"Now just be sure no to touch anything, we aren't tryna get thrown out of the mall" my father warned.

I walk over to one of the display cases housing the necklaces, my dad following right behind me.

A woman notices me ogling over the necklaces and speaks

"is there anything I can help you with young man?

I was to busy scanning over each one to acknowledge her question so my father speaks for me.

"Today's my wife's birthday, we're just looking for something she might like" my father replies, The clerk nods in understanding.

"I can run a couple suggestions by you, if you'd like!" The clerk as my dad. "So what is she like...?"

They start talking with one another as I spotted it, the perfect necklace! "Dad over here! This one right here!" He looks over at me and his eyes start wander toward the necklace I'm pointing at.

"Wow, son that's actually a nice find, good job" dad says admiring the necklace, I stand proud at my achievement.

"I'll take this one" my father says to the clerk. As they go through an obnoxiously long checkout process, I take out my disco broccoli windup car and proceed in creating my own fun.

That is until I end up rolling it under the railing and straight off the second floor, I try to catch it but I was too slow.

WHACK!*

"ouch, the hell?" Says the man who's head was just smacked by my toy. I race down the elevator and toward the confused man. My dad must've seen me as he darts out the store after me.

"I'm so so so sorry mister, I didn't mean to" I apologize profusely. That's when a woman who I assume is his wife walks up with her daughter in toe.

"Honey is everything okay?" She looks at her husband, than at me, with a confused look.

"Yeah baby, I'm alright, just a misunderstanding, right kid?" Says the man. I nod in response

"Shawn! I told you to stay close didn't I?" My father was about to scold me but stood my ground before he could.

"I was only a couple feet away from the store, promise! My car just rolled off the edge is all" I plead my case frantically to my Dad until I feel someone tug on my shirt...

"Here you go" says the little girl as she hands me the toy. I take the car from her, she's got really curly hair and honey colored eyes

"man, she's really pretty" I think to myself.

My cheeks grow hot, but before I can even utter a thank you, my dad apologizes again on my behalf as we make our exit from the mall.

We stopped by a local GameStop to pick up the PlayStation dad had promised, but as you could imagine, I was very excited, and couldn't wait to get home.

We pull up in the driveway of our house, and bolt toward the door.

"Slow down son, the TV isn't gonna run from you" my dad says. He unlocked the front door and I run to the living room.

"I'm gonna go upstairs and surprise your mother, Shawn, go ahead a play." My father says as he vanishes up to his and my mothers room"

I'm just about done hooking everything up. When suddenly I hear the distinct sound of glass shattering, and my mother screaming

"LEE!!!!! STOP, DONT DO IT!!!!!!!"