Opening Up
"You're getting acquainted?" Theo asked, returning outside to the table where his father was holding Lena.
"I've never known a happier baby." Raul said, "Cassie told me you adopted her?" He asked.
"Yeah." Theo said, looking over at Cassie who gave him a reassuring nod. A 'be patient' nod. A 'just try again' nod.
"What made you both decide to adopt?" He asked innocently as Theo looked at him, watching him raise Lena above his head and then back down again, getting the most adorable smiles out of her.
"We were having trouble conceiving." Cassie answered.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Raul said.
"Don't be." Theo said, "We have her now." He smiled.
"I was telling your dad that we work together now." Cassie said.
"What happened to becoming chief? Wasn't that on the horizon for you?" Raul asked.
"Where'd you hear that?" Theo asked curiously.
"Well, I didn't hear it from anyone. I just assumed. You're a very respected police officer. No?" He looked at Theo who just shrugged.
"Yes. He is." Cassie answered.
"The shooting set me back. But I think it's all been a blessing in disguise because I love working with Cassie. Being chief would have been taking on a desk job, basically. And that's not me. I like being out there." Theo nodded.
"Well you do what makes you happy." Raul said as Theo nodded, "Is this one a Brooks too?" He asked, looking at Lena, making funny faces at her.
"No, she's a Sanchez." Theo nodded, "Until some poor fella asks me if he can marry her."
"Lena Sanchez." Raul smiled, "Sounds like a movie star."
"That's what I said!" Cassie said, a little too excitedly as Theo chuckled.
"Her middle name is Monique." Theo said as Raul nodded.
"Lena is short for Catalina?" He wondered.
"No, she's just Lena." Theo said, "But I did pull the name from that."
"You had a crush in first grade. That was her name." Raul remembered as Cassie turned to Theo.
"You named our daughter after your first grade crush?" She questioned, smiling a little.
"No." Theo scoffed, "I just liked the name."
"I always wanted a daughter." Raul nodded as Theo chuckled a little.
"Instead of me or Matthew?" He asked.
"As well as you and Matthew." Raul scolded, "And she would have been called Sofia Sanchez."
"I have a niece called Sofia." Cassie smiled.
"That's what we were going to call Theo if he had been a girl." Raul nodded.
"Listen, I was talking to Kelise and… well, I'd like to stay for dinner tonight." Theo said, "If you don't want us here, we'll go. But if you do, please just bite the bullet and tell me you want us here." He nodded.
"Here, you take her." Raul said, passing Lena back to Cassie, feeling his arms get tired but not wanting to say it, "It would be nice to have company." He nodded to Theo.
"Do you want us here?" Theo asked specifically.
"Yes, Theodore. I want you here." Raul put his hands up, "You want me to write you an invitation?" He scoffed as Theo rolled his eyes.
"Then that's settled." Cassie inserted before another fight started, "I'll tell Kelise and give her a hand with anything she needs." Cassie nodded, standing up and walking back to the house with Lena in her arms, leaving Theo and Raul alone on purpose.
"I'm not sure if I've ever said it to you. Or if I've always just thought it in my head." Raul said, "But you did incredibly well for yourself." He looked at Theo, "Your wife. Your beautiful kids. Your job that you're so proud of. Are you happy?" He asked.
"I'm happy, dad." Theo nodded.
"That's good." Raul said, "Is Matthew happy?" He asked.
"He's happy." Theo said, "He's a civil engineer. He's got a house. Lives with his girlfriend Lilian. They have a dog. It's a spaniel, I think." Theo said as Raul nodded along.
"That's good. Good for him." Raul said, silence filling the air between them both as they sat awkwardly across from one another, "So you bumped into Manny?" Raul coughed, glad he found something to break the silence with, reaching for the beer he was drinking.
"Yeah." Theo watched him take a drink, "Are you sure you should be doing that?"
"Why? Should I be concerned about my health?" He raised a brow as Theo watched him smile a little.
"Ok, fair enough." Theo put his hands up, "Yeah, I bumped into Manny and Julien."
"They've always asked about you. And I never really had answers for them." Raul said, "I couldn't exactly tell them about how you were doing in Chicago when I didn't even know myself."
"You could have come visit us, you know." Theo nodded, "We were little kids. And we were always expected to come here and visit you if we wanted any kind of relationship with you. Didn't, on some level, that seem wrong to you at any point?" He asked.
"I wanted you boys here with me. Permanently." Raul said.
"So because you didn't get your way… you took it out on us?" Theo asked.
"Do we have to do this?" Raul shook his head.
"Yeah, I think we do. I think, now more than ever, we do." Theo nodded, "I can bullshit my wife and pretend I don't care about how rocky our relationship is, but I do care. And I don't want us to part on bad terms this time. I'm gonna try my hardest to make sure we don't."
"Because I'm dying?" Raul asked bitterly.
"Yes, because you're dying." Theo said bluntly.
"And you don't want a guilty conscience when I'm gone?" Raul asked.
'Dad, I have nothing to feel guilty for. I'm doing you a favour here. I'm giving you a chance." Theo said.
"Well jeez, thank you, Theo. That is awfully good of you." Raul nodded as Theo ran his hands over his face with frustration.
"Can't we just get along?" Theo asked, "Do you really want to go through this alone?"
"I have Kelise." Raul said bluntly.
"You know what? Fine." Theo nodded, "Don't say I didn't try or give you a chance. You know, it might not make up for all the years we've been estranged, but it's better than nothing. But if this is how you want things to… end with us." He said, "Then that's fine." He stood up, heading for the house as Raul sighed restlessly in his seat.
"Theodore, come back here." Raul insisted, "Come back here." He nodded as Theo paused, turning back around, "Sit back down. Please." He nodded as Theo waited, putting his hands on his hips, contemplating it for a minute before walking back over and taking a seat.
"I won't sit here and fight with you." Theo said.
"What if it was you." Raul said as Theo looked at him, "What if… what if you and Cassie got divorced? And things got ugly. And she took Chase and Lena away from you. Some place else. Far away." Raul said.
"She wouldn't do that to me and we wouldn't ever get divorced." Theo shrugged, "Because I wouldn't cheat on her." He made clear.
"Ok, you can skip that part." Raul shook his head, "Hypothetically. Please. Put yourself in my shoes."
"Ok." Theo sighed, "Ok, hypothetically, if my wife took my kids away to a different place, far away… I would visit them every week. And be present in their life, regardless. Or I'd move to where they are. Either way I'd do anything I could to be there for them. I wouldn't expect them to keep up the relationship on their own. Their little kids. Just like me and Matthew were."
"Well then… you're just a better man than I am." Raul concluded, "A better father."
"It's not just about you not showing up. Even when you did show up. Or we showed up here. You didn't even spend time with us. I'd be outside the entire time playing with Manny and Julien. Kelise was the one who made us dinner and sat with us. You were barely even there." Theo said, "So I grew up thinking that you didn't want to be there. And that sucks."
"Well I was always working. Working to provide. And it was long hours. Hard work." Raul said.
"And I can appreciate that. But it just felt… it felt like we were your last priority. Every single time." Theo said as Raul looked across at him, getting uncomfortable, "Hey, we're being honest here, right?"
"You weren't my last priority." Raul shook his head, "But I began to see so little of you both I… well I adapted to a life without you. It began to be strange when you boys came here. I didn't know either of you and I… I didn't know how to speak to you. I knew nothing about your lives. It wasn't like your mom kept me informed." He said.
"I'm not saying she's completely innocent in it all. We've had conversations." Theo said, "But… she was always there."
"Whenever I tried to be there for you, in the latter years, you just turned me away. So what did you expect me to do?" Raul asked.
"I turned you away because I was fed up of watching you act like a dad for an hour and then disappear for a few years. What was the point? I didn't want Chase to wonder why his grandfather only showed up every so often. When his other one shows up every day." Theo said.
"Sorry I'm not perfect like your in-laws." Raul shook his head.
"They're not perfect. But they're there." Theo nodded.
"I know all about them." Raul said, "Well, I've looked into them. He's an ex con. You rank me lower than an ex con?" He questioned, "And the mother? How is she not in a mental institution? Her family sounds crazy-"
"You know nothing about them." Theo shook his head angrily, "Phil and April have been there for me. A lot. And I appreciate them. Very much." He said, "Cassie comes from a good family. They're good people, who show up for each other when they need it. A proper family. And they've taken care of me."
"This is silly. I don't have to go out. I can postpone it until next week. Or month." Cassie nodded, standing in her parents living room, watching Theo feeding one month old Chase.
"Jude is only here for a few days. You're going out with your sisters. You want to go out with your sisters." Theo nodded, "So please, just go."
"What if something happens?" Cassie asked. It was the first she was going to be away from Chase for more than a half hour since having him, and of course she was a little anxious about it.
"What's gonna happen?" Theo asked, "You don't trust me to look after our son?" He asked her as she looked at him, trying to figure out her answer, "Cassie." He laughed in disbelief.
"No, I do. Of course I do." She shook her head, "And my parents are here." She nodded to herself.
"Yes, I'm very excited to have them watching me all night." Theo scoffed.
As much as he got on very well with Cassie's parents, it was a little difficult that she still stayed at home with them, as it meant they very rarely got time on their own.
"They won't. But they're here if you need anything." Cassie said.
"Ok, can you just go now?" Theo nodded, "Please."
"Ok." Cassie said, leaning over and kissing Chase on the head, "Bye, sweet boy. Behave for your daddy." She said as Theo smiled, "And you behave too." She looked at Theo, kissing him on the lips.
"If I'm asleep when you're back, wake me." He smirked.
"Nice try." She took a hold of his chin, "But my vagina is still healing thanks to him and his big head." She nodded as he chuckled.
"Nothing wrong with your mouth." Theo smiled as she shoved his face away playfully.
"Idiot." She smiled, putting her coat on, "Ok, bye." She said quickly, turning away to leave, pausing and turning back to look at them.
"Just go." Theo laughed.
"Ok ok." Cassie nodded, turning back around and heading for the door, eventually leaving the house.
"Chase, I thought she'd never leave." Theo spoke to Chase who was having his bottle, "Esta loca." He hummed.
"What?" Punk said, walking into the living room, "What'd you say?"
"Oh, I was just… telling him how great his mom is." Theo said as Punk smiled.
"She just left? I heard the door going." Punk said.
"Yeah. She'll be fine once she gets there. She was just a little anxious about leaving him." Theo nodded.
"Pretty normal." Punk said.
"Theo?" AJ walked into the living room, taking her coat off after just getting home from work, "Sweetie, we're doing burgers for dinner. Is that ok?" She asked him.
"Sounds great." Theo smiled, "I love your burgers." He nodded as AJ smiled.
"You don't have to lie to her." Punk shook his head.
"You be quiet." AJ warned him as he grinned at her teasingly, "How is my sweet grandson?" She asked, walking over closer to get a better look at Chase in Theo's arms.
"He's hungry that's for sure." Theo nodded.
"Oh, good." AJ smiled happily, "I washed your work clothes, by the way." She told Theo, "They're in the dryer. Should be finished by tonight."
"You really don't have to-"
"Oh, enough of that." AJ waved her hand, "Ok, burgers." She said, wandering away through to the kitchen as Theo smiled.
He felt very taken care of in the time he'd spent partially staying with Cassie at her parent's house. Dinner and breakfast was always made for him. His clothes magically appeared washed, dried and folded on Cassie's bed. It was above and beyond what he'd expected, but it definitely helped him feel a lot more comfortable.
"You going to the game tonight?" Theo asked Punk.
"Yeah, with Dean. April said she was going to get you to help her bake. So… have fun with that." He chuckled a little.
"As long as she makes those empanadas she made last week. I'm game." Theo said as Punk smiled, "Hey, buddy. What's up?" Theo asked, turning his attention to Chase who had neglected his bottle, appearing to be spitting up and choking a little, "Chase." Theo panicked a little, sitting the bottle over on the coffee table as Punk looked over.
"What is it?" Punk asked.
"I don't know. I think he's choking." Theo panicked frantically, standing up.
"Ok, hold him upright and pat his back gently." Punk said calmly, even though he was also worried.
"Alright, alright." Theo nodded, doing as Punk said. He was still learning how to be a dad every day. He and Cassie had no clue what they were doing for the most part.
"Ok, he's just spitting up. It's alright." Punk nodded, looking on at Chase who appeared to be ok and breathing normally.
"But he was choking." Theo said, feeling his heart beating out of his chest, "Is he alright?" He asked, holding Chase back into a cradle, seeing for himself.
"He's fine, kid." Punk assured him, "He was just spitting up." He nodded, "I'll get some wipes." He said, disappearing and returning with some wipes to clean Chase up.
"Thanks." Theo sighed, sitting back down and wiping around Chase's mouth.
"He's fine." Punk said as Theo nodded in agreement, feeling slightly embarrassed for overreacting, which Punk could sense, "Hey you should have seen me with Thea when she was a baby. I was a nervous wreck. She did put her fingers in sockets and stuff, though, to be fair." He nodded, "But it's all a learning experience."
"Thanks." Theo nodded to him sincerely as Punk smiled.
"Phil! Come help." AJ called from the kitchen as Punk rolled his eyes.
"This woman is lucky I love her." Punk said as Theo smiled, watching him leave the living room.
Theo looked back down at Chase, reaching over for the bottle, beginning to feed him again, sighing a little with relief, "Don't you do that to me again, dude. Is it cause I called your mom crazy? You know I love her." He spoke to him.
