Hey! I'm back. Turns out I wasn't as busy as I thought I was! Anyway, thank you to KaliAnn + Steampunk Wilson for reviewing the last chapter.
So. So far, Huey has had a chapter with Della, as has Louie. So that means there's only one [Biological] child left…
By the way I know it's been stated that the triplets can't really understand Donald and mainly go by context cues, but I do find that slightly un-believable. As someone who has a mate with a speech impediment – you do get used to how someone talks and eventually you come to be able to understand them. Yes, I think the triplets might use context cues more than others would, but I find it hard to believe they don't understand what Donald's saying at least 75 percent of the time. They were brought up by him after all.
So, little rant aside, see chapter 1 for the disclaimer and let's go!
17/10/2019
So I was sitting in the kitchen harmlessly drinking a cup of tea and, frankly, enjoying a little bit of peace and quiet when Dewey burst in and quickly brought THAT to a stop.
"Mom, mom, mom!" He skidded to a stop in front of me and presented me with a leaflet. "Check this out!"
Slightly startled I took the leaflet and looked at it. "Okay…a drama club?"
"Yeah!" Dewey said, enthusiastically. "Every Saturday! I wanna join!"
I sighed and looked at the leaflet. "Look, I get that, but I can't afford the price."
"What about Scrooge?"
I know for a fact that Scrooge would take one look at the price of that class and faint. He doesn't like spending money on, what he considers 'frivolous' things and Drama classes DEFINETLY count as frivolous. I mean, me and Donald had issues getting him to help us pay for a prom dress and suit! A PROM DRESS for crying out loud. I remember going.
"But, Uncle Scrooge! It's one-off-!"
"Exactly! Ah'm noot payin' for something that yer only goin' ta wear once!"
And yeah. That was the end of that. Thankfully Minnie helped us out.
Anyway, back to my middle son. "He wouldn't pay." I said to him.
Dewey stuck his lip out and – looking me in the eye – said, in a 'whiny-brat' kind of voice. "Buuut Uncccclllleeee Dooonnnnaaallllddddd woooooouuuullllllld!"
And that got me, I must admit. I mean – would he? I know we has that heart-to-heart last week about the boys and he DID say, he had tried to give the kids access to extra-curricular activities but didn't really go into much detail apart from that. He did say he managed to get them all signed up to JW's for a little bit – which obviously costs money, at least until Dewey and Louie decided at separate times they didn't want to do it.
So I'll admit – I nearly wavered. The thing that stopped me wavering completely was because – with scary timing – Donald himself walked in through the door with. "What would I do?"
Dewey IMMEDIATELY stopped and went. "Oh, er, well –"
And call it 'mom-intuition' but it was then I got a sneaking feeling that he had been trying to pull one over on me. And I don't like it when people doing that, so I said, to Donald.
"Apparently you would pay for this?" And passed the leaflet to him.
He scanned his eyes over it and said, in a tired voice. "Dewey, we've talked about this."
"I know, but they're doing reduced sessions-!"
"I know! I can see that but…" Donald put the leaflet down and, kneeling down, said. "I can't afford it, Dewey. If I could I would, I promise, but I can't."
"But you can afford for Huey to do his stupid J. W. G stuff." Dewey said, sulkily.
Donald's eyes narrowed and I could see the effort it was taking for him NOT to lose him temper. "I can afford for Huey to do his JWG stuff BECAUSE the organisers have kindly agreed to give me a 50 percent discount. These people won't let me do that, I know they won't. So, I know you're upset, but you have to understand. I not that I don't want to, it's that I can't and I don't appreciate you telling your mother that I would either. Especially when you know that that's not true."
I couldn't actually see Dewey's face because he was facing away from me, but I could hear his tone as he said. "Sorry Uncle Donald."
Donald hugged him and then said. "Thank you, I appreciate that. However it's not me you've got to apologise to. It's your mother."
So Dewey turned round to me and apologised to me. And – slightly bewildered by it all – I copied Donald and said, 'thank you, I appreciate that.' Then we shared a hug and he left.
I waited till I was certain Dewey was out of hearing-range then said to my twin. "What was that?"
He looked at me. "What was what?"
"That! The hug, the 'thank you I appreciate that' the…everything! I mean, our parents wouldn't have done that! They would have just gone. 'You're not doing it. Either like it or lump it' OR 'If you want to do it that badly save the money up yourself-"
"-Yes, but Della, times have changed. You're meant to do this now. Times have changed."
"Ugh." I put my head in my arms and said. "This is hard. Hard, hard, hard. I was hoping I'd be able to take inspiration from our parents, but apparently not-"
"-Maybe I havn't made myself clear." Donald said, patting my arm, kindly. "Times have changed but we'll still be able to raise these kids. We can do it. After all millions of other parents do across the globe – what?"
He said that because I'd lifted my head of the table and gave him A. Look. "You said 'we.'"
He paused, spluttered and squawked a little, then said. "Well – yes! I HAVE raised these kids for ten years Dells. And the simple fact is, as…mind-bending and 'squicky' – to quote the kids – the thought IS, they DO consider me there dad. I mean – don't get me wrong-" He said, while I looked at him incredulously. "They, they definitely understand I'm NOT-"
"-Please stop talking." I said, head back in my hands.
"-But they DO, Della! The simple fact of the matter is they consider me their dad. I'm sorry, it's Awquad to think off, but they do. And of course I understand you're there mother and I'm more than happy to take a step back and let you get on with it BUT I don't think the boys are likely to ever forget I spent the first ten years of their life raising them. And – let's face it with 'he-who-shall-not-be-named' 'gone' – for lack of a better word – I AM the closest thing they have to a father figure."
I nodded. "I get that. And I appreciate that, you ARE the best thing I think, for them to have a father figure. I'd rather it was you than Scrooge, Gladstone or Fethry, I'll be honest."
We probably should have talked more, but we were interrupted by Huey poking his head round the door. "Uncle Donald?"
Donald shot me an apologetic smile and said. "Yes, Huey?"
"Is Uncle Mickey going to Goofy's?"
There was a pause while Donald looked at me, slightly confused and I shrugged back at him. "What do you mean?" I asked Huey.
"When we go to Spoonerville is Uncle Mickey going to be there or not?" Huey said, patiently.
"I don't think so." Donald said, gently. "Last I heard he's busy with the filming for this new series off his."
Huey pulled a face. "But it's aaaggggeeesss since we last saw him!" Geez, what is it with my boys and being whiny today!?
"I know. But that's life. Hopefully he'll attend your mothers party next month."
"I hope so to." Huey said, looking downcast. Then he brightened up. "We'll see Max at Goofy's won't we?"
"I assume so."
Huey fist-pumped the air. "Yes! That'll be awesome! I can't wait to see him!" Before bounding off.
I looked at Donald. "They like Max?"
Donald nodded. "He's five years older than them." He pointed out. "They like having a friend who's older than them."
I nodded and said, knowingly. "And is Max pleased to have friends five years younger than he is?"
Donald laughed and made a '50-50' gesture with his hand. "Well…I don't know about that. The last time we were there the boys accidently broke his x-box. Max was NOT happy."
"And Goofy?"
"Was Goofy. He initially wouldn't let me pay towards it – but I insisted. After all Goofy isn't exactly a millionaire is he?"
I shrugged. "I guess not. Unless he's won the lottery in the last twelve years?"
Donald laughed again. "I think I would know about that, Dells. He'd be on the phone quicker than you could say 'H-yuck!'"