Hey, here's the next chapter. After this, I am done using pieces of the episode. Thanks again 'Guest'!
A persistent buzz from the nightstand wakes me up as I fling my hand out desperate to find the evil device.
Finally grasping the phone in my palm, I flip it open nearly blinding my blurry eyes only to find a message from Ryan.
'The Richardsons' have called a meeting ASAP. Carpool?'
'Yeah, be ready in ten.' I text back, groaning as I leave the warm bed and feel the arctic ice that is the hardwood floor.
Checking the clock, I give myself until 5:15 to shower, leaving five minutes to dress.
Stepping out of the joined bathroom after showering and dressing, I make my way to the bed.
Leaning down, I go to kiss Pam's forehead, when her voice makes me jump.
"Where're you going?" She asks, voice slurred with sleep
"Ryan texted, the bosses called a meeting. He'll be here in a few." I whisper back, my words causing her to groan.
"I hate that guy." She says in reply, moving to pull me back to sleep
The honking of a horn, as well as my resistance, causes her to groan releases a sigh.
"I'll be home soon." I say, leaning down to kiss her, "Love you."
"Love you too." She says, cracking an eye open
Walking quickly into Conner's room, I quietly open the door and kiss Conner's forehead in goodbye.
Walking out the front door, I'm sure to lock it and make my way to Ryan's silver Prius.
"Hey." I say, climbing into the car accepting his offered coffee with a silent thanks.
"Another day, another dollar." He says tiredly, and before I know it the crazy day begins.
'Don't forget we have the play date with that idiot tonight. Love you.' Pam's text brings a smile to my face as I sit in the meeting taking notes.
God, this has been the longest four hours of my life. It's only ten and I'm on my seventh coffee.
By twelve the meeting is let out, and after some horrible, tedious, mean (I'm too tired to think of a better word) paperwork, Ryan and I call it a day.
"Well that was gross." He says as he gets in the driver's seat.
"Don't talk about it." I say as I lean my head against the window
"So where were you yesterday? I wasn't supposed to pick you up was I?" He asks concerned seconds later as we pull onto the freeway
"No, no. Conner had a little issue at school Pam and I had to go talk to the principal." I say, happy to slip Pam into the conversation.
"Good. I mean…Not good. Just…that I didn't forget to pick you up." He flounders.
"I get it, Ryan." I respond with a chuckle.
"So what happened?" He asks, after his redness had gone disappeared.
"He pulled a little girl's hair, and one of his dads over reacted. Which in turn, made Pam mad and there was this whole childish fight." I rant, before catching myself, "Sorry, I know you don't want to hear this."
"That's alright." He says kindly, "Whenever you need to talk, you know where to find me."
"Thanks." I reply as he pulls onto my street.
His responding, "Well, look, if…if you ever need a guy to sit down and talk to Conner...you know, I'm your guy…well not your guy, obviously, but.." is drowned out by the vision of Pam and Conner playing in the front yard.
"Yeah sure," I reply to the unheard comments he had made, "Thanks." I say in reference to the ride as I get out of the car.
"Hey guys," I say, opening and closing the gate to our front yard.
"Mom!" Conner squeals in excitement locking his arms around my legs.
"How's my little man?" I ask leaning down with a smile to tickle my little boy.
"Stop, stop," He says between giggles, "Mommy!" He calls for help
"Sorry, Con. Mom's got you." Pam says with a laugh, making her way towards us
"No fair!" He calls between giggles, finally I let him go and he falls dramatically on the grass to catch his breath.
"Hey." Pam says as she wraps her arm around my waist, "Tired?"
"You have no idea." I reply, giving her a chaste kiss.
"Come on," Pam says, pulling me back to the soft grass under the shade of the tree.
She sits down, back to the tree, while settle down beside her, resting my pounding head on her shoulder. Conner comes over, laying across our laps, happy to have both of us home.
Pam softly rubs my back and shoulder with her right hand, while brushing the hair from Conner's eyes with her left.
"Shh, shh, Conner, mom's trying to sleep." I hear as I come back to consciousness.
"Okay, Mommy." Comes Conner's response, I can hear the rustling of grass as I will myself to open my eyes.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Pam says softly, giving my temple a kiss.
"Morning." I say with a roll of my eyes. "What time is it?"
"Three. We'll have to leave soon." She responds, pulling me closer with the arm still wrapped around my shoulders.
"Are you guys ready?" I ask, stifling my yawn.
"Yeah, you want to leave now? We'll have time to stop for gas if so." She replies back, standing up at my nod.
Grasping her helping hand, I stand up and follow her to the car Conner has been waiting at since the beginning of the start of our conversation.
Buckling him into the car, I get into the passenger seat, locking my hand with Pam's as we drive down the road.
Thirty minutes later, we're sitting in the car outside of Cam and Mitchel's house my hand nearly being broken by Pam's grip.
"Can we go?" Conner asks, anxious to play with his new friend
I glance as Pam as I feel her grip subdue.
"Sure we can." Pam says, ending her death grip
"Are you okay?" I ask, knowing how annoyed she gets at Cam's comments
"Of course." She says, dropping a kiss to my knuckles, before getting out of the car and unbuckling Conner.
Moments later we're at the door where awkward hellos are exchanged, and soon we're sitting in their green walled living room watching the kids play.
With the kids in the room in was easier to calm the two other children, but when the kids went to play with the toys in Lilly's room, I could tell the atmosphere would change.
After the first stereotype thrown out by Cam AKA pink shirt -does he ever wear any other colors?- and Pam's reaction, I decide it's time to get to know these people as people without the pressure and anger there was back in the principal's office.
But, it's awkward.
So I start rambling, like I tend to do when I'm uncomfortable and Pam's on fight mode.
Cue the awkward laugh.
"So glad we are doing this." I say hoping for a response, I can see Mitchel's trying to do the same thing.
"Yeah, yeah, me too." He says
"I mean, we're the only gay parents in the class." I try again
"Yeah, we should be supporting one another. I mean we have so much in common." He replies in kind.
"Exactly." I say, but the room dissolves into awkward silence once again.
Once again with the rambling I go. "So…tell us about yourselves." I say to the men, and I watch Mitchel's eyes light up happy to have something to dispel the awkwardness, I can't help but feel the same.
"I'm and environmental lawyer." He replies with a forced smile.
"I'm a homemaker." Cam follows, earning a not-so-quiet "huh" from Pam
And the anger's back.
Mitchel quickly glances between our two childish partners before asking, "And, uh, what do you do?"
"I'm a financial consultant." I say with a forced smile matching Mitchel's
"I'm a contractor." Pam says seconds later, earning a "hmph" from Mitchel, causing her to reply, "You thought I was a P.E. teacher?
"I figured." Cam replies, "Hey, quick question, how do you guys get the car seat on the motorcycle?"
Getting a little angry myself at these insults I try to continue, making sure to only make eye contact with Mitchel, "Ah, you know Conner is having a birthday next week, maybe Lily would like to come?"
"Oh, she would love that." Mitchel answers for her with that same smile.
Cam opens his mouth and I brace myself to save his life by attempting to hold Pam down, but instead he asks politely, "Oh great, are you guys having a clown?"
To which Pam replied, "God, no. I hate clowns, they're so creepy."
Which ends up starting another argument leading us to Lily's locked door.
And yes, maybe we overreacted a bit.
But I maintain that I couldn't hear any movement from behind the door.
Finally, after a blurry, and panic-filled two or three minutes -as well as some bargaining- we are reunited with our kids.
Moments later, the kids are playing in the living room, and Mitchel and I are sitting in the kitchen, while Pam and Cam 'fix' Lily's door. I'm guessing they are either taking the lock off or the whole door, we did leave the more…dramatic of the four of us to deal with it, I wouldn't be surprised if Pam goes home to take all the doors –including the closet doors.
"Would you like coffee or something?" Mitchel asks as he goes to fill the pot
"Yes, please." I say with a real smile this time.
"Tough time at the office or something?" He questions kindly
"Yeah, I got called in at five this morning and didn't leave until two." I say with a grimace, glad to finally be talking civilly
"Yeah, I know how that is." He says, grabbing two mugs from the cupboard and filling them, "Creamer?"
"Yes, thank you." I reply with a smile, reaching out to grab the mug of heaven.
"Can I talk to you about something?" I ask, hoping to see if I am on the same page as him
"Go ahead." He allows, burning his tongue in the process
"I know this won't be easy for the kids, the whole growing up with two moms or two dads. I guess, I was just hoping you were thinking their friendship would be good for them in the long run. Because if so, we really do need to try harder to become friends, or at least civil toward each other for their sake." I say, rambling a bit, but feeling a bit relieved at his nodding head.
"I know exactly what you mean." Mitchel says with the first real smile I've ever seen him wear.
"Good, so what are we going to do about the other two kids?" I ask, nodding toward the back hall leading to Pam and Cam.
"How about a dinner? We're on the same side; we just have to have them get to know each other better, so maybe they can get on our side too." He questions with a smile
We decide on the following night seeing as the duo seemed to be getting along better since the incident. Well that or one of them is dead.