Kendall's P.O.V.
It was an almost perfect day to go out to the park and toss the old pig skin around. It was chilly, and there was snow here and there, but the sun was shining high up in the skin, and there was no wind. I considered that a perfect day. It had been two weeks since everything sort played out. Me being cancer free, Logan having to confront the kids, only it was just Joey, and of course meeting Maggie's boyfriend, who (even thought I will never admit this to anyone especially Logan) I actually like. It was a freaking miracle I was able to stand still. So the best way to get my life back together, slowly putting the pieces together, was to go out and play some ball with Chris.
We left the house, without anyone hearing us, or seeing us. At least we tried. It wasn't like we didn't want anyone coming with us, we just hadn't gotten do to this for a long time and I was really looking forward to having a serious talk with Chris. Just as I was leaving the bedroom, dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a black hoodie and sneakers, Logan woke up. He called me in quietly and I sighed turning back to see him pushing himself up in the bed. I smiled walking over to him slowly and climbed back on the bed, pushing into him with my face. I kissed him softly, getting an equally loving kiss back. When I pulled away he yawned and put a hand on my face. "Where you sneaking off too?"
"The park with Chris…going to play some ball." He rolled his eyes kissing me again. When he pulled away this time, he laid back onto the pillow and rubbed over his face. I quickly moved a hand over his stomach and pushed up his shirt. I gently rubbed his skin making him shiver.
"Don't be too rough, and please tell me your not just wearing shorts?" I frowned and scooted closer to him bending down over his newly exposed soft stomach and kissed onto his belly button. "You can't get sick babe." I smiled and shook my head nipping at the soft skin below his belly button above the top of his boxers. "Fine…do what you want. I'm not taking care of your sorry butt when you get a cold…hey!" I bit down harder on his skin making him yelp. I looked up smiling and put both hands outside his head hovering over his face. "When you come back will you at least bring breakfast home?" I nodded slowly and both his hands went to my face. "You're not going to say anything about today are you?" I frowned and cocked my head, confused as hell. "It's Valentine's day hubby." I smiled huge moving down on top fo him and kissing him hard and fast. His arms wrapped around the back of my neck and pulled me down harder. Our kiss intensified quick and hard and if it hadn't had been for the knocks at our door, the kiss probably could had led to some sex. But alas, having four kids, always means, your interrupted. I pushed off him, only turning my head to the door and sighed.
"You ready?" Chris was being as quite as he could and I smiled small turning back to Logan.
"Give me a minute dude…" I kissed Logan's forehead softly and pushed off him slowly. "Are we going to do anything tonight?" I sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed my watch off the nightstand, realizing I almost forgot it. There was a small dip behind me and two hands rested on my shoulder where they slowly but harshly started to rub. It felt amazing, especially with the sweet kisses to the back of my neck.
"I actually have something planned." I smiled but rolled my eyes. Typical Logan. "I already asked Mags and Rose and Chris if they didn't mind babysitting for us so we're good to go." I nodded turning my head capturing his lips with mine while trying to get my watch on. His hands moved down slowly over my chest and stopped on my stomach. He pulled away from the kiss and put his forehead on mine sighing out. "Go have fun in the cold and mud…don't throw out your back, and don't get a stupid cold." There was a kiss to the side of my head and he pushed away from me, and got off the bed, stretching and walking to the bathroom. I smiled watching his butt sway until he disappeared in the bathroom. I pushed myself up and walked to the bedroom door making sure I had my wallet and keys.
Chris and I jumped in my car and as soon as I pulled out on the street, the music was turned up loud. We didn't really make any kind of conversation and the drive to the park was short. It was just right down the street and when I parked on the curb by the park. He jumped out fast, the football tucked under his arm. I laughed, reaching in my glove compartment and grabbing a plain black beanie. I slipped it on before getting out, locking the car and shoving the keys in my pocket I walked out onto the grass. I clapped my hands a few times, and put them up smiling at Chris walking backwards waiting for me. "Let's go!" He quickly went into position, gripped the ball and let it fly into the air, effortlessly. I caught it gracefully and also went into position, and tossed back, sighing softly. I remembered the pep talk I gave myself the night before about how I was going to talk to him about college. I cleared my throat and caught the ball again from him. "So…talk to me about Notre Dame." I tossed him the ball again, this time, he caught it and brought it down to his side, staring at me.
"What do you mean? I'm not going." I frowned and watched him throw it again. When it was it my hands I shrugged and tossed it back and forth between my hands. "Please tell me this isn't why you wanted to do this?" He pointed between the two of us and I laughed throwing him the ball. "Dad…I've already made up my mind. I'm staying here to support my family. I'm going to have a baby at the end of the summer. I won't have time for school or football." I nodded slowly and he threw the ball back to me kind of rough, but I caught it none the less.
"Chris you know…if you go to college the chances of getting a better hob to support your family are higher." I saw him roll his eyes and I lowered my hands, not going to throw the ball. "So you're telling me you're not even going to go to MSU?"
"What's the point?" I sighed out hard and slowly started to walk towards him. "Let me guess…pop put you up to this?" I got right in front of him and shook my head slowly.
"Your father actually didn't want me to even talk to you about this." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the ground. "Do you really want to give up that part of your life?"
"I don't have any other choice dad." He said it through gritted teeth, and low angry voice. "I appreciate what you and pop have done for us, but I want to start to take care of myself."
"Oh I get it…this is about you being the big man in front of your girlfriend, right?" He turned up to me fast, anger oozing from his pores.
"Actually…" he paused and breathed out hard, swallowing a hard lump in his throat. "She's my fiancée." The words literally burned my ear drums and I had to step back from him. The ball dropped from my hands and I started to see yellow stars dancing around in front of me. "I asked her this morning. I bought her a ring, with the money I've been saving to take with me when I went to school but now that I'm not going…" I closed my eyes shaking my head and putting up a hand. "Dad?"
"We're going home…now." I turned before opening my eyes and started walking to the car. I hurried to the drivers side, feeling like throwing up, or just throwing myself in front of a bus and got in the car, slamming the door behind me. Chris wasn't far behind and when his door shut, I shoved the key in the ignition and slammed on the gas, not even waiting for him to pu ton his seatbelt.
I didn't even bother parking the car in the garage. I almost even forgot to turn off the car. When I did get out, I walked before Chris up to the house and shoved the front door open hard. The laughter and talking that had been going on, stopped short, and stayed quiet until I got in the dining room. Logan was sitting at the head of the table with Joey on his lap, helping him make what looked like sugar cookies. Sam was sitting next to Maggie, both wearing aprons also helping with the sugar cookie making. All four of them glanced up at me, and Logan even stood up slowly setting Joey on the chair. "What's wrong?" I heard the front door shut and then him walk in behind me, making Logan's concerned face, get even worse. "What's going on?" I cracked a few of my knuckles and turned to the other three.
"Do you guys mind giving us a few minutes alone with your brother?" All three got up quick and walked into the living room. Logan sighed crossing his arms over his chest and Chris walked over to the table pulling out a chair. "He's not going to college Logan." I was honestly expecting uproar from my genius of a husband but he stayed quiet. He looked at Chris confused and then turned back to me shrugging.
"I thought that was evident when he turned down Notre Dame?" I frowned and rolled my eyes walking towards them. "He doesn't want to go to college Kendall…he doesn't have to."
"Why so he can throw away his life for a baby and his new fiancé?" Logan's lips parted just a sliver and I pointed down to Chris. "He isn't going to not continue his education Logan. That would be the dumbest thing he could ever do."
"You're going to marry her?" It was like I wasn't even talking. He looked down at Chris who nodded smiling. Logan practically jumped on him and hugged him tight. "Congratulations baby…I'm so happy for you!" I put my hands on my hips and swallowed a scream that would have probably made matters worse. "When did you ask her?!"
"This morning…" A small 'awe' left Logan's mouth and I sighed out hard throwing my hands up.
"Hello!? There is a bigger problem here then Chris getting married Logan!" They both turned to me and Logan straightened up staring me down. "How can you be so calm with just letting him throw away his life?!"
"he isn't throwing away his life away Kendall! He's just taking a different path then what you would want! Did you even congratulate our son on his engagement?" I frowned shaking my head not even worried about any of that. "Chris is old enough and mature enough to make his own decisions about his life. He wants to get a job and start taking care of her himself and were going to support that because we're his parents." I nodded slow and looked down at Chris who looked much like when he was a little kid, getting yelled at.
"Okay…you want to take care of all that? How about you start paying rent? And your phone bill, hot water, the power, your cable bill and you put up money for the food you and your girlfriend eat? How does that sound?" He put his head down and I put up my hands. "How about I make up a list for you about everything you need to start doing and everything you need to start paying for? That way…ya know you can take care of your own life and live it the way you want!" There was a small push on my chest and Logan got in front of me shaking his head.
"Stop yelling at him and calm the hell down." I shoved him aside, a little rough and bent down in front of Chris getting eye level with him.
"You think marriage and having a new born baby is easy? You think this is going to be fun and sugar coated because your young and new at this? Did you think the world will be easy on you and her?" He turned his head away closing his eyes. "You want to play house with her and act like you can handle all this by yourself…be my guest. But do not come crying to me the second your life falls apart. Because you're a man now and you know everything about the world." I stood up, to have Logan get in front of me again, putting a hand on my arm. I shoved him off and turned to the hallway to go to the stairs. Standing with her head down arms hung limp at her sides was Rose. I blinked a couple times but other than that, I had nothing to say or even do for her. She wasn't my daughter. Not my responsibility. I walked past her fast and took the stairs two at a time.
My blood was boiling and I really felt like hitting a wall, or maybe someone's head. I don't know what I was more pissed about…that Chris was making the biggest mistake of his life not got in to Notre Dame, or that he was giving it all away for a girl he got pregnant because he doesn't have self-control. It was probably a combination of the two which is why when I got in the bedroom I barely noticed everything set up. I tore off my sweater and tossed it to the floor without a second thought before going in the bathroom and flicking on the light. When I saw my reflection, I frowned and slowly walked back into the bedroom. The whole room was spotless with a fresh made bed. There were white and red candles placed around the room at different places, and on my night stand, there was a bouquet of red and yellow roses. The big kicker however was the box on the bed. I t was fairly big, with dark green wrapping paper over it, and a silver bow on top of it. I sighed and breathed out slow. "Feel better now?" I didn't have to look at the door to know Logan was there, and was very pissed off. "Some display you put on out there…you really helped our son see what kind of guy you really are." I turned to him fast and watched him walk in, going right to his desk in the corner. "You know who you reminded me of?" He pulled his chair back and sat down, spinning around to me. I clenched my jaw, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. "Kind of reminded me of another Knight man…like you're dad."
"That's a low blow Logan and you know it." He sat up, looking 'confused' only pissing me off more. "My dad disowned me because I'm gay and was with you. Nothing that man ever told me, was because he loved me and was looking out for me." He nodded quick standing up and put up his hands chuckling softly.
"Of course not…so all that yelling was because you love your son and your looking out for him, is that what your telling me?" I cocked an eyebrow and he laughed tossing his hands in the air. "Well that makes perfect sense now! Because for a minute I thought you were just doing it because you're an asshole."
"How can you even want to support the decisions he's making Logan!? He's throwing everything away and for what? A high school relationship that he's stuck in because he doesn't know how to use his dumbass head?!" I took a step closer to him and pointed t the door. "Our son is going to college and not going to get married at 18! He isn't going to waste his life on something stupid like…"
"Rose or his unborn child?" His voice was low and dark and I relaxed quickly, realizing what I was just about to say. "I'm sorry but you…you are out of lien Kendall. And you are not going to scream at our children like that ever again."
"At least I didn't toss them aside so I could drink by myself and wallow and my own self fucking pity." This time, when the words I didn't want to say, came out, I didn't regret it or feel bad. I had a point and I don't care how hurt it made him. "You think you have any place to tell me how to raise our children?" When I saw the tears form in the corner of his eyes, I felt proud. I felt like I had won. I made my point, and that was the end of the discussion. "I'm going to give him an ultimatum. Either he goes to college and follows our rules, or he moves out and figures it out for himself." I turned on my feet and started to make my way to the bedroom door, he must have closed. When I pulled open the door ready to step out, he spoke. Softly, and quietly but I still heard hit.
"If you make him leave…I will too." I turned fast and saw him wipe under his eyes. "You aren't going to force our children into doing things your way Kendall. And you aren't going to make me feel bad for what I've done. I've tried to make everything right with those kids, and it's getting better. I know I'm not the best dad in the world but the way your acting isn't any better. "So if you give him that ultimatum and force our son to do something he doesn't, I don't want to be with you anymore. If this is your philosophy on children, then I want nothing to do with it. This…you standing here like this…is not the man I married and fell in love with." He breathed out hard wiping under his eyes again and I turned completely towards him shaking my head.
"I'm doing what's best for him. If you don't like it…you know where the front door is."
SO…I FEEL THE NEED TO EXPLAIN A FEW THINGS HERE. FIRST…I GOT A FEW COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE ABOUT THE WAY THINGS HAD TURNED OUT, MOSTLY WITH KENDALL STAYING WITH LOGAN AFTER ALL THE SHIT HE PUT THE FAMILY THROUGH AND I HAD TO REALLY THINK ABOUT IT. I HONESTLY HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS STORY WOULD EVER COME TO THIS. BECAUSE THE WAY THE ENDING PLAYED OUT IN MY MIND WAS A HAPPY GO LUCKY FAMILY, ALL BETTER AND TOGETHER, BUT…I DON'T KNOW. THAT SEEMED LIKE THE EASY ROUTE TO TAKE AND YOU KNOW ME…I LOVE DRAMA! SO…WHAT DO YOU THINK?