Disclaimer. I don't own the characters. There is no more gain than the writing practice that is done here
Chapter 7: The new routine- Introductions
The next day Monica told Rachel that she would pick up the children from school and then return them to Ross's house, as they had agreed.
Rachel asked, "Mon, don't you want them to sleep over at your house and then take them to school tomorrow?"
"No, Rachel, it's too early, on the one hand, they'll only meet Richard tomorrow, and the house isn't ready yet for them to stay the night, we have to make some changes since there are only two bedrooms and Richard is in one, using as a desk, I think for a while we will do like this"
"Mon, you're going to bring them dinner, to let Chandler know if he has to make food"
"If I think so, I want to spend as much time as possible with them"
"OK, see you tomorrow"
On Tuesday afternoon Monica went to pick up the children from the school, she went with Richard.
When the children saw her, they ran to look for her, they hugged and kissed, and Monica's eyes came to tears. She loved her children very much and had missed them terribly.
Monica introduced them to Richard who greeted them from above with a clap of his hands and a smile under his whiskers.
Naturally the kids were shy in front of this huge gentleman, who seemed to be as old as Grandpa Jack.
Monica took them to have a chocolate with a cookie, and then she asked them if they had homework and they answered that very little, and they went to Richard's house. Monica told them where they could do it and that once they finished they would go to the park.
Richard, trying to get closer, asked them if they need help, but they both said "no, thank you"
When the children finished with their homework, and while Monica and Richard were sitting in the kitchen having a coffee, the kids began to tour the place, Jack took a picture frame and went with it to the kitchen asking who they were.
Richard was annoyed "that portrait is of my children with my grandchildren" and with a tougher tone he told Jack "I don't like people touching things in my house without permission, don't do it again"
Jack handed over the photo with a shaking hand, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Monica hugged him saying "Jack, each house has its rules, this is Richard's house, so you does as he tells you"
Erica who had approached and was looking at the photo, turning to Richard said "you have grandchildren like Grandpa Jack"
Richard raised her eyebrows and said "yes, Erica, and they are very well educated, they never touch anything in someone else's house"
Erika looked down, a little scared.
Monica didn't like the exchange between Richard and his children, but it was the first time they had seen each other, and her children had been raised quite freely, she thought that little by little they would adapt to each other.
Later they went out to dinner, when they passed by a McDonald's, Jack asked Monica to go eat there, when they went out on weekends with Chandler they used to go to eat hamburgers that they loved.
But Richard with his hoarse and strong voice said "no way, that's junk food, they have to learn to eat healthy food…" The kids were silent.
Monica turned somewhat annoyed to Richard "Look, the children eat every day at school or at home, on both sides, they eat homemade and healthy food, but once in a while eating a hamburger on a weekend is not a drama"
"You're right Monica, but today is not the weekend, we better go to a restaurant where they can eat meat and vegetables"
Monica was surprised, she had never seen that authoritarian side of Richard before, and it was the second time today, while they went out the first time and until now he had always been tender and kind to her, of course they had never lived together and she did not know all facets of his personality, but she didn't like this attitude with her children, it was something she would have to be alert for.
Monica shut up, she didn't want to argue in front of the kids, but as much as she loved Richard she didn't want him to interfere in her children's education, Chandler had put him in the guidelines and she totally agreed with them.
After dinner they took the kids to Ross's, only Monica down to hang out with the kids and talk a bit with Rachel.
When she returned to the car, she told Richard that she and the father of de kids were the only ones who were going to decide on the life and education of the children, that this was final.
"OK" Richard said, nodding, but with a disgusted grimace.
That afternoon, when Chandler got off work, he went straight home, changed into more comfortable clothes, and then walked across the street to the home of Harold and his family, the 16-year-old daughter of the couple, Jenny, who had babysat many times when they had an engagement at night, she was a good girl and her children loved her-
Denise opened the door and gave Chandler a huge smile.
Denise and Harold were the first neighbors that they had become involved with and had built a good relationship with.
Denise greeted him with joy and ushered him in and invited him to sit in the living room.
"Chandler, why are you visiting, does Monica need any ingredients?"
"No, Denise. Monica and I have separated and are divorcing."
"Oh!, I'm sorry, I never would have thought of you two."
"Well, that's everyone's reaction, but things are like that" said Chandler with a little smile.
"Look Denise, Monica moved away and I've taken care of the kids and I wanted to talk to you to see if Jenny could take care of them when they got home from school until I got back from work"
And he continued "I asked the office to be able to leave earlier, but the reality is that there are days when that will be impossible. It wouldn't be every day of the week, since Monica would pick them up from school when work allowed"
"Chandler, there's no problem, Jenny would be delighted, but I propose something else, that the kids come to my house, I give them a snack and Jenny is in charge of helping them with their homework until you're back. I would really like to take care of them."
"Denise, I can't ask you that, I don't want to bind you to having to feed and take care of the children, having a lot to do at home, you probably want to go out, and I don't want to subject you to that obligation."
"Chandler, it's not an obligation, I'm always home during the week, Jenny is still with us, and I miss Junior and Pete who already went to college, having your kids, so much fun, it's going to do me good to the spirit, please accept my proposal"
"OK Denise, but on one condition, I'll pay Jenny for her babysitting job, she's going to help the kids with their homework so she deserves the pay."
"Perfect, that's how we stay, just let me know what days I will have them at home"
"Look surely tomorrow, since Monica has them today, I'll let you know later, everything is very recent and we still haven't established a routine. And thank you very much in advance"
Chandler went back to his house, everything was so quiet without the kids hovering everywhere.
While waiting for Rachel to call him to pick up the children, he ate an apple and went to the living room, opened the cabinet where the photo albums were, he had brought a garbage bag with him, the first thing he looked for was the white album that had the photos of his wedding, and without opening it he threw it in the bag.
Then he looked for his yearbooks and his childhood album, needless to say, it was pretty sparse of photos and put them aside on the shelf.
He takes the rest of the albums one by one. One of them had photos of Monica and when they were dating or after they were married before having the kids, this one also went in the garbage bag.
He opened an older album with a lot of photos of the gang or of him with one of his friends, (him and Joey, him and Ross, him and Rachel or him and Phoebe, even him and Ben) he put these photos away, he also put five photos away from the whole gang that Monica wasn't in, probably because she had taken the photo. He put this album back in the cabinet, it would be sent to the storage room in case Monica wanted to keep it.
The rest of the albums were of photos of the children, since they were born, he put all of them aside without stopping to review them, these were albums for his children, he wanted that when they were older they could remember the time when they were all together, he didn't I could steal those memories. He did the same with the videos. He looks in the garage for a box and he keep all the children's albums and videos in them, he carefully sawed it and put a sign on it "photos and videos of Jack and Erica 2004-2009"
His yearbooks, his old album, and the photos he separates took him to his new bedroom.
He prepared a piece of meat and a salad and began to eat dinner until Rachel called him that he could go get the children.
