Part 126

The next day, Glenn opened his eyes to look into his girlfriend's sleeping expression. She was so pretty. Her blue-gray fur framing the white of her face. Her perfectly-proportioned cone muzzle with the most-supple lips. He leaned forward and kissed them tenderly, remembering that she had given him permission to kiss her at any time.

She opened her golden eyes and gazed up at him. "Good morning."

The German shepherd chuckled. "Good morning." He stroked her face. "How did you sleep?"

The arctic wolfette sighed happily. "Great… no nightmares." She settled into his arms, taking a deep smell of his fur. He wrapped them tightly around her. "What should we do today?"

He thought. "Well, maybe we could go take a look at my new apartment. See where we'll be living eventually. Airlia might want to see what will be her room."

Porsha bit her lip. He would eventually move into his own apartment. "You know, you don't have to move into the apartment. You could stay here as long as you want."

Glenn chuckled. "I love you, Porsha, but I really can't. I'm not ready for the living together stage. Not yet. I need to figure things out now that everything has changed. I have my sister to think about. This new job. What about my dad's hardware store. It's supposed to be mine now but I don't think I could ever go back."

She met his eyes and he saw her lip shaking. "I'm sorry. You're right. Okay, let's go see your apartment today. I can pop in on everyone there too."

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Jerry filled his travel mug with freshly brewed coffee just as Eddie joined him in the kitchen. As usual, his sheep greeted him with an affectionate pet and kiss on the forehead. "Good morning, Eddie." He smiled.

"Good morning," he replied. "What plans do you have today?" Eddie poured himself a cup of hot coffee and added his fixings.

"Well, Gerhardt asked me to give him a tour of the city," the cat said almost shyly, nervous about how they might react. "I just want to keep him away from Gunter and now, Sarah."

The sheep shook his head. "Hey, I appreciate you keeping him company. He is Gunter's brother. And I do feel bad for not making more of an effort."

Jerry scoffed. "Don't. You can totally see why Gunter doesn't like him." The cat contemplated sharing Gerhardt's opinion of the sheep but thought better of it. "He still sees Gunter as a little kid who needs to be protected."

"That's ridiculous. Gunter is my age," Eddie laughed. "Well, you're a good sport to put up with him on our behalf. Where are you going to take him?"

"Well, Fisherman's Wharf. The chocolate shop on fifth, you know the really gourmet one. Then the vineyard at the edge of the city. That seems up his alley. We'll hit the Farmer's Market, and while we're there we might as well stop in on the food truck. Alphonso makes the best rainbow sorbet," Jerry considered what else they could do. "I'm going to try and occupy him the whole day. Do you need anything while we're out?"

Eddie shook his head. "Not that I can think of. You just try to have a good time." He wondered about Jerry at times. He knew that Jerry wasn't completely satisfied with their situation. He could understand why. He just wished that he could help him somehow.

"I'll try," the feline promised. "What do you think you guys are going to do today?"

"We were thinking about going with Rosita to look at a few locations for the school," Eddie said. "She wants to see them up close and rule out any obvious no's before we visit as a crew."

"That makes sense," Jerry replied. "Oh, I gotta go. I promised I'd meet him at 7." He ran out, just barely avoiding Gunter. "Sorry, Gunter, I'm late, I'm late!" He explained and kept running.

The hog chuckled as he watched the cat run off. "He can be so adorable. Where was he running off to so lickety-split like?"

"Jerry is doing us the great favor of occupying your brother for the day," Eddie explained. "To keep him away from us and Sarah too."

Gunter poured a cup of coffee as he thought of Jerry spending time with his traitorous sibling. "I guess that's thoughtful of him. After last night, I don't want him around Sarah. At least not for a while. Maybe if he has to keep his distance for a few days, he'll learn to respect boundaries."

Eddie nodded. "That is the hope. We should get ready to meet Rosita." He said. "We can get breakfast on the way. Miss. Crawly said she'd look after Sarah while we're gone. She'd be bored."

Gunter chuckled. "Are you sure? Looking around abandoned buildings is all kinds of fun. Especially imagining the sort of things that might have happened. The sorts of people who once lived or worked or studied in that place."

The sheep bit his lip. "I don't know. It might not be safe. We're talking abandoned, likely dilapidated and condemned buildings. There could be rotten floors, crumbling ceilings, hidden nails."

"You have a good point. I just don't want her stuck at home all day," Gunter said. "I'll ask Norman if Sarah can hang out with them." He picked up his phone and sent off a text while Eddie filled their travel mugs with coffee.

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The penguin butler poured coffee for both Rosita and Norman before pouring his own cup. Rosita was packing up her purse when he offered her the thick-walled white mug with the photo of her beloved children.

"Thank you Hobbes," she said as she reviewed the addresses. "You're so kind."

He nodded. "It's my pleasure, ma'am."

Norman came into the kitchen where he found his full mug. "So, which buildings are you going to see today?"

"The three in the city, figure it's best to check them out first and see what all they would need to get them operable," she said. "Are you helping Hobbes with the kids today?"

He shook his head. "Eddie asked me to find his father. To make sure he's alright. He's worried about him."

The sow smiled. "That's sweet of you, honey. Thank you. If you find him, call me and let me know."

He hugged her. "I just hope his concern is worth it. I hope this isn't some trick he's pulling. He's taken advantage of Eddie's kind heart too many times," the boar said.

She nodded. "I know." She hugged him back. "I'll send pictures." She promised, kissing his cheek just as his phone dinged.

He looked at the text and looked over at Hobbes. "Gunter wants to know if you'd mind having an extra child to look after. He doesn't want Sarah at home all day." Another ding. "He says Miss. Crawly is more than willing to assist."

Hobbes chuckled. "That's no problem at all, sir. It's a nice day, perhaps we shall take a jaunt down on the beach and go for a swim."

"Great idea. I'll check in," he said. He had been unsure he could get used to having a butler. He still didn't quite know what he was supposed to do, beyond make sure the penguin was paid and had everything he needed. He put on his jacket and addressed his eldest child. "Leo, I expect you and your siblings to behave. Understand?"

The piglet nodded. "Yeah, Dad. We'll be good." He promised. "Where are you going?"

"I told your big brother that I'd do him a favor. Wish me luck," he said before he went out to the garage.

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"Glenn," Marcus began as the dog and Porsha got ready to go. "You know, I told you, you and your sister are welcome here."

He nodded. "I know, sir and I appreciate it. But… sir, Airlia and I have to get started eventually. Today, Porsha and I are just taking a look at the place. A closer look. She's going to help me decorate it." The canine smiled at his girlfriend.

The gorilla sat down with his coffee and his paper. "As long as you know that you are welcome to stay." He repeated.

"And that's very kind of you," Glenn said.

Porsha looked at Nooshy. "Want to come with us?"

The lynx nodded. "Sure, sounds like fun. Airlia? Want to come with us or hang out with Big Daddy and Big Mama?"

Suki smiled. "I was thinking it's time to get the twins some more clothes. They're growing so fast. You could always come with me. I'm sure you need new clothes too." She said to the little girl.

The golden retriever's eyes lit up at the idea. "I love going shopping! Can I help pick out the baby clothes?" She asked.

Suki giggled and nodded. "Sounds good to me. I could use some fashion advice," she teased.

Marcus chuckled. "Well, that leaves me here all alone." He teased his wife.

She smiled. "You could always join us. We could always use a big, strong, hulking, alpha male to help carry packages."

He thought about it. "Not a bad idea. Alright. I'll go get dressed." He kissed her cheek.

Suki looked at Glenn. "You don't mind if I buy her some clothes, do you? To get her started. If you give me your size, I can get you some things too.

Glenn shook his head. "If you want to, who am I to deny you?" He couldn't say no when his sister looked so excited but they were just being nice and trying to help.

Porsha thought of something. "Big Mama, can I help you get the twins ready to go out before we all leave?"

"Thank you, Porsha, I'd appreciate that," Suki nodded and led the way towards the nursery.

While they tag-teamed changing and dressing Luke and Rosamond, Porsha asked Suki, "I'd like to get Glenn a gift. A new keyboard. His is at his old home and he doesn't want to go back there. Can you find one? The best, most professional model on the market. You have my card."

The woman laughed. "Of course. I'll even get it giftwrapped."

Porsha nodded. "Thanks. Hey there Lukie, are you ready for a walk around the mall?" She picked up her baby brother.

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After Eddie and Gunter picked up Rosita, they drove out to the closest of the closest 3 locations first. She looked around the city entrance and sighed. "It's lovely but…"

Eddie nodded. "Too small for what we need. I'm thinking we need to plan to have boarding students and maybe even… We could give a home to children with no home. A family to those with no family."

Gunter's face lit up. "I think that would be great!"

Rosita nodded. "Yes, that's what we need. Buster… he would love that." She wiped her eyes.

"Mama?" Eddie asked, "are you alright?" He was doing his best to resist the urge to cry too.

She forced a smile and nodded. "Yes, I'm really trying not… not to…." Both men hugged her gently. She could see their own eyes were shining when they pulled apart. "Come on, now…. He wouldn't want us to keep feeling sad over him." She took a deep breath. "What if… what do you think of the Buster Moon Memorial Academy?"

They both smiled through the pain. Eddie nodded. "I love that."

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Ryan put two scoops of the new formula powder into a clean bottle and mixed in the warm water according to the instructions. Johnny read the cylindrical container. "So Suki recommended this?"

The tiger nodded as he shook the bottle to make sure the formula was all dissolved and mixed well. "Yeah, Noelle seems to have a sensitive tummy. She took it last night, no problem. And we only had to get up twice with her."

Johnny whistled. "Wow. I'll admit, it was really helpful of her." He said, taking the bottle to feed his daughter. She drank hungrily. "You do like this, don't you. Dr. Petersen will be able to tell us more about this sensitive tummy problem." He smiled down at her. "Wow!" He realized she had stopped and half the bottle was already gone. "You literally inhaled that." He propped her up on his shoulder and began patting her back.

Suddenly, Neo came running out of his bedroom excited. "Aunt Nooshy's here!" He cried out. "I saw her outside." He ran out the door to the amusement of his fathers.

Ryan chuckled. "Forgot to tell you, John-John, your sisters and Glenn were coming to look at his apartment. Nooshy texted me to make sure it'd be alright to pop in on us too. I said sure."

The gorilla laughed. "It's interesting. I remember meeting her. Watching her dance in the plaza to make money just to eat." He smiled but a few moments later his face fell and his husband wrapped his arms around him. "It's almost been a year. It doesn't feel like it…"

Johnny started to cry softly and Ryan took Noelle, putting her in her bouncer before holding him again, letting him grieve. They didn't even hear the door open. Neo started to announce their arrival.

Quickly, Nooshy covered the boy's mouth and motioned for him to come with them. "Why was Dad crying?"

Nooshy looked at Porsha who was leaning against Glenn. "You guys go ahead, I got this…" She turned back to Neo. "I'm pretty sure they were thinking about Mr. Moon. He meant a lot to us, especially to Johnny. Have they told you about him? At all?"

Neo nodded. "A little. We saw it on the news last year. Ms. Treble always watched the evening news after dinner and we were playing a game in front of the tv. Mr. Moon was always really nice when Ms. Treble took us to see the shows. Dad tells me stories about Mr. Moon sometimes too. Is there anything I can do?"

Nooshy smiled. "Just be there. Lots of hugs and lots of love and time is the only cure." She told him gently. "Come on, let's go see Glenn's new apartment."

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Ryan held Johnny close, rubbing his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. "I'm sorry. I thought it wouldn't still hurt so much but… then every time something great happens, I want to tell Mr. Moon. When we adopted Neo, I kept thinking that Mr. Moon still needs to meet him… but then I remember and it feels like… like it was just yesterday but… it was a year ago. How did a whole year just go by. Without him?"

The tiger could only continue to hold him. "It's okay, my Johnny. You can cry as much as you need to. I only wish that there was some way I could fix this… some way that I could make this easier." He said softly. "I wish… I wish I could have known him like you did."

Suddenly Noelle cooed loudly, earning amused looks from her fathers. Johnny smiled through the tears and picked his baby back up into his arms. "What? Are we not paying enough attention to you, little princess." He cuddled her. "Thank you," he told his husband. "For your comfort and your patience."

Ryan smiled. "Come on, let's go find our son and your sisters." He looked out the window. "Hey, Norman is here too. He's down at the theater." He opened the window. "Hey Norm!" He waved.

Norman looked up from the street and waved back. "Good morning boys!" He smiled up at them. He turned back to the theater. He had tried calling information to get Frederick Noodleman's number but they couldn't find one for him. Neither could they give him an address. All he could think to do now was to search the area around the theater. The sheep would have had to be walking distance from the theater. He didn't think he had a vehicle any longer.

So he started by looking down the alleyway to the right of the City Store which the theater was attached to. His search took him all the way to the Canal Promenade. He saw a pop-up food cart with an otter selling coffee. "Excuse me, this is going to sound like a really weird question. Have you seen a white Suffolk sheep anywhere around here?"

The otter thought about it. "You know I have. There's a guy living under the bridge there. He keeps to himself though."

Norman nodded. "Hmmm, can I get two large, hot black coffees please?"

A few minutes later, he took the coffees

and went to the bridge. There was a pathway going just underneath. He saw a tent and smelled the burning of a fire. "Mr. Noodleman?" He called out. He heard a groan and someone sat up inside the tent, peeking out. The white head fleece was matted and Norman could smell the stench from a distance. He could see why Eddie was concerned.

"Mr. Suarez?" The ram asked, bewildered.

Norman shook his head. "Come on, first things first. Let's get you somewhere warm. You can take a bath and I have some things that might fit you." He should have asked his wife but he couldn't leave the man like this.

Frederick regarded him for a few moments before sighing. He got up out of the tent and doused the fire before letting the pig lead him back to his car. He could only wonder how long it had been since he'd had a bath.

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Jerry practically ran the whole way to the hotel, which was a feat for the short, round cat. By the time he reached the tropical floral courtyard of the Calatonia Marriott, he was doubled over panting for breath.

Gerhardt chuckled. "Oh you goofy kitty, you did not need to run. I am in no hurry." He helped him up and offered him a bottle of water from the vending machine.

Jerry drank the water. "Sorry, I was late. I was lost in my morning coffee."

He waved off the apology. "We are not on a schedule. I am vacationing. Show me the city."

"Alright…" he pulled out a tour guide. "Let's start with the Sea Lion's House for breakfast. It's owned by this lovely sea lion couple down by the wharf. I'm hungry."

"Och, ja, I was hoping breakfast was first. I will buy," the hog promised, smiling at the feline. "Lead the way."

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Back at the mansion, Norman found a set of clothes that the sheep had forgotten in the chaos surrounding their eviction. While their guest used their shower to get cleaned up, he heated up a jar of chicken soup.

Hobbes and Miss. Crawly were still at the beach with the children. He could see them from the living room window. He waved at Caspar who had come up to the blanket to drink his juice box.

Hearing footsteps, he turned. "Come and eat. You look hungry."

"Why are you doing this?" Frederick asked.

He shrugged. "Because as a father, I have a duty to model the behavior I want to see in my children. And I want my kids to grow up to be compassionate and forgiving. Like my eldest son. Maybe you've met him. Goes by Eddie." He sighed. "Now eat. Then we'll talk and think about next steps. I need to go call Rosita."

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"So that last one had promise," Rosita said as they stood in line at the coffee shop. "It would just need a minimal amount of work. 115,000 square feet."

Eddie nodded. "It was beautiful. It's definitely on the revisit list." He agreed.

"Now the next place is 235,000 square feet," Gunter said. "And it's about an hour away… according to GPS."

Rosita nodded. "We'll probably make that our last one for the day." She said as her phone rang. "Hey honey. Oh, no, we're just taking a coffee break. We've already seen two locations. How are you doing? What? You found him? Oh my goodness. No, no, of course not. For now, we'll let him stay in our guest room. Treating the immediate problem is the first step. We'll talk about the next steps when we get home. I'll let him know. Thanks for calling, honey. See you tonight." She hung up. "Eddie, Norman found your father. He's at the house now."

The polled sheep felt himself holding his breath. "Is he alright?"

"You were right to be concerned. He was living in a tent under a bridge," she explained. "Norman gave him some clothes and food."

Eddie sighed. "I appreciate him doing that. Thank you for letting him stay with you guys. Especially with what he did to us. To you."

Rosita hugged him. "This is what parents do, Eddie. We'll do everything we can for him." She promised. "Oh, it's our turn." She stepped up to the counter to order their coffees.

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With his wife's blessing, Norman returned to their guest. Mr. Noodleman was still eating the plate of spaghetti and meatballs, eating very fast.

"Slow down, you'll make yourself sick or you could choke," he said as he sat down,

The sheep slowed down. "I still don't understand. I've done nothing to deserve your kindness."

"That's why it's called mercy," Norman explained. "I cannot allow anyone to suffer like this and not try to help. What happened?"

He groaned. "Well, my lawyer got me off and they let me go as long as I agreed not to bother Eddie again. But my company folded of course. Mother sold it. She owned it naturally… and I can't find a job because I have zero marketable skills or experience." He sighed. "I failed… Simply put, I failed. I failed my mother, I failed my wife, I failed my son. I'm an absolutely worthless excuse of a man. I've hit rock bottom." Before he could stop himself, he began crying. "I've lost everything…" Norman could only put a hand on the ram's shoulder as he wept. "I was a… a horrible father… and my mother hated me so much, she didn't even want me to know she died. I mean, I know why. She was afraid I'd fight it when she left Eddie everything."

The boar nodded quietly. "As much as I don't like what you did to Eddie… I am sorry that we didn't tell you."

He shook his head, holding his hands in front of his face as if praying. "No, don't be. You were only doing what she asked. I'm sorry that I let myself get so wrapped up in money and inheritances. I don't care about her money. I just want my mom back. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Norman felt himself getting emotional. He knew what he was talking about. "Your mother was quite a woman. A fierce warrior in every sense of the word. You were lucky to have a mother like her. In many ways, she became a mother to me and my wife."

He nodded. "Thank you… for being there for her. At the end. At least, I know, she was surrounded by people who really loved her. I'm sorry for implying you were all gold diggers. I'm sorry… for everything I've done. If I could take it all back, I would." He sat there in quiet, unable to think of anything else to say. And Norman realized that he believed him. This was a truly broken and humbled man, brought to his knees by the things he'd done wrong. He could only wonder what it meant.

AN: I am so sorry this took so long. But it's super long so hope that makes up for it. Btw, saw an awesome movie. Courageous. If you haven't seen it, you need to! Please review.