"This was a stupid idea," Greg grumbled to James as they got dressed, "who the hell buys a puppy a week before their wedding? We really should've thought about these dates better. But no, we're getting married on Saturday, and the Sunday before we're driving for over four hours each way to Toronto to collect a puppy,"
"You promised the kids, Greg," James sighed, "I tried to say it'd be a bad idea, but you promised them a dog. Hopefully it'll make the transition to them being okay with the idea of us going on our honeymoon a little bit easier. For a week's honeymoon we're trading that for a 15-year commitment, who knows, maybe the dog will be a good friend for Charlie and help Tyson settle down a bit too?"
"I'm so glad that I caught you two, I was worried that you'd still be in bed, I'm going out today, you've got to take the kids with you… don't worry, they've got passports in the kitchen drawer, have fun!" Rob exclaimed, rushing out the door.
"Hey! What do you mean we have to take the kids? We're going to be driving for at least nine hours today, the last thing we need is to be taking two small children on a drive like that! You're supposed to be babysitting them, Rob!" Greg called out, leaning his head against the doorframe.
"I have a date at the bar. You two signed the papers to take on legal guardianship, they're your kids now!" Rob called out.
"What do you mean you're going to the bar now, Rob? It's 9:30!" James yelled out, "if you think we're going to be dealing with your drunken ass and dragging you inside when you're passed out so you don't freeze to death…" James started.
"You'll do it. Because this is still my house," Rob answered, closing the front door.
"Fuck's sake," Greg stomped off to grab the passports for the kids, "I sure as hell hope that we don't get roped into bringing them to our honeymoon. Alright kids! You all dressed and ready?"
"Tyson! Give her back!" Charlie screamed from upstairs, "get off my bed! Daddy! Papa!"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, what is it now?" James ran upstairs and into Charlie's room, "Tyson! How many times do I have to tell you?" James wrestled Tyson off the bed and yanked the Barbie doll out of his hand but not before Tyson ripped off Barbie's head and Charlie screamed at the top of her lungs. James wrangled the head out of Tyson's fist and stuck it back on.
"What the hell is happening up there?" Greg yelled from the bottom of the stairs.
"Your uncle left us with two kids in chaos is what!" James yelled back downstairs, "and Barbie was decapitated! But her head is now reattached…"
Greg stomped upstairs and stood in the doorway of Charlie's room with his arms folded, "quiet!" he shouted, and when the kids continued fighting, "quiet, or I will ring up and cancel the puppy!" which immediately stopped both children and got both Tyson and Charlie's attention, "now, Tyson, apologise to Charlie right this second!" which he did, "we are going to go and collect the newest addition to our family. We are leaving in five minutes. We will be driving all day, we won't be home until after bedtime, you two need to sit nicely in the back, or so help me I will ring up the breeder and cancel this puppy! Papa and I have been dressed and ready for half an hour. How do we Gallaghers treat each other? Do we yell, scream, fight, and break each other's things, or do we love one another? If you continue fighting in the truck I will ring up, cancel the puppy, and nobody will be getting a dog, is that what you want? Now, both of you, stop crying. Tyson, put some goddamn clothes on; we warned you half an hour ago to get dressed and you are still in your jocks and socks! And Charlie, you have to go to the toilet before we leave, okay?" Greg led her away to the bathroom and pulled a disgusted face when he looked in the bowl, "Tyson! How many times have I told you to flush the toilet after you poop?" Greg yelled, flushing it, before monitoring Charlie that she did everything right, and helping her reach the faucet and wash her hands properly. "Now, children of the corn, because that's how you're behaving today, asses down to the truck,"
"Granddad didn't give us breakfast," Charlie added straight after James had strapped her into the car seat, and James wanted to scream.
"We'll get some Burger King or something on the way, it'll be quicker," James stated, "Tyson, put your seatbelt on," James wandered over to Greg, who was carrying a four pack of 16oz Red Bulls and locking the front door, "would we be bad dads if we slipped them both a little bit of Benadryl?" which Greg just laughed.
"God, I can't believe the change in Rob since we signed those guardianship papers," Greg muttered a couple of hours into the drive, glancing behind him to see Charlie was asleep and Tyson had his headphones on playing on his tablet, ensuring neither could hear him and James talking. "Like, he's suddenly decided he's seventeen and not fifty seven. He's going out, getting drunk every night, he's getting stoned all day everyday when he's not at the bar, not helping out at all with the kids, just generally being an ass, he's coming home belligerently and blind drunk and bringing women home nearly every night, ignores the kids… this isn't the things I want the kids exposed to,"
"Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if he might be dealing with alcoholism, maybe he has been for a while, but just kept things down low but now it's impairing his functioning… things have really plummeted since Josie passed away. I don't want my kids being exposed to alcoholism, Greg, I've seen enough of that. The kids are picking up on it now too. I think it's got a lot to do with Tyson's acting out even more lately," James muttered, "my own dad was a serious drunk, and my mother wasn't around much. Obviously it wasn't as bad as you had it, but if I can prevent them from being exposed to it as much as possible…" James muttered, "my dad's alcoholism and how much of an ass he is when he's been drinking is exactly why he's not attending our wedding," James took a deep, shaky sigh, "I know he's your uncle, Greg, and that he was one of your safe people growing up, but he's spiralling. Charlie and Tyson are as much my kids as they are yours… and I'm worried about the effect that this is having on them,"
Greg cracked open his can of Red Bull, "no, I totally agree. Maybe we should start considering saving up for a place of our own. Or getting him a place of his own and helping him out with the rent, a trailer or small flat or apartment or something, the whole reason that we've traded the rest of our lives to become dads to kids we had no legal obligation to take on is so that they won't be exposed to the bad parts of our own childhoods,"
Finally, five hours after having left home, they pulled up to a small acreage on the north side of Toronto, a middle-aged man and woman came out to greet them, "hello!" the man smiled, "you're taking home one of our puppies, aren't you? Have you travelled far?"
"Just from Detroit," James smiled back, holding a sleepy Charlie on his hip, "she is getting way too big to carry around," he mumbled at Greg who nodded.
"Well, we're Jack and Yvette West," the lady reached out and shook the two men's hands.
"We're the Gallaghers," Greg smiled back, holding a restless Tyson by the wrist, "I'm Gregory, this is James, and Charlie, and Tyson. Here to pick up the newest member of our Gallagher family,"
"We've spoken on the phone a few times, nice truck by the way! I love the extra dark green, it's a new model?" Jack added.
James turned around to look at the truck too and join in with the small talk, "yeah, it is, it's last year's model. We got it as a demo with 3500 miles on it, I was driving a 2003 Ford Taurus before that, but it blew its head gasket. That's a 2500 Silverado with a 6.6 litre V8. It gets us where we need to go," he smiled.
"I've been thinking about buying a new truck, what's it like on gas and how is it to drive?" Jack continued.
"Honestly, I don't have much to compare it to, we've got a F-150 Raptor, and a Sequoia SUV as well, but before we moved to Michigan, we both had sedans. It is pretty thirsty however… looking back if it wasn't on clearance, I probably would've gone with a 1500, it can be a pain to park as well if the spots are narrow, but amazingly comfortable to drive," James continued on.
"Daddy, can we go and see our puppy now?" Charlie asked Greg, turning around on James' hip.
"Yes, of course," Yvette smiled, leading them through the massive house and into a back room where there was a play pen full of little Rottweiler puppies, "you don't have any other dogs, specifically male dogs, right?" to which Greg shook his head, "sorry I forgot, we get a lot of enquiries and it's always better to be safe than sorry to make sure we don't pair dogs in homes where there's another dog, especially big dogs, of the same gender," to which Greg nodded understandably. "We thought that this little guy, Mr. Black, might be a good fit for your family, he's great with our kids and nieces and nephews who are about the same age as your two, very placid and gentle," Yvette picked up the largest of the puppies with a black ribbon around his neck to indicate he was 'Mr. Black'. "They've just been at the vets for their first lot of shots and a vet check-up, he's perfectly healthy, and you can always contact us at any time for any advice or support,"
"He's beautiful," Greg smiled, gently holding the puppy, "Tyson, Charlie, do you want to pat the new puppy?" Greg held the dog gently, "just be gentle, don't scare him," he warned.
"Have you thought about a name?" Yvette smiled.
"Barbie!" Charlie cried out.
"No, Deadpool!" Tyson argued back.
"Neither of those," James laughed, "we're not 100% certain yet,"
"You're from Detroit, you could name him something Motown-esque, something like Henry for Henry Ford or something," Jack smiled.
"Not Henry," Greg added, "but thanks for the suggestion, we might go with something Detroit inspired. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that we both follow you on Facebook and are in the Facebook group, so we'll definitely keep you updated," and before too long they were back in the truck, with James cradling the puppy on his lap.
"Far out, I'm exhausted," Greg rubbed his eyes as he was driving an hour and a half into the trip back, at least the kids are behaving and not fighting "do you think you could drive for a bit James?" and once they'd switched places at the next gas station, James had taken the kids in to use the bathroom and Greg had refilled the truck, leashed the new puppy and walked around with him to do his business as well, the four of them continued along their way, Greg rested back with the puppy on his lap.
"Mom's going to be coming back for the wedding," Greg reminded James, "maybe we should postpone the honeymoon until everything starts settling down at home with Rob and everything, once he starts calming down and drinking less, that he'll stop trying to bring his drinking buddies around the house. Especially once we're not there to kick them out when he brings them inside. I worry about the kids, you know?"
"I know you do, so do I, I know that he knows these men, but we as sure don't. Can I be honest with you, Greg? I don't think that he will. I think that he's spiralling, he's going to keep spiralling, keep pushing everyone who tries to help away, keep slashing at anyone who tries to point out that there's a problem there until no one tries to help anymore, until he's dead," James admitted and Greg nodded solemnly, "I think we should keep the honeymoon short and sweet, and do it while your mom is in town and can look after the kids. Otherwise, we're never going to get any honeymoon,"
"Maybe we get rid of the honeymoon idea in New York and just have it in Detroit, stay in a hotel for a couple of days. Maybe down the line we can use the extra honeymoon money and take the kids and unnamed puppy project to somewhere kid friendly, I don't know, Mackinaw or something," Greg added, sighing.
By the time they arrived home, it was about 10pm and both kids and the puppy were fast asleep, Greg got out of the car cradling the puppy and opened the back door, "Ty, come on buddy, we're home, let's get you up to bed," as Tyson sleepily undid his seatbelt and climbed out, and James opened the other back door, unclipped Charlie and lifted her up, trying to balance her without waking her up. Greg opened the door, Tyson sleepily walked in, "go upstairs and brush your teeth and go to bed, buddy," as James carried Charlie upstairs.
"Rob isn't back," James acknowledged once he came back downstairs, "I don't know where he is. He could've at least texted to say that he wasn't coming home. Bring the puppy downstairs with us and we'll lock the front door,"
"What if he forgets to lock the door behind him again and Charlie gets out into the street? She sees an open door and bolts," Greg countered, "maybe one of us should stay awake in case he comes back so we can make sure that he locks the door behind himself when… if he comes back,"
"Screw that, I'm just going to latch the security door and put the deadbolt and chain on the main door. It's past 10pm, we've been driving all day and need to get some sleep, your mom is coming in a few days, and we still have last minute wedding planning to do. Plus we need to keep ourselves well rested for our super romantic two night, one day honeymoon in a hotel in the city we live," James frowned, as he clicked the security door and closed the main door, shutting and locking the chain and deadbolt locks on top of the main lock, "it's been a long day, let's go to bed, baby,"
"Are you too tired for a bit of fun before bed?" Greg grinned, slapping James on the ass as they walked downstairs, and James grinned back at Greg who was placing the puppy in Charlie's old play pen they'd set up and lined the floor within it with newspaper.
"You know I'm never too tired for that," James grinned back.