Page 44 of Their Perfect Daddy
DANNY
T he bell above the door chimes. “Good morning! Welcome to —”
My words vanish as I spot the two people who just walked in. I haven’t seen them in nearly a year, but I’d recognize Jenkins and Tania Hammond anywhere.
“I told you we should have called the boy. Now look at him. He’s in shock,” Dad says, his accent thick as ever.
Mom grunts and gently elbows him. “He’s fine. I think it’s sweet we can still surprise our son. Makes me feel young.”
“I can make you feel young.”
“Dad! Mom! You’re here,” I blurt out, hopeful to purge the image of what was being suggested in front of me. While I understand sex is a normal part of life and procreation, I’d rather not picture these two doing it. Some things should never be shared between parent and child.
Rushing around the counter, I jog straight into my mom’s open arms. She squeezes me tight, planting a big kiss at the crown of my head. Next, Dad pulls me into a back slapping type of hug. He laughs, then holds my shoulders and pushes me back.
“Let me get a look at you,” he declares.
I stand still letting him take me all in. Nothing has really changed in my physical appearance over the last year. I’m still shorter than most, and my curls remain as unruly as ever.
The biggest difference in my life is one they can’t see.
Speaking of which, I wonder if I should give them a heads up. Neither of them needs to worry. I have the most laid-back parents of the three of us. If it wasn’t obvious from the fact they travel around the globe most of the year, then it will be the second they meet them.
“What are you doing for lunch? We want to spend some time with you before we get back on the road next month.” Mom’s question pulls me from my introspective thoughts.
I shrug. “To be honest, I’d thought of taking a half day. Most of what I need to do can be done remotely from home. I’d much rather be there than keep the shop open when it’s been so dead.”
“Sounds like an excellent plan, then. Will your boss approve this?”
At Dad’s question, I smirk. “Since I am the boss — well, half of it anyway — I say it’s fine.”
“You? You’re the boss?” Mom asks, her voice climbing higher with her joy.
“Yes ma’am. Micah offered me a better position in the company recently. He said I’d earned it with all the hard work I’ve put in through the years.”
“Damn right you did, son.” Dad claps his hands together. The pride and belief he has in me is very reassuring.
I tell them to wait by the door while I shut everything down and text Micah to give him an update. He’s home today with Jett since his boy wasn’t feeling well. I suspect it’s allergies, though you’d think it was an incurable disease with the way Micah has acted.
Danny:
Going to shut things down early. Parents are back in town.
Micah:
Sounds good. I figured it would be slow today anyway. Have fun and say hi for me.
Danny:
I’ll do that! Sending good vibes to you and Jett. Is he any better?’
Micah:
*attaches photo of a sleeping Jett*
Micah:
He passed out after I gave him some medicine. If he’s not better by tomorrow, then we’re going to Urgent Care. I’m not letting him suffer.
Danny:
Whatever you think is best. You don’t worry about coming in until he’s good.
Micah:
I think that’s a great idea. Also, I wanted to talk to you about the office space. TLDR: I want to give Monty a space to work in sometimes when he’s doing Bellport Beginnings stuff. We don’t stay busy enough to justify the storefront since so much of our work is word of mouth, you know?
Danny:
Yep. Been thinking about it for a while now. Didn’t know how to bring it up.
Micah:
Neither did I. Back to the point though — will you be ok with Monty around sometimes? I know you’re together. I don’t want either of you distracted.
Danny:
It’ll be fine.
Micah:
So convincing. *Eyeroll emoji*
Micah:
Go do parent stuff. We can chat more about this tomorrow.
Danny:
True! BYE!
I shove my phone in my pocket before closing all the programs on the computer and shutting off the lights. After flipping the door sign and locking things up tight, I turn to my folks.
“I’ll ride with y’all. I didn’t drive this morning.”
Neither seem fazed by the news. I’m thankful, though the feeling only lasts a few minutes because I have to instruct my dad on which way to drive.
“Did you move, son? I seem to remember us driving in a different direction last time.”
“I did move. You’ll see when we get there.” I take the lapse in questioning to shoot off a text to Skye.
Princess:
Parents are in town. We’re almost to the house. Please be dressed.
Daddy:
Glad you texted since we were naked and fucking on the couch.
I splutter at the words on my screen. Daddy is never this forthcoming. It’s as if he’s someone else entirely.
Daddy:
As you might have guessed, that wasn’t me, Princess. Our brat decided to be funny for a moment. No worries. We’re both dressed. I’ve just finished making lunch. There's enough to share.
A sigh slips out at the news. It makes sense Monty would joke around. He’s all about ruffling feathers where he can.
I don’t reply anything else because I have to focus on making sure we get to the house in one piece. Not because my dad is a bad driver or anything. It’s really because he’s taking forever to get us there with the interrogation he’s launched.
Surprisingly, Mom doesn’t join in. I think it’s because she enjoys watching his mind work. Or maybe she’s got too many theories to voice. The woman does love a good puzzle.
“Turn down this drive,” I tell Dad once we reach the house.
He does so carefully, like he’s worried this is a prank. I shake my head at his antics. As soon as he parks, I climb from the back and move to open Mom’s door. She beams at me, saying, “How sweet of you!”
Dad gives me a hard stare over the door. I only smile back since I know it'll get under his skin more than any words I say could.
“Son, I don’t mean to pry,” Mom starts as we approach the front door. “But how can you afford a place this big? It’s got to be worth a lot more than you’re making at the boutique. I’m sorry if that offends you.”
“Not offended at all, Mom. It’s a valid question. I think it will all make sense once we’re inside.”
I key the code into the door, then push it open once it unlocks. Slipping my shoes off, I wait as my parents do the same. It’s not a hard and fast rule of the house. I just know it'll help them feel more at home to take away the formal layer.
“Honeys! I’m home!” I shout for dramatic effect.
“In the kitchen!”
The sound of Monty’s voice has my parents giving me curious looks. I don’t say anything to give them hints at what we’re walking in to. It’s more fun this way.
As we step into the kitchen area, Monty bounces over to me. He places an arm around my waist and then holds the other out to my mom.
“Pleasure to meet you both. I’m Monty.”
Mom giggles at the wide smile he throws her way. “Nice to meet you, Monty.”
He shakes her hand before moving to Dad. The man who raised me grunts at the exchange, though his lip quirks slightly at the corner. He won’t be able to hold the facade for long. I think Monty senses it too because he presses a kiss to the side of my head before moving back around the counter.
“Skye is just washing up. He was a bit messy from all the flour,” Monty tells us.
As if he heard himself being mentioned, my other partner strides into the room. His eyes light up when he sees me. In a flash he’s on me, his forehead pressing to mine as he wraps me in a hug.
“Glad you’re home early,” he tells me before turning to my parents. “And it’s a pleasure to have you both here. You’ve raised a fine young man. We’re lucky to call him ours.”
It’s then the reality of it all hits my parents. Their jaws drop at his words.
“We’re?” Dad asks.
I smile and nod. “Yes sir. Skye and Monty are both mine.”
“Oh, right. Where are my manners? I’m Skye Gellar. The one over there is Monty Tempest, in case he didn’t introduce himself. He’s been known to forget.”
Monty crows. “It was one time!”
The annoyed tone he uses makes me laugh. “Still counts.”
My parents watch us as if we’re a tennis match, their gazes bouncing from person to person. I can’t tell if they’re upset by the news or if it’s really only about the surprise of it all.
“The food is ready. We should eat.” Skye’s words manage to get them moving, though they still don’t speak.
Only once we’re all seated and have taken a few bites do they come out of their trance. Dad is the first to speak up.
“I think you might want to go back to the beginning. We’ve been gone a while, but I didn’t think it was that long. You weren’t dating anyone last time we came through.”
“Correct,” I tell him as I clean my mouth. “And this, while it seems sudden to y’all, is really not. We’ve been heading in this direction for ages.”
Monty raises his hand. Mom smiles at him, nodding for him to say his piece.
“To be honest with you both, I was mad about Danny from the minute I met him. He works with my brother Micah. When they came to one of my games, I near about swallowed my tongue. And after I got to know him, I sent up every wish to the universe hoping he’d be mine. ”
“Isn’t that the sweetest thing,” Mom coos, her eyes filling with tears.
Skye clears his throat. “My feelings are much the same. When I saw Danny at the Christmas party the Bellport family threw, I knew I had to speak with him. Within minutes, I’d decided to pursue him.
Then Monty showed up and it was as if everything finally made sense.
We’ve navigated all sorts of challenges, yet nothing has kept us apart.
Nothing aside from physical distance for a bit there. ”
“Whatever the journey, I’m glad to see our son is in good hands,” Dad tells him.
I nearly burst into laughter at the double meaning. He has no clue how good Skye’s hands truly are. They’re worth millions at this point.
“I do have one important question.” Mom raises her spoon and twirls it around. ”Can I get the recipe for this soup? I need more of this once we’re on the road again.”
Skye immediately pulls out his phone and offers to send it to her. While they chat, Monty jumps in to explain how he helped cook too.
Dad takes their distraction as the opportunity to lean over and whisper to me. ”Maybe we ought to slow down the travel. It would be good to have a home base again. Bellport isn’t a bad place to be.”
“But you both love to travel.”
“Yes, but we also love you. And knowing you’re starting relationships and moving without us knowing hits hard. I want to be around for the big moments in your life. We can still vacation as we want. This way, it will be for shorter spurts.”
I shake my head. “Mom is going to want — ”
“Mom is going to want to get to know these two better,” she says, interrupting me. “And I can’t do that when I’m halfway across the country. Consider us moved back. We just need to find a place and that’s that.”
“I’ve got a place you can stay. Since we’ve all but moved in here, it’s just sitting unused.” Skye’s offer has the conversation shifting to the amenities he has and what the rates are.
Sitting back in my seat, I take in the scene around me. It might seem chaotic to some. For me, it’s the best kind of connection. I’m surrounded by the people who love me the most.