muse_shuffle - April Disc Two, Track Four
(Set last week, before Frankie and Anna meet.)
I don’t get many things right the first time//In fact, I am told that a lot//Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls//Brought me here [‘The Luckiest’ - Ben Folds]
"I look stupid."
Randall looked at Frankie and smiled, then grabbed a comb and started to pull it through Frankie's hair. "Nah, you look handsome."
"We're just going out for pizza. Why can't I wear my regular clothes?"
"Because, kiddo, when you take a woman to lunch you make yourself presentable no matter where you're going. It's called manners."
Frankie wriggled away from Randall so he could look in the bathroom mirror. He was wearing a blue button down t-shirt with a pair of clean jeans. And now his mop of dark hair was brushed flat against his head. He frowned. "I don't like my hair like this." Randall grinned and handed Frankie his toothbrush.
"Brush your teeth."
Frankie did as he was told while Randall ran a brush through his own hair. Frankie set his toothbrush down and wiped his face on a towel, before tilting his head up at Randall. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Randall sighed and looked back at Frankie. "She is."
The boy frowned and backed up to sit on the closed toilet. "Okay," he said quietly.
"Frankie," Randall sighed and moved to sit on the edge of the tub, facing Frankie.
"You and Mom aren't getting back together, are you?" He looked down at his hands.
"Is that what you thought would happen?"
He shrugged. "Mom said we were leaving Peter. And you said you were going to take care of us."
"I am," Randall nodded. "But...it's not going to be like it used to be. It can't."
"Why not?" Frankie looked up at him with big eyes. "You're supposed to live with us and be my dad."
Randall reached a hand out and rested it to Frankie's neck, leaning in to look him in the eye. "I am going to be your dad. No matter what anyone says. It's just...Mom and I aren't in love anymore. It wouldn't be fair to any of us if we all pretended."
"What if she decides to be with Peter again?"
"She won't. We won't let her, okay? We're her family and we'll make sure she remembers that she should be happy."
Frankie nodded slowly and looked down again. "I want her to be happy."
"Me too."
They sat together quietly for awhile and then Frankie looked up at Randall again. "If you're not in love with Mom anymore...are you in love with your girlfriend?"
The question took Randall by surprise and he brought his hand back into his lap. "Yeah," he said softly. "I think I am."
"So you'll be happy, too?"
"Absolutely." Randall nodded. "I'm happy. And I'm that much happier now that you're back in the city. Where you belong. Nothing's going to change between us. Ever."
"Promise?"
"I swear."
Frankie jumped from his seat and wrapped his arms around Randall's neck. Randall sighed and hugged his boy tightly. He held onto Frankie for a bit, then kissed the top of his head and patted his arm.
"Still want to meet Anna?"
Frankie thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I think that'd be cool," he said softly.
"Good." Randall stood up and guided Frankie from the bathroom to the living room so they could get their shoes on. "She really wants to meet you, you know."
"Really?" Frankie's eyes lit up a bit as he looked up.
"Yup."
"Oh." Frankie nodded, then concentrated on tying his shoes. A smile was spread across his lips. "Cool."
571
I don’t get many things right the first time//In fact, I am told that a lot//Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls//Brought me here [‘The Luckiest’ - Ben Folds]
"I look stupid."
Randall looked at Frankie and smiled, then grabbed a comb and started to pull it through Frankie's hair. "Nah, you look handsome."
"We're just going out for pizza. Why can't I wear my regular clothes?"
"Because, kiddo, when you take a woman to lunch you make yourself presentable no matter where you're going. It's called manners."
Frankie wriggled away from Randall so he could look in the bathroom mirror. He was wearing a blue button down t-shirt with a pair of clean jeans. And now his mop of dark hair was brushed flat against his head. He frowned. "I don't like my hair like this." Randall grinned and handed Frankie his toothbrush.
"Brush your teeth."
Frankie did as he was told while Randall ran a brush through his own hair. Frankie set his toothbrush down and wiped his face on a towel, before tilting his head up at Randall. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Randall sighed and looked back at Frankie. "She is."
The boy frowned and backed up to sit on the closed toilet. "Okay," he said quietly.
"Frankie," Randall sighed and moved to sit on the edge of the tub, facing Frankie.
"You and Mom aren't getting back together, are you?" He looked down at his hands.
"Is that what you thought would happen?"
He shrugged. "Mom said we were leaving Peter. And you said you were going to take care of us."
"I am," Randall nodded. "But...it's not going to be like it used to be. It can't."
"Why not?" Frankie looked up at him with big eyes. "You're supposed to live with us and be my dad."
Randall reached a hand out and rested it to Frankie's neck, leaning in to look him in the eye. "I am going to be your dad. No matter what anyone says. It's just...Mom and I aren't in love anymore. It wouldn't be fair to any of us if we all pretended."
"What if she decides to be with Peter again?"
"She won't. We won't let her, okay? We're her family and we'll make sure she remembers that she should be happy."
Frankie nodded slowly and looked down again. "I want her to be happy."
"Me too."
They sat together quietly for awhile and then Frankie looked up at Randall again. "If you're not in love with Mom anymore...are you in love with your girlfriend?"
The question took Randall by surprise and he brought his hand back into his lap. "Yeah," he said softly. "I think I am."
"So you'll be happy, too?"
"Absolutely." Randall nodded. "I'm happy. And I'm that much happier now that you're back in the city. Where you belong. Nothing's going to change between us. Ever."
"Promise?"
"I swear."
Frankie jumped from his seat and wrapped his arms around Randall's neck. Randall sighed and hugged his boy tightly. He held onto Frankie for a bit, then kissed the top of his head and patted his arm.
"Still want to meet Anna?"
Frankie thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I think that'd be cool," he said softly.
"Good." Randall stood up and guided Frankie from the bathroom to the living room so they could get their shoes on. "She really wants to meet you, you know."
"Really?" Frankie's eyes lit up a bit as he looked up.
"Yup."
"Oh." Frankie nodded, then concentrated on tying his shoes. A smile was spread across his lips. "Cool."
571