"I helped with that!" Austin chimes in. "Being the cool boss and all." Orion and I laugh at how proud he sounds of that statement. The sound carries down the street.
The restaurant next door isn't too busy at this time of the day. Part of it is an outdoor patio that plays music just loud enough to hear from the sidewalk.
"Are you going to invite him to the playdate? Remi says it's okay if you want to. They like Brandt. We sent a follow up text from the meeting and he responded with interest."
"Oh, I forgot about that. I'll have to ask him. It's at Garrett's, right?"
"Yep!" I don't have to look over at him to see that Orion is excited to be the one hosting the playdate this time. "We cleaned the whole playroom and have extra blankets and everything for anyone who wants to stay the night. Riley sleeps with me, though." Orion adds that last bit like he's calling dibs on his and Garrett's dog.
"That's okay, I have Sir Fluffikins now." I see a car turn onto the street and we all stop talking to see if it's one of their Daddies. It's not and the person turns into the parking lot on the far side of the restaurant. "He's Daddy's orange cat. He's the cutest."
"I want a pet," Austin says. "I keep asking Daddy, but he hasn't said yes yet."
"I can see if we can bring Fluff to the playdate?" I offer. I'm not sure how Riley will do with another pet in the house or if Fluff is okay around dogs, but I can ask.
"I'll ask if it's okay," Orion says. "I love kitty cats."
Another car pulls onto the street and Orion cheers when he realizes it's Garrett. Austin groans, but makes a note in hisphone. "Fine. You get to leave any day next week half an hour early for winning."
"I'll take Friday!" Orion says without a beat. It makes me laugh. When Garrett stops, Orion wastes no time to jump into the passenger seat. "Daddy, can Ty bring his kitty to the playdate? Pretty please?"
I can see Garrett lean forward and look between Austin and myself. Garrett is kind of intimidating when you first meet him, but he's one of the best Daddies. He plays with us during playdates and has all the fun ideas to get messy, like with Orion's birthday party. That was fun.
"Tyler, is the cat friendly?"
"He's friendly with me, but I'll make sure to ask Brandt if it's okay first."
"If he says it's fine, then I don't have a problem with it. Riley is good with other animals."
All three of us give some type of happy cheer. I see Garrett shake his head. Remington's car pulls up then and we all say goodbye. I notice that neither of them pull away while I'm walking through the short alley to the back parking lot where my car is. Even after Austin had sufficient lighting installed, I still appreciate that this group looks out for each other.
I send a text to Brandt that I'm on my way. He texts back quickly with a thumbs up and that he can't wait to see me. He also has dinner ready and my stomach rumbles at the thought of that.
The drive is uneventful and I park in the visitor spot. Hopefully, this time next week, I'll have my own parking space and won't have to walk from the far end of the lot. The apartments are nice, though. It's a set of three buildings, mismatched colors on the outside but they're really nice on the inside. The main parking for tenants is under the apartments, almost like a parking garage style, but not underground. I thinkit was intentionally designed that way because of the river that flows nearby.
"Hey, baby." Brandt greets me with a hug and kiss. I drop my bag just inside the apartment and melt into his arms.
"Hey, Daddy."
We stay like that for a minute before he pulls away. His hands hold my head steady and I can see him studying my face. "Have you taken your medicine yet?"
"Not yet," I say. "I was waiting to get here first. Figured I'd take it with dinner. It's been kind of giving me a tummy ache the last day or two."
"That's not good, Ty. Have you let your doctor know?"
"I have a follow up on Thursday. I was going to tell them then."
"No, baby. You need to send them a message now. You have the app, right?"
"I do." Daddy guides me to the kitchen table and stands beside me. He raises his eyebrows and nods his head once, signaling me to do as he said. I pull my phone out of my pocket and pull up the app. I send a quick message to the doctor that prescribed the medication. I lay out my symptoms and when I first noticed it. "I still feel way better than I did before taking the medicine."
"That's great, baby." He squats down and rests a hand on my leg. "But this medicine is tricky and it's going to be a time or two that it needs to be adjusted to find the perfect dosage for you. Until then, we don't want you getting sick or anything worse."
"I understand," I say. I know he's just worried about me and I appreciate it. I like that he knows a lot about this and is making sure I take my medicine. He has continued to respect my wish of not making me feel broken.
"I made you something today that I thought would make taking your medicine fun," Daddy says. "Do you want to see it now or after dinner?"
My tummy rumbles again at the thought of food, but also surprises. Even if it is related to my medicine; Daddy made me something and I want it now. "Present."
