Page 19 of Driven Daddy

By the time I rolled up the drive of my parents’ house, I had an idea fully formed. I had no memory of the drive home. Not great.

I unloaded the groceries with the assist of my dad who had definitely been looking for another cigarette, which I was not giving him.

No matter what kind of hangdog looks he slid my way.

I escaped to my room for my sketchpad and headphones for a few hours until my mother’s voice finally dented my fugue state. I lifted away one of the headphones to make sure I had heard her, and sure enough, she was hollering up the stairs.

Feeling much like my teen self, I pushed the five pages of sketches away and put my headphones on top. I grumbled my way out of my room then headed down the stairs, skipping the squeaky step automatically. I really was back in my typical home mode.

Jesus.

“What’s up?”

“There you are.” She looked harried. A row of book bags were stacked on the dining room table. “I’ve been calling for five minutes.”

“Sorry, I was sketching.”

“Could you bring the kids to Murphy’s? He’s stuck in a meeting, and Vee is at a school thing.”

“Sure. I don’t think I can fit two car seats in my Jag.”

“That’s fine. I have their backups in my van.”

Dear God, my mother wanted to make me drive a minivan. I was officially plummeting into bizarro world. I didn’t have time to say no before she was shoving a book bag-style diaper bag at me for Harmony—one of the new babies in the Masterson clan—and the Paw Patrol one for Theo.

“Not that I’m complaining, but where’s the other twin?”

“The school thing that Vee is at. Was parent teacher day and Elijah is meeting with the music teacher. He wants to learn how to play the piano.”

“Wow. He’s five, right?”

My mother shrugged. “Never too early, I guess.”

“Theo: get your jacket on!”

“They don’t need a jacket, Ma. It’s gorgeous out.”

She gave me a hard look. “Right. Jackets all around.” I knew not to argue with my mother in pit bull-mode.

Theo came running in, his drawings fisted in his cinnamon-coated hand.

“Whatcha got, bud?”

“More demon cows!”

I knew I was going to regret the demon cow thing. Vee, their mom and my brother Murphy’s wife, was going to kick my ass.

“They look great. How about we put them in here?” I unzipped the bag and in went the drawings with the remnants of what looked like Teddy Grahams

Those were still a thing?

I shook my head when Theo dragged his palm against his shirt then careened around me to where my mom was holding out his jacket. I just shook my head and closed up the bag,hooking both around my shoulder as my mom shoved a carrier at me with a bundled Harmony all buckled in.

“I’ll show you how to snap her in.”

“I’m a reasonably intelligent guy.”

She pressed her lips together against what I figured was a smirk. “All right, smart guy.”

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