Because sadly, it can't go on forever.....
Hank Stanley sits on the couch in the living room of his son Ford's house IMing with his crew in Alexandra when he hears a car pull up. Signing off, he powers down the laptop and leans back, waiting with the slightest of smiles on his face. The twins are asleep, finally, and overall, he knows he's done a great job. But he also knows .. there is something to report. The DVD player is beside him on the couch in plain view.
Wendy and Ford tiptoe into the house with a small fuzzy sleeping tiger baby Robbie slung over Ford's shoulder. Wendy is carrying the diaper bag and dealing with the door. They silently wave to Hank as Ford slips out of his shoes and carefully carries Robbie up to his crib. Wendy sets down the bag and comes in to sit with her father in law whispering "Thanks so much...how did it go?" She finishes the question and frowns curiously at the DVD player.
Hank watches them come in and smiles just watching his son with his grandson. The little tiger. When Wendy asks how things are going, he motions to the couch and says in a low voice. "I only want to give the report once, honey." he holds up a finger. "Nothing burned, but still." he smiles, to relax her, hopefully.
Wendy purses her lips and nods, not looking relaxed at all but then smiles awkwardly "OK..."
Ford comes down chuckling "He wouldn't wear his pajamas tonight. I think we may be raising a tiger now. We'll just take him to the park and let him chase the geese around...." He stops, seeing both Wendy's expression and Hank's and then the DVD player "Dad.....something wrong with the DVD player?" He walks over and sits in the chair beside the couch, leaning in, concerned.
Hank motions to the DVD player. "Mason thought it would be a good idea to watch Halloween with Tristan." he announces. "I got to them before they saw anything, and the girls scared them at a VERY good time. Thats when I came up and just unplugged the thing." he motions to the television in the living room. "And of course later I caught them trying to guess at your password to turn off the parental controls to watch .... God knows what." he shrugs. "But they ate all their dinner before trick-or-treating and I have their bags of candy for you to inspect ... after taking a couple of my own personal favorites. My fee."
Wendy exhales and laughs quietly, looking more relaxed "Oh that's pretty mild...but we'll talk to them. I still remember the time they stuck raw cookie dough in the old player before we got this one. I know they're older now...and we have different concerns. Thank you Hank."
Ford chuckles "Yeah, that's pretty normal....until they crack the filters on the internet." He sighs and looks at Hank "It was so much simpler when all a kid had to do was nick a Playboy from under his Dad's bed....now it's like familial espionage with all these codes to crack!"
Hank listens to them both and chuckles to himself, giving his son a meaningful look. "And you never told you mother ... for which I REMAIN eternally grateful." he sighs a bit, missing his wife. "But these kids these days ... how do you keep them away from all this? I locked the bad movies up. You just stole the damn key .. no matter WHERE I hid them." he shakes his head slowly. "I should be happy I had a smart son who married a smart woman to make smarter grandkids ... that I don't have to worry about on a daily basis." he teases them both.
Wendy pretends to look scandalized at them both and then just shakes her head smiling "They keep us on our toes for sure."
Ford nods "I know Dad. I keep telling them it all comes from you." He winks at his father.
Hank laughs softly, so as not to wake the children. "I figured you would. Why do you think I decided to share a houseboat? Now I am one of the cooler grandparents. Plus, much as you don't like it .. the big red truck can be very impressive."
Ford glances downward, putting on a polite smile. He wasn't going to get into this with his father tonight.
Wendy inhales and then quickly asks "And how is Josh?"
Hank watches his son's reaction with a little gratitude. The job was probably the biggest barrier between father and son. Wendy, as usual, saves the day. Sort of. "Stressed." he admits. "There was a murder at the Olin hotel. And a girl was stabbed. It's hard not to believe in a Cursed Alexandra, but at this time of year. So much violence the last couple of months. Always violence in the fall." he sighs. "But it should be over and settle down. Winter is always lovely on the island. You should come to one of the concerts. Beautiful music, and fun fir the kids once the Holiday House is built." he coaxes them to visit as a family. The twins come to visit him when their parents need a break, but Ford always hesitates coming to see his father.
The news of a murder snaps Ford out of his reverie and he looks up concerned "Again? God that place! How is it still in business with all the crime?" He slowly exhales into a low whistle.
Wendy puts a hand over her mouth looking concerned, nodding along with Ford and then softens at the topic of Christmas "That sounds nice Hank. Hopefully everything settles down."
Hank sighs and holds up a restraining hand. "That's not fair, Ford." he argues, but calmly. "There have been three violence killings this YEAR. Crime in Alexandra is ... a little higher than usual in Canada .. yes. But it's hardly ... Iraq." he sighs. "I WILL settle down Wendy. It ALWAYS does. You can have my bed and the twins have their room. I can sleep on my couch, no problem." before his wife died ... and after he and Ford got burned .. he slept on a couch quite often.
Ford licks his lips and then heads to the kitchen calling back casually "Anyone else for a glass of water? I'm suddenly thirsty."
Wendy works on keeping the conversation afloat "Robbie still ends up in our bed most nights so we can fit him in, or bring the pack and play as a crib. The twins love your boat. Mason keeps telling all his friends he has a grandpa who lives on a boat, definite cool points with that guy."
Hank sighs and licks his lips. "I'm good son. Thanks." and turns his attention to Wendy. The smile is a bit apologetic, but he manages it. "I love having them and they have some friends in Alexandra they catch up with." he shrugs. "I ... just want more visits, I guess. Getting older and ... thank god there isn't mandatory retirement." he tries to keep it light, but it has been tense with he and Ford since Ford's high school days. Wendy coming into Ford's life helped. The grandkids helped but ... it was still a mile of blackness between the close father/son relationship he and Ford had before that fateful fire, and the one after.
Ford returns with a glass of water and sits down casually with a surrendering look at his father "Let us know when all the kid's stuff is up and we'll see what we can do. And you'll have to come back for the school's winter concert here. It's sort of an eclectic talent show this year so it should be amusing, as long as they don't let Mabel enter for anything to do with a grappling hook..."
Wendy had given Hank a kind smile back and now laughs at Ford "We have meet the teacher before then so we can ward that off."
Hank can't help but beam like a child at Christmas. "I definitely will. And I can take a vacation or a day off. I'm the Chief. I can do anything." he grins. "And maybe you'd like to spend Christmas at my place. I don't have a fireplace .... like Mabel seems to want to shimmy up and down the inside of ...." he has discussed this with his granddaughter many times, but he's never sure if he has talked the child out of it or not. "You two might want to set up a meeting." he chuckles.
Ford jokes now "With Santa or Mabel?" he snickers after.
Wendy throws a pillow at her husband and he just holds the water glass out of range in time "Oh sorry I forgot....dammit now I'm thirsty." She gets up for the kitchen "You sure you're good Hank?"
Hank snorts. "Both of them." he chuckles at their antics. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble. One for the road might be a good idea."
Wendy takes a glass and a reusable water bottle from the cupboard and goes to the freezer for an ice cube tray, cracking two into each glass and then running the tap at the sink for awhile and then fills the glass and the bottle.
Ford looks at the clock on the mantle "There still a ferry you can catch Dad?"
Hank looks at his son. "Oh the Ferry starts at four a.m and stops service at two a.m, because of the Blue Door. But yes, I can catch the ferry." he can't help looking curious. "You'd invite me to stay the night?" it's a rather unique request, and he tries not to get his hopes up.
Ford smiles at his father "Well you're welcome to the couch. We don't have any spare beds now since Robbie." He pats the arm of the couch "If you think you can stand it..."
Wendy sighs "We really should invest in a little roll away cot. It's not the best couch for sleeping on, but of course you're welcome."
Hank considers it. "It is a comfortable couch." he agrees. "And you don't have to invest in a roll-away, Wendy. It takes two hours to get here from Alexandra if I catch the ferry and don't have to wait." he pats the couch. "And with the crisis and all, I really should get back for my EMT's." he admits. "Granted it is law that all Alexandra firemen must be EMT's." he declines the offer.
Wendy nods "Another time. I'll look around for a roll away. The kids would love it it you were still here in the morning sometime. We could even go for brunch across at the Lav if it's a Saturday to a Sunday."
Ford chuckles "Ever since she discovered that brunch we've been overspending on breakfasts out. But yes Dad, next time. Tonight...drive safe. Text us when you get there OK?"
Hank grins. "Someday." he laughs. My new friend Anna?" he narrows his eyes. "Ask the kids about MY breakfasts. Firemen can COOK! But I will definitely do that someday." he stands and opens his arms to Wendy. "And I promise to drive carefully."
Wendy gives Hank a great big hug as she's that way inclined to do "Take care Hank. Thanks for coming over."
Ford is standoffish about affection but offer his father a hand to shake and a nod "Talk soon."
Hank returns the hug enthusiastically, then shakes his sons hand as if they were business partners. "Soon." he passes Wendy on his way to the door. "Give the kids my love and I hope to see you soon." and he is off.
Wendy locks the door behind him after a wave and then walks by Ford at the couch and smacks him in the head with a pillow as he sits down.
"What was that for?"
Wendy picks up her water glass from the side table, dropping the pillow to it's rightful place and heads for the stairs to go to bed "For being a stubborn ass Ford. Forgive him."
No comments:
Post a Comment