Emergency Medical Dad

XXVI: present, late june

JORGEN

"Hello," I step out onto the porch, a buzz in my body I can only blame on inadequate caffeination and anger.

He looks up from his phone, "hi."

"So I need to lay down a few ground rules with you."

"No warm welcome? I haven't seen you in five years. You've grown. Outward."

I raise an eyebrow, fighting an urge to flex my shoulders at him like some dumb teenager, "so have you." I keep it cold, tipping my head at his slight beer belly.

Peter does not look happy with that comment, "no more tattoos on you?"

"No more cheating scandals?"

"It was once."

"Right, and I'm not seventeen anymore so no, no more tattoos."

"You hardly have room," he mutters under his breath. I have to force myself to ignore it.

"Rules," I clear my throat and settle my voice back down. "I have them regarding you and I expect you to follow them."

"Or what?"

I pull air through my teeth. I wasn't prepared for his bitchy pettiness to have remained in his personality, "depending on what you do, I'll play my cards how I want to."

"Fine," he settles his shoulders back against the siding and I glance inside at Jessie, some of the way through mixing in the sauce for the mac and cheese. "What are the terms?"

"Rules," I correct. "You will not interact with Connor any more than you must. He is my one deciding line because he is not an adult and has had an incredibly difficult eight months. He will not be and I will enforce this, processing any more changes in his life at this stage and by that I mean that you will not, not even as a joke or a one-off, mention that I am in any way related to him. He is my son and that is information for the adults and only the adults. He is not to know and he is not to be told until Jessie and I decide he can handle the information and that is only if she decides first that I will continue to play a role in his life. Am I clear?"

Peter rolls his eyes, "shouldn't be hard."

"Am I fucking clear."

"Crystal," his energy changes with that, a good comfort running through me that I can at least still scare him into doing something.

"Next, you will not spend any time alone with Jessie, you pushed my edges with that show you put on in there and I am her buffer to our family and I would like to keep you on the other side of me as a barrier, she does not and will not put up with you. I am giving her full permission to set me on you like a dog if she in any way feels threatened by your presence."

He chews his lip, "some protection act you're putting on or what? She's not gonna like being sheltered, most girls don't-"

"She decides what's best for herself and if she asks me to stop, I will. As for now, I know you better than she does so I am taking the high ground to keep her safe."

He breathes out and I make sure he's not going to say anything else before continuing.

"We're not staying over in Milwaukee like the rest of the wedding party, we both know that I'm only going to keep Mom happy and she requested I take Jessie and Connor as well, both are going, both are coming home with me instead of attending anything other than the ceremony."

"I wanted you there, but if you want to be mean about it then go for it."

That catches me by surprise but I don't let it fuck with the roll I'm on so I stay quiet, hoping he didn't catch the flicker in my expression.