Emergency Medical Dad

L: present, mid august

JESSIE

Jay stopped me from pacing for three hours getting ready for the park. It was a stupid distraction, really, something he clearly didn't need help doing, but asked me to help him with anyway so I'd stop freaking myself out and overanalyzing.

He rubbed my back absently and let me help him with his excel spreadsheet. I knew less about what I was doing than he did but being a receptionist for a good amount of time gives me some skills with schedules so I was able to help him in little ways.

I sent Dad a text when I got one from Connor's friends' mom that he was being dropped back off soon so that Dad could start the little drive over.

Connor, sooner or later, pushed open the door to the house and I waved a thanks to his friend's Mom, ruffling his hair with the other hand. I'd picked that up off of Jorgen as a dumb sign of affection.

"Mom, Mom," he tugs my shirt. "I think I just saw Grandpa's car. With the dog sticker."

"You probably did," I smooth back the hair that I just mussed. "He's meeting us at the park, if that's okay?"

Connor's eyes go all wide, "he is?"

"He is."

He drops his bag and then grabs my arm, turning right back toward the door. He makes it down two steps before coming to a halt again, eagerness stopped by something, "is Jorgen coming?"

"Right behind you, buddy," I hear Jay's low voice from the kitchen. He's leaning forward on his forearm crutches, long sleeve shirt and pants in the summer. I want to tell him short sleeves are okay but I know he won't take it, too scared of freaking out my dad to risk showing his tattoos.

"Jorgen, Jorgen," Connor gushes. "You're going to love Grandpa, he likes hockey too, that means you're practically best friends already."

Jorgen smiles, looking up at me, then back down at his kid, who's now jumping a little, excited to get going, "sure thing," is all he responds with.

His parents offered to let my dad come over for dinner but we put it off, thinking it was probably a good idea to meet him again before judging if it was a good idea to throw ourselves into it.

Connor makes us speed walk toward the park, and since Jorgen's stride is already incredibly long and he can make it longer on crutches, I'm left mostly in the dust, skipping into a jog every few strides just to keep up with my boys.

I see him first, though, despite being in the back of the pack. He's sitting outward on a picnic bench under a big tree, looking around, phone open in one hand but ignored.

Jorgen hangs back when he sees my expression change, further back when Connor breaks into a grin, taking off.

"Grandpa!" That gets my dad's attention maybe a split second before Connor crashes into him, arms wrapping like a vice around his core.

"Connor," he lets out a little huff of air as Jorgen and I approach. "You got taller."

I come up next to them and don't complain when Dad hugs me next, noticing the worry lines on his forehead and the circles under his eyes but hugging him all the same.

"Jess," he holds me back away from him, inspecting me all over. "You look well fed and well rested."

"You look happy," I respond, noticing that he's let his carrot red beard grow out a little bit and that his normally standard crew cut hair is longer, more like the photos I saw of him when he was younger.

"I've been worse," he confirms, then spots Jorgen behind me. He goes a slight bit pale. "Wow, that is a big man."

"He's not scary," I laugh.