Expiration Date ↠ Jared Cameron

I|day eleven

When Paisley woke up this morning, she heard two voices in the kitchen, one was Ben and the other was Christopher, he was back.

The other father had been calling and texting the girl everyday, checking in on her, asking about how Ben was doing, with a promise he'd be back soon, this time not going anywhere for a while. Paisley wouldn't lie and say that she wasn't frustrated with her dad, because she was, but she also understood how hard this was for everyone, and no one's action should be held against them right now, she felt.

She stood at the top of the stairs, careful to hug the right side of the staircase as the top step squeaked every time you stepped on the left side. Paisley was excited to share all of this knowledge with Wyatt when the time came to sneaking Embry in and out. Jared and her had gotten really good between sneaking down the steps or out the bedroom window.

"I'm so sorry it took so long for me to realize how left behind you felt, I'm sorry that I didn't recognize the cues and the signs, Im so sorry I haven't been putting the effort in that you did, or frankly that you deserve. I think I thought the restaurant was my dream. I've been thinking about this a lot, and you know my parents, why we don't see them, why we don't talk to them, and I don't blame you, or the kids for that. I made that choice for our family, but I regret not making more choices for our family. I think cooking was great at taking the shame they made me feel away, even though this whole time, the thing that took the shame away was our amazing family, and all of the wonderful things the two of us built together" Paisley could tell by the sound of Christophers voice that he had tears falling down his cheeks and she wanted to go hung both of them, that they needed their moment.

"I need you to be here for us, I need you to step back from the restaurant, our little girl is sick, and I need help Christopher, I cannot pretend to be a couple and do everything alone anymore. I love you more than anything on this planet, but if I'm going to be doing this alone, then Ill be alone" This was the most stern that Paisley had ever heard Ben be. But she did have to say, she was proud of him.

Paisley and Wyatt where biologically Benjamin's children, his best friend, the women they call Aunt Lisa was their biological mom, but they never thought of her that way. The two dads were very open about how and why the two kids came to be, and neither child ever felt that their 'aunt' was their mom, or that they needed anything from her, nor did it make their love for their pops (Christopher). He was their dad, it wasn't ever a question.

But Paisley would be lying if she said that she was as equally close to them both, but not because one was biologically related and one wasn't. Christopher was the bread winner of the family. While both fathers made good money and allowed them to live an extremely comfortable life, Christopher brought in over 100,000 dollars a year on his own. He was working constantly, finding suppliers, being the head chef, training, hiring, paperwork, there was always something that needed him and his attention, they missed him always, and felt lucky on the nights he was there with them.

"I've spent the last week and a half promoting my sous chef to my chef in command when I'm gone, ill be going in once a week to quality check, do paperwork and make sure everything is good, but ill be leaving at 8am and home by 5pm tops. I will have my phone available incase of an emergency like a fire, shooting, robbery or anything, but besides that, ill be here. I thought that we would plan the weeks together and whenever there aren't treatment days, one of those days would be the day I go in" Paisley could not have been more impressed by this, the effort, the sound of his voice, like the realization had really hit.

"I know Jared being here feels, different to you, I know how you were raised, the two of us only spent one night in the same bed before we got married, but she needs him. He's the one we always hoped she would find, truly. If they don't get married and have kids, I would be shocked. He will stay for as long as she wants him too, okay?"