New team

44.Chosen father

Boxes were strewn all over the apartment as Penny packed more things into them. She promised herself that she would only pack the most necessary items and those that she didn't want to leave unattended, but it was still a bit too much to pack into the bags, so she had to find some boxes and bring them from the basement.
Today she was hoping to finish packing and she was very happy because it meant a ticket to the city she loved so much.

"Andy, what do you say when you come in?!" Penny admonished Andy when she heard his quiet footsteps in the hall.

"Hi, Mom. Sorry, Mom," Andy said casually, sticking his head in the doorway for a moment before disappearing back behind them.

"I'll finish this in a moment," Penny sighed, talking to herself and looking boredly at the boxes that were strewn across the living room.
"What is it about?" She asked carefully as she knocked on the door frame leading to Andy's room, but her son didn't even lift his head from his knees as his mother allowed herself to enter and sat down on the floor next to him. "Is this about moving out?" Penny asked again, gently pulling Andy closer.

"No," Andy mumbled in response.

"Then why aren't you happy?" Penny asked confused. "Just a week ago you were jumping up to the ceiling with happiness, and today your enthusiasm has somehow waned."

"That's not the point, Mom," Andy denied. "I'm glad we'll be living in Pontypandy from now on," he assured, forcing a smile.

"But?" Penny looked at him piercingly.

"It doesn't matter," Andy waved it off.

"Andy" Penny moved away from him to measure him with her eyes. "If it doesn't matter, then finish packing," she urged him. She knew Andy would only need a moment to snap, and it happened just as Penny had already made it to the door.

"Mom?" Andy turned to her. Penny turned to the boy and nodded to show that she was listening to him. "Are you working tomorrow?".

"I told you I had to. I've been gone long enough with my accident and I need to catch up on some work," Penny explained, crouching down next to her son.

"It's not fair," Andy complained. "It wasn't your fault."

"You're right," she praised her son, then added with a sigh. "It wasn't entirely my fault, but that's how the adult world is constructed."

"I don't want to be an adult. I want to always be a child," Andy decided.

"You'll always be a child to me," Penny ruffled his hair, laughing.

"But without Dad," Andy muttered under his breath.

"What did you say, Andy?" Penny asked confused.

"Nothing, Mom," Andy replied, adding an innocent smile to his words.

"I think there's something going on after all. Tell me, what's going on?" She encouraged her son by gently nudging him with her elbow. "Andy, please tell me what's going on. Or I'll start to worry," she added teasingly when Andy didn't respond.

"Tomorrow is Father's Day at school. And I'll come alone again," Andy complained.

"Oh, honey," Penny just hugged Andy. With all this packing, she completely forgot to look at the calendar. "You want me to go with you, don't you?"

"No," Andy denied. "They'll laugh at me again for coming with my mom instead of my dad," he complained, crossing his arms. "I'd rather go alone."

"Hey, you're not ashamed of me, are you?" Penny looked at him teasingly.

"Mom, how can you say that?" Andy looked at his mother with slight reproach. "You know you're the best in the world," he assured, hugging his mother tightly.