Teen Dad Series

First Day of School (Michael & Rigby)

Michael was slowly placing items in the lunchbox. Maybe if he moved slowly enough, school would end and Rigby would miss everything. Maybe she wanted to stay home. Maybe she'd gotten sick during the night without him knowing and couldn't go. 

Wow, he sounded like a terrible dad.

Taking a deep breath, Michael fit the juice box next to the peanut butter sandwich and zipped up her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lunchbox. She'd picked that out herself. He'd helped her write his name and all three of her uncles on the bandanas. Rigby had said that way she could take them to school with her. Michael would've preferred if he could physically be there.

How did parents do this every day?

Wait, this was every day.

Nope. That's it. Rigby wasn't going. 

"I'm ready!" Or maybe she was. Rigby tugged at her shirt as she bounded into the kitchen. She climbed onto a stool and took a seat, staring expectantly at Michael. 

"What?" He mumbled, not even trying to hide how miserable he was.

"Breakfast?" RIgby glanced around. "Are we going out to eat?"

Oh. Breakfast. That was a thing. Michael was supposed to make something. 

"Yeah, we can go out." He muttered, handing her lunchbox and her backpack over. Rigby giggled, bouncing all the way to the door. 

"I can't wait to go to school." She said, hopping over a puddle as they walked down the street. "Then I can go to recess." Priorities. She had them.

Michael clung onto her little hand like it was a lifeline. "You don't have to go. We can have recess at home. I'll even let you jump off the furniture." Which had been a big no-no after "the incident"

Rigby glanced up at her dad, noticed he wasn't joking, and pouted. "But I want to go to school." 

"You say that now, but in a few days you'll wish you'd taken this offer." Michael held the door open for her. Rigby skipped in and greeted the usual waitresses. They were led to their usual booth and sat down to look at the menu. "Do you want waffles or pancakes?"

"French toast. I'm not gonna get tired of school." Rigby kicked her feet out in front of her. She was still too small to reach the floor. Michael wished she could stay that way. But he could see it now. Rigby all grown up, feet planted on the ground, head still in the clouds. Going off to college, getting married, starting her own family. "Daddy?"

He blinked, focusing back on her. "Yeah?" 

"Can I get hot chocolate too?" He smiled at her. Okay, so she was growing up. But she was still his little girl no matter what. Maybe school was a good idea. Maybe it was the first of many steps for him to be taking in life. Maybe she'd be just fine.

"Yeah." He would be.