Chapter Text
“So that’s it?”
Jason looked at the woman he thought he could call his wife, the woman who was now standing in front of the courtroom, shrugging on her coat.
“That’s it, Jason. It’s over. Everything has been filed. We’re divorced.” She sniffs, indifferent. “I’ll send Thomas and CJ over to get whatever’s left at the house.” She turns, leaving him standing there.
That was it. Seven years down the drain. He couldn’t have expected her finding a new man, someone who caught her heart like he did so many years ago. He needs to sit down.
A hand tugs at his suit, Jason looking to the left. He moves his arm, pushing his hair back to look at blue eyes, so much like his, stare back at him.
“Daddy?”
Jason doesn’t sniff, isn’t crying. He’s just empty right now. But he clears his throat from the thickness that dared settled there to pull his son into his lap. The six year old lays his head on Jason’s chest. His ex-wife didn’t want him either. Said she wanted to start over entirely, gave all rights of their son to Jason.
His son.
“Yes, Peter?”
Peter clings to him, dressed in a smaller suit similar to his. He had to sit there through the entire proceeding, listening to everything that was said. “Why does mommy not want me?”
Jason rubs his hand down the boy’s back. He still smells of the lemon shampoo he was washed in. His hair combed and tucked neat on his scalp. “She doesn’t have the time to take care of you. Her heart isn’t big enough anymore. Don’t worry, daddy’s here.”
Peter frowns. “Why does mommy not love me?”
“She does. But she thinks I’ll be able to love you more.”
Peter is silent for a while. The boy raises his head to look up at Jason. Jason wipes away the tears threatening to fall down his cheeks.
“I miss her.”
“Me too, Peter. But there’s nothing we can do. The divorce was final.”
Peter sniffs loud, Jason pulling out a tissue from the box that was right next to him on the small table and hands it to him.
“Blow.”
Peter blows hard into the tissue, Jason wiping his face and tossing it in the nearby trash. It was real convenient.
Jason doesn’t move until Peter had calmed down, getting up and holding his son’s hand. Jason had driven his ex-wife to the court, but it seems she had taken a bus back. He straps his son into his booster seat, then drives home.
Everything was left in his name. The house, the car, a majority of the money. Even child support was arranged, only up until Peter was old enough to start middle school. Nothing more. It wasn’t as if Jason was in need of cash, but children got costly and Jason needed the extra cash just in case. All she got was her stuff back, a few thousand in the bank, and the freedom from having to care for a child.
He looks at Peter in the backseat, the boy playing with an etch-a-sketch.
A boy needs his mother. Anyone who could watch him. Jason was attentive, but he wasn’t that attentive. He knows the risks, leaving his son alone without someone to properly discipline him. It could get bad.
“Peter.”
“Yes, daddy?” Peter doesn’t look up from his toy, turning the knobs this way and that.
“Would you like to come with daddy to work? Until we find you a new mommy?”
Peter looks up at him. “A new mommy?”
He nods, even though he knows that he’s probably taking it too fast. They just got out of the courtroom, Peter just lost his mom.
But Jason needs someone to help him. That’s what makes a family. One father, one mother, and their children. He can’t do this alone.
Jason starts to speak once more. “Someone who can help me take care of you, love you as much as I do.”
Peter stares at him, Jason glancing at him with the rear view mirror between watching the road. He was close to their neighbourhood anyways, and the roads were considerably empty.
“I don’t know,” Peter eventually says. Jason simply nods, pulling into their street.
“I understand. Until then, you and me are gonna have fun together, okay?”
Peter gives him a shy smile.
“Okay daddy.”
His coworkers cooed over Peter in the weeks following the divorce. Jason kept him busy with a backpack of toys, Peter staying in the break room during his shifts.
“Why don’t you hire a babysitter? It makes way more sense to hire a babysitter.” Steve asks him one day while Jason was wiping down the sticky countertop. Someone had spilled the vanilla syrup all over it, and as manager Jason had to make sure the shop was clean. There was a lull in business, leaving time for Jason to putter around.
Jason shrugs. “I prefer keeping Peter where I can see him. He’s not bothering anyone is he.”
Steve lines up the syrup bottles on its designated shelf, the vanilla one now clean from any drippings. “He’s a sweet kid. So no babysitter? I mean, if you’re just having trouble I-”
Jason turns his head to his fellow barista, offering a smile. “I have it covered, Harrington, I promise. He’s got toys to keep him busy, and he does homework with me at home. It’s only a temporary setup until I can find someone I can trust to stay at home with him. I’d rather not have some stranger in my house with my son, do you understand?”
Steve stares at him, then smiles. “Oh, so you just need someone you know to watch him.”
“I-”
Steve barrels on, Jason sighing and letting the older man speak. “I know someone who can watch Peter over the week. We used to go to high school with him.”
“Him? Harrington, as much as I appreciate the offer-”
“He takes care of Frey and Fern all the time when I can’t. Here, lemme just-” Steve grabs a piece of paper from his notepad, scribbing a number down. He shoves it down the front pocket of Jason’s apron, patting it twice. “If you ever think about it.”
Jason sighs again. “Thank you, Harrington.”
Steve smiles and goes back to organising everything. Jason turns and scrubs at the stain, wiping his hand across the surface to make sure it was clean.
It takes him a few tries before he’s satisfied, dumping the used rag into a bin to toss into the sink later. Steve was chatting up some customers, ringing up their orders as he goes. Jason figures he has time to check up on Peter, sneaking behind Steve to head to the break room.
Peter was right where he left him, building a tower of blocks. He looks up at his father.
“Hi daddy!”
“Hi Peter. What’re you doing?”
Peter holds up his tower. “I’m making a lighthouse! Lighthouses help guide ships in the dark!”
Jason hums, staying right at the door. “That’s great, Peter. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Remember, the stuff are-”
“Right in the fridge. I know daddy!” Peter rolls his eyes, letting out a small laugh. Jason smiles and nods, shutting the break room and going back out. Steve repeats one of the orders for Jason without looking up from where he was steaming some milk, Jason grabbing the appropriate cup.
Time flies by, and soon it was time for Jason to clock out. He takes his apron off, shaking it once before hanging it up on its designated hook.
“Come on Peter, we’re going home now! Clean up!” Jason says loudly.
Peter looks up from the table, whining. “But daddy I’m not done yet!”
“Well daddy’s shift is over, which means we have to go home now. Come on, I’ll help you clean up.” Jason walks over to the table, zipping open Peter’s backpack and grabbing the scattered blocks, dumping them back in the bag. He sweeps his hand across the table, the lighthouse dropping into the bag with a clatter.
Peter freaks out. Jason halts, eyes wide as Peter screams out, roughly grabbing at the backpack. Jason yanks his hand away with a confused scowl. Peter’s face was getting red, yelling ‘no’ over and over again, reaching forward to try to grab at his backpack again.
“Peter!” Jason says. “You’re causing a scene!”
“Daddy I’m not done!” Peter yells out, reaching for his bag again. Jason holds it away from his son, grabbing his arm with his other.
“Peter please, you are causing a scene. Come on, you can play more when we’re home.” He pulls Peter’s arm to urge him out of the chair, but Peter remains steadfast. The boy’s hair was shaking wildly, brown curls flying this way and that.
The door swings open, Steve poking his head in. “Is everything okay in here?” Steve asks, but the answer is clear as day. Steve’s mouth drops open in understanding, the man walking in and approaching Peter, waving Jason to stand back as he kneels down in front of the boy.
“Hey, Peter? What’s wrong buddy?” Steve asks, drowned out slightly by the screams of a six year old boy.
Jason takes a backstage to the tantrum, Steve talking to him quietly. Peter can’t even answer, only pointing towards Jason with a sniffle. Steve doesn’t even turn his head to look at him, only reaching into his pocket and handing Peter a tissue.
Peter eventually collects himself enough to talk. “My lighthouse…”
Even though Steve hasn’t even seen what Peter was referring to, he nods as if he understands what Peter was so upset about.
“You want to keep playing, right?”
“Yeah…”
“There there buddy. Your daddy just needs to get home, and so do you, and you don’t want to leave your lighthouse up here, do you?”
“No…”
“See? So your daddy over there just wants to make sure you don’t leave it behind. He’s not doing it to be mean to you,” Steve says.
Peter pouts. “But I’m not done playing.”
“Playing is so much fun, isn’t it? Makes you want to play forever and ever. But sometimes we have to stop playing for a little bit. Do you want to go play at home, with all the rest of your toys?”
Peter is quiet for a bit. Nods in agreement.
“Then go and follow your dad so he can take you home, say hi to all your toys at home. They must miss you.”
Steve was so good with children, Jason thinks. Knows how to handle them. Why he chose to work as a barista instead of taking care of children Jason hasn’t a clue.
Steve stands up, Peter hopping down from his chair and walking over to Jason.
“I’m sorry daddy,” Peter says.
Jason accepts the apology. Mouths a thank you to Steve as well, Steve saluting with two fingers and returning back to work.
It takes a few weeks for Jason to crack. Between shifts he’s been looking for girls on Tinder, but nobody has been a match. Nobody wants a man with a kid in tow.
Peter has thrown more tantrums than he’s ever seen before, mostly about the most menial of things that Jason couldn’t understand. One moment it was about the food he was served, another moment it was over his PJs for the night. It was tiring.
Jason grabs a stirrer from the cup, stirring in the sugar for his morning tea. Perks of being a barista: Free drinks.
Steve pops in through the front door, waving at a departing car.
“Morning Harrington,” Jason greets.
“Morning Jason!” Steve greets back, walking through the small gate separating the front from the back.
“You’re chipper this morning.”
Steve smiles. “Well, woke up to some good-”
“Aaand stopping you right there. It is 6:30 in the morning and I do not need to know what you do in the privacy of your home.”
Steve snickers. He glances towards the break room. “Is Peter back there?”
“No. My parents came down to watch him this morning.” Jason takes a sip of his tea. It’s cooled down just enough to not burn his tongue. “How’s your kids?”
Steve beams, going on a spiel about his children as he goes to the back to grab his apron. Jason is half listening, but listening all the same.
After a while, he asks Steve a question while the other man was turning on the open sign. “Harrington? I have a question.”
Steve rotates his fist near his ear like he was turning a key. “Ears on and open, Jas. What’s up?”
Jason glances at the currently empty street. “I- I know you raise your kids with your roommate, and I know your youngest is around my son’s age. How do you do it, Harrington?”
Steve walks over to the serving counter, stepping behind it once more only to lean against the wall counter. There’s an odd glint in his eye, but it disappears before Jason could pinpoint why. “Well, support from others is always a plus. Peter’s a sweet kid though, are you having problems with him?”
“He’s never been so… irritated, I suppose the word is. He’s in a fuss about anything and everything lately. I think the fact his mom isn’t around anymore has finally sunk in, or I’m doing something wrong. He apologises after like I’ve taught him, and he comes to church every Sunday, but he’s gotten fussier than before. I don’t understand.” Jason clings to his cup of tea. “I haven’t done anything different with him, and he’s far past the age of diapers and babbling. He’s six, he should be able to behave for himself.”
Steve tilts his head. “Sounds rough. He’s six though, kids that age can get fussy all the time. They have opinions. Big opinions.” Steve chuckles. “And they’re sure their opinion is right. And they have tantrums too, it’s normal.”
“But I’ve never seen him have as many as he does now,” Jason says, confused.
“That’s because his mom handled it,” Steve says. “You didn’t. So you didn’t see the half of it. And now you have to see all of it. Don’t you remember being six?”
Jason has vague ideas, but that was so long ago. He only answers in a small shrug.
“Well, six year olds are still learning, and he just went through a big change in his life. He’s gonna test you, Jason.” Steve walks over to the cash register as the bell chimes. “Welcome in!” He chirps, the man just grunting in reply.
Jason sighs, putting on his professional face and getting to work with preparing the orders as more people slowly filter in. Steve’s words still linger in the back of his mind as he goes through the motions. Peter’s just having a hard time, that’s all. Nothing that Jason was doing wrong. He was being a good dad.
Jason reaches in his pocket to grab a pen, his fingers brushing against a piece of paper. He pulls it out, unfolding it and looking at the scrawled chicken scratch of a phone number.
Oh, right. The babysitter.
Jason glances at Steve, who was waving at a little girl held in the arms of her mother.
Steve was good with kids. There was no way he could have possibly led him astray with this potential babysitter. He could try it out, see if it works.
He’ll find a girlfriend soon and then won’t have to worry about Peter anymore, he just knows it.
“Peter, I need to talk to you.”
Peter looks up from the floor, in the middle of pushing a Thomas the Tank Engine along the wooden tracks. His father looks up as well from the chair he had settled himself down in, nodding his head in greeting.
“Afternoon, Jason,” He greets Jason politely.
Jason smiles and nods back. “Good afternoon, dad. How was he?”
“Behaved very well for me. We already gave him breakfast and lunch. Your mother stepped out to get you groceries, you can’t be sitting around with an empty fridge with a growing boy Jason.” His dad tuts.
“Thank you dad. Peter, come here.” He goes to pick Peter up, the boy going easily with him. He heads to the boy’s room, not exactly keen on talking in front of his dad.
“What wrong daddy?” Peter asks as Jason sets him down on his bed, sitting down next to him.
“Nothing’s wrong. I just want to let you know that someone will be coming over tomorrow and I don’t want you to be alarmed.”
“Is it a new mommy?” Peter asks. Jason shakes his head.
“Not yet. An old friend of mines will be coming to watch you from now on, okay? So you don’t have to worry about having to stay in the back alone anymore.”
Peter’s face crunches in confusion. “But I like coming with you daddy,” He says.
Jason smiles. “Well did you have fun with grandma and grandpa?”
Peter nods.
“Then you’ll like this babysitter even more.”
“Daddy, do you even know who is coming over?” Peter questions.
Jason, with the confidence of a man who knows nothing, answers with a proud, “I do not! But Harrington would not give me a bad reference. He said I used to go to school with him. I’m sure it can’t be terrible.”
Peter stares at his dad like he is being silly. Jason thinks he’s being very serious. “Okay daddy.”
“Good. You are released, go and play. I need a shower.” Jason gets up.
Peter giggles loudly. “Daddy is stinky! Go! Go shower!”
The next day, Steve texts him that the new babysitter was coming over later and not to freak out.
Jason raises an eyebrow at the second half of the message.
The doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it!” Peter shouts out, running towards the door. Jason intercepts him, scooping him up. He holds Peter on his hip when he goes to open the door.
Jason’s grip only tightens when he comes face to face with Eddie Munson.
Eddie smiles, waving.
“Hey, Steve said-”
Jason slams the door shut.