197 - Morning Threats

197 - Morning Threats
If you ever show up with a cup for your breakfast, I’m filling it and sending you back home to your own wife. – Darkness

Athos received the same threat from Darkness to change the locks that he did every morning. Just like always, it was issued with a friendly grin. Their friends all knew that when it came to his wife’s friends, Darkness was all bluster and no follow through. Although they all feared what the large man would do to anyone that hurt his little Cam.

Only a few days after they had moved into the house on the cul-de-sac, Athos had discovered that Darkness fixed breakfast every morning. Since then, he had been coming over to Camille and Darkness’ house every morning for breakfast. He was always greeted with a coffee and a threat.

Some mornings, his wife’s brothers came with him. Other times, they wandered to one of the other three houses on the street. With no school this week, JJ would prefer to stay in bed all week. Danny on the other hand, would struggle all week.

The older brother would enjoy his time away from school. Video games, movies, hanging out with friends. The younger one would miss the structure and the routine that he got in school. Parenting two boys that were less than a decade younger than them was a struggle. Athos gave mad respect to Camille for taking on three.

Megan was still going to school and usually left early with Michelle leaving their husbands to take care of the kids. With their kids still being so young, Aramis typically fed his kids at home. Although they too would eventually end up at Camille’s house before he took them to the daycare and he went to work himself.

Athos wasn’t sure what the lack of classes would do to his friend’s routine. He, himself, was going to miss his classroom full of characters. But he was also ready for the break.

Despite growing up on a farm, Priscilla had never been a morning person. This did not change with her having a family of her own. However, coming from such a large family, cooking for a large group came natural to her. A few times a week, the friends and their growing families gathered at her house for a large communal meal.

Karan usually took their kids to the daycare for breakfast during the week. On the weekends they typically had pancakes or waffles, and their house was a popular place for all the kids on Saturday mornings.

The door leading to the walkway between the house and the garage opened again and Michelle’s two brothers entered the kitchen. The older one was still in his pajamas and looked like he had been dragged out of bed against his will. Meanwhile, the younger one looked like he was working on his second pot of coffee.

“Please, Athos,” JJ, the older brother, pleaded as he headed for a couch, “for the love of God or even Satan, I don’t care at this point, give him his damned medicine.”

Athos chuckled as he pulled the prescription bottle out of his jeans pocket. He got a single blue and white capsule out and handed it to Danny. The younger boy had not stopped talking since he came through the door. He paused briefly as he took a drink and swallowed his pill.

Everyone knew that it would take about thirty minutes for the medication to start to work. In the meantime, they would have a running monologue  of every thought that came into the eleven-year-old’s mind. When he suddenly became silent, he drew everyone’s attention.  They all looked at him as he stared at the large red head in the kitchen.

“I’m Danny. Who are you?”

He smirked before answering, “I’m Tad, I go to school with Vin.”

“And Colton,” Danny pointed out. “Obviously, if you go to school with Vin, then you also go to school with Colton.”

“Yes, I do. But I’m on the defensive line with Vin, so I know him a little better.”

“He has ADHD,” Vin explained to his friend as Darkness directed the boy to a chair with a plate. “Once the meds kick in, he’ll be bearable. Until then, buckle up, buttercup.”

Athos chuckled at the description knowing that it was not said with any type of malice. Danny’s father never crawled out of his bottle long enough to see that his son needed help. Or that any of his three kids needed more than just a roof over his head and walls to hide the abuse.

Their grandparents did not believe that ADHD was real and was certain that discipline would help the boy. Not for the first time, Athos thought that him and Michelle having custody of the boys was the best thing for them.

Athos walked Danny through some calming techniques and encouraged him to eat. While they were working through the process, Athos felt someone watching them. Tad’s softly asked question made Athos wonder if the other man also had issues with ADHD.

“School holidays are hard on him, aren’t they?”

“Very, it messes with his routine and then everything is off whack. Thanks, Darkness,” Vin said as his uncle handed over plates for him and Tad.

“Thank you, sir,” Tad smiled at Darkness.

He shook his head, “Darkness is fine. The only person who calls me sir is my wife.”

“Oh, yeah,” Tad chuckled, “the basement thing.”

Darkness laughed as Vin gagged. “How do you think you’re getting a little brother?”

“I prefer not to think about it.” Vin looked around curiously, “Where’s M & M?”

“Probably sleeping in. It's  something that moms don’t get to do very often.”  Athos said as he rubbed Camille’s lower back. “I forgot to look, what is today’s animal?”

“Kangaroo and polar bear,” she told him as she covered a yawn. “Apparently, all I had to do to cure my insomnia was get pregnant.”

“Are you working today?” Athos asked as he watched Vin and Tad as they shoveled food into their mouths where they stood.

“Not unless something comes up.” She pushed her plate towards him. Tink saw the motion and sat up from where he lay between the two chairs. Looking at the dog, she told him, “You’re pathetic.”

Tink whimpered in response and caught the piece of sausage that Athos tossed him. Darkness offered her a hand to get out of the chair. When she was steady on her feet, he kissed her temple before releasing her.

“I’m going to go lay down.” She looked at the stairs and let out a long slow breath. “The office sounds really good.”

Vin chuckled, “At least your room is no longer on the third floor.”

“Sweet baby Jesus,” she laughed. “I would have never survived my pregnancy in that house.”

Bracing her hands on her husband’s shoulders, she pressed up on her toes to give him a light kiss. Carefully, she waddled over to the home office where she still had the daybed for moments like this. She would settle down under the blanket that Priscilla had made while she was bed-bound during her pregnancy.