Mr. Mom

9

The phone rings as FP is driving back to his house with Alice. "Can you answer that? Put it on speaker." She does as requested. "Hello?"

"FP, I know it's your break but we're swamped here, we can't find the blueprints for Worchester and Co." It's his boss.

"Should be in the office, is it not?"

"We've looked everywhere."

"Shit. Okay, uh, do I have time to run home quickly?"

"Well the people from Worchester are on their way here to go over the plans, so we were hoping you'd get here as soon as possible to talk it over with them since you were the one who drew up the plans."

He turns to Alice and she smiles back at him, giving him a nod to tell him she doesn't mind going to work with him for a bit. "Alright, I'm on my way." She hangs up the phone for him and he sighs. "Sorry about this, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. What do you do anyway? I never asked."

"I'm in construction and architecture, work at this place called Thomas Construction. What about you?"

"I'm a journalist."

"A journalist? That's cool. Do you work for the local paper?"

"Hoping to one day."

"I believe in you, I bet you're great."

She smiles at that.

___

"You can just hang out in here if you want to. I shouldn't be too long, and no one should bother you. This is Fred and I's office so really no one else comes in here." He unlocks the office door and lets her in. "Hermione might stop by but she's cool, she's Fred's wife."

"Take your time, I'll be fine."

___

The doorknob twists and soon Alice is joined in the office by FP and two others, one man and one woman whom she assumes are Fred and Hermione.

"Fred, Hermione, this is Alice. Alice this is Fred and Hermione."

"Nice to meet you both." She smiles, shaking both of their hands.

"So you're the infamous Allie." Fred smiles. "Ellie has told us a lot about you."

"She has?" Fred nods. "She's a sweet kid."

"Yeah Ellie-belly's a cutie pie." Fred sits down on the small couch in the office, Hermione joining him and sitting close to his side.

"Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself? All we've heard from Ellie is that you're really pretty and look like Cinderella." Hermione chuckles.

"Oh I forgot something in the truck, FP could you help?" Fred asks.

"Yeah sure. Be right back."

Hermione and Alice both share a confused look as the men leave. "Anyway, tell me about yourself." Alice smiles and goes on to tell Hermione a bit about herself.

___

"So, why didn't you tell me the hot girl from the park was with you?" Fred grills FP as soon as they leave the office.

"You didn't forget anything in the truck did you?" FP sighs, catching on to Fred's intentions.

"What's going on between you two? You a couple now?"

"No, it's not like that. She just... She was in a bad relationship and she needed to get out. She's staying with Ellie and I until she can get her feet on the ground again."

"Kinda strange you're just letting a stranger move in with you and your daughter. Of course when you have a major crush on the stranger that probably makes it easier to overlook the obvious craziness of it all, huh?"

"I don't have a crush on her. I'm just... helping her out."

Fred chuckles. "Sure. And how does Ellie feel about it all?"

"She's pretty stoked about Alice coming to live with us."

"You don't think she'll get attached?"

"Well-"

"If she gets attached she's going to be heartbroken when Alice leaves, do you really want a repeat of the Gladys situation. Poor kid was distraught."

"That isn't going to happen this time."

"I hope not. I don't want to see her all sad again, she's too young to be depressed." Fred opens the truck door and tosses FP a pack of nails. "Take that in with you so it isn't obvious I just brought you out to talk."

"It's still going to be obvious you dumbass, it's not like you need help carrying in nails." FP laughs and heads towards the office, Fred following close behind.