"I really don't want to go." Parker whined, stopping his foot down on the ground.
"But Park, it's Christmas!" Michael said, trying to remain excited even though he was getting annoyed with Parker's stubbornness.
It was Christmas Day and Parker was supposed to be going over to Beth's house for the next two nights, but he was, yet again, not cooperating and wanted to stay with Michael. Beth was in the living room waiting for Michael and Parker while they argued with each other in Parker's room.
"So? I want to stay here." Parker giggled. He hopped up on his bed and made himself comfortable, as if to say that he wasn't going to leave.
"We hung out all last night and all this morning, Pac-Man, don't you want to go hang out with Mommy for a while?" Michael said quickly as he grabbed some of Parker's clothes and shoved them in a backpack, anxious to get back out to the living room. Melissa and Katie were over there too, trying to keep Beth company while she waited, and Michael wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"Only if you and Kitty and Melly come with." Parker said, getting up and standing on the bed.
"You know that's not going to work." Michael chuckled softly. "Come on, bud, you'll get to go to your Grandma and Grandpa's house and see all of your cousins."
Beth was planning on taking Parker to her parent's house later that night, that's what she'd done the year before and what they'd all done together years before that. Usually Parker loved going over there, but clearly something was different now.
"Grandpa doesn't like me." Parker shook his head, crinkling his nose up.
"He loves you!" Michael argued, reaching forward and trying to grab Parker. He only jumped to the other side of the bed, and Michael wasn't able to grab onto Parker in time.
"He's boring." Parker said, giggling again.
"Well you don't have to talk to Grandpa the whole time." Michael said, rolling his eyes. He was finally able to get ahold of Parker and Michael threw him over his shoulder, restricting Parker from jumping around anymore. "Come on, Parker, Mommy's waiting."
"You can't come with?" Parker questioned, trying to hold back his laughter as Michael carried him upside-down out of the room and down the hallway.
"No, I can't come with. I'm going to do boring adult stuff tonight, anyway, you'll have much more fun without me." Michael nodded to himself, almost accidentally hitting Parker's head on the wall as he walked.
"But it's Christmas!" Parker gasped. "You can't doing boring adult stuff on Christmas!"
"Yes I can. I am an adult, I kind of have to do boring adult stuff all the time." Michael chuckled. He set Parker down on the ground again when they reached the living room, where everyone was waiting for them. "Enjoy being a kid while you can, bud, because soon you're not going to be able to just play whenever you want."
"Okay." Parker rolled his eyes and took his backpack from Michael, walking over to Beth. "I guess I'm ready."
"Alright, great." Beth said, quickly standing up from the couch. "Do you want to say bye to everyone, Park?"
"Yes! Kitty!" Parker turned around and headed to where Katie and Melissa were sitting together on the other side of the couch, leaving Michael there with Beth.
"Make sure he takes his medicine tonight." Michael reminded Beth, wanting to make sure that she knew that Parker needed his medicine no matter how much he tried to argue about it.
"Got it." Beth nodded.
"Don't let him run around too much tonight, his chest starts to hurt when he runs too much." Michael added. He just wanted to make sure that he covered everything with Beth, just in case something happened to go wrong.
