The Bully And His Quiet One

Chapter 37

Aiden's POV

(Halloween)

The medication I've been taking has slowly started to take effect in helping my mood. I've been spending the weekends with Blake as I feel better, but still need to have my space. Blake and I are taking Clarissa trick-or-treating, we have onesies to look like Mike and Sully, and we got a costume for Clarissa that's the monster they dressed Boo up as in the movie. We picked Clarissa up and drove to the town over, having her start trick-or-treating there and then going back to the blocks around home. "Tell me again why we started in this town, and not the one we were just in?" Blake asked as we walked down the street watching Clarissa go from door to door.

"Because, she'll be tired when we make it home. This way she'll be back right after running around a couple blocks, rather than a car ride. Where then she has time to eat candy and be energetic from the sugar."

"Hmm. Smart. Where did you learn that trick?"

"It's what my mother would do with me when I was little."

"Do you ever wish that she didn't leave?"

"Um, I don't know. I mean yeah I guess. I wouldn't have had to deal with my dad, at least not alone. But at the same time she's happy. She met Dan, had Clarissa, so, I don't know. Maybe I just wish she brought me with her." I sighed. "Do you ever wish your mom never kicked your dad out?"

"Honestly, no. He never deserved her, so it suits him right." I chuckled.

We walked around a couple more blocks before heading back towards home. Blake dropped us off and drove the car home, meeting us at the end of the block that he dropped us at. We were about a block from home when Clarissa was tired. I picked her up and she was out the instant she laid her head on my shoulder. 

"I enjoyed tonight." Blake told me.

" I did too. Thanks for coming."

"Yeah, I don't know. After tonight, I think I'm kind of excited to have kids."

"Whoa, slow your role there tiger. You're not even out of high school yet."

He chuckled. "I know. I know. What about you, do you want kids?" He asked taking Clarissa from me .

I watched as she nuzzled into him. "Yeah, I do." 

I reached down and grabbed his hand. "How many?"

I laughed a little. "I don't know Blake. More than one, I know that." I looked around at all the families running around with children. 

"I want five." 

"Five? That's ambitious. Why five?" I asked

"I don't really know. I guess I've always wanted a larger family."

I smiled. "We would have to get a mini van."

He gasped. "We would be soccer parents. Oh, that'll be so fun."

"What has gotten into you?

"I don't know. I just like to imagine our future." 

I squeezed his hand. "I love you." He leaned down and gave me a kiss as we walked up to the house. I knocked and walked in. "We're back." I called out

"Hey, did you guys have fun?" Rachel asked as she came out from the kitchen. 

"Yeah, it was a lot of fun." Blake answered.

"Here, I'll go put her to bed." She grabbed Clarissa from Blake, but Clarissa scrunched her nose up and reached for me.

"I can do it." I traded Clarissa for her candy bag and walked her to her room, and changed her into pajamas. 

"Can I have some candy?"

"Tomorrow you can." She gave me a pout face. "Tomorrow Claire. Now let's go brush your teeth." She slowly walked to the bathroom where I lifted her up onto the counter. She brushed her teeth as I took out her pigtails brushing through her hair. "So, your birthday is coming up. Is there anything that are you want?"

"Barbies and race cars." She spit out toothpaste as she answered.

"Wow. That is quite the combo."

"Can you draw me a picture?"

"Well, sure." I picked her up and waled back to her room. "What do you want a picture of?"

"You and me. Look." She pointed over to the blank spot on the wall by her door. "I can hang it there."

"You sure could." I tucked her into her bed. "I'll do that for you. Now, go to sleep."

"Love you Aiden."

"Love you too Claire. Goodnight." I shut off her light and re-joined Blake and Rachel. "She's all tucked in.

"Thank you again for taking her."

"No problem we enjoyed it." I let her know and we said our goodbyes. 

As we started waking towards home I grabbed Blake's hand. "You know, you are going to be a good dad one day," he told me.

I squeezed his hand. "Part of it's thanks to you. I don't know where I would be without you."

"Hmmm. You know, I don't know where I would be without you either. Probably still straight."

I laughed. "Oh, shush up."

- - - - - - - - - - 

(Clarissa's Birthday)

I was going over to Rachel's house to celebrate Clarissa's birthday with them. When I got there they were in the kitchen. "AIDEN!" Clarissa yelled running over to me.

"Hey, glad you could make it." Dan said making his way over. "I would like you to meet my parents. Tricia and Mike." I wasn't expecting any other family to be here so it took me by a little bit of a surprise, they do seem nice though. We spent the night playing games and having pizza. Shortly after Clarissa opened her gifts Dan's parents went to leave. 

Tricia stopped in the living room on their way out. "So, Aiden. Will you be joining our family for Thanksgiving or Christmas?"

"Mother!" Dan kind of gasped at her.

"What? If he's considered family, I would assume that he would be joining us for at least one."

"Mother, of course he has an open invitation, but if he is not comfortable because he barely knows our family, he has no obligation to come."

"Well it would be nice if he came to at least one."

Dan sighed. "Goodbye mother." He told her as he pushed her towards the door. When they left, he came back into the living room to apologize to me. "I did mean what I said though, you and Blake are more than welcome to join us on any of those days."

"Thank you, Dan."

"DADDY!" Claire came running up, obviously hyped up on cake. "Can we hang up my picture now?" I drew her a picture of us and gave it to her as part of her gift, and she's been begging to hang it up all night. They walked off and Rachel joined me on the couch.

"She adores you, you know." I smiled at her. "I'm seriously glad you are in her life."

"I am too."

"Um, did Dan say anything to you about the holidays?"

"He said that Blake and I were invited. Tricia asked me what one I was coming to as she was leaving."

"Of course she did. I swear sometimes dealing with her is harder than it was dealing with my parents."

That comment made me stop and think for a moment. "Um, do you mind if I ask what happened with your family?"