THIRD POV
"Hey Uncle George" the identical little imps called. They were in the pool splashing each other. They were good swimmers even though their mother wasn't a big fan of water, she felt it was too unstable, but her sons, they adored it. When they were young they would spend hours in the bathtub. It had freaked her out until she enrolled them in lessons.
"Heya. You guys want to take a little break? We can go and get some cool, ice drinks" he suggested.
Their eyes lit up with happiness. Anything with the word sugar and they were game.
"Sure" climbing out of the pool and making a beeline for their towels and clothes. Properly dried and clothed they followed
George out of the pool and into the bright sunshine.
"Where is this place?" David questioned.
"About three blocks from here" George answered, grabbing a hold of their hands as they crossed the street. Diane was busy putting Fifa down for a nap, which would take two hours. The little lady was too headstrong. He almost felt sorry for Diane.
But Diane seemed to be enjoying himself. Anyways it would give him and the boys' time to have a much needed important conversation.
"Are we walking?" Mario whined.
"Yes" George teased.
"Why?" he whined again.
"Because humans have been walking for centuries that's why." George quipped back.
"So what kind of drinks do you want?" George asked.
"I don't know. I will know when we get there" David answered.
"You know he says the exact same thing before a test" Mario told George.
"Really?"
"Yeah. That is why he doesn't study. He said there is no use, we will know the answerers when we get there" Mario shrugged his shoulders.
"What does your mom say?" George laughed. He knew that Diane would never agree to David's theory.
"David, you better get your head in the books. Or I will get my hand in your backside" doing his best impression of his mother.
George laughed. "Don't you mean on"
"No. She says in" David answered.
George just chuckled and shook his head. It was not too far-fetched. Diane was a mother lion. She did not mess around.
He knew when he and Diane got married, Diane was going to be the disciplined and firm one. Whereas he was going to be the fun one. Basically, Diane was going to be raising four children.
Mario stopped for a second to tie up his shoes. George momentarily was in another place. He had no idea how he
was going to broach the subject. He was now the legal father of two 10 year old boys. Boys who had no clue that he was now their father. It iust seems like a sensitive tonic to bring up.
He had love for these boys. They were smart and lively and just a joy to be around. It was a very different feeling. He had seen the boys as friends and peers, but now he was their father. That was a whole different game. Now he thought about it, he had always been their father. But breaking this news was going to be much harder. Questions were going to be asked and answers that he was not willing to give. He had sincerely hoped that it would never come to this but after the stunt that Collins pulled he knew the time for peace was over.
This was a time for war.
Men like Collins disgusted him. They repulsed him. He was not ignorant or closed minded, he knew that there were circumstances when fathers and mothers have to give up their children for the child's own interest.
Sometimes it was because of financial constraint or because of security. But one element that was always present when a father or mother gave up a child was, love. Unexplainable love. When you love a person so much that their happiness and safety was more important than anything else. That was parenting.
And he was also not ignorant of the hardship and hard work that bringing up a child involved. Being a parent was a scary journey. It was the longest and most difficult and time consuming role any person will ever play. It was a role that he was still doing his research and studying for the act. And like any timeless movie, perfection comes at a very hard and high price.
That was what parenting is, adapting and tweaking till the whole movie (the child), not the actor (the parent), becomes perfect.
George also understood that, becoming a father was scary that new time fathers and mothers shy away from. Studies had shown that more men take flight than women. Heck.
George might have run away himself if he had been in the same position that Collins had been in.
"Uncle George, I'm done. Can we go now, I am really thirsty" Mario pulled on his hand. He had been calling on George for quite some time. George was in deeper thoughts than he realized.
"Sure buddy. Come on we are almost there" smiling at the young guy. His heart swelled when the guy looked at him with so much happiness. It was a feeling that he was becoming used to from a different light. He watched as Mario and David walked ahead of him chatting and pointing at buildings and dogs and cars and people. The boys were so curious, something they clearly did not get from their mother.
And that is why he detested Collins Dwight so much. Try as much as he could, he could still not understand how Collins could turn his back on his own flesh and blood. 11 years ago, Collins was an adult not a wimpy scared kid. He was not an 18 year old, frightened out of his mind of being a father. Besides, he had the resources to take care of the kids without being involved in their lives. What would it take for a man to take a pen and write a check for $100,000 a month? That was not even a drop in the bucket for a man like Collins who was worth billions.
Even if, Collins had panicked and left his kids it still did not excuse him coming into their lives late. 11 years late! That was what also set him apart from Collins. He knew that he would come back. He wouldn't leave his child to be away in the world cold and alone. Collins was a father, he just wasn't a dad. More specifically he was not a dad to Mario and Juan David.
They finally reached the cafe. Pulling the door open they stepped inside. It was cute and cooler inside. Getting in line, they looked up to the menu.
"You guys know what you want?" George asked the two boys.
"Yeah"
"Yeah"
"Okay" coming up to the counter.
"Hello. Can I please have an iced coffee?"
"Sure"
"Boys?" turning to the boys for their requests.
"Can I please have the lemonade drink?"
"Okay" punching it into the computer.
"And I want a lemonade raspberry flavor" Mario piped up.
"Sure thing. Will that be all?"
"Mmm we will also have a basket of fries" George added taking his wallet from his back pocket.
"Can we have cheese on it?" Mario asked.
"Sure. We will all be together when your mother kills us" he joked.
"Kills you" he corrected. "I am too young to die" David quipped.
"Aren't we all?" shaking his head. "Yeah a basket of fries with cheese" he told the cashier.
"Is that to stay or to go?"
"To stay"
"Thank you. Please take a seat and someone will bring your food shortly"
"Thank you"
They made their way to through the restaurant finally settling on a seat at the back of the restaurant.
"So you guys have lots of homework?"
"Nah. So want to watch a movie?" Mario knew that he was going to say yes.
"Your mother will kill me" he groaned.
"We will give a nice speech at your funeral" David said in a fake sympathetic voice.
"Yeah and my ghost will haunt you" he joked back.
"Yeah right"
There was a moment of silence.
"Hey Uncle George, can I ask you a question?" Mario asked hesitantly.
"Sure buddy"
"When are you and mom going to get married?"
George was momentarily frozen. What was he supposed to say? He and Diane had promised that they wouldn't tell the boys yet. "How did you find out?"
"At school"
"Yeah. Some of the kids had the newspaper. Then we saw your interview" Mario finished.
"Why didn't you say a word to your mother?" he asked concerned.
There was a pause as the server brought their order. After thanking him, they continued the conversation.
"Well she didn't bring it up" David said in a quiet voice.
"Well boys, your mother and I are thinking of getting married.
But we didn't want to bring your hopes up" he gently tried to explain.
"Do you love my mom?"
"I do. And I love you guys" he said sincerely. But that question deserved another answer. He did love Diane. She was one of his best friends. Perhaps his only best friend. But did he love her as a man loved a woman?
He didn't think so. The thought had never crossed his mind. It was funny how kids made you revaluate your life's choices.
"I have a question, if you and mom don't work out will Fifa still be our sister?"
He didn't even have to think twice about that question.
"Definitely"
It would be an honor to have these boys as his children.
"Yay! Cool"
The boys went back to sipping their drinks.
"You guys seem to be very calm about this whole situation."