Mr. Mom

Kelton Tavarez 51 Werewolf Single father of two angelic hellions Dying inside

[keltontavarez]

Dom’s immediate reaction was to wince at the phrase ‘close family’ but he tried to quell it. “You could say that,” he said, trying for a breezy tone, “it was just me and my mom most of the time.” It was best to quickly move on. “I feel like there’s a joke in there somewhere about going off half cocked. But I’m sure you have enough control to make it day to day. That’s what we hope for, right?” 

“That’s more how it was for me, when I was real young.” He didn’t have many memories of his mother, but they were scattered here and there. She had been beautiful of course, she would have to be to catch Percival’s attention. “I’m sure that one has been told more times than it should have. And most of us do.  It really depends on the werewolf.” 

[keltontavarez]

“I’m not worried, honestly.” Kit shrugged, unsure of how to explain why he wasn’t. He should be, but he mostly just didn’t want his life to change. Ignorance was bliss, and all that.

“Let’s hope you don’t have to be.” Kel said, though he wasn’t entirely hopeful. He had a bad feeling about this one for some reason. “I’m going to have to get that sample to the hospital in town to run some tests. I should have some results by tomorrow.” 

[keltontavarez]

“What, not having shit? I wouldn’t say it’s nice.” Could be worse though. He could have a lot. “False positivity is just annoying.”

“If you’ve been so concerned about this, why haven’t you gotten it checked out sooner?” Annoyance was sneaking into his tone. People who refused to get checked out when symptoms started made Kel’s life more difficult. 

[keltontavarez]

Jack tilted his head side to side as he made a face. “Touché.” Kelton did have a point. Granted Jack didn’t watch many cartoons since he’d rather be outside. But from the ones he had he’d definitely noticed a lot of content in them that was made for adults to understand.

“You’re a great dad, Kel.” Jack meant that whole-heartedly. He’d seen the way Kelton was around his daughters. Even if he did work himself too hard Jack could respect it. Being raised the way he had he knew the importance of a parent. He knew how involved they were in your life mattered. Jack also knew what it was like to grow up without a parent, but he never missed not having a father. That was largely thanks to the work his mother’s put into raising him. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you different.”

Kel nodded slightly in acknowledgement. “I make intelligent comments on the rare occasion.” Of course they were talking about about children’s cartoons, so he wasn’t sure just how intelligent any remarks about them could be considered. He would take the wins where he could get them. 

“Well, at least someone thinks so.” He offered, along with a lighthearted laugh. It was probably the best compliment anyone could give him, but yet another Halder trait he hated to share was inability to accept a compliment graciously. “I can not try to, but people don’t really like it if you start shouting over them just because they’re trying to give you constructive criticism.” 

[keltontavarez]

Brooke wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or just indulging her. A perplexed look took over her face as she stated, “That you don’t want to have a life?” Because that’s basically what she had meant. That the man didn’t want to do anything outside of his kids and was therefore supplying excuses on why he couldn’t. Brooke may not know why that was, but she couldn’t blame him. It was something she could certainly relate to. In the last three years there had been plenty of times when she made excuses for not having a life. “Processes are something I can understand.” Even now she was actually trying to have a life, she still wasn’t used to it.

A sad smile took over Brooke’s face. Nothing was happy or humorous over what she was thinking, but she wasn’t sure how else to deal with the emotions inside of her. “Left is an understatement, but yeah.” She wasn’t really inclined to share, but they were commiserating and Brooke felt in that moment of anyone might be able to understand how she felt it was the dude having a pity party for one. “My fiancé was declared dead after he went missing. Only to turn up two years later, and when I went to go pick him up he was gone again. So yeah I was left.” Brooke gave a humorless laugh at the word ‘left’ and how that hardly summed up what happened.

“No, that being a single dad means you have no life at all.” Of course, saying as much was going to result in a lecture about how he had to ask for help and take time for himself. Those speeches usually came from people who weren’t single parents. As far as he saw, he could either be a good dad, or he could have a good social life. “Life is full of them.” Unfortunately, he had always taken a long time to learn a lesson. He was hardheaded that way, one of the few traits he shared with Ella. 

Kel felt he had to be missing some important details to the story. “Damn, did he disappear on purpose? Because that’s a whole new level of ghosting.” He supposed he had at least gotten the lipstick note on the bathroom mirror. It wasn’t much of a goodbye, but he hadn’t been left to wonder if she had intentionally left him or not. He would have driven himself insane looking for her if she hadn’t made it clear that she had left because she didn’t want him anymore. 

[keltontavarez]

“Some do, some don’t. It really be like that sometimes.” Spencer’s parents left him with nothing but the clothes on his back, so Spencer’s money was carefully hoarded over the years. At least the other doctor vet guy didn’t get all emotional. People were unpredictable when it came to emotions. “Done. You can be ignored indefinitely.” 

“It really be like that sometimes?” Kel knew there were people at the ranch much older than him. He didn’t mind it usually, because he had acted like an old man since he was a child. Then, some creatures were less out of touch with current times than he was, be them older or younger, and he was left attempting to decipher the newest popular saying. “Good to know.” 

[keltontavarez]

“Good thing I’ve got shit to my name.” Kit said cheerfully. His motorcycle was about all he had that was actually worth anything. “Low blood sugar that lasts months?”

“That must be nice, what’s that like?” Kel replied, with just as much cheer. “Hey, I’m trying to be positive for you over here.” 

[keltontavarez]

It was reassuring. As much as she knew Ella could keep people in line, Aleda was firm in the belief that she shouldn’t have to. If her uncle instinctively knew not to mess with her, that was best for all of them, and she could rest easier knowing it. She also felt better hearing the warmth in Kel’s words speaking of the man, and that Abigail approved of him. If their family could be bigger without the sort of stress that Holly had brought, she could only see that as a good thing. “I’m sure it’ll come with time. Plus, they’re growing up fast. I know Ella’s training her, but soon enough they’ll be taking care of themselves. Spooky thought.” She added it with a smile to soften that, even though she knew it was true it might bug him to dwell on the idea of not being needed by them for everything, and she got that. “Staying busy does feel like it helps,” she conceded. “But if it runs you into the ground, it’s hurting more, you have to see that.” Lord knew his sister was the same way, but she didn’t think mentioning the parallel would help right now.

Seeing Aleda’s reaction reminded Kel that she had been at the ranch for as much time as he had. To him, who had grown up on the ranch, she felt like a newcomer. He had to remind himself that he probably appeared the same to her, to most of the people currently living there. They were protective of this place, and that brought a little warmth to him. In the time he had been gone, the ranch had become more than a place to live, it had become a community of people that watched out for each other. Kel threw a hand over his heart. “God, next thing you’re going to be telling me that Abigail’s ready to date. Are you trying to run me into an early grave?” His voice was pained, though not necessarily serious. He knew the girls would grow up and he would have to find his identity all over again, and he just kept pushing that thought further off. He started shaking his head, readying another oreo. “You know what, I didn’t ask to have your logic in this situation. I am quite aware and comfortable in my dysfunction.” 

[keltontavarez]

“Should I update my will?” Kit asked dryly. He didn’t think he was dying, but he definitely wasn’t worried about it if he was, not unless he was dying in the next few days. “Just so long as it falls in my favor.”

“If you’re going to keep dating Ella, yes.” He was trying to bring some levity back into the situation. “There’s definitely something wrong, sorry to tell you. We can just hope it’s something as simple as diet or low blood sugar.” 

[sunflowercthood]

love was found: dead

[keltontavarez]

She offered a tired grin as he inhaled another oreo. “It’s strange to say, too. Probably not nearly as much, though.” She couldn’t imagine what it felt like to have family just pop up out of nowhere, or out of the past as she supposed was more accurate. Especially for Ella. But she hoped it was a good thing, somehow, even with all its complications. After all, Kel and the girls arriving had been. She led the way out to the back porch, taking in Kel’s reasoning and not fully believing it. The look she gave him probably said as much. “You’re the doctor, so I can’t exactly recommend sleep aids to you, can I?” she said with light humour as she settled on the bench that stood on the porch. “I don’t offer any solutions, but I mean more in a practical day-to-day way. It never bothers me to watch Abigail and Ella, or take care of anything else around here. Or I can delegate for you to someone, if it’s out of my wheelhouse. Honestly. So, just keep it in mind, will you?” They had enough people floating around that she didn’t feel like they’d neglect the kitchen if she left it for a few hours. It had survived the ranch inhabitants a long time, with only moderate damage, and it would again.

Kel shook a shaggy head, curls falling into his eyes with the movement. “He’s not bad, at least. Abigail is already calling him Uncle. I also think he’s got a healthy fear of Ella, which is reassuring.” It had surprised him on multiple occasions how much he liked Xavier. The man was awkward and stilted as Ella, but older and more comfortable in it. He was also about as interested in fighting as Kel was, which made him more comfortable with the man’s presence. Kel smiled wryly, taking the spot on the bench next to her and pulling a foot underneath him. He set the package of oreos between them. “I never feel like I have enough time to sleep. I know I have help here and I don’t have to do it on my own anymore, but it’s a habit. An unhealthy way of coping with stressful situations, the more I move and do, the less time I have to think about what’s going wrong.” He shrugged. He knew his flaws very well, but that didn’t mean he was equipped to fight them yet. “It’s just a matter of adapting to my new surroundings. And actually trusting other people with my girls.” That was really the hard part. He wanted to do it all himself. He wanted to be there for every moment. He never wanted the girls to think they only got half of him. He wanted to make up for the absence of the other parent. He also knew that was insane and people wouldn’t understand him if he said as much. 

[keltontavarez]

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Kit said ruefully. “Maybe I am dying though, you never know.” He pointed out with a grin. “Just tell me first, not her.”

Kel could see why Ella liked this guy. Hell, if she didn’t, he might have considered his own ban against dating. “Hey, let’s not joke about possible things.” He didn’t think Kit was dying, but that was always a possibility. “I’ll think about it.” 

[keltontavarez]

Spencer gave a non-committal movement. “Parents had the money, and I wanted to see if the lifestyle was for me. I liked the work, just I needed the interaction.” He said, carefully not to get in the way of the broom. The ranch looked fairly large, with several hundred acres, easily a couple of quarter-sections. “Collage? What?” The last part went straight over Spencer’s head. 

“I guess I know how that goes.” Technically Kel’s biological father had the money and Kel had done the work. It had just been a less voluntary exchange. But that would be a bit much to dump on a complete stranger, even for Kel. He waved a hand off. “Bad joke. I make a lot of those, feel free to ignore me.”

[keltontavarez]

Spencer nodded. “Neat. I think I can help around with the plants, and the fields and stuff. I used to have a ranch, before I heard about this place.” He shrugged. Spencer had a few ranches before arriving. Different things, anything from sheep and goats to flax. Whatever was on hand.  “I can handle an asshole, I’ve done it before.”

“We can always use more people working outside.” Kel started to sweep, careful not to miss any of the shards. “Have a ranch? That takes some money.” He was privy to plenty of the bookkeeping here, and while he knew that their operation ran a little bigger than most, he still knew that even a small ranch wasn’t a cheap endeavor. “I mean, I think most of us have that phase in college, but it’s nice to hear someone so open about their preferences.” 

[keltontavarez]

Spencer held his lips shut before saying that it would take a lot more than stepping on a broken piece of glass to cut him, but he was trying to keep a low profile here. That was the plan, anyways. “Thanks for helping me clean up. I’ll talk to the handyman dude in the morning. I guess you’re the doctor?”

“Not a problem, I can let him know if you like. He’s kind of a grumpy shit and I hate to subject too many people to his disposition.” Kel had only had a few interactions with the handyman and none of them had been pleasant. “Doctor and vet. I can help multiple forms, wings, whatever you might have hidden away.” 

[she-wolvess]

[keltontavarez]

@aleda-james

[keltontavarez]

Aleda blinked as she listened to him rattle off that information, then took another oreo from her pile. She unscrewed the top this time, to get the icing from the middle—always preferring to mix things up. “Good to know. You know, your… uncle? He found a dog today. I’ll scratch ‘hide all chocolate above puppy level’ off my to-do list.” Changing the subject wasn’t intentional, really, but if she could gauge Kel’s take on the man, she’d be happy about that. She still didn’t know what she thought about him, exactly. She began putting the hot chocolate pot aside, but Kel’s silence on the other matter made her stop what she was doing to watch him. He’d always struck her as tired, something she mostly chalked up to his handling the girls on his own, but this was different. “Sure, we can head outside.” She liked sitting on the porch at night on the rare occasion she was up this late, and the break could definitely do them both good. Gathering up the cookies and her own mug, she made sure the stove was off and added, “You know if there’s anything you need my help with, for anything in all of this, you can ask.” She had no idea what that’d be, but it was still worth saying she thought.

Kel shoved another oreo in its entirety into his mouth. Everyone had their own way of eating them, and he preferred to nearly asphyxiate every time he had one. “My uncle.” Kel repeated, shaking his head slightly. “That’s still a strange thing to hear.” Hell, he was still getting used to calling Ella his sister out loud, where other people could hear. He had never been the one with family, and now he had more of it than he knew what to do with. It was nice, but it was going to take a little getting used to. He nodded, picking up the spare mug and doing his best to ignore the way that she was studying him. He’d gotten used to ignoring pointed looks. He was fine. He would survive this hurtle and he would keep going, because that was what he did. He kept going and he was fine. “I’ve been doing this since before Holly left. I’m just tired, I’ll be better after I get a few hours of sleep.” Fine might be an overstatement. Less dramatic, hopefully. He wanted to say that he didn’t always feel like this, didn’t always look like this, but that seemed a pointless endeavor. People would think of him what they thought of him and he’d resolved a long time ago to not care. “But I appreciate the offer.”