#c aaron

[maureenkeaton]

Aaron’s presents for Maureen’s birthday are neatly wrapped in simple, golden paper and tied together with a sparkly ribbon. Each item has been engraved with her initials, although you can find her full name on the clip of her new fountain pen. Underneath the ribbon, a colorful cardboard birthday card has been slipped, roughly the size of an A4 sheet of paper. In neat cursive, you can read:

My dear, sweet Maureen, You must know by now that words have never been your father’s strongest point, and I will not try to reinvent prose but rather tell you about a memory that came back to me as I started the first draft to this letter. I’m not sure you remember what cabbage ball is, but you must remember that your grand parents have a wonderful garden, where they grew cabbages that year. (Somehow they stopped after this). You were too little to remember, but Mark and I had been playing with one of those vegetables that has been forsaken by taste. And, although he might have not been higher than a dining table, your brother had kicked into the cabbage with all the strength he had into him and send it flying right into your face. I’m sure he remembers being yelled at. You’ll find a picture of the black eye that resulted from the incident in one of your presents (the flat package). It was truly not the most fortunate event of your beautiful life, but I cannot recall having been, in my whole life, ever as worried about another human being. This marked the end of cabbage ball and the start of a long list of moments that got me just as worried as I was that day. Even now, as I write this letter, I worry about what the future has in store for you, but I am filled with pride and joy as I see how far you’ve come. You are the smartest young woman I know and the best daughter a father could have hoped for, that I could have hoped for. You make me proud and I know that whatever comes next, you will keep on making me proud. Perhaps, then, do I ought to stop worrying so much about my daughter’s well being then. May life reward you with abundantly, as you are the best and deserve the best. Your loving dad.

[doctor-keaton]

Where: Aaron & Maureen Keaton’s apartment

With: @chief-keaton​

Knocking at the door was getting Mark nowhere. Either nobody was home or nobody was particularly interested in having a conversation with him. Knowing either his dad or his sister, they probably were too distracted in whatever work they had started to even recognize the pounding on the front door.

 With a sigh, Mark finally slid the backpack off of his back and started digging through it. He knew his dad had given him a spare key at some point. As with most things, Mark had tossed it into his bag and completely forgotten about it. He brought the bag with him anywhere, so it was a safe bet that anything he needed would be down in there. It was just a matter of trying to rifle through all of the crumpled pieces of paper and loose pens in order to feel for it at the bottom of stack. It took far longer than it should have, the faint voice of his sister chastising him into being more organized drifted in one ear and out the other, but he finally felt the tip of his pinky brush against the ridges of the cold metal. “Hah. Suck it Maureen” he mumbled under his breath, proud of his own victory against her as he pulled it free from the bag and knocked a few pieces of paper to the sidewalk below along the way. He haphazardly scooped them up, stuffing them back into his bag and zipping it up before shoving the key into the lock and letting himself into their apartment.

“Papa Bear! Your favorite child’s home!” He called down the empty hallway. No response still, which could really only mean that his dad was in one place. Mark locked the door behind him, and made his way down the hall towards his dad’s office. Even now, whenever Mark pictured his dad it was always in that office. Even when things got better after the divorce. Some habits were hard to break.

“You know, I’ve been thinking since twenty seconds ago when I walked in the house. I don’t think papa bear was my strongest moment. If you heard that, I strongly encourage you to erase it from your brain.” Mark was carrying a conversation before he even turned the corner into the room. He was lucky that when he did, his dad was actually there. He looked just as lost in thought as he always had, a few years of age the only thing separating him from looking exactly as he had when Mark was a kid. “Hey.” Mark tried again once he was finally in the room, just a couple of feet from his dad, “Guess you didn’t hear my knocking. You seem pretty lost in thought?” It phrased it as a question, though the answer was obvious, “How’s it going?”

[maureenkeaton]

😡 for Dad xoxo

😡 for an angry text:

Maureen → Dad (circa age like... 15, let's say): You specifically left your salad at home!! I worked very hard to make that you know!! Vegetables aren't just pretty to look at.

@aaron-keaton

[doctor-keaton]

The card lights up and plays obnoxious annoying musing when opened, which is exactly why Aaron picked it. Written on the inside of the card is the following message : Dear Mark,

This year I decided to pay more attention than I usually do. That is something that has sometimes caused us to disagree on some matters, and you know I'll never stop apologizing for ever making you feel neglected.

I know now that you sometimes get so busy that your coffee turns cold in your cup. I have found a solution to that. I wish we had that back then. I'm afraid I haven't figured out a solution yet to you forgetting to take bathroom breaks. (See, I did pay attention this time) Regarding your great grand father's watch, well, I'd like to keep it for a few more years, but I figured I would give you something that tells the time (and other few things I didn't understand). That is the least I could do. I love you son, Dad In the envelop and under the gift wrap is the usual confetti :

[electricxtwist]

"You're distracting."

--Lo siento, mi intención no era esa. Yo solo estoy haciendo mi trabajo - se encogió de hombres.