Choices. Chances. Changes.

Settling

Louis POV

"See you tomorrow Louis! Bring the kids by someday, you know they love seeing all the dogs."

I smile at my coworker Alex. He's probably the closest thing I have to a best friend. We seem to always get put working the same shifts.

"Later Alex. Maybe we'll come by this weekend."

I lock the door and pull my hood over my head as I make my way to my Nissan pathfinder. I roll the window down after starting the car and sigh looking out the windshield. It's not too cold out so I decide to keep the heater off to save gas, with two kids at home and only one person bringing in an income I have to cut funds where I can. I watch as Alex backs out of the parking lot and I follow behind him. When I graduated 11 years ago with the hopes of going to college to be an editor I never would have pictured my life would lead me here.

A few minutes down the road and my Bluetooth connected to the car and it started playing the same playlist I'd been listening at work. I know I won't hit any red lights because I have made this drive for the last four years...six days a week. It took months to find this job and I'll do anything to not fuck it up. Spencer the manager of Pet Pavillion was nice enough to give a struggling father of 2 with his partner not bringing in any income a job, who just moved back to town, no experience...just going off me being a friend of a friend. When I had started I'd been just a kennel technician. Walking the dogs, feeding them, setting up suites and things like that. I worked up to learning to trim their nails and bathe them with blow drying and brushing them out. After a year and a half Spence brought me to the front. It had been hard for me since I'm not really the most outgoing person and I tend to shy away from confrontation of any kind. Throughout the years I'd become quite good at it even earned the title assistant manager which came with a small increase of pay but still not enough to keep up with everything. I love my job but I also hate it sometimes. It's become a place where I'm beginning to find who I am again. I sigh pulling into my driveway. It's also become a sanctuary of sorts...a place where I can get away from him even just for half a day or a whole one depending on the day. It was also a place I felt guilty spending so much time at only for two reasons...Bella and Freddie.

"Daddy!" I hear as I step inside the door.

"Hey munchkins. How was school?" I hug them both and hang up my keys.

"Good. Lunch was the worst ever! All they had was salad and vegetable lasagna. Daddy who eats that?" Bella tells me sticking her tongue out.

"It's healthy Bel. What about you Fred?"

"Good." He nods. I smile back at him. "Got to be line leader today."

"That sounds fun bubs! Where's Pat?"

Bella rolls her eyes. For a 9 year old she is pretty grown up already, unfortunately. Freddie's not far behind her at 6 years old.

"Play game." Freddie answers pointing towards the living room. "I'm hungry daddy."

I sigh and walk towards the kitchen. "Well how's about frozen pizzas and milkshakes?"

"YAAAAAY!!!"

"Louis!" I close the oven and the kids run upstairs.

"Making dinner Pat!" I yell back closing my eyes hoping he will go back to his game.

"Bring me a drink."

I scoff. No please. No thank you. No help. I open the fridge and mentally make a note to go shopping tomorrow. I grab the coke and pop the top walking into the living room.

"You were late." He says taking the can from me.

"Only by 20 minutes. I sent you a text."

"You should have called."