Our Life Together

Long Day

Brad's POV

"Cut!  We'll start again in 20 minutes!" The director yells.  I run to my trailer, not trying to get caught up in anymore work.

As I'm walking in, I hear my phone start to ring and run up to it.  It's Jack's school so I answer right away.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is the school nurse.  Is this Jackson Pitt's father?"

"Yes."

"He's in my office with a fever and stomach ache right now.  He's going to need to be picked up."

"Uh, well I'm not sure if I can get out of work right now, have you called my wife?  She should be able to get him."

"I actually just left a message for her. She didn't answer.  Should I try someone else?  Your parents?"

"No, no.  I'll try to call her again.  If not I'll be there, it just might be a little."

"Thank you."

I hang up and dial Jen's number.  She's working too, but she should be able to leave. 

"Hey, where are you?"

"I just got out of my meeting.  Why did the school call me?  Did they call you?"

"Yeah, Jack has a fever and he needs picked up.  I don't know if I can leave here so I was hoping you'd be able to get him."

"Shit.  I can't.  I have another meeting I can't miss.  I can be home after that if you get him."

"Okay, I'll figure it out."  I sigh "Love you."

"Love you too.  Let me know what happens."

I end up just leaving quickly to get him.  They can wait for me.  The kids are more important anyway. 

"Hey, buddy."  I walk into the office to see Jack pale and very sick looking.  He laying across the chairs, trying to stay awake.  The nurse comes over to talk to me for a little before I get Jack and walk out.  He hasn't thrown up yet but he looks like he's about to.

"Since he has a fever, he will need to stay home tomorrow as well."  The nurse tells me as I get Jack ready "His temperature has been going up slightly since I called you."

"Okay, well thank you for calling."  I grab Jack's bag then reach out for his hand "I'll give him some Tylenol once he's home." 

I get him in the car and start the drive to my parents house.  Jen is just going to have to pick him up there.

"Daddy,"  He whines behind me "My belly hurts."

"I know, Jack.  We'll be at grandma's soon and then you can lay down and your belly will feel better."

Seconds later, I hear the dreaded sound.  He's thrown up all over the back of my car. 

Like any good father, I pull over and run to his side with a bag.  What I don't realize, is that when I open his door and he turns towards me, he's mid-vomit. 

"Sorry, daddy."  He cries, obviously not feeling well at all.  I try to ignore the fact that I am now covered in his vomit, and do my best to make him feel better.  I hold the bag up for him until he finally stops.  We both look like we drank our bodies weight in vodka last night.  I don't even know what to do anymore.

"Oh my God.  What happened?"  My mom opens the door "You look like shit."

"His stomach got worse."  I hand Jack to her in defeat "He's all yours.  Have fun."  The look she gives me reminds me of the same one she would give when she'd help me cover a lie.  Clearly it means I owe her.

I drive back to set, ignoring the horrible smell of myself and my car, hoping I won't get yelled at by the asshole director, who is clearly against parents taking care of their children.  Based on some of the texts I got from him, he doesn't know anything about parenting.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"  He asks "You can't film like this!  What happened?"

"My kid got sick."  I look at myself in one of the mirrors, only now realizing how bad I really look "I had to pick him up from school."

"Well where's your wife?  Couldn't she get him?  We have to finish filming your parts!"

"She had work too.  Just give me 5 minutes and I'll be cleaned up." 

We both know that was a lie, but I can't stand him.  I run into my trailer to grab some new clothes and quickly take a shower to hopefully wash away the smell. 

"Oh great, your spa finally ended."  He rolls his eyes as I walk back out "Get ready.  We're starting now."

I get in place immediately and start my lines.  This guy reminds me of Jen when she's pissed at me for no damn reason.  It's honestly terrifying, but not nearly as terrifying as her being mad. 

"Start from the beginning!  This time don't burst into laughter, Brad!"

We start over, and this time instead of me, another castmate starts to laugh on purpose.  It's hilarious how pissed the director gets, so all of us, even his assistant start to laugh just to make him even more mad.

"Forget it!  You guys are worthless!"  He throws everything in his hands on the ground "We'll start again tomorrow morning.  Maybe you can grow up between now and then!"  He mumbles something as he walks away from us, trying to get us scared of him.

"Well, I'm going home."  I start to walk away "He's being an ass.  I'm not staying here just to hope he might change his mind."

I start to walk out to my car, only to see that there's paparazzi surrounding it.  How the hell did they even get on the set? 

"Brad!  We keep seeing you and Jen out separately!  What's wrong?"

"Are you getting divorced?"

"What do the kids think?"

"Is she cheating?"

I fight my way through them, ignoring their ridiculous statements and questions.  As I open my car door, I can't help but slam it shut again in the pure anger that has taken over me after all of the crazy things that have happened today.

"Did you get kicked out?"

"Can you not go home?"

"Are you cheating?"

"What's going to happen to the kids?"

I thank myself for remembering to open my windows, which helped to get the horrid smell away, and get my phone out to do the only thing I can think of: call Jen to waste some time until they leave.

Twenty minutes of talking to her and the kids later, the paparazzi finally start to disappear.  One by one, they get in their cars and leave.

I pull into the drive way, just in time to feel sick myself.