Left At The Altar [ON HOLD]

Chapter 5: Dinner Time

At the request of my best friend I “hurried up and wrote it” ;) Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Dinner Time

Andy felt like she was everywhere. She had just finished work and she needed to pick up Tyler from his daycare. However, she needed to run to the bank and deposit her paycheck so she could pay her bills. Groaning she took out her phone. “Elliot, could you pick up Tyler from daycare? I know you’re off today…okay. Thank you so much... Yeah, I know I owe you. Okay, bye.”

After depositing her check she stopped at the store and grabbed a candy bar and water so she could have energy to play with Tyler later. Within ten minutes she was across town and knocking on Elliot’s door.  “Come in!” Aaron’s voice shouted.

Like Aaron said, Andy entered the house. There, in the middle of the living room floor was Tyler, playing Hot Wheels with Aaron.

Andy stiffened. Where was Elliot? As if sensing her growing panic, Aaron turned to her and answered her unasked question. “Elliot got called into work. He left, like, ten minutes ago.”

Andy just nodded and made a mental note to talk to Elliot about this. Aaron and her son alone was not going to happen again; at least not for a very long time. “Hmm.” Andy hummed before turning to her toddler, “Come on, Tyler it’s time to go. Mommy needs to make dinner. How do chicken nuggets sound?”

Tyler gave her the face. The one that meant any minute a meltdown would occur. “Mommy?”

“Yes, dear?” She asked, even though she thought she knew what was about to come out of his mouth. Her son was going to ask if he could play for a little bit longer before leaving. He always did.

But instead his word shocked her to the core. “Aaron come?” Wasn’t her son supposed to hate his father? What happened that made his little brain change its mind so fast?

“No, I’m sorry. He can’t” Andy answered before Aaron could even open his mouth to speak. “He has to do stuff on his own.”

“Pwease!” The toddler pleaded his green orbs going wide as they started to fill with tears.  When Andy shook her head ‘no’ a second time, the tantrum was on. He grabbed the nearest Hot Wheel and hurled it at the floor, his mouth opening wide to let out an ear splitting shriek. “Why-y-y? Mommy!”

Andy was across the room in two seconds flat, the small boy up in her arms as she turned to Aaron. She nearly had to shout over the screaming. “This is what you want? You want a life with my son? This is your chance to turn away now, Aaron!”

Aaron shook his head. “I’m not leaving! I told you, I’m here for the long haul.” Andy’s eyes searched Aaron’s green ones, the same eyes her son had. It seemed to take a few minutes, but eventually Andy nodded. 

“Fine. Take him, and calm him down. We can have dinner here tonight.”

By now, Tyler’s cries had subsided. They rested at a dull hum as he laid his head against Aaron’s shoulder, his little hands bunching up his father’s shirt.

*~*~*~*

Elliot entered the house and immediately the smell of bacon-pea-pasta wafted into his nostrils. He knew it meant one of two things; some crazy person was in his house, making his best friend’s specialty or Andy was here, cooking dinner. He went with the latter when he heard Tyler’s squeal from the kitchen. “Peas!” The toddler shouted.

Elliot moved to the kitchen after removing his shoes. In there was a sight to see. Aaron was throwing peas at the small boy who tried to catch them with his mouth, just like his dad was. Andy was shaking her head, laughing as she stirred the sauce into the pasta mixture.

“Ewiot!” Tyler giggled, his hands going out in a grabbing motion.

Andy spun around; her facial expression resembled a small child with their hand caught in the cookie jar. “Oh! Hey, Elliot. How was your day?”

Eyes wide, Elliot responded; not missing the look Aaron shot him. “Good. Wish I didn’t have to work. However, I’m becoming very interested in your day…”

Andy didn’t answer. Instead she turned to Tyler. “Do you want Aaron to show you something really cool, honey?” The toddle nodded his head vigorously.

Aaron sighed, picking up on the very obvious hint for him to leave the room. “Come on, buddy.”

“Andy, what are you doing? I come home you playing house with him. Now, he’s my best friend and all, but so are you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“He wanted to get to know Tyler better! What am I supposed to do? Say no? He’s Tyler’s father!”

Elliot let out an exasperated sigh. “He. Left. You. At the altar. Don’t forget that.”

 “Like I could!” She yelled back.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt,” repeated Elliot.

Why was he acting like this? Wasn’t he supposed to be promoting the whole “peace” thing between the two? After all, Elliot was both her and Aaron’s best friends.

“I don’t see any harm in letting him be close with Tyler, Elliot. What’s he going to do? If he leaves Tyler won’t remember him when he’s older, and he will be gone forever. If he stays, Tyler will be able to grow up with his father. It’s a win-win.”

Elliot rolled his eyes. “Glad to see you put so much faith in him, Andy,” he commented dryly.

“Whose side are you on, El? Because you’re confusing the hell out of me. One minute you’re sheltering him and the next you’re telling me to stay away from the guy.” Andy threw her arms up in exasperation. “Make up your mind!”

“Just be careful, Andy. I’m serious. I know you.”

“But he doesn’t. Now, go get them. Dinner is ready. When’s Ellina getting home?”

Elliot turned and started to make his way to the other room. “She’s supposed to get off at 6:30.”

Andy hummed as she put her food onto the table. This was going to be an interesting evening.

A/N: Yes, I realize it’s extremely short…but I feel that if I continued this then the chapter would just drag on...and that would be bad. So, sorry. I will try to writing during Thanksgiving break, but let me tell you right now, that is highly unlikely. The rest of November is pretty busy for me so I wouldn’t expect another update until December. Maybe even later. Vote, Comment or Fan! Shout out to DistrictTerri because she always comments! Thank you! They make my day!