Chris's POV
~ ♢
I'd been in Tennessee for five days now, and most of it was phone calls to and from my mom and Hayden, comforting Frankie, and watching Tyler while Frankie was either sleeping or planning the funeral more. Today, however, was the funeral. She was dressed in a knee length, long sleeved, dress. I was dressed in black jeans and a black button down shirt. She put Tyler in a simple blue onesie. Most of the funeral was all of the family and friends talking. I stood in the back with Tyler.
"Are you Chris?" A man walked up to me after a while. I hadn't seen him before.
"Yeah." I told him. He nodded.
"Would you be able to talk to me outside?" He asked. I nodded and walked out with him. "Frankie doesn't know I'm here. Which is good."
"Um... Who are you?" I asked, holding Tyler to me.
"Her dad." He stated.
"...Her dad is dead." I replied.
"Most people thought I was. It's not a very pretty story, either. It was an MIA situation, that lost control, and everyone was assumed dead." He didn't elaborate more.
"Okay..." I watched him carefully.
"Who's the baby?" He seemed confused.
"He was Diana's. She wanted Frankie to have him, and I told her I'd help her." I told him.
"Diana had a baby?" He looked shocked. "No, she couldn't have. The doctors said she wasn't healthy enough."
"Sir, I only met Diana once. And that was the day Tyler was born. Frankie told me the situation, but all I know is she did in fact have this baby." I told him. "She passed away two weeks later."
"Damn..." he mumbled. "...Frankie doesn't know I'm back yet, just so you know. I want to surprise her."
"Um... Go to the house," I handed him the key, "And wait there. We're going straight home after the service."
"...Do you live there?" He looked at me confused.
"Yes, sir. I just moved in this week." I told him. He nodded awkwardly and took the key.
"Alright. I'll be having a talk with you later." He stated.
"I'd be more scared if you didn't want one." I nodded. He nodded back and walked away.
What if that wasn't her dad? You could have just given someone the key to your house and they could rob you guys.
I've seen pictures of his around the house. He looks the same.
I walked back inside. Frankie was walking towards the door.
"You okay?" She asked.
"Yeah. Just needed some air. I felt a bit awkward." I told her.
"Alright." She nodded. "A couple people wanna meet Tyler."
"Do you wanna take him, or..?" I asked. She nodded and went to pick him up. He squealed as soon as she touched him. "Shit..."
"Well... You're carrying him then." She said and sighed. I nodded and followed her around quietly. After a while, she looked at me. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just thinking." I told her.
"Okay..." she said. I took Tyler from where he was laying against my chest and gently handed him to her. She smiled slightly and I kissed her head. She walked around for a while longer, and I followed her. After the funeral, they had the burial, and then we left. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, and I drove. We got to the house and parked, before getting out. I got Tyler from the back as she walked to the house. I started getting slight anxiety as she opened the door snd walked in. I walked in after her and saw her stop, staring at the couch.
"Oh my god." She whispered. "...Dad..."
"Frankie..." he replied and stood from the couch.
"How..?" She asked.
"They didn't think I was gonna live, so they told them I was dead. I've been in recovery since then." He said. She walked over and hugged him tightly. "Was my funeral as beautiful as Diana's?"
"Don't joke about your funeral. Too soon." She shushed him. I chuckled and watched them before I smelled something strange, and Tyler started wiggling around.
"I got it." I said and walked to the bedroom.
Frankie's POV
~ ♡
"You're alive." I looked at him in shock.
"I'm alive." He nodded. I hugged him again. "You still have Tigger. And now you have a boy?"
"I've actually known Chris for a while." I told him.
"How long?" He asked.
"Four years. I met him online and we were friends since. Then he visit me, and yeah..." I trailed off.
"And yeah." He teased.
"Basically." I nodded. "He's pretty handsome too."
"He's got too many tattoos. And he's too skinny." He crossed his arms before Chris walked in again.
"What about too many tattoos?" He asked.
"He said you have too many." I told him.
"You can only see my neck and hands though." He smiled, testing his limits.
"You have more?" Dad asked him. He handed me Tyler and nodded, pulling his shirt off.
"I have some on my legs and feet, too." Chris told him.
"Definitely too many." Dad said. "Put your shirt back on. This isn't Girls Gone Wild." I covered Chris's mouth before he could speak.
"Don't test it." I told him. He grumbled.
"A but too skinny, too." dad added.
"Kinda happens when you're a vegan." I told him.
"How are you gonna survive in Tennessee without meat?" Dad looked at him. He shrugged.
"I don't eat anything that's cooked or comes from animals. Only raw plants." Chris said.
"You're a strange boy." Dad told him.
"Maybe so, but I'm happy and healthy, so..." he shrugged again. Dad nodded.
"I think we should have a talk now." Dad told him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Alright, talk away." Chris crossed his arms. I rolled my eyes and sat down.
"Chris, what's your full name?" Dad asked.
"Christofer Drew Ingle." He told him.
"Tell me about yourself, Christofer." Dad told him.
"Well, I'm 24. I sing for a living." he took a step away from my dad. "And play guitar a bit-"
"Hold on." Dad stopped him. Chris mumbled something that sounded like 'oh, jesus.' "You sing?"
"Yes sir. A band called Nevershoutnever. I sing and play a variety of instruments like guitar, harmonica, ukulele, and a few others." He told him.
"So you tour a bit?" He asked.
"A bit." Chris nodded. "I know what you're getting at, and trust me, I have no intention of cheating on Frankie. I have more respect for women, and myself."
"Can I have your word for that?" Dad asked.
"You see, sir, just a few days ago, I made the decision to move in with Frankie and help her with Tyler, because she didn't want him to be in an orphanage, but she doesn't want to quite her job. I chose to move here to Tennessee, from Joplin, Missouri, away from family and friends, and my career, just to be with her and Tyler." Chris told him.
"That's a very admirable thing to do." Dad nodded. I watched the two. "Go on then. Continue about yourself."
"Alright. Well, I'm from Missouri. I'm pretty laid back. Um... I don't really know." He chuckled. "Oh, wait, since I'm already testing the limits, might as well tell you, I smoke like a train."
"Chris, I'm not helping you if you get your ass kicked." I butted in.
"You know, Frankie. I might like this boy. He's not afraid to tell me the truth without sugar coating it." Dad told me.
" I have no reason to lie to you, sir. In fact, if you want to be technical, I haven't actually asked Frankie to be my girlfriend yet. Her and I were friends for years over the internet, but we've only known each other face to fact for about two and a half weeks. I've chosen to be old fashioned and give it a while so her and I don't rush into anything without getting to know each other face to face." He told him.
"Young man, you're welcome in my house anytime you want. First things first, though, if you're living together, and helping her raise a child, the you're officially dating. No question needed." Dad said.
"Did you just confirm a relationship between he and I?" I asked.
"I sure did." He smiled. I nodded.
"Chris, when I go to sign the papers tomorrow that say Tyler is officially mine, I want you to sign, too." I looked at him. He nodded and smiled.
"I'd be happy to." He kept smiling.
"Welcome to the family, then, Chris." My dad looked at him before hugging him. Chris smiled and hugged him back.
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It needed to be happy, okay? It needed it
~Jnx