alone; i wander

Sometimes itw as still surreal to him that Aubree had agreed to anything with him. He still remembered giving her his phone number on the receipt from the vet. Then they ran into each other grocery shopping. It just snowballed since then and in a few months they would be legally married. It really was amazing how things worked out. “Probably a good idea,” he said, his nose scrunching up. The man couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be with Aubree and to have Molly as his daughter. He loved how no one ever gave them a second look when they were at the store together. His friends from work knew the situation and wholeheartedly supported Seth when it came to Molly and Aubree. His old boss, Dr. Burke, loved that he had decided to settle down. “I think that’s a perfect plan. Molly always throws in the hard ones and that’s what I need.”

“I’m ready as soon as we’re married,” he told her, a smile on his face. “I’m ready now but I know you want to be married so...in...three and a half months we can start trying,” he told her, waggling his eyebrows up and down at her. “But practicing can’t hurt.” Seth might have been a bit upset when he came home to another animal in the apartment but he never could stay that way. Not with Molly or Aubree. Seth handed the puppy back to his girlfriend and walked into the kitchen to wash his hands. “I’m going to start on dinner. Then I want you to pick four ingredients - any ingredients - and I’ll come up with things I can do with them. Ya know, talk it out. I go next month for an interview and to bring the executives some of my food so they know I can cook. They are looking for people with good stories and I think mine is pretty convincing.”

“Ah, the flattery method,” he said, laughing a little. Seth took the puppy out of Marina’s hands and sighed. “Hey there, Teddy. My daughter and my wife have decided that you’re coming to live with us. And since I have no say on most things,” he said, a wink in Aubree’s direction, “I guess you are. You are cute. No chewing on anything in my kitchen. Phil is the boss.” He rubbed the pup’s fur and laughed lightly as the puppy licked his lips. “Well, I was planning on more children one day but I figured it would be the human kind.”

“Making you sleep on the couch would be a punishment for me. I’m pretty sure I have done nothing to warrant not sleeping next to you,” he told her, his eyebrow raised. Ophelia took that moment to come into the room and Seth leaned down to pet his puppy. She was almost a year and in a very awkward phase. Thankfully, she would grow out of it soon. Seth moved across the room to lean down and place a kiss on Aubree’s lips. “Teddy, huh?” he asked and then shook his head again. “You’ll be the death of me, soon-to-be Aubree Watters.” Seth always had a really hard time telling her no and in most cases he didn’t even try. But, he still wanted to feel like his opinion meant something in their lives. “Did you get him a dog bed? Bowl? Collar? Leash?”

Seth shook his head for a minute before leaning down to pick Molly up. She was getting so big and he knew that before long he wouldn’t be able to pick her up. So, instead, he tried to do it as much as possible until that day came. “I mean...you did tell me that you wanted a dog or two when we were first dating so I guess here is our second dog. Phil and Ophelia are cool with him?” He knew she said they were but he wanted to make sure. Ophelia was a Golden Retriever and they were notorious for getting along with everyone and everything but Phil could be picky. “We can keep him but, baby, communication would be nice.” Seth put Molly down before kicking his shoes off by the door.