"emil starts pre-k soon and i think i might have an aneurysm," he announced, sitting down with his half off smoothie and sucking on the straw exaggeratedly. he'd asked for extra thick, and they delivered. "what am i supposed to do all day? run the food truck, obviously, but. without my little sous chef? this is a crime against me, really."

"there's my little peach," he beamed, walking toward addison with open arms and wrapping her in the gentlest bear hug he could manage. "i missed you! i'm glad you found some time between those big gigs of yours to have lunch with your old uncle." marco pulled her to arms length, giving a once over to ensure she was all in tact, then settled into his side of the booth. "it's on me, obviously. and i expect an invite to the next gig. you think if i gave you three random words right now, you could pop some lyrics out?"

@owenrobinson

the month had passed in a sort of serendipity, the two men falling into what would soon be a strong routine. the days at work seemed like they would never end, which was a welcome change to the days he’d spent over the last year wishing for them to last longer. now, however, marco had his home working it’s way back together and was determined to let nothing get in the way. ( even if that meant missing the lunch rush on BOGO bag days at cloud 9 ). glancing down at his watch, a tired huff blew through his nose as he saw it was just around one, the beginning of peak rush. still, he pulled both glass windows shut and double checked the grills, just to be sure. after picking up a few stray items, a hand weaved it’s way through curly locks, his steps heavy as he closed and locked the door behind him.

the drive home was nearly on autopilot, fingers tapping away at the steering wheel as he made his way into the driveway. the missed lunch rush was long forgotten as he walked into the house, taking a moment to appreciate the smell of home and the sounds of his kids playing in the distance. after kicking his shoes off, he placed his keys on the hook and made his way up to the study. leaning against the frame, he knocked on the slightly open door and gave his husband a goofy smile. “good afternoon, handsome,” he cooed, arms crossing over his chest. “i decided it was absolutely criminal for you to have a day off without me, therefore the truck is closed. what do you say we let the kids run around the yard and spend some time together outside?”

while he usually let edgar take charge of getting the children to their riding lessons at the stable, marco figured now would be a good time to step in and take them himself. he wasn't necessarily trying to impress alex, but it wouldn't hurt his case any to earn extra brownie points. one of the hardest parts for him in the decision to separate was the subsequent relationships that could potentially suffer from his decision. with mars' hand in one of his, he used his free arm to hoist millie out of the car and onto his hip, opting to carry him despite it being unnecessary. as they approached the stables, marco set him down and took his hand in the other, smiling down at each of them. "are you ready to see your aunt alex?" he asks them excitedly, grinning from ear to ear as they enter, spotting her almost instantly. "alex, hey!" he beams, making their way toward her. "the kiddos demanded extra horse time this week, and i figured i'd bring them instead. how are you?"

if comfort were to come in the form of a person, marco knew that sofia would always be an unwavering source. spending time with her was easily the highlight of his week ( always, but these days especially ), and he was sure this outing would be no different. being a practically inseparable duo meant that he'd seen her quite recently, but that he still couldn't wait to see her again. pulling into the familiar brewery, he scanned the lot to see if he could spot her car. figuring he must've gotten there before her, he found a spot with one open next to it and parked, unbuckling before taking his phone out. his pinned messages consisted of two: edgar and sofia. muscle memory pulled their thread open, sending off a quick "i'm here slow poke" text before setting his phone down. he tapped his fingers against the wheel to the music, shimmying in his seat as he waited for her arrival.

he wasn't avoiding is brother. no, that would be wrong and marco was an adult, he knew how to handle these things. the two prior reschedules could be chalked up to simple mishappenings. he'd gotten the days mixed up, or couldn't manage to find care for the kids, what with the new custody arrangements, and all. that's what he was telling himself at least, ridden with guilt that he might be avoiding him just a little bit. he couldn't say it wasn't warranted, given the circumstances, but he missed gio and couldn't get away with yet another rain check. fiddling with the tv to find a good show for background noise, the familiar knock at his door turned his head in that direction. "i'm coming!" he shouted, tossing the remote on the couch. one hand on the doorknob, he let out a long huff in preparation, swinging the door open and welcoming him in. "hey champ, come on in. i was just about to put on some tv, you got any ideas?"

the weight of the small metal ring weighed in marco's palm, the box it belonged in sitting on the bathroom counter as he mulled over whether he should put it back in or not. he'd already finished getting ready, hair diffused and styled, rings of his own changed out what felt like a hundred different times, and shirt ironed exactly three times ( because he couldn't quite get the wrinkles out with the first two ). yet, here he was, deciding if leaving the ring he'd bought his husband would be too much. it wasn't like him to overthink this much, but the night ahead had him racked with nerves. with a small huff he transitioned the ring from his palm, back into its box, and into his pants pocket.

just in time the doorbell chimed, sending marco's head toward the sound. he gave himself a once over in the mirror, rearranging a stray curl and straightening his shirt before making his way to the front door. edgar had been to his apartment before, to pick up or drop off the kids, but this time felt different. heart racing in his chest, marco reached out and took in a deep breath before opening the door, soft smile warming his features as he took in the sight. if it were more appropriate, he might've whistled. "you clean up nicely," he joked, patting his pockets to be sure he had his keys and wallet, as well. "are you ready to go? i'm absolutely starved, i've been saving my appetite."