Since letting Frank back into my life things have been about 50/50. He was still the drunk he had always been but he was a drunk who had actually kept his word to me about drinking around Brayden. Since he started coming around more he has (as far as we know) waited to start his binge drinking after he stopped by to visit. Which was great don't get me wrong but I guess a part of me was hoping he would quit completely but you can't help an addict unless they want it and he sure as hell didn't. The rest of the family was slowly warming up to him minus Fiona who refused too. Honestly it pissed me off she still wanted to throw a fit when he came around or intentionally make us all feel bad for wanting things to be different in Brayden's view I mean at least it was a start. I wasn't expecting him to change in overnight, it was going to take time and effort and that was something we all needed to at least try even just 10%. And believe me I still have my doubts as much as Fiona thinks I Don't I do. We all do, only because we all know how Frank is and it was going to take a lot more than showing up three times a week sober on his way to the bar to visit us for us to even consider giving him a second thought to someday being a so called "parent" we could all stand to be around. For as long as i can remember it had always been this way even with Monica, I can remember her leaving all of us kids on a snowy street with no jackets on our backs just to get high off of a crack rock, while Frank was at some bar stool doing the opposite. Even at ten years old Fiona took better care of us more than our parents did so in reality it did not matter who was around for us now, we all held our own because we just had to. None the less though maybe this time might actually be different (not holding my breath) but giving him a chance none the less. And tonight was his time to show Clarissa and I we could trust him, so we're letting him keep Brayden over night... This is a big deal we've never let him stay with anyone longer than our work hours and sure as hell never thought Frank would be the first. Clarissa was still very skeptical and made a two page list and rules we both agreed on for him to abide by with our son in his care. If it honestly wasn't for him helping me make the kind of money I had been able to in the past two months that I had squared away for our life in the fall semester at MIT than I would have just blown him off as usual but something was telling me it was ether now or never before I let myself trust him so I guess it would have to be now...
Clarissa was frazzled and was doing almost everything in her power to attempt making us have to stay due to her nerves which I honestly couldn't blame her nor could I cause I was having second thoughts bad ones at that like a part of me was telling me to stay but it was our anniversary and for one of the first times we were actually able to celebrate it with each other and hopefully no drama. Last years "dinner" ended in Flames when Ian had an episode and nearly burned the house down with the candles i had lit. So needless to say I was all for going to a hotel for the night. As I watched the clock tick I was hoping for time to pause long enough for Frank to forget or something and make us have to stay.. Oh my god I was becoming as ridiculous as Risa was being tonight but watching my son play and laugh with me as we rolled a ball and played with his trucks just made me the happiest man alive and if that meant maybe my son having a relationship with my father that I never had then it had to happen someway and this was a start. "Lip!" Clarissa shouted. "Yeah" I shouted back to her in the kitchen. "Phone! Its Fiona" she yelled making me pick up Brayden cause I was trying to spend as much time with him as I possibly could before tonight. Giving Clarissa a kiss as I grabbed the phone from her still holding Brayden it was Fiona. "Hello?" I said into the mouth piece of the phone. "Hey.. Sorry I'm not coming home tonight I got plans", making faces at Brayden who was playing with the cord of the phone that was connected to the wall. "Hello?" She repeated "yeah, no that's fine Franks staying"... I knew it was coming "What the hell Lip" she asked and said with anger. "No f**k it I'll come home you are not gonna let that man stay by his self with your son" before I was even able to open my mouth to speak she started again the bickering was making Brayden upset so I called Clarissa over to take him from me. "Look, Fiona I know your my big sister and your looking out for our best interest.. But this time may be the last or one of many so you don't have to parent for me anymore... I got this.. We got this I'm not going to let anything happen to my son." She sighed hoping I didn't hurt her feelings because that was not my intention at all, she may have been a bit wild at times in the midst of raising all of us but none the less she did a great job and I need her to know that I still need her but at the same time I need to do some raising of my own with my own. "Fi?" I said into the silence of the phone. "Yeah...yeah okay" she said with a bit of sadness in her voice. "We love you and we still need you but let me take the reigns on this one okay?" .. "Alright little brother, I'll stick around close though... I still don't trust that bastard" she said as she laughed making me laugh. "Okay, Fi.. Thank you" I said hanging up the phone when the door rang..... Here we go I thought as I walked to the door to answer.