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Thomas hides Alexander’s shoes
“Mi amor have you seen my shoes?”
Rachel watched her pop from her place sitting on the edge of the tub as he turned away from the bathroom mirror where he’d been doing his hair.
“No Alexander, I have not seen your shoes. Those thick glasses on your face are supposed to help you see better.”
She heard heavy stomping before her dad emerged, hair thrown up in a bun and fully dressed in jeans and a rumpled green button up, except for his feet which were clad only in green socks.
“You’re sure?”
“Jesus Christ Alexander.” Thomas put a manicured hand on his hip and scowled. “Have you looked in the closet? By the door? In the kitchen? You know you kick them wherever you want.”
Alexander rolls his eyes. “Yeah but last night I know I put them by the dresser because I knew we were going out tonight and I wanted to wear them, now they’re gone.”
Her pop turned back to the mirror. “Well I haven’t seen them. Maybe Spencer and Oscar are playing with them again.”
“Or maybe your stupid cat took a shit in them and you’re trying to cover for her.”
“Our cat did no such thing Alexander she’s an angel.”
The indicated feline meowed from her place on the bathroom counter where she’d been grooming herself. The Russian Blue was never found far from Thomas’s side.
“See she even knows we’re talking about her.”
“It’s not my cat, I gave her to you for Christmas.”
“You told me you looked through every cat at the shelter, you picked her out, she’s half yours.”
“Whatever.” Alexander groaned. “I’m going to go find my shoes, you should hurry cause we’re leaving when I find them.”
He stomps out of the room and Thomas turns back to the mirror. “Not my fault you get ready in 5 minutes.” He calls out. “Maybe you should brush your hair!”
“I brushed it!”
“I hope I’m setting you up for high standards, Ray.” Her pop said to her.
The thirteen year old smiled. “Yeah pop don’t worry.” She paused. “Wait does that mean-”
“Don’t worry, your dad meets all of my standards.”
“Impossible ones.” Alexander retorted, re-entering the room.
“I thought you were looking for your shoes.”
“I can’t find them.”
“You didn’t even look.”
“I did.” He glanced at his daughter. “Out for a sec Ray I need to take a piss.”
“I wish you wouldn’t curse in front of the kids.”
“She knows what it means, God Thomas.”
Rachel did leave the room, leaving her parents to their bickering. She knew where her dad’s shoes were and she also knew that he wouldn’t “find” them until her pop had done his hair, fixed up his face and felt himself to be dressed nicely.
“Why do you hide dad’s shoes?” She asked him once during a car ride with just the two of them.
“There’s some things I need to teach you about marriage, Ray.” Her pop had responded. “Pay attention now, this is very important.”
She had nodded.
“Never marry someone you’re not completely in love with.”
“This is your pop’s favorite song.”
Thomas groaned from his place at the kitchen counter where he was chopping vegetables. “No it is not!”
“We would be warm, below the storm, in our little hideaway beneath the waves.” The radio crooned on while the four children giggled watching their pop swat away their dad’s hands as he tried to dance with him.
“I’m cooking!”
“Dance with me mi corazon!”
“I’m busy!”
“Dad, what does that mean?” Ophelia asked excitedly.
“Mi corazon?” Alexander’s eyes got all dreamy as he stared at his husband. “It means, ‘my heart’”
The kids erupted into a fit of giggling while Thomas turned pink and kept his eyes on the food.
“Come on, mi sol, mi luna, mi estrellas.”
“Mon amour.” Thomas hummed smirking at her dad who made a big show of pretending to faint, the kids giggled while their pop rolled her eyes.
“Speak to me again, mi radiante angel.”
“Je t’aime, du sucre, but i need two minutes.”
Alexander clutched his chest. “Have you ever heard anything more beautiful?” He winked at the kids. Carino please, when was the last time we danced?”
“Four hours ago Alexander, when our wedding song came on the radio.” But he did put the utensils down and take her dad’s hands in his.
“We would be so happy, you and me, no one there to tell us what to do.”
Rachel found that she could watch her parents dance for hours on end, the way they moved with each other, how their gazes never faltered from the other.
“I’d like to be, under the sea, in an octopus’s garden with you.”
“Okay pop.” She said, “But what does that have to do with dad’s shoes?”
“I’m getting there Rachel, be patient. Actually that’s another great rule of marriage but not as important as remembering to never let your spouse doubt how much you love them.”
“Cara bella.” Thomas dangled his coffee cup from his black nail polished hand and smiled warmly at his husband. “Would you mind?”
“You know it’s my honor, amor.” Alexander crooned. “Don’t trouble yourself.” He leaned in to softly kiss Thomas’s cheek as he gave him more coffee.
“You smell lovely.”
“Chanel.” Thomas said.
“You look even lovelier.”
“What, this?” Thomas smoothed down the red skirt. “Cara mia you spoil me with your endearments.”
“I mean them all to be true.” Alexander said as though he were swearing an oath. “You are a mirage, a vision.”
Thomas cupped his husband’s face in his hand so he could kiss him. When he pulled away Alexander kept hold of his wrist, kissing the back of his hand.
“Spencer, you remembered your spelling review?” Thomas asked and the ten year old nodded, chewing a mouthful of cereal.
“Excited for the test?” He asked as Alexander trailed kisses up his arm to his shoulder.
“And nervous.” He answered. “What if I mess up?”
“Please, you're my kid.” Alexander paused his ministrations to smile. “We only raise geniuses in this house.”
“Don’t worry him mon amour.” Thomas tsked. “Spencer, whatever you get we’ll know that you did your best. But your dad’s right, you're going to do fine.”
Rachel had been barely listening to the conversation. Mostly focused on her parents, her dad had reached her pop’s neck and left little kisses up to his ear, which made him laugh and try to pull away.
“Ma cherie.” He murmured.
“Tesoro.” Alexander crooned.
“Mon ange.”
“Mi flor deslumbrante.”
“Mon seul amor.”
“Corazon.”
“Pop, what time is it?” Oscar asked.
This breaks the spell, they have to get the kids to school. Thomas presses a quick kiss to Alexander’s mouth before the smaller man is ushering their kids to grab their bags.
“And what does my lovely husband have on his agenda today?”
“Shopping.” Thomas leisurely flips through a magazine. “I saw the most elegant pair of shoes at Dior.”
“I am sure you will look stunning in them.”
“And then maybe some new curtains.”
“Whatever your heart desires mi vida. You know there is no request I can deny you.”
“Ma doux mari.”
The kids raced in then and Thomas gave them each a kiss goodbye.
“Okay pop, that’s really romantic and all but still what does love and being in love have to do with you hiding dad’s shoes?”
Thomas sighed playfully at his daughter. “You’re missing the whole point here kid. I hide his shoes because I love him.”
She blanked. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I love him because I know him, I know him and thats why I love him. I know his habits, his likes and dislikes, his routines, his moods. And I know that no matter what it is, whenever we go out it takes him five minutes to get ready.”
“And you five hours.” She jokes.
“You love it when I glam you up Rache, and that takes a bit.”
“Yeah I do.”
“See i’m the pretty one, your dad is the smart one. Thats how this works. He has a job where he tells a lot of people what to do and makes money, and I stay home and cook and dress up myself and the house and we enjoy ourselves.”
“Will I be like you when I grow up, dad?”
“If I raise you right, you should expect only the best.”
“Would you still be with dad if we didn’t have all the fancy stuff?”
“Oh honey don’t be confused of course I would. I loved your dad when we were living in the suburbs and he was a secretary and I’d love him if he lost his job and we had to live in a cardboard box.”
She giggled. “So the shoes dad?”
“Right. I hide your dad’s shoes so I can have time to get ready. I’ve been married to him for so long, and I know him so well that whenever we have plans to go out I hide them until I’m ready to go. Otherwise he would dog me the whole time and I wouldn’t look as fabulous as I’d want to.”
“Isn’t that mean?”
He shrugs. “Maybe, but it works.”
And it does.
She’s in the living room when her dad stomps past again.
“Oscar, you're sure you haven’t seen them?”
“No dad!”
“Unbelievable.” He mutters.
With a giggle, Rachel gets up and tiptoes down the hall. Her pop is admiring himself in front of the full length mirror in his bathroom.
“You look beautiful, pop.”
He fluffed his hair. “You really think so?”
The black dress was short, spaghetti strapped and Thomas had paired it with a pair of severe black heels.
“Really pop.”
He smiles at her. “Help me with my necklace?”
It’s a tiny pearl choker, He sits on the tub so she can clasp it for him. “There.”
“Makeup’s good?” He asks her.
“It’s perfect.”
“Not as perfect as you, Ray.” He taps her on the nose. “We’ll have the boys fawning over you yet.”
“Oh pop.” She groaned.
He kissed her head. “Alright, alright let’s go give the drama queen his shoes. They scurried into the kitchen after Rachel ensured the coast was clear and Thomas dropped the shoes by the counter under a barstool.
“Alexander!” He called digging in his bag. “I'm ready to go!”
“I still can’t find my shoes!” He shouted entering the kitchen.
Thomas rummaged around in his bag. “Did you look everywhere?”
“Yes mi vida I already told you I-” He glanced down seeing them under the school.
“Found them.”
“So you didn’t look.”
“No, that's bullshit! I looked everywhere!”
“Evidently not.” Thomas winked at Rachel who put a hand over her mouth to conceal a grin.
Alexander pulled on the black sneakers and Thomas dangled his purse from his elbow.
“Mi belleza.” He breathed out when Thomas stepped towards him from behind the counter. “Querida eres una diosa.”
“Mon coeur le plus cher, vous etes si belle.”
“You’ll mind your siblings won’t you?” Alexander asked Rachel.
“I’m thirteen dad!” And uncle Hercules is coming over in a bit.”
“Good, cause I have a husband to spoil.”
“As if you don’t already.”
“You deserve everything.”
“I have everything, right here.” And Thomas kisses his cheek, softly careful to not leave a lipstick smudge.
“In bed my 10, do not wait up for us.” Are Alexander’s parting words to his daughter as he holds tight to Thomas’s hand leading him towards the door. “Come mi amor, I cannot wait to show off your beauty to the world.”
“To the restaurant on fifth street with the fairy lights.” Thomas says.
“Wherever his highness desires.” Alexander opens the door for him. “And dancing right after.”
“Oh of course Alexander, we aren’t animals.”