Work Text:
It began with a text.
Abuela I need help. Shannon left me in the middle of the night. My arm's still in the sling and I can't lift Chris. I don't know what to feed a four year old. I don't even know how long his nap should be. I feel like I'm drowning.
It took longer than Eddie expected for his Abuela to respond, but then her having a cell phone was a new thing — Pepa had given him the number a few days ago — and he wasn't sure how well she was typing on it yet.
Finally the text came through.
so look, im sorry to make your day worse, but im not your abuela
i will say though that shannon absolutely sucks for leaving you with a kid that you seem too injured to lift
that said i did a little googling for you:
breakfast suggestion is toast with a bit of jelly and some kind of fruit like bananas or berries
he might also like oatmeal or normal cereal with milk
lunch and dinner suggestions are basic sandwiches, pasta with butter, mac and cheese, and dino nuggets
veggies on the side should be soft, not hard, or he might choke
you shouldn't feed him whole grapes for the same reason, but depending on why youre in the sling you might not be able to cut them so id avoid them altogether
since you tried to reach your abuela, im guessing youre hispanic, so other options are scrambled eggs with non spicy chorizo, plain quesadillas, beans, and mild arroz con pollo
naps should only be 60 to 90 min, for a total of 10 to 13 hrs of sleep
hope that helps dude
Eddie stared at his phone in shock, feeling more embarrassed than he ever had in his life. He'd just spilled his guts to an absolute stranger. A stranger who had taken pity on him and actually given him good advice, but a stranger nonetheless.
He quickly checked how long Chris had been asleep, did the math, and then set the alarm on his phone. If Chris didn't wake up on his own, Eddie would give him the full 90 minutes, and see if that worked.
He hadn't taken Chris to preschool today, since he still wasn't cleared to drive, and he'd managed a pop tart for breakfast and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, but he felt like a failure for both choices. Now Eddie took a deep breath and made a note to look around the kitchen and see if he had any of the foods the stranger had mentioned. Surely Shannon knew what Chris liked, and kept that kind of food on hand.
Even just having an idea of where to start was easing some of the panic he'd had since waking up and finding Shannon missing. Finding the disparaging note and the packet of divorce papers on the table had been a slap in the face, but at least Eddie had managed to move them to the higher counter before Chris saw them. It was strangely validating to have his stranger confirm that Shannon leaving him had been beyond the pale.
Eddie took another deep breath and then called his Tia Pepa to explain what had happened and to get Abuela's number again, since he'd clearly written it down wrong the first time.
dude hows it going
is the kid eatign okkk/
Eddie woke up to a very confusing text, and scrolling up only gave him a little context. He put it out of his mind while his Tia Pepa made breakfast for him and Chris, and totally forgot about it by the time that Tia Pepa got back from dropping Chris at daycare. A new text coming in reminded him of it as he checked his phone again.
dude, i am so sorry
you totally dont have to answer that
i shouldnt have drunk texted you
sorry again
That made more sense, but Eddie was on the fence about answering. Wanting a second opinion, he showed his phone to Tia Pepa.
"It's up to you, but I would answer them, sobrino. They were very helpful when you first asked. They could have just ignored you, but they were honest and gave you good advice."
Eddie considered that and he agreed, so he quickly texted back.
No problem. And yes, my son is eating well. Your suggestions were a lifesaver. My tia actually came to help out until I can get out of the sling, so we're doing alright.
Tia Pepa approved the message, so Eddie sent it.
A minute later, he got a response.
glad to hear it, mystery man
and glad for the kiddo
Eddie wasn't sure what prompted him to reply again, but he did.
Eddie, not mystery man
im evan
Eighteen months later, as Eddie and Buck stood before a justice of the peace in LA, with Chris as their excited ringbearer and Tia Pepa and Abuela crying gently as their witnesses, he couldn't believe that it had all started with a text to the wrong number.