The Drug In Me Is You(obviously)
Promise
It was silent for a while.
Ronnie shifted uncomfortably on the couch. I bit my lip and nodded slowly.
"Well, it is Christmas."
"Yeah.." Ronnie said, his mind was obviously trying to get away the subject.
"Come onnn! He's not that bad, Ronnie." Riley looked at me and smiled "And besides, he really likes you, he thinks you're a good influence on our dear Ronald."
Ronnie huffed. "He better not be a jerk today.." he mumbled.
I sighed and stood up, grabbing Ronnie's hands and pulling him up with me, then turning to Riley. "Let's go wake him up. He should spend his Christmas morning with his kids." I gave an encouraging smile. Riley nodded and smiled back. He led us up the stairs to their father's room. He gently pushed the door open to reveal Mr. Radke dead asleep on his bed.
"Dad!" Riley whispered and crept over to the bed. "Dad, wake up! It's Christmas morning."
He stirred then his eyes shot open and he looked around the room. First at Riley, then his eyes found me and Ronnie, standing side-by-side hands intertwined. He grunted then sat up. He rubbed his face then looked at us again.
He smiled. "Merry Christmas, kids."
A smile instantly lit up Riley's face. "Merry Christmas, Dad!" he said merrily. I smiled and told him Merry Christmas as well. When I glanced over at Ronnie there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Gently I squeezed his hand, he looked at me and smiled.
"Merry Christmas, Dad." he said to his dad finally with his smile still in place.
Mr. Radke got out of bed, already in his pajamas, and hugged his younger son. He looked up at us, his eyes showed how sorry he was, and more. He was making a silent plea.
Ronnie chewed at his lip and avoided his father's eyes for a long time before sighing and walking over to his hugging family members. He held onto my hand, but loosened his grip in case I didn't want to join in. But I suprised him by pulling him down into the group hug. It lasted for a while then we broke apart, Ronnie's arm soon finding it's way around my waist.
"Come on. Let's head downstairs." Ronnie said, turning us around in the process.
Mr. Radke wasn't too upset when he saw the presents already opened and scattered about, instead he walked into the kitchen and started grabbing pots and pans out from the shelves.
Ronnie gave him a suspcicous look. "What are you doing?"
Mr. Radke turned and looked at him with a weak smile. "It's part of my resolution. I'm gonna try this year. I'm going to be a better father to you kids. And I am making breakfast." He turned back around, leaving Ronnie with a blank look on his face.
I smiled happily and nudged Ronnie in the side. "It's a good start, babe." I whispered in his ear.
Once Mr. Radke had all the cooking utencils he needed he opened the fridge and closed it again with a disappointed look on his face. "Looks like I gotta go to the store.." he looked over to where we sat at the kitchen table "Do you guys wanna go with?"
Ronnie shook his head. Riley looked up quickly. "Can I go?" He looked at his father hoepfully.
He shrugged. "Sure. Go get a jacket on and we'll go."
For a second I thought Riley was going to explode because he had been holding his breath for so long awaiting an answer. But when his dad said he could go he shot out of his chair and sped out of the room.
Ronnie and I chuckled and his dad joined in.
"Ronnie." His father's voice sounded serious all of the sudden.
He turned in his seat carefully and stared at his dad.
Mr. Radke cleared his throat and looked around the room for a moment before his eyes met Ronnie's. "I'm serious about all this too. I'm really going to be the father I need to be now. And I'm sorry I've disappointed you boys for so long. But, I will change, and I will be better. I promise you that." he looked at me "And, Lacey, I'm very thankful to have you here as well. I know you mean a lot to Riley and Ronnie, and thank you for being there for them in times when I wasn't."
I smiled and shrugged. "They're like family to me now."
He smiled. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Now we gotta get going.." He left the kitchen and I heard the front door open and shut quietly.
"Wow...That was..."
"Awkward and unexpected." I finished for him.
He laughed and looked at me. "Yes, that's almost exactly what it was. But, he seemed so sincere this time..I hope he really meant it." His eyes started to focis on something far away. So I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and leaned in towards him "We'll just have to wait and find out then won't we?" I smiled at him and looked into his eyes.
His smile was just as warm as he leaned in and kissed my lips softly. "I'm so glad you're here, Lace. I don't know what I would do without you.."
I laid my head on his chest. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Ronnie..."
Ronnie shifted uncomfortably on the couch. I bit my lip and nodded slowly.
"Well, it is Christmas."
"Yeah.." Ronnie said, his mind was obviously trying to get away the subject.
"Come onnn! He's not that bad, Ronnie." Riley looked at me and smiled "And besides, he really likes you, he thinks you're a good influence on our dear Ronald."
Ronnie huffed. "He better not be a jerk today.." he mumbled.
I sighed and stood up, grabbing Ronnie's hands and pulling him up with me, then turning to Riley. "Let's go wake him up. He should spend his Christmas morning with his kids." I gave an encouraging smile. Riley nodded and smiled back. He led us up the stairs to their father's room. He gently pushed the door open to reveal Mr. Radke dead asleep on his bed.
"Dad!" Riley whispered and crept over to the bed. "Dad, wake up! It's Christmas morning."
He stirred then his eyes shot open and he looked around the room. First at Riley, then his eyes found me and Ronnie, standing side-by-side hands intertwined. He grunted then sat up. He rubbed his face then looked at us again.
He smiled. "Merry Christmas, kids."
A smile instantly lit up Riley's face. "Merry Christmas, Dad!" he said merrily. I smiled and told him Merry Christmas as well. When I glanced over at Ronnie there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Gently I squeezed his hand, he looked at me and smiled.
"Merry Christmas, Dad." he said to his dad finally with his smile still in place.
Mr. Radke got out of bed, already in his pajamas, and hugged his younger son. He looked up at us, his eyes showed how sorry he was, and more. He was making a silent plea.
Ronnie chewed at his lip and avoided his father's eyes for a long time before sighing and walking over to his hugging family members. He held onto my hand, but loosened his grip in case I didn't want to join in. But I suprised him by pulling him down into the group hug. It lasted for a while then we broke apart, Ronnie's arm soon finding it's way around my waist.
"Come on. Let's head downstairs." Ronnie said, turning us around in the process.
Mr. Radke wasn't too upset when he saw the presents already opened and scattered about, instead he walked into the kitchen and started grabbing pots and pans out from the shelves.
Ronnie gave him a suspcicous look. "What are you doing?"
Mr. Radke turned and looked at him with a weak smile. "It's part of my resolution. I'm gonna try this year. I'm going to be a better father to you kids. And I am making breakfast." He turned back around, leaving Ronnie with a blank look on his face.
I smiled happily and nudged Ronnie in the side. "It's a good start, babe." I whispered in his ear.
Once Mr. Radke had all the cooking utencils he needed he opened the fridge and closed it again with a disappointed look on his face. "Looks like I gotta go to the store.." he looked over to where we sat at the kitchen table "Do you guys wanna go with?"
Ronnie shook his head. Riley looked up quickly. "Can I go?" He looked at his father hoepfully.
He shrugged. "Sure. Go get a jacket on and we'll go."
For a second I thought Riley was going to explode because he had been holding his breath for so long awaiting an answer. But when his dad said he could go he shot out of his chair and sped out of the room.
Ronnie and I chuckled and his dad joined in.
"Ronnie." His father's voice sounded serious all of the sudden.
He turned in his seat carefully and stared at his dad.
Mr. Radke cleared his throat and looked around the room for a moment before his eyes met Ronnie's. "I'm serious about all this too. I'm really going to be the father I need to be now. And I'm sorry I've disappointed you boys for so long. But, I will change, and I will be better. I promise you that." he looked at me "And, Lacey, I'm very thankful to have you here as well. I know you mean a lot to Riley and Ronnie, and thank you for being there for them in times when I wasn't."
I smiled and shrugged. "They're like family to me now."
He smiled. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Now we gotta get going.." He left the kitchen and I heard the front door open and shut quietly.
"Wow...That was..."
"Awkward and unexpected." I finished for him.
He laughed and looked at me. "Yes, that's almost exactly what it was. But, he seemed so sincere this time..I hope he really meant it." His eyes started to focis on something far away. So I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and leaned in towards him "We'll just have to wait and find out then won't we?" I smiled at him and looked into his eyes.
His smile was just as warm as he leaned in and kissed my lips softly. "I'm so glad you're here, Lace. I don't know what I would do without you.."
I laid my head on his chest. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Ronnie..."