I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember
Chapter 86: Future Plans
“Mommy, daddy, are you guys busy right now?” Frank asked his parents a month after he and Gerard became official but secret boyfriends.
Margo lifted her head from the small pile of mail on the kitchen table. Across from her sat her husband who was drinking his coffee and reading from magazine centered around state of the art security cameras sets. They had been disturbed when some neighborhood hoodlum had not only knocked out their surveillance but all the neighborhood ones leading to their home too. They were just glad it was some rebellious kid and not the man who took their child twice from right under their noses. “No, pumpkin, we’re not. Why, did you need something?”
Frank stepped into the kitchen and ran a nervous hand through his hair that was beginning to get too long again. At least the twins weren’t around to pull on it anymore though he didn’t mind it. Since he had to give them back to his aunt and Uncle, Frank has had an insane amount of empty time to fill with thinking, and one of the ideas that came to mind was the very thing he wished to discuss to his family now. “Yeah, actually. I was hoping that I could talk to you guys about something important.”
“Like what, son? Planning on joining a self-defense class after all?” Frank Sr. reminded him as he peeked up from his glasses.
“No, dad, it’s not about that.” Frank dismissed with a wave of his hand. “It’s actually about my future…a big part of my future.”
Margo raised an eyebrow and tossed aside another useless junk mail. Her eyes drift over her son’s still flat belly where their third grandchild was continuing to grow. “And that would be…?”
Frank was becoming too nervous to stand up on his weak jelly knees, and so he took a seat between them and clasped his hands on the table top, staring down at it intently as if seeing it for the first time. “I have been thinking that…after I hit 17, I should probably move out of this house and start living on my own.”
“WHAT!?” Both of his parents screamed in unison. They couldn’t believe what their son just said.
“Not now!” Frank tried to assure them, holding his hands up. “When I become 17!”
“12, 16, 94, what’s the difference?!” Margo argued, completely against the idea of her only child leaving her nest. Naturally, it’s what every parent goes through, their child growing up and moving out, but Margo was far from preparing herself from such a horror! “You’re not going anywhere, young man! In fact, I forbid you from growing up any further from this moment forward!”
“Since when do you want to leave your mommy and daddy to face the hard-cruel world on your own?” Frank Sr. asked his son with confusion. For as long as they had their child he had never shown an interest on growing up so he could live by his own rules instead of his parents. It was strange hearing it now all of a sudden.
“Look, it’s honestly something I’ve never cared to think of before. There has never been a moment where I wanted to move out and leave you guys, even when I was grounded.” Frank admitted to them before lowering his eyes to the tabletop with a shrug. “But a lot has changed since then. I have children now, and even though they’re in the custody of Uncle Peter and Aunt Edith, I’ve been busting my as- my butt off to prove to everyone that I’m capable of being a proper loving parent to them both too. I’ve never loved anyone more in my whole life other than you two, and right now I need them to be MY children, no one else. I need to raise them in my own home and provide them with everything they need with my own money.”
Margo couldn’t help but softened at her son’s speech. Reaching out a hand, she placed it over his and then did the same to her husband. “Oh, pumpkin, that’s so sweet that you still care for those twins that much. I can see that this is something you truly want, but…17 years old? You still won’t legally be an adult.”
“Your mother is right.” Frank Sr. conceded with a nod as he placed his magazine down. “You can’t go running off a living on your own then. Not without our consents.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Frank revealed to them, looking between the two. “I wanted to ask you if you’ll allow me to move out when I’m 17.”
Both of his parents gave each other a long desperate look at each other. It was clear on both their faces that they didn’t want their son to leave yet. Frank may be ready, but they weren’t which was unexpected. Margo was the first to question him on his future plans. “Where are you planning to live, pumpkin? You can’t just take your kids and live in a car under a bridge, or, god forbid, a cardboard box in an alleyway!”
“We’ll take those kids right from your arms if that is indeed what you’re thinking about doing, Franklin Anthony Iero!” Frank Sr. threatened passionately with a stern finger pointed his way. “I will NOT allow my grandchildren to live in such filth and disarray!”
“No no no! That’s not what I’m gonna do! I’d never!” Frank replied in a panic. The image alone of his children living like that not just with him, but with anyone else literally broke his heart. “I was gonna try and save up money until I’m 17 to get an apartment or something!”
“AN APARTMENT!?” Margo exclaimed, looking like she was about to swoon. With the amount of money her son made with his now three jobs, he’d only be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment with his two kids and the third on the way! She couldn’t bring herself to imagine her little pumpkin in a tiny space with her grandbabies for she was certain it’d stop her heart.
Frank Sr. didn’t like that picture all too well either and shook his head firmly. “No, Frankie, you’re not getting an apartment. There won’t be enough room for you and the kids, and trust me when they get to exploring you will lose those children in that place! I’ve seen it done before. The whole fire department had to rip from ceiling to floor to find my cousin’s five children when they lived in a one bedroom apartment, that’s how bad it got!”
Frank cringed at that unbelievable short tale. “Seriously?”
“Oh, yes.” Frank Sr nodded as he took his glasses off and began to recall to himself. “I believe the last two were found on the roof and other had broken into a neighbor’s apartment several floors down by fire escape. Evidently the kids got to playing cops and robbers and took it to the extreme.”
“Damn.” Frank muttered to himself in disbelief as he reimagined that tale to himself. I’m gonna have a total of three kids…how much trouble can they get into, Frank wondered to himself?
“No, an apartment simply wouldn’t do!” Margo complained before pulling out her phone and beginning to search. “My god, we’re gonna need to buy you so much furniture before your 17 birthday!”
Frank’s eyes lit up. “Wait, as in you’re thinking of allowing me to move out!”
“When you’re 17 and only then!” Frank Sr. reminded him. “And in the meantime, we’ll need to go house shopping for a suitable place for you to raise our grandchildren safely and happily.”
“Sweet!” Frank cheered to himself with a grin before his face falls. He had almost forgotten something. “No, wait!”
Margo lifted her eyes from her phone where she was currently looking at a rose gold crib model that had diamonds accents on it. “What’s wrong, pumpkin? Did you change your mind all of a sudden?” A smug smile stretched her lips. “Ah, I see! Getting cold feet on leaving your mommy, are you? That’s okay, my little baby, you can stay with mommy as long as you want.”
“No, mom, that’s not it!” Frank whined immaturely, blushing at his mother babying him. “I almost forgot that I’m currently pregnant and…well, I can just imagine the lonely horror it would be to live alone with two other little ones by myself while carrying their furture brother of sister inside me.” He looked to his father. “When I hit 17 and if I’m still pregnant…can I continue to stay here until I can get back up on my feet?”
“Naturally!” Frank Sr. agreed. “And even when you move out with our grandbabies I want you to always remember that your mother and I will always have your back. We’ll drop everything if necessary to provide you four anything in the world that you may need.”
“And your Uncle Peter and Aunt Edith will too while they’re still here.” Margo reminded them.
“Yeah, and I hope I get custody of my kids before they decide to leave the state and return back home.” Frank mumbled to them with a frown. No matter what he had to do, he was going to get his kids back in his custody even if it killed him.
Margo lifted her head from the small pile of mail on the kitchen table. Across from her sat her husband who was drinking his coffee and reading from magazine centered around state of the art security cameras sets. They had been disturbed when some neighborhood hoodlum had not only knocked out their surveillance but all the neighborhood ones leading to their home too. They were just glad it was some rebellious kid and not the man who took their child twice from right under their noses. “No, pumpkin, we’re not. Why, did you need something?”
Frank stepped into the kitchen and ran a nervous hand through his hair that was beginning to get too long again. At least the twins weren’t around to pull on it anymore though he didn’t mind it. Since he had to give them back to his aunt and Uncle, Frank has had an insane amount of empty time to fill with thinking, and one of the ideas that came to mind was the very thing he wished to discuss to his family now. “Yeah, actually. I was hoping that I could talk to you guys about something important.”
“Like what, son? Planning on joining a self-defense class after all?” Frank Sr. reminded him as he peeked up from his glasses.
“No, dad, it’s not about that.” Frank dismissed with a wave of his hand. “It’s actually about my future…a big part of my future.”
Margo raised an eyebrow and tossed aside another useless junk mail. Her eyes drift over her son’s still flat belly where their third grandchild was continuing to grow. “And that would be…?”
Frank was becoming too nervous to stand up on his weak jelly knees, and so he took a seat between them and clasped his hands on the table top, staring down at it intently as if seeing it for the first time. “I have been thinking that…after I hit 17, I should probably move out of this house and start living on my own.”
“WHAT!?” Both of his parents screamed in unison. They couldn’t believe what their son just said.
“Not now!” Frank tried to assure them, holding his hands up. “When I become 17!”
“12, 16, 94, what’s the difference?!” Margo argued, completely against the idea of her only child leaving her nest. Naturally, it’s what every parent goes through, their child growing up and moving out, but Margo was far from preparing herself from such a horror! “You’re not going anywhere, young man! In fact, I forbid you from growing up any further from this moment forward!”
“Since when do you want to leave your mommy and daddy to face the hard-cruel world on your own?” Frank Sr. asked his son with confusion. For as long as they had their child he had never shown an interest on growing up so he could live by his own rules instead of his parents. It was strange hearing it now all of a sudden.
“Look, it’s honestly something I’ve never cared to think of before. There has never been a moment where I wanted to move out and leave you guys, even when I was grounded.” Frank admitted to them before lowering his eyes to the tabletop with a shrug. “But a lot has changed since then. I have children now, and even though they’re in the custody of Uncle Peter and Aunt Edith, I’ve been busting my as- my butt off to prove to everyone that I’m capable of being a proper loving parent to them both too. I’ve never loved anyone more in my whole life other than you two, and right now I need them to be MY children, no one else. I need to raise them in my own home and provide them with everything they need with my own money.”
Margo couldn’t help but softened at her son’s speech. Reaching out a hand, she placed it over his and then did the same to her husband. “Oh, pumpkin, that’s so sweet that you still care for those twins that much. I can see that this is something you truly want, but…17 years old? You still won’t legally be an adult.”
“Your mother is right.” Frank Sr. conceded with a nod as he placed his magazine down. “You can’t go running off a living on your own then. Not without our consents.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Frank revealed to them, looking between the two. “I wanted to ask you if you’ll allow me to move out when I’m 17.”
Both of his parents gave each other a long desperate look at each other. It was clear on both their faces that they didn’t want their son to leave yet. Frank may be ready, but they weren’t which was unexpected. Margo was the first to question him on his future plans. “Where are you planning to live, pumpkin? You can’t just take your kids and live in a car under a bridge, or, god forbid, a cardboard box in an alleyway!”
“We’ll take those kids right from your arms if that is indeed what you’re thinking about doing, Franklin Anthony Iero!” Frank Sr. threatened passionately with a stern finger pointed his way. “I will NOT allow my grandchildren to live in such filth and disarray!”
“No no no! That’s not what I’m gonna do! I’d never!” Frank replied in a panic. The image alone of his children living like that not just with him, but with anyone else literally broke his heart. “I was gonna try and save up money until I’m 17 to get an apartment or something!”
“AN APARTMENT!?” Margo exclaimed, looking like she was about to swoon. With the amount of money her son made with his now three jobs, he’d only be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment with his two kids and the third on the way! She couldn’t bring herself to imagine her little pumpkin in a tiny space with her grandbabies for she was certain it’d stop her heart.
Frank Sr. didn’t like that picture all too well either and shook his head firmly. “No, Frankie, you’re not getting an apartment. There won’t be enough room for you and the kids, and trust me when they get to exploring you will lose those children in that place! I’ve seen it done before. The whole fire department had to rip from ceiling to floor to find my cousin’s five children when they lived in a one bedroom apartment, that’s how bad it got!”
Frank cringed at that unbelievable short tale. “Seriously?”
“Oh, yes.” Frank Sr nodded as he took his glasses off and began to recall to himself. “I believe the last two were found on the roof and other had broken into a neighbor’s apartment several floors down by fire escape. Evidently the kids got to playing cops and robbers and took it to the extreme.”
“Damn.” Frank muttered to himself in disbelief as he reimagined that tale to himself. I’m gonna have a total of three kids…how much trouble can they get into, Frank wondered to himself?
“No, an apartment simply wouldn’t do!” Margo complained before pulling out her phone and beginning to search. “My god, we’re gonna need to buy you so much furniture before your 17 birthday!”
Frank’s eyes lit up. “Wait, as in you’re thinking of allowing me to move out!”
“When you’re 17 and only then!” Frank Sr. reminded him. “And in the meantime, we’ll need to go house shopping for a suitable place for you to raise our grandchildren safely and happily.”
“Sweet!” Frank cheered to himself with a grin before his face falls. He had almost forgotten something. “No, wait!”
Margo lifted her eyes from her phone where she was currently looking at a rose gold crib model that had diamonds accents on it. “What’s wrong, pumpkin? Did you change your mind all of a sudden?” A smug smile stretched her lips. “Ah, I see! Getting cold feet on leaving your mommy, are you? That’s okay, my little baby, you can stay with mommy as long as you want.”
“No, mom, that’s not it!” Frank whined immaturely, blushing at his mother babying him. “I almost forgot that I’m currently pregnant and…well, I can just imagine the lonely horror it would be to live alone with two other little ones by myself while carrying their furture brother of sister inside me.” He looked to his father. “When I hit 17 and if I’m still pregnant…can I continue to stay here until I can get back up on my feet?”
“Naturally!” Frank Sr. agreed. “And even when you move out with our grandbabies I want you to always remember that your mother and I will always have your back. We’ll drop everything if necessary to provide you four anything in the world that you may need.”
“And your Uncle Peter and Aunt Edith will too while they’re still here.” Margo reminded them.
“Yeah, and I hope I get custody of my kids before they decide to leave the state and return back home.” Frank mumbled to them with a frown. No matter what he had to do, he was going to get his kids back in his custody even if it killed him.