Fears
Eddie ran his fingers along his scruffy chin as he sat on the living room floor surrounded by their overly energetic children.
“Want to change, Eddie.”
“Change what?” He asked as Phage and Lasher swung his arms back and forth and Agony climbed onto his back.
“Me. I want to change myself. Want to be better.”
“What do you mean, my darling?” He questioned as the three kids tumbled off him.
“I want to be a better parent, like you are.”
“What are you talking about? You’re a great parent. The kids love you and sure Sleeps can’t talk yet but I’m getting good vibes from him so far.” Eddie attempted a joke around the subject but it didn’t really land.
“The other day when Scream invited us to her tea party I wanted nothing more than for it to end. I should not feel that way about spending time with my daughter.”
“Every Parent feels that way sometimes, V. You think I liked listening to Lasher spend an hour yesterday telling us about a dream he had where absolutely nothing happened? Or that I was thrilled about Carnage sticking their gum in Agony’s hair?”
“Why the sudden insecurity?”
“Not sudden, always there. When they are happy you know better how to encourage them. When they are upset you know better how to comfort them. I do not have the instinct for it, it is not inherent in my species as it is in yours.”
“Well, you picked it up pretty damn fast if you ask me.”
“I did not even possess the concept of familial love until I met you.”
“Is this why you’re so against the daycare thing?”
“I fear Sleeper’s bond with me will weaken, it is not as strong as his bond with you.”
“Remember when Carnage was born and you were their favorite for the whole first six months? They only ever wanted to see you and I made them cry. And when we brought Agony, Lasher, Phage and Scream home and they copied every single thing you did? You went goo? They went goo. You used tentacles instead of arms to grab things? They used tentacles instead of arms to grab things. You growled? They growled. Hell, they called me Eddie instead of Dad for weeks because that’s what you call me.”
They looked at each other and Eddie could tell that those things had slipped their mind.
“Sleeper spends so much time just watching you like you’re the best thing he’s ever seen. You were the first one to ever hold him, remember? He practically loses his little mind when he wakes up and sees you. Being away from us for seven hours, three days a week couldn’t possibly change that.”
“You mean everything to our kids, V. I couldn’t do any of this without you.”
His other coiled around him in something akin to a hug.
“Thanks, Eddie.”