Chapter 21

       Now that Orchid and I were dating and our family knew, and how our fathers were being immature, Mom and Poppy thought it would be nice to have a picnic with our two families. Dad and Grayson weren't happy about it, but their wives told them to shut up and deal with it.

       Dax, Isadora, and their children were coming too since they met Grayson and Poppy too, and Dax knew how to keep my dad calm.

       "I still can't believe you're making us do this," Dad muttered while we were waiting for Dax, Isadora, Wilder, Giselle, and Alec to arrive so we could find the Princes together.

       "Oh, deal with it," Mom said. "The Princes are a nice family, and your only son is happy dating a Prince."

       "My only son can be happy dating someone else," Dad said.

       "And you can be happy sleeping on the couch tonight," Mom said.

       "Oh, snap," Evelyn said. "You going to take that, Dad?"

       Dad didn't even reply as he continued scowling. It didn't take long for the others to show up and when they did, we went to where the Princes were.

       When they saw us, Poppy walked over to give Mom a hug. "Hi!" Poppy said. "How are you?"

       "I'm good," Mom said as she hugged Poppy back. "You know, apart from the fact that my husband is being childish."

       "Oh, don't worry, so is mine," Poppy said. 

       "Eighteen years, and they haven't changed," Mom said.

       "You know I can hear you, right?" Dad asked.

       "I think that was the point," Dax said. "Seriously, Seb, get over it."

       "I'll get over it when he apologizes to me for hitting me with the beach ball," Dad said.

       "That was eighteen years ago," Grayson said. "And it was a beach ball."

       There was going to be a lot of arguing today.

       Mom and Poppy completely ignored Dad and Grayson. "So, you remember Evelyn and Atticus, and you met Athena, right?" Mom asked.

       "Athena, my best friend!" Tulip said as she got up and ran over, giving Athena a hug. "We've been apart for too long."

       "Alas, we have," Athena said. "We have been forbidden to see each other because of our fathers' feud."

       "A feud tearing love apart," Tulip said.

       "You see what you're doing, Grayson?" Poppy asked.

       "Yeah, whatever," Grayson said.

      "They shouldn't be allowed to be friends," Dad said. "That's the only thing Grayson and I will ever agree on."

       "Anyway," Mom said, looking at Poppy again. "These are Dax and Isadora's children Wilder, Alec, and Giselle, and Wilder's dog Skittles 2.0. And I kind of remember your children that was born when we were at the ski lodge. That was Ryder and the triplets, right?"

       Poppy nodded. "That's Ryder over there with his wife, Mae. They actually first met at the fair we went to together when he was three. You know, the one where he won that water gun game and gave his prize to a little girl. She was the little girl."

       "Aww, that's so cute," Mom said. "So, who are the rest?"

       "There's the triplets, Orchid, Nolan, and Alan," Poppy said. "Then there's Tulip, Rose, and William."

       "Don't leave me out," Jerome said.

       "Oh, right, and Nolan's boyfriend Jerome," Poppy said.

       "I feel so disrespected right now," Jerome said. "I thought you loved me."

       "I do, but you're not my child," Poppy said.

       "I'm your son-in-law," Jerome said.

       "Not yet," Poppy said.

       "Yes, because someone doesn't want to marry me," Jerome said.

       "I-I never said that," Nolan said. "I just....you never....Yeah."

       "I never what?" Jerome asked.

       "Nothing."

       "Don't nothing me."

       "Nothing."

       "Dang, that sass though."

       Dax and Isadora were gong to be the one barbecuing the food since Dad and Grayson couldn't agree on who got to do it, so while they did we all sat down.

       "Hey, Mom?" Alan suddenly asked. "Can I get a tattoo?"

       "What?" Poppy asked. "No."

       "Why?" Alan asked. "Dad has multiple tattoos. How much does he have again? Nine?"

       "Yeah, because he's an adult," Poppy said. "You're seventeen."

       "But so is Nolan and he has a tattoo," Alan said.

       "I'm sorry, what?" Poppy asked before looking at Nolan. "Did you get a tattoo?"

       "Uh....No?" Nolan said, though his tone of voice made it quite obvious that he did get a tattoo. I didn't even know he had one.

       "Nolan!" Poppy said. "I can't believe you got a tattoo!"

       "Yeah, Nolan," Grayson said. "How dare you get a tattoo without even asking us."

       "What are you talking about?" Nolan asked. "I asked you, you said yes, and you went there with me since I needed a legal guardian there."

       Man, I really loved the Prince family. They were honestly so entertaining, and there was never a dull moment when they were around.

       "Don't throw me under the bus," Grayson said.

       "Alan threw me under the bus," Nolan pointed out.

       "Wait, let me get this straight," Poppy said, looking at her husband. "You let him get a tattoo, even though he's seventeen?"

       "Uh, I couldn't exactly say no," Grayson said. "I refuse to be a hypocritical parent, and I got my first one when I was fifteen."

       "So, Dad, can I get a tattoo?" Alan asked.

       "No," Poppy said.

       "Thanks, Dad," Alan said.

       "Come on, Flower, if he wants a tattoo, let him have one," Grayson said. "You don't get mad whenever I get one."

       "Because you're an adult," Poppy said. "Alan can get one when he turns eighteen."

       "But Nolan has one and he's seventeen," Alan said.

       "I know that, and I can't change the past," Poppy said.

       "Can I see the tattoo?" I asked Nolan. Nolan nodded and rolled up the sleeve of his hoodie, so I moved closer to his wheelchair to see. It was really simple, just half a heart, but it looked really nice. "Ooh, that's cool."

       "Mine's better," Jerome said.

       "It's literally the same," Nolan said. "It's just facing the opposite direction."

       "Aww, you got matching tattoos?" Wilder asked. "So cute. Hey, Dad?"

       "Yeah?" Dax asked.

       "Can I get a tattoo?"

       "Sure."

       "No," Isadora said. "Not when you're fifteen."

       "Lame."

______________________

Lol, so Jackson got another tattoo and it looked so beautiful, and it made me want to give Nolan and Jerome matching tattoos. cx

Grayson is my favourite parent, guys. cx Nolan just goes up to him and asks, "Dad, can I get a tattoo with Jerome?" And Grayson says, "Sure, but I'm pretty sure you need your legal guardian there so I have to be there." 

Then they went out and got poutine with bacon on top. Because bacon.

And now, I shall go to sleep.