Interlude
Did you get your paper done, sweetheart? It’s due today, right?
I did! (Sorry, I didn’t see your message earlier because I was working on it.) I just submitted it.
Online, I assume? You’re not taking night classes, are you?
LOL, no.
I mean, no to the night classes. Yes, I submitted online. It’s due by midnight so, it’s on time?
FRIDAY 11:24 PM
Is that a question? ;)
FRIDAY 11:25 PM
No, Daddy. I mean, it’s due at midnight, so it’s on time!
FRIDAY 11:26 PM
??????????
Good job, sweetheart. I’m proud of you.
FRIDAY 11:27 PM
Thank you, Daddy.
FRIDAY 11:28 PM
I’d say you should get to bed, but I guess you don’t have classes tomorrow, is that right?
FRIDAY 11:28 PM
Right. So, um, if you want to chat for a while I’m free.
FRIDAY 11:32 PM
I’d love to, but I’m already nodding off. It was a long day.
FRIDAY 11:33 PM
Oh, ok! Um, good night, then.
FRIDAY 11:35 PM
Good night.
MARCH 16
SATURDAY 11:42 AM
Fun plans this weekend?
SATURDAY 12:26 PM
Sorry! I was in the shower, and the water turned orange!
SATURDAY 12:33 PM
It sounds like the pipes might be rusty. You should tell your landlord.
SATURDAY 12:34 PM
Ugh, I am the landlord :(
I mean, I don’t own the house! My parents do. But I’m supposed to take care of stuff like that.
SATURDAY 12:35 PM
Plumbing?
SATURDAY 12:36 PM
Yeah.
I mean, not like, doing it myself. I don’t know how. But hiring people and stuff.
SATURDAY 12:37 PM
Then I suggest you hire someone ;)
I’m sorry if that’s overstepping. I’m sure you were planning to.
SATURDAY 12:38 PM
You’re not overstepping! I mean, I like it. The advice, I mean.
I am planning on hiring someone. I just have to get my roommates to pay their rent first, so I can.
SATURDAY 12:40 PM
They’re late on the rent?
SATURDAY 12:40 PM
Always :(
I mean, I don’t mean to whine about it. They’ve got their reasons, I guess? I’m just not very good at being pushy.
SATURDAY 12:42 PM
Assertive, not pushy. And if they’re living there, they need to pay on time.
SATURDAY 12:43 PM
I know. Sorry.
SATURDAY 12:44 PM
Sweetheart, I’m not berating you. I meant to encourage you.
SATURDAY 12:45 PM
It’s just hard to bring it up with them sometimes. I don’t know what to say.
SATURDAY 12:46 PM
Would you like some ideas?
SATURDAY 12:47 PM
Yes, please!
MARCH 18
MONDAY 4:21 PM
Daddy! I collected all the rent!!!
MONDAY 6:50 PM
I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. Good job!
MONDAY 6:59 PM
Oh hi :)
MONDAY 7:05 PM
Hi :)
MONDAY 7:06 PM
Did you just get home from work?
Sorry, that’s none of my business.
It’s just that I thought you were usually done by now, but if you were out doing, um, other stuff, I’m not trying to be nosy.
MONDAY 7:10 PM
I did just get home from work, and you can always ask me anything, sweetheart.
MONDAY 7:11 PM
Ok!
Um, long day?
MONDAY 7:15 PM
Very long.
There was an accident on the job site.
MONDAY 7:16 PM
Oh my God!!! Are you ok?
I mean, is everyone ok???
MONDAY 7:17 PM
Yes.
Thank you.
It was just property damage, and it was due to a bad site report from the assessor’s office.
MONDAY 7:18 PM
I don’t know what that means.
MONDAY 7:19 PM
It means it wasn’t our fault, but it’s still a pain in the ass and will put us behind. :)
MONDAY 7:20 PM
Oh. I’m sorry.
MONDAY 7:29 PM
Thank you. I need to hop in the shower. My partner is coming over for a beer so we can bitch to each other about it, then figure out how to move things around and make the timetable work, so I probably won’t be available the rest of the night.
MONDAY 7:30 PM
Ok.
I hope everything works out.
MONDAY 11:08 PM
Good night, Daddy.
APRIL 1
TUESDAY 5:18 AM
Good morning, sweetheart. You’re probably still in bed, but I wanted to apologize for being crabby last night. I hope you have a good day, and good luck with the test you mentioned!
TUESDAY 9:01 AM
Thank you! I think I might actually be prepared for the test? We’ll see!
And please don’t apologize for last night. It sounds super stressful, and you weren’t crabby.
I mean, not to me.
You’re always nice to me :)
Like, seriously, you’re kind of the nicest person I know.
TUESDAY 2:12 PM
Daddy, I think I aced the test!!!
TUESDAY 4:32 PM
Good job, sweetheart! I’m so proud of you. :)
And you really are a sweetheart. Thank you for saying such kind things. Yesterday was stressful, but Juan and I have it under control now, and it’s going to be fine.
TUESDAY 4:40 PM
I’m so glad to hear that :)
Um, so… Juan is the partner you mentioned?
TUESDAY 4:42 PM
Yes. We own the company together.
TUESDAY 4:42 PM
Oh, because you said partner yesterday so I didn’t know what that meant but you meant business partner!
TUESDAY 4:43 PM
??????????
That’s right. Business partner. I love him, but we really wouldn’t work out any other way.
TUESDAY 4:43 PM
Good.
I mean, that’s great!
That you get along so well. That’s what I meant.
With your business partner, because that probably makes business work a lot better, right?
Sorry, I’ve got to go. There’s this artisan pizza place my roommates are obsessed with and it’s a whole thing.
TUESDAY 4:45 PM
Artisan? Sounds fancy. Have a good time!
TUESDAY 4:46 PM
Thanks :) They mostly go there for the hot waitresses I think. I’ll send you a pic!
TUESDAY 4:48 PM
Hot waitresses aren’t really my speed, but have fun ;)
TUESDAY 4:55 PM
I meant a pic of the pizza.
WEDNESDAY 12:02 AM
Good night, Daddy.
APRIL 10
WEDNESDAY 5:10 PM
I got the lunch pictures, and yes, technically potatoes are vegetables, but I meant green ones.
WEDNESDAY 5:12 PM
Sorry! I was in a hurry and french fries were faster.
WEDNESDAY 5:15 PM
No need to apologize. You’re a grown man who can eat what you want. I’m just suggesting that you might have more energy if you add in a few GREEN vegetables to your diet.
WEDNESDAY 5:16 PM
Ok
I know.
I just forget, but I could definitely use more energy.
WEDNESDAY 5:30 PM
Then maybe you’ll also let me suggest trying to get to sleep a little earlier? At least when you have class the next morning.
WEDNESDAY 5:32 PM
It’s hard :(
WEDNESDAY 5:33 PM
Just a suggestion.
WEDNESDAY 5:34 PM
Ok. I just forget.
I mean, I get busy.
Actually, I don’t know what happens. It’s just suddenly midnight and I’m still awake even though I know I have to get up early!
WEDNESDAY 5:40 PM
If it would help, I can make it more than a suggestion.
WEDNESDAY 5:41 PM
What do you mean?
WEDNESDAY 5:41 PM
We could have… an agreement. To help you take better care of yourself.
WEDNESDAY 5:42 PM
How?
WEDNESDAY 5:45 PM
By eating a little healthier, and getting to bed a little earlier.
WEDNESDAY 5:46 PM
Well, I mean, I do agree I should. I just don’t know how.
WEDNESDAY 5:50 PM
What if we made a rule that you eat one green vegetable per day, and that you set an alarm for 9 pm on school nights, as a reminder to wrap up what you’re working on and get ready for bed?
WEDNESDAY 5:46 PM
Oh, that’s smart.
But what if I forget the vegetable?
WEDNESDAY 5:47 PM
I don’t think you will. You’re a good boy. And you can send me a picture every day when you do it, so I can remind you of that fact :)
WEDNESDAY 5:48 PM
Every day? I don’t want to be a bother.
WEDNESDAY 5:49 PM
You’re never a bother. You’re a ray of sunshine.
WEDNESDAY 5:49 PM
Me?
WEDNESDAY 5:50 PM
??????????
No, the other sweet boy who texts me good night every day.
WEDNESDAY 5:51 PM
Ha!
But, um, is there another boy? I mean, you like to be called Daddy. Do you have a lot of, um, people call you that?
WEDNESDAY 5:52 PM
No. Not right now.
But if you’d rather I not interfere and give you rules to follow, please say so and I’ll back off. I only want to help.
WEDNESDAY 5:53 PM
You do help!
I can follow those rules.
Thank you, Daddy.
WEDNESDAY 5:55 PM
You’re welcome, sweetheart.
Did you set the alarm?
WEDNESDAY 5:58 PM
Oh God, I already forgot.
Sorry!!!
I’ll do better.
WEDNESDAY 5:59 PM
I know.
Did you do it now?
WEDNESDAY 6:00 PM
Yes.
WEDNESDAY 6:01 PM
Good boy :)
WEDNESDAY 6:02 PM
:)
WEDNESDAY 9:40 PM
Good night, Daddy.
WEDNESDAY 9:50 PM
Good night, sweetheart -xo
APRIL 23
TUESDAY 8:34 PM
You got 98%. I’m so proud of you!
TUESDAY 8:35 PM
Thank you :)
I’m kind of proud of me too?
I just mean, maybe I really will make it to veterinary school.
TUESDAY 8:40 PM
I don’t doubt it for a minute. What made you want to be a vet?
TUESDAY 8:42 PM
Thank you, Daddy :)
Um, I was always asking for pets but my parents thought they’d be too much trouble, so I used to sneak over to our neighbor’s as often as I could, because he had a dog.
Her name was Molly.
The dog, not the neighbor. His name was Mr. Clyde.
Well, Clyde Wilson, actually, but he was super old and I was just a kid, so he told me to call him Mr. Clyde.
Anyway, sorry. You don’t need all those details.
TUESDAY 8:50 PM
Need? Maybe not. But want? Always. :) What kind of dog was Molly?
TUESDAY 8:51 PM
She was a beagle, and she was older than Mr. Clyde in dog years!
But so sweet. But also kind of sick? And I was always begging him to take her to the doctor so she could feel better, but he never would, and it broke my heart, but I knew I couldn’t talk back to him, but I also couldn’t understand it?
He was a really nice guy too, so I finally decided he just couldn’t afford it, and that’s why he kept saying no. So I decided *I* would become a doctor so I could fix her for free.
Which was dumb, obviously, because I didn’t even know it was “veterinarian,” not doctor, and she wasn’t sick in a way that could be cured, she was just old.
That’s why Mr. Clyde wouldn’t take her to the vet anymore.
Not that he couldn’t afford it, but he just knew they’d already done everything he could for her.
Anyway, obviously she’s long gone now and if I ever manage to become a vet, I still won’t be able to fix “old.”
But maybe I can still help a little :)
TUESDAY 8:59 PM
That’s not dumb, sweetheart. Not even close.
TUESDAY 9:01 PM