“Daddy!”

Reynard laughed as his son launched into his arms. “How was your day today, baby?”

“Daddy, I’m not a baby. I’m four now. I go to school.”

Reynard nodded, putting on his most serious face. “That’s right. You’re very important now that you can go to school. Growing up into a big boy.”

“A big boy with a late father. Again.”

The flinch was almost a habit now. Ryan’s preschool teacher was irritated at Reynard’s bad habit, particularly on a Friday night. “Sorry. I came as soon as my shift ended. One of the guys was late-“

“I’m not interested in your excuses. I just want you to be on time.”

“I’m sorry again-“ Reynard’s phone started ringing. “Oh god, I’m sorry. Just a moment-“ he frantically started digging in his pocket until he could pull out the small device and put it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Why?” hiccuped the voice on the other side. “I do good job, right?”

Reynard sighed, and when he looked up the teacher was already storming away. He guessed he owed Eugene for that much at least. “You’re drunk again, aren’t you? Where are you?”

Reynard held Ryan’s hand as they walked to the car, the phone still up to Reynard’s ear. Eugene had progressed to bawling his eyes out now. “And not only did I lose a Friday night shift - I got cut early!”

“You work at a dump of a bar the homeless rarely want to visit. I’m surprised you still have a job,” Reynard said dryly. “And I know you don’t drink there. So where are you?”

Eugene rattled off an address as Reynard buckled Ryan into his car seat, and Reynard hung up without saying goodbye. Better Eugene cry over that than money. “OK big boy, here’s the deal. Euge needs a ride home so we have to go and pick him up. Once we get there, if you’re a good boy and stay in the car then I’ll fix you your favorite mac and cheese for dinner. Any naughty stuff and there’s no mac and extra broccoli. Got it?”

“Got it!” Ryan said while nodding his head with all the seriousness he could. “Stay in the car so Daddy can fix Papa Euge!”

“Since when do you call him papa?” Reynard laughed. Eugene was his best friend and often helped him take care of Ryan, but this was the first he’d heard Ryan say that.

Ryan happily prattled an explanation, pausing only long enough for Reynard to get in the car and buckle up. Reynard hadn’t realized the preschool would be so… educational.

Reynard sighed as he got back in the car and clicked his buckle back into place, his eyes darting back towards Ryan only for a moment to make sure his son hadn’t gotten out of his car seat.

“Daddy?” Ryan asked. “Where’s Papa Euge?”

“I guess daddy was a bit late again, baby,” Reynard sighed. “Eugene found someone else to take him home.”

Or, to be more accurate, the bartender had gotten annoyed with Eugene’s crying and finally called him a taxi. They hadn’t needed to drag him off, but according to the staff he’d thrown himself over every free surface with an overly dramatic sigh and words of suffering the entire way.