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Date Posted: 01:57:02 06/08/13 Sat
Author: Nettie
Subject: Best Friends - June Challenge

Disclaimer: all the usual
AN: a slightly longer snapshot

Best Friends

Jack and Toby were best friends. Wherever Jack was Toby was bound to be close by and vice versa. It was a friendship that was established just after the MacKenzie-Rabb family moved to San Diego and while Mac was a little doubtful at first, she had begun to accept that the friendship had helped their six year-old settle into his new life quite well.
“What was that?” she called out from the study when she’d heard a crash.
“Sorry, mommy,” Jack called back. “It was an accident.”
“What was an accident?” she asked finding her son in the hallway.
“Toby knocked the plant but it was an accident,” he said gesturing wildly at the upended mess on the floor.
“And where’s Toby now?” she asked scanning the area.
“He went home,” he said pointing in the general direction. “He feels bad.”
“Okay, well, I’ll deal with him later,” Mac said with a sigh. “Can you go and get the dustpan and brush, please?”

Jack scampered away as Mac righted the plant and scooped up some of the dirt.
“Having fun?” Harm asked coming in the front door and spying his wife on her hands and knees cleaning.
“Oh definitely,” she replied sarcastically. “I know we thought this friendship was good for Jack but this is the third thing Toby has ‘accidentally’ knocked over this week.”
“I know,” he concurred having had to clean up yesterday’s accident of two spilt cups of juice.
“What are you going to do about it?” she asked, finally happy she’d got the last of the dirt.
“Me? Why not us?” he questioned, taking the dustpan and brush from her.
“Well, I just figured it seems like a father and son moment,” she said, stepping in to kiss her husband hello. “I don’t want to think we are double teaming him.”
“Aha,” he replied, knowing his wife couldn’t bear the thought of upsetting her boy.

After lunch, Harm asked Jack if he wanted to go for a drive in the corvette and the boy enthusiastically added, “Can Toby come too, please?”
“Not this time, buddy,” Harm replied. “The corvette only seats two people.”
“Oh, yeah!”

On the drive, Harm kept the conversation casual and answered the million questions Jack had about seemingly everything they passed.
“What car is that?’
“What do they call that colour?”
“Have you driven a car like that?”
“Is it faster than this one?”
“What’s the best car?”

Stopping at Jack’s favourite playground, just outside of town, Harm pulled into the car park. He figured a talk about friendship might be best done while they were playing. As Harm pushed Jack on the swing, he took a deep breath. ‘No time like the present’ he thought.
“Toby’s been around a lot lately,” Harm said, keeping the swing low so Jack could hear him.
“Yeah, all the time,” Jack said, kicking at the ground beneath his feet.
“And do you like him being around all the time?” he asked, wishing he could see the boy’s face.
“Yeah, most times,” he answered. “Sometimes he’s annoying.”
“Like when he has all the accidents?” he asked and Jack nodded.
“Yeah, like then,” he agreed. “I tell him not to come and play but he does anyway.”
“Why do you think that is?” Harm questioned, trying to sound like a dad and not a seasoned investigator.
“Sometimes he’s bored,” the boy replied.
“And what about the other times?” he asked but there was no reply. “Jack, what about the other times?” he asked a little louder.
“Other times he’s lonely, dad,” Jack said sadly.

Harm stopped the swing and moved to face his son. Crouching down he noticed the tears on his boy’s face and his heart broke.
“Bored and lonely?” Harm repeated and Jack nodded. “And maybe a little sad?” Harm added and the boy nodded again. “If you were bored or lonely or sad, would you tell me?” Jack shrugged. “Because it’s a good idea to talk about your feelings with people who love you,” he continued.
“Do you talk to mommy about your feelings?” he asked, finally making eye contact with his father.
“I do,” Harm said with a nod. “It wasn’t easy at first but mommy says I’m getting better at it.”
“It’s not easy for me either, daddy,” he said as another tear trickled down his cheek.
“Try,” Harm said, wrapping his arms around the boy.
“It’s not Toby who is sad and lonely and bored, it’s me,” he admitted with a sniffle. “I like San Diego and all but I really miss all by friends and Uncle Bud and Aunty Harriet and the kids.”
“I miss them too,” Harm said embracing the boy.
“And I don’t really have any friends in school here,” he continued. “I don’t think they like me.”
“I’m sure they do,” he said trying to fight his tears. “Sometimes it takes a little longer to settle in.”
“But it’s been months and the only one I play with is Toby,” he complained. “And well...we know he is...you know...not really a friend...”

Harm nodded. Jack’s only friend, Toby, was invisible.

“I think I know something that will make you less bored and lonely,” Harm said with a grin. “And it’s something you wanted when we lived in DC but mom said no as we were in the apartment.”
“A dog?!” Jack’s eyes lit up. “We can get a dog!”
“Well, we’re in a house now with a big yard and good fences,” Harm said, loving the idea more by the second.
“Oh, that would be fantastic!” Jack exclaimed. “It will be so much fun!”
“It will be but it will mean extra work for you too,” Harm reminded him gently. “The dog will have to be walked and fed and cleaned...”
“I’ll do it all, dad, I promise,” he said squeezing his father tightly.
“And picking up after he poops,” he continued and Jack pulled a face. “Well, maybe I can do that.”

Acting on instinct, Harm and Jack visited the dog shelter on the way home and three cages in Jack came eye to eye with the very dog he had dreamed of. It was a male black Labrador cross and was only about two. It was love at first sight for the pair.
“Oh, I see you’ve met Toby,” the attendant said and Jack gasped.
“Daddy! Did you hear that? His name is Toby!” Jack said, tears filling his blue eyes once more.
“Oh, I heard,” he said, knowing this was just a little more than coincidence.
“Can we get him, dad? Please...please, daddy! I promise I’ll take care of him. Please, daddy?” he begged, wrapping his arms around Harm’s leg.
“How do we go about adopting Toby?” Harm asked.

There was a lot of commotion when the pair arrived home and Mac went to the garage to investigate, just as Toby knocked over Harm’s gold clubs.
“Don’t worry, mom,” Jack said, running around the car to get the dog, “It was just Toby.”
“Harm, I thought....” she began before stopping as Jack and Toby appeared from behind the car. “Ah....Harm...we need to talk.”
“Daddy, just tell mommy your feelings,” Jack reminded him as Harm approached his wife.

As Jack and Toby went into the backyard to play, Harm informed his wife of the afternoon’s events.
“Oh, Harm,” she said tearfully as they moved to watch their son. “I guess I can understand why you got the dog.”
“Hey, mom and dad! Look at Toby and me, we’re best friends!”

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Replies:

[> AWWW! Just adorable and so sweet. -- Christa, 09:46:19 06/08/13 Sat [1]

My first dog was named Toby. I now have a new four legged friend and it's great having him in my life. Thanks for writing such a great story Nettie!


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[> Lovely story Nettie! A real tearjerker! -- JoyZ, 10:20:25 06/08/13 Sat [1]


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[> aw what a lovely story Nettie -- Bev uk, 12:01:13 06/08/13 Sat [1]


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[> Oh this is just a sweet story, thanks again for these adorable June 2013 challenge stories. You are on a roll, LOL!!! -- Can Sheshe, 18:31:27 06/08/13 Sat [1]


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[> Great job! -- cd, 22:11:43 06/08/13 Sat [1]


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[> Very sweet. Loved it Nettie. -- Beth, 09:32:13 06/09/13 Sun [1]


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[> Beautiful and moving family story, loved it! -- Dee, 10:05:03 06/09/13 Sun [1]


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[> Jack Rabb -- absolutely adorable. -- carramor, 22:17:47 06/16/13 Sun [1]


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