Page 31 of Cedarwood Manny

“Adrien.” He tugged Adrien close again. “I’m sorry.”

“I am, but I’m not. I learned. That’s what mattered. I grew and tried to make the best of the situation. I wanted to stay together for Kyle,” Adrien said. “It didn’t work.”

“Tends not to.”

“I know that now.”

“Kids understand stress. They might not realize why you’re upset, but they can feel it.”

“You’re right—even at eighteen months, Kyle pulled away from Gerry. That and the glow of having a baby was gone. No one wanted to hang out with him because they wanted to see the baby instead. He couldn’t claim he was going to be a father and should have attention. Nope. The baby got the spotlight and that drove him nuts. Once he realized Kyle was more work than he could handle, Gerry left,” Adrien said. “He wanted a kid when it was fashionable, but once it was difficult… He had three boyfriends at one time right before he threw me out of my own bedroom. That’s when I started the process of divorcing him. I’m not happy—I wanted to make the marriage last, but I learned the fairy tale doesn’t always come true.”

“If you were still with him, then I wouldn’t have met you.”

“Very true.”

He breathed Adrien in, soothed by his lover. He thanked God Gerry was gone. Let the jackass have the boyfriends. Nathan had Adrien and Kyle. They were precious gifts and he refused to let go. Being Kyle’s caregiver was more than a job, it was a mission. Being Adrien’s lover was a mission, too. He’d show Adrien love could be overwhelming and wonderful—no question.