Page 30 of A Little Christmas! 4: Song

“There’s a list in the kitchen that I’m going to have you add to,” Cooper explained. “We all have a page. It’s the foods we can and can’t eat and the things we do and don’t like.”

“What do you do when one person likes something, and another doesn’t or can’t eat it?” Song asked.

“Make two meal options if we need to,” Gage replied. “Or look for similar alternatives we’ll all enjoy.”

“For example,” Cooper continued. “Zachy loves chicken and rice, but I absolutely despise rice, so we played around with the recipe and discovered that substituting orzo for rice created a dish with the same flavor profile that we could all enjoy.”

“What’s orzo?”

“A tiny pasta that’s shaped a lot like rice, but the taste and consistency are actually lighter and less grainy, at least in my opinion.”

“I’d never had it before,” Gage said, “and neither had Zachy, but after we’d tried it, we fell in love with it. Living together is all about compromise and a willingness to try new things and just be honest with one another about if it works or not.”

“No one is ever going to be upset if something doesn’t work for you or if you need us to tweak something,” Cooper explained. “But we will be concerned if you try to force yourself to eat or do something that you don’t enjoy just to try and make it easier on us. That’s not the way things are supposed to work. We’re each individuals, and there are going to be times when things just don’t line up. As your daddies, it’s our job to make sure all your needs are met, so if that means stocking the fridge with bottled water and sugar-free drinks, or making two different meals, or using alternate ingredients, then we’re grateful to know about it now so we can plan.”

“And it really doesn’t bother you to have to do things differently for me?” Song asked.

“Not in the slightest,” Cooper said.

“Not one bit,” Gage assured him. “We’re happy knowing that you trust us enough to tell us these things already, and we want you to always keep doing it. We told Zachy the same thing, and guess what, there are several things that he can’t have, like caffeine, which means we check any new drinks he wants to try before we can let him have them. He’s got to be careful about eggs too and can’t have them in the morning before he goes to work because of the costumes he has to wear on the show. He has the same issue you do, where they give him a stomachache if he gets hot. That’s why we created the list. So we could plan our meals accordingly.”

“That’s…” Song began, seeming to fumble with his words for a moment. “Solo said I’d understand the difference between a good daddy and a wannabe, and she was right.”

Cooper hugged him again. No other words were needed. The longer their boy was with them, the more he’d learn, and they’d take great pleasure in teaching him and showing him just how important his comfort, health, and security was to them. From there it would be easy for him to learn the most important lesson of all.

That he was loved.

Chapter 12

(Gage)

Two days of being stuck indoors and his boys were more than ready for an afternoon out. After Song had revealed that he’d never been to Blondies before, they’d jumped at the opportunity to take him. With the trip to New York just a few days away, this would be the perfect opportunity to destress and have fun while also teaching Song something new. The way his face had lit up when they’d announced that was where they were headed and the happy dance he’d done was everything. Gage loved making his boys happy and seeing them thrive.

Last night, he, Walker, Zachy, and Cooper had been treated to a taste of what was in store for them in New York when the band had invited them to listen to some of the material they’d polished for their upcoming shows. With Ajay as the new frontman, the lyrics were delivered with clarity and soul deep emotion that elevated it to a whole new level. The vibe was different too, as the band members playfully interacted with one another during the songs, which just pushed the energy levelhigher. The best part was seeing smiles on their faces instead of the fury and disappointment Gage had witnessed the night he’d seen them play at the bar. With the clear forecast holding, they’d be all set to leave on Monday morning, something both boys were extremely excited about. The three-and-a-half-hour drive was bound to be a blast, with the boys already choosing games they could play in the backseat as well as the movies they planned to watch during the ride. Getting the upgrade to add the rear-seat entertainment system was one of the best decisions he’d ever made and more than worth the money as far as Gage was concerned.

“Holy crap, this place is huge,” Song declared as they pulled up in front of Blondies and parked several spaces away from the nearest car.

“Yup,” Zachy said. “And look at how few cars there are; it’s gonna be awesome to have the place mostly to ourselves.”

Zachy had a point there. Most nights the place was hopping with families eager to taste the food and test out the lanes.

“Let’s find a table and get you guys out of that winter gear,” Cooper suggested. “Then we can get our bowling shoes and balls sorted out.”

“Yay,” Song cried, grabbing Zachy’s hand and skipping with him to the door while Gage retrieved the bags containing his and Zachy’s bowling gear.

In time he hoped Cooper and Song would fall in love with the game enough that they’d want their own shoes and balls too. Watching Cooper keep up with them and guide them to a spot where they would have easy access to the bathroom was proof of how far he’d come as a daddy and caretaker to their boys, even if the man still struggled to see it himself. He might have stumbled in the beginning, but he’d watched, he’d asked questions, and he’d come to realize that being a Daddy was more than imposingrules and making sweeping declarations about what was good for their boys.

Gage arrived at the table to see Zachy and Song carefully placing their gloves, hats, and scarves in the pockets of their coats before folding them and stacking them in the corner of the bench, leaving plenty of room for them to sit beside them.

“What size shoes do you wear?” Cooper asked Song.

“Nine,” Song replied.

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

While Cooper went to get their shoes, Zachy pulled his from his bag and put them on while Gage did the same. While both boys had put fluffy socks on to keep their feet warm inside their boots, they’d wore thinner socks beneath them more suited to wear with their bowling shoes. Gage watched as Zachy showed him how to choose a bowling ball that fit his fingers without being too heavy. The way they interacted, not just when little but also when big and learning from one another or working on dinner prep together, continued to cement them as a family.

“So, I got us two lanes,” Cooper explained when he returned. “That way Song and I can have the railings up.”