Page 25

The doorbell rings once more and the others come out of Owen’s room with smiles. All three kids are barefoot and the sound of smacking feet against vinyl floors fills the house. Gabe motions for me to meet him in my bedroom. His sister gives me an eyebrow waggle, but I don’t say anything.

Gabe’s back is turned to me when I step into the room and close the door. The bags are sitting on my bed, and Gabe is rummaging through one of them. “I’m not sure how the evening is going to go, but I figured that we might need some reinforcements when we’re alone.”

I move to stand beside him and look at the items. I see bed sheets first. “These are for the epic blanket fort. I also brought clamps to secure the blankets. This, though, is for you.” He holds up a pale-yellow blanket. It’s small, but I lift my hand and run it between my fingers.

“It’s so soft, Daddy.” I slide it against my cheek slowly. “This is really just for me?”

“It is, baby. I was walking home from the bar yesterday and we stopped by the store to get some snacks and electrolytes. The blankets were on the other side of the aisle, and I couldn’t resist.”

“It’s perfect.” I sigh, still rubbing the corner against my face.

“I’m glad you like it. We’ll snuggle up tonight with it and get some much-needed sleep okay?”

“You’re the best, Daddy. Thank you for everything.”

Wrapping my arms around him, I bury my face against his chest with a smile.

We stay like that for a long minute before I hear someone call out that it’s pizza time.

We walk out of the room together to the sound of chatter, laughter, and the kids talking way too loudly, but I love every moment of it.

“I like the look of a full house here,” I whisper to my Daddy as we walk hand-in-hand down the hallway.

***

Three movies later, it’s beyond past everyone’s bedtime when the super fun night officially ends.

“Go tuck Owen in bed and I’ll tuck you in afterward,” Daddy whispers in my ear.

The others left after the last movie with a promise to do this again.

Even Marshall and Izzy agreed to join another hang out.

Marshall had been one of the kids, helping to put the fort together and then playing PawPatrol and more superheroes throughout the first movie.

By the second one, he was falling asleep on Izzy’s shoulder on one end of the couch.

I scoop a sleeping Owen from the floor and head down the hallway. He stirs when I lay him down and looks up at me with those big, green eyes. My heart swells with love and I lean forward to kiss his forehead.

“Did you have fun tonight?” I ask quietly as I pull the blanket from under him. He nods silently. “We’ll have to tell Gabe and everyone thank you tomorrow.”

“Daddy?” Owen’s voice is barely a whisper, and I can see that little crease in his forehead that says he’s thinking way too hard for a five-year-old.

“What is it, buddy?” I finish tucking the blanket around him and hand over his stuffed teddy.

“Is Grandma mad at me?”

***

“Justin,” Karen greets me at her front door. “Was I supposed to be watching Owen today?”

They live close to us, but the houses here are larger and definitely scream ‘money’. Karen is dressed like she’s about to attend a business meeting. Her tone doesn’t indicate any bit of remorse or desire to explain yesterday.

There is so much I want to say —to yell— at her. That she should have never excluded my son in her house, that it was a mistake to move here so they could see their grandson in person.

The plan to tuck Owen in and get some Little time was derailed when Owen opened up about all the things he isn’t allowed to do when he’s with his grandparents.

They feed him, but he has to ask and can’t just grab anything out of the fridge even though the others can.

He’s not allowed to play with the toys for his cousins.

Instead, there’s a box of toys he’s allowed to play with for little kids .

Owen’s words run through my mind over and over.

“It’s okay, Daddy. I don’t mind playing with them. I can play with the bigger kids when I’m older. Grandma says I need to wait until I’m more ’sponsible.”

The sound of my own son trying to comfort me and make excuses is something I never want to hear again.

“Justin?”

I focus on Karen’s face and try to calm myself down. “Owen won’t be coming over here anymore.”

“What? Why?” She lays a hand on her chest and genuinely looks surprised about this turn of events.

“Why? Because I spent last night listening to him tell me how you’ve been treating him differently than the others and not letting him play with his own cousins. How you made him sit downstairs while you had all those kids here for a party yesterday.”

“I didn’t think he’d enjoy hanging out with them,” Karen argues. “He’s so much younger than the other boys, and he was happy watching a movie.”

“He said you made him go downstairs because there wasn’t enough room at the table for him.”

She hesitates for a second before answering. Her facial expressions are hard to read. “The boys were playing one of those games that requires them to all have a spot. There weren’t enough chairs. That’s when I suggested that he–”

“You didn’t suggest anything,” I butt in. “And he also says that he’s not allowed to grab a snack or drink without your permission?”

“I told him he needed to ask,” she responds. “It’s called manners, Justin. Owen could stand to learn a few. ”

“Owen is perfectly mannered for his age,” I spit out. “He’s sweet and kindhearted and has been feeling left out here. So, like I said, he isn’t going to be coming here anymore. I have someone else watching him after school.”

“You’re overreacting, Justin. You’re really going to trust a five-year-old over me?”

“I trust my son because I didn’t raise him to lie.”

I turn around and head back down the pathway.

It’s only eight in the morning and Gabe is at the house with Owen.

Owen was still fast asleep when I left, but we have a day of fun planned.

All planned by Gabe. I don’t want to waste any more time here than I have to.

I hear the door close behind me before I reach the car.

***

“Here you go, baby.”

Daddy hands me my new favoritest blanket and I curl up in the bed with it. Daddy shared a shower with me, and then mutual blowjobs, before he dressed me in a pair of training pants and my favorite pajama set.

“And here’s your juice. Do you want a snack or anything?”

I’m sitting in the middle of the bed with a couple of toys and stuffies, Kelvin clutched under my armpit. It’s only eight in the evening, still light outside, but Owen is already in bed for school tomorrow and we’re also taking advantage of some fun time before bed.

“I’m okay.” I look up from the block train that Daddy bought me last week. “Do you want a snack? You didn’t eat lunch with me earlier. Your belly must be so hungry.”

Daddy smiles and laughs at my joke. It’s only half a joke, though. Daddy really didn’t eat much today. He drank lots and lots of water, though. And made me drink lots and lots of water too, which made me have to go potty three whole times.

“Daddy’s okay, baby. I had all that pizza last night, and we ate dinner earlier. Daddy’s belly is not a hungry, hungry hippo.” He leans across the bed and pokes my tummy, making me giggle.

He climbs on the bed and settles in on his side. I run the train up and down the bed, making choo-choo noises. Daddy tries to balance one of my stuffies on the train, but it keeps falling off, which makes both of us laugh.

We continue to play around the room for another hour. Daddy sits on the floor with me and plays bumper cars with the stash that keeps growing. It’s taken me a while to really get into playing with cars, but nowadays, I enjoy them a lot.

Daddy has me count how many cars I have. Twenty-one cars and four trucks. Daddy had the trucks run over all my cars and smash them, but I saved all the people by tackling Daddy to the floor.

“It’s after nine now, baby. Time to get ready for bed. You have a big week ahead and need your sleep.”

“Snuggles?”

“All the snuggles, just for you.” Daddy helps me into the bed, and we cuddle together under the blanket. I’m already so used to Daddy sleeping next to me. Away games are stinky because I miss having Daddy pressed up against me.

“Thank you for being amazing this weekend,” I say.

I’m still half in my Little headspace, but definitely coming out of it as we lay together.

Daddy brushes his hand up and down my back and I hook one leg to rest between his.

“I don’t know how I would have handled the situation if you weren’t there. ”

“I don’t mind at all,” Daddy replies. “I love spending time with you and Owen.”

“We love spending time with you, too,” I whisper back to him with a smile.