Page 132 of Julian

Duncan kept hold of TJ as he left the mudroom, brushing past all the women clamoring to see him. They followed Duncan like he was the Pied Piper.

Julian turned to Kiara and helped her with her coat. “I think we could probably leave, and no one would even notice.”

Kiara laughed. “Yeah. We’re not significant anymore.”

Julian hung up both of their coats, then they left the mudroom. Knowing the family would gather in the living room first, they headed in that direction.

Elijah wasn’t there, having flown out to New York City a week ago to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with his mom’s family.

The past two weeks had passed in a blur of sleepless nights, diapers, and some of the most precious memories Julian had ever had. He and Kiara had fallen into a good schedule, working together so that neither of them was overwhelmed.

Of course, they’d also had help from Elizabeth, Angela, and Annie. Nearly every day, Angela had been at their place for an hour or so, often bringing treats for them.

Julian directed Kiara to a loveseat, then waited for her to sit before settling down beside her. Benji was seated in an armchair near Julian, staring morosely at the fireplace.

“What’s up with you, buddy?” Julian asked as he leaned over to tap him on the shoulder.

Benji had been away at college for the past couple of months, but he’d flown home for Thanksgiving.

“Amelia broke up with me,” he muttered.

“What?” The question came in a chorus from everyone there.

“Yeah. She’s decided that I’m a distraction, and she needs to focus on the Olympics.”

“That makes sense.”

“Duncan!” Elizabeth turned to her husband. “How can you say that?”

“Whenever you're trying to achieve something that requires a lot of time and energy, it’s best not to have other things fracturing your focus.” Duncan looked at Benji. “I’m sorry you’rehurt, Son, but from what you’ve said, she’s devoted a lot of time to her skating. Going to the Olympics is a huge commitment, so it only makes sense that she’d need to end things with you if she feels she can’t give a relationship the time it deserves.”

“I don’t demand that she spend time with me,” Benji said. “In fact, my being away at college means she doesn’t even have to worry about finding time for dates.”

“But in the back of her mind will be the thought that she needs to keep in contact with you. That she still needs to make time in her day for you.”

Benji glared at Duncan before shifting his attention back to the fire.

Julian didn’t know what to say. Technically, Duncan was correct, but Julian didn’t want to pile on Benji. Also, he’d never experienced what his half-brother was dealing with, so he didn’t know what to say to make the guy feel better.

“Your dad is right,” Cole said. “When you’re striving for something, it can be hard to juggle a relationship too.”

“You had a high-performance career and girlfriends,” Benji pointed out.

“True,” Cole agreed. “But none were serious until I got to the end of my career. It would have been hard to have had a serious relationship with Annie when I was just starting out.”

“Excuse me.”

The new voice had everyone looking at the entrance to the room. Mrs. Stevens stood there with a smile. “Dinner is served.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said as she got to her feet.

Mrs. Stevens and her daughters were there to prepare and serve the Thanksgiving dinner for them, then they’d have the rest of the weekend off.

Everyone went into the dining room and found their seats. There was a name card at each place setting, not that there was much confusion over who sat where. They always took the same seats when they were at the table. The name cards were just to add to the fall decor that adorned the table.

Duncan handed the baby to Kiara, then took his seat at the head of the table. TJ was still sleeping, and if his pattern was anything to go by, he should continue to sleep for a little while longer.

At Duncan’s request, Cole said a prayer of thanks for the food, then the meal began. The meal was a bit more informal than previous Thanksgiving dinners had been. Julian felt it was a good sign that his dad was relaxing his high standards for family meals.