Page 106 of Your Last First Kiss

“Benny Bird had an auntie come last year. They come and have lunch in the cafeteria with us. Then we make a picture together and the kids get to go home early with them. It’s okay. Mrs. Danforth said I can have extra recess.”

Dillon frowns. “Oh yeah? Just you?”

“Everyone else has someone. Don’t tell Mom, though, ’kay? I don’t want her to feel bad ’cause she’s got to work with Mr. Lochlan tomorrow.”

Gage bounces like he’s about to stand, and I shuffle back with Kai in tow, so we’re just out of sight but close enough to hear Dillon’s next words.

“Gage? Look at me, buddy.” There’s silence for a few long beats. “You have someone, okay? You’re never alone. And don’t worry about Grandparents Day. I think it might be the best one ever. You’ll see.”

“He’s gonna do it,” Kai whispers at my side. “He’s going to do Grandparents Day.” The genuine shock and awe in his tone has that mom guilt rearing to life again.

“I think he’d do just about anything for all of you,” I say. Turning to face him, I find him watching me with his bottom lip between his teeth.

There’s a war raging in his bruised heart. The little boy in him wants to trust and believe in everyday magic, but the boy who has seen too much knows what happens if you believe too hard for too long. I hate that I’ve failed him this way, but I have no idea how to fix it.

Dillon strolls into the foyer with a wide smile and reads the room like there’s a flashing neon sign over our heads. “I’m earning trust one day at a time,” he says, staring at Kai. Turning to me, he relaxes when our eyes meet. “How do I go about getting on the list for Grandparents Day?”

CHAPTER33

DILLON

Kai watches me with a mix of anger, interest, and confusion as Penny tells him the rules and what to do in case of an emergency for the third time since I’ve been here. His eyes have that glazed look about them that makes me think he could recite this particular speech in his sleep.

“I put Mari down in her pack ’n play. As long as Gage doesn’t wake her up, she should stay sleeping until I get home. Landon can help get Lia to bed, so it’s only Gage you have to—”

“Penny?” I interrupt. “We’ll be less than ten minutes away, and Remy is across the street with Izzy. I think Kai can handle it.” It’s a fine line that I walk. I’m still not sure what or where my place is as far as the kids are concerned, but if I want to make a life with all of them, I have to test my boundaries a little.

“I know.” She sighs, then pinches the bridge of her nose. “But he’s only fifteen. And there are two more kids here now, and…”

“And he can handle it,” I assure her. “You know he can.”

She nods with a weary smile for Kai. “I know you can handle this, Kai. I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do if you set your mind to it. There’s just a lot on our plates, and I hate that I’m burdening you with babysitting on a school night.”

He shrugs but can’t quite hide a shy smile. “It’s okay. I finished my homework.” His eyes cut to me with a frown, then he turns back to his mom. “It sounds like this is an important meeting for everyone in town. You can’t miss it.”

Penny closes the distance between her and her oldest son. She takes his cheeks in both hands and stares into his eyes long enough to make the teen uncomfortable. Then she leans in and kisses the side of his face.

“I’m proud of you, Kai. You’re growing up to be an amazing young man.”

His chin trembles, but he juts it out in protest. “Thanks, Mom. I’m trying. I want to show Landon and Gage something—something different.”

Penny sucks in a breath that seems to stall deep in her lungs, so I step forward. “I think acknowledging what and how you want to be at a young age is something to be proud of, Kai. Sometimes in life, we’re shown the darkest corners of humanity so we can choose the light. Your future is as bright as you want to make it. No history, or family genes, or even circumstance can change that. Your future and your brothers’ futures are what you make out of them. From what I’ve seen so far, you’ll be a fine leader in whatever you choose.”

Kai takes a wobbly step back. “Th—Thank you.”

His reaction reminds me what it’s like to be fifteen and so unaccustomed to receiving compliments that they hit like a tsunami when you get one.

“My life was a lot like yours growing up, Kai, except without the siblings. The similarities between your childhood and mine make your life shockingly familiar to me. From the sport you love to the choices our fathers made, but I’m proof that even if the apple falls from the same tree, it’s what you make of it that matters. You are your own man, and you’re responsible for your own choices.”

Kai stares at me like he wants to believe me but can’t quite bring himself to do it.

I understand that war all too well.

“Trust—”

“Is earned,” Kai says. “Yeah, I heard you. You guys better get going or you’ll be late.” He walks backward until he reaches the family room door, then turns and practically sprints away from us.

“Thank you for that. For everything, really.” Penny’s soft voice finds its way into my heart. It beats a steady rhythm like a siren’s song whenever she’s close.