26. Laney
26
Laney
“Would Ryan be my brother?” Haley asked.
“Yes, he would be your brother,” I explained. “He also has four younger siblings.”
“What’s a sibling?”
“A sibling is a brother or sister. Ryan takes care of them.”
“Where’s his mommy?”
“She’s there, but Ryan likes taking care of them. Are you excited about visiting him?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait! Can I call Grandpa and tell him I have a brother?”
“We’ll call him later. Are you ready for school?”
“Yes!”
I turned as Gideon walked in. He was driving Haley to school.
“Gideon!” Haley said, her eyes lighting up.
“What is it, sweetie?” Gideon asked, picking her up.
“If you’re my daddy now, can I call you Daddy?”
“Of course you can. I’d love for you to call me Daddy.”
“Now you have Ryan and me!”
“That’s right, sweetheart. Now I have Ryan and you.”
I could see the worry in Gideon’s eyes. I wrapped my arms around him. “Why don’t you visit Ryan and see what his life is like? He needs more than just the responsibility of his siblings. He needs friends. He should be playing football and baseball—just being a kid.” Laney looked at me and shook her head.
“Take him and the little ones to the cabin so they can fish and get away from that toxic environment. That has to be depressing. I’ve been in that environment before, and I’ve known so many kids who lived with an alcoholic parent. Believe me, it’s not good. It can destroy your soul if you let it.”
“I already packed my bag. I’ll drop Haley off at school and head out from there. I hate leaving you alone, but I need to do this for Ryan. He deserves more than raising those babies by himself. What should I do with the kids? What can I say to him?”
“You’ll figure it out when you get there. Just talk to him. Tell him how much you love him. Then, make sure everything is taken care of. Hire a housekeeper and a nanny to help with the kids so Ryan can go to college, make friends, and live his life.”
“Have I told you how brilliant you are?”
“No, but thank you.” I smiled. “Tell him they’re moving here with us. And let his mother know that if she doesn’t get help, she’ll never see her kids again.”
“You’re amazing. Bye, sweetheart. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said softly.