Chapter 4 #2
They let Caleb, with Grant’s help, serve. This was Caleb’s show as far as Hayley was concerned. Hayley had just provided the location for all of them to enjoy the great meal together. Okay, so Mac had bought the big house, but Hayley had made it their home.
Mac made up Hayley’s plate, even cutting up his food, before he did the same with Jayme.
Jayme was the only single one at the table.
Hayley had hoped Lance would be back in town to join them, but Mac said it would be a couple of weeks before the other hitman returned.
He didn’t ask more questions after that.
Mac promised to tell him if there was anything they needed to worry about.
This trip didn’t have anything to do with Mac, though.
Lance was taking care of personal business.
The food smelled so good that Hayley worried he might start to drool. Using his manners, which always made Mac happy, and got him a reward, Hayley waited until Caleb took the first bite. Then he attacked his plate.
They were using special plates, but that didn’t mean that Hayley had bought fancy ones. No, the plates had been expensive, but they were also Christmas-themed, with Santa, reindeers, and the North Pole. He heard Avery comment on the plate from across the table.
From his side, Jayme leaned toward him. “Mom would be so proud,” Jayme whispered.
“You think so?” His mom always had the best dinners, both casual and formal. Everyone in the commune knew that his mom’s dinners would be something special.
“Yes, totally,” Jayme responded.
Hayley wiggled a bit in his chair. He was glad his brother had decided to stay with them for Christmas instead of going home. His new family and his birth family mixing and giving Hayley everything he needed.
Although with his birth family now coming in a few days, his two worlds colliding might be too much for his Daddy. Maybe not, though. As Mac laughed with Jace, Hayley could see the difference in him.
Sure, Mac could still be guarded, but he also smiled more. He’d brought that change to Mac’s life. Hayley loved the big guy so much. His parents were going to love him too. Hayley didn’t care what Mac said. He was loveable. What they had was special. His parents would see that.
Everything was going to be perfect. Just like Hayley’s new life.
* * *
Avery
Avery sat on the floor beside the Christmas tree, shocked at the amount of presents in front of him. Presents not from his Daddy but from his friends. It was…so much. Avery couldn’t get his thoughts to stop spinning.
“Okay, baby boy?” Jace sat behind him before pulling Avery into his lap.
Turning his head, Avery buried his face in Jace’s chest. He was embarrassed at getting so emotional.
When it had just been him and his grandma, Avery had gotten an average of two gifts a year.
Not that he had minded. His grandma had been wonderful.
But now…he didn’t know how to show his appreciation.
His friends had gone out and specifically looked for things just for him.
“It’s okay, honey,” Jace said rubbing his back.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Avery sniffled. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Nothing is wrong with you,” Jace assured him. “It can be a bit overwhelming to see how much our friends care.”
Avery nodded. That was it. High school and college had been brutal. He hadn’t been able to make friends. It still surprised him that these people chose to spend time with him. That they liked him.
None of them ever embarrassed him or made fun of him for his little tendencies.
“Look at me,” Jace urged.
Avery lifted his head.
“How about I help you?”
“Yes, please.” Avery’s hands were shaking so badly that he didn’t know if he could even rip the wrapping paper off.
Someone else knelt beside them.
“Here, he dropped this. I washed it for him.”
Avery glanced over to see Mac holding Avery’s favorite giraffe binkie. “Thank you, Hayley’s Daddy,” he said before shoving the nipple in his mouth.
Mac smiled at him. “Take your time. There’s no hurry. Besides, with how careful Hayley is being unwrapping his gifts, you could probably take a nap and still be done before him.”
“Daddy! Not nice!” Hayley hollered.
Mac chuckled and patted Avery’s back. “I know how you feel, little one. Sometimes it’s hard to believe all these people are our friends.”
Avery nodded.
“They are. We are. We like you, little Avery. Just let your Daddy take care of you and everything will be okay.”
Avery really liked Hayley’s Daddy. For a long time, Jace wouldn’t let Mac anywhere near Avery. It was better now. They were already planning playdates at each other’s houses after the holidays. And Mac did know how Avery felt.
Jace, Mitch, and Grant had been friends for so long they forgot that it was different for some of them. Mac had been like Avery, alone. No one to count on.
“If you need to take him upstairs at any time, we left a guestroom open, or you can take him to the playroom,” Mac said to Jace.
Avery liked Hayley’s playroom. It was awesome. And he’d only got one quick look because dinner had been ready. But Avery also wanted to see his gifts too. “Presents,” he mumbled around his binkie.
“Let’s open some, then,” Jace said. “Thanks, Mac. We might take you up on your offer later.”
Mac rose to go sit by his own boy.
Avery wiggled around so he faced his pile again.
He chose the small box at the very top. With Jace’s hands on his knees, Avery tore into the wrapping.
The tag said it was from Jayme. Even his newest friend had gotten him something.
Avery was glad they’d made a special trip to pick up something for Jayme as well when they learned he’d be at dinner.
He giggled at the adult-sized binkie with a melting snowman on it. So cute!
Avery grabbed the next box, this one from Grant and Caleb.
He stopped to look around the room. All the boys were opening gifts, sitting close to their own Daddy.
Even Mac sat with Hayley tucked against his chest but with Jayme pressing against his leg.
Mac was currently using a knife to open something for Jayme.
Grinning, he opened his next present. This was fun. He got to open presents from his friends and then, in the morning, the ones from his Daddy and Santa.
Okay, he knew Jace was Santa. It was still nice to pretend. He hadn’t believed in Santa when he was little. His mom had never been the Christmas type. Too selfish to spend money on a baby instead of drugs. By the time he went to live with his grandma, it was too late for Avery to even pretend.
Now he could. Safe and loved with his Daddy, Avery could experience everything he’d missed out on as a kid.
Avery held up a new set of animals for his zoo in victory.
“More animals?” Jace groaned.
Nodding, Avery handed the box to Jace. Animals were the best. And you could never have too many. By the time he was done unwrapping everything, Avery had collected so many animals, new stuffies, another binkie, coloring books, a big box of crayons, Legos, books, and play dough.
His Daddy had not been pleased to see the play dough. Neither had any of the other Daddies. Mac had laughed like a maniac. That had been his gift.
Avery had to push several empty boxes out of his way to climb back on Jace’s lap. He’d gotten excited at one point and had moved. But now he wanted Jace to hold him again.
Hayley was being so careful opening his own presents that he was only halfway done. Jayme kept trying to help to speed up the process. But Hayley would merely frown at his brother, keeping the gift away from Jayme’s impatient hands.
Avery had always wondered what it would be like to have a brother. If things would have been harder or easier if there had been someone who’d gone through the same things as he had.
Watching Hayley and Jayme, Avery had to be glad that he was an only child. He wouldn’t want anyone to have suffered the way he had. Too many days of going without food or being cold. Having close friends like this was better than having a sibling anyway.
* * *
Mitch
Mitch laid his head against Caleb’s as they cuddled while watching a Christmas movie. It was almost over and then they would be headed home. It was almost midnight and Christmas morning would arrive fast.
“I love this movie,” Caleb said with a sigh.
Mitch chuckled. They were watching the original Frosty the Snowman cartoon.
“I don’t remember watching this as a kid. I think I was in college the first time I saw it,” Mitch shared.
Caleb sighed before cuddling closer. “That’s so sad. Even I got to watch Christmas cartoons. It was usually in my trailer between takes but—”
Mitch nudged Caleb’s shoulder. “It just makes this so much better.”
“We should do this every year,” Avery added from Mitch’s other side. “Our very own tradition.”
“Great idea,” Mitch praised.