Chapter 24
Orrin took a deep breath, nodded at Zak, and got the discussion started.
“Kip. Rayn. Papa Zak has something very exciting he wants to tell you.”
Zak gulped, watching their expectant expressions.
“Starting today, I’m going to live with Orrin instead of at my house. But do you know what’s even better?”
Eyes wide, the kids both shook their heads. Zak continued.
“We want to be your forever family, so the two of you are going to live with us from now on.”
Uncertain that he’d heard correctly, Kip blurted out a question.
“We is?”
Orrin answered this time.
“Yes, you are. And right now, we’re going to help gather your things and bring them over to your new home. You won’t be sleeping in here anymore, but you’ll still get to see the others almost every day.”
Rayn started to cry, which got Kip going too.
They were happy tears, but both understood the importance of what they’d been told.
That their dreams of belonging to someone had come true.
That the men they loved would be their papas for real.
That they weren’t orphans any longer. Rayn, shaking with sobs, wrapped her arms around Zak’s neck and held on tight.
Kip quickly buried his face in Orrin’s shoulder, sniffling and huffing as the tears flowed.
There were comforting words and caresses as the little ones processed the life-altering news.
Neither Orrin nor Zak remained dry-eyed, and their gazes met as they soothed the children.
The angsty moment passed soon enough, replaced by natural curiosity and the promise of a real home.
Tissues mysteriously appeared from somewhere, wiping eyes and noses, and then they all got to work.
Toys and other belongings, clothes, shoes, and bathroom items all went into the bags Orrin had brought with him.
On the way out of the bedroom, Rayn asked about taking her pillow and blanket.
Orrin assured her that it wasn’t necessary.
“I’ve already taken care of it, honey. You’ll see in just a minute.”
As they passed through the connecting door, Orrin asked everyone to stop for a selfie—capturing their first moment together at home.
Now it was time to show the children to their new digs, and they climbed two flights of stairs to reach the top floor.
Neither child had been in this part of the house, and they looked around to get their bearings.
There were two bedrooms on one side, and a large open play space on the other, with a bathroom and storage closets sandwiched in between.
Orrin led them to the bedroom on the outside corner of the house and opened the door.
“This is your bedroom. I hope you like it.”
There was no question about which bed belonged to whom, and Rayn clapped her hands at the frilly princess bedspread.
“It’s so pretty! Thank you, Papas!”
Meanwhile, Kip had crawled up onto his bed to get a closer look at the images from one of his favorite cartoon shows, pointing at various characters and the spaceship they traveled on. He finally jumped down to hug Orrin’s legs, then Zak’s.
“Yay! Cub in pace!”
Each child had a small dresser and a stack of open storage cubes for their shoes and toys, while hanging clothes went into the closet.
When things were put away, they took the remaining bags into the bathroom and the children gasped.
Rayn loved the bubble decals on the walls and the shower curtain featuring a herd of plant-eating Brontosaurus.
Kip, of course, noticed the picture above the toilet and dissolved into a fit of giggles.
“Dine-sor is POOPING! ”
Everyone was still giggling as Orrin pointed out their new toothbrushes, drinking cups, and towels, along with a cluster of framed, dino-themed reminders by the light switch:
Brush Your Teeth
Wipe Your Bum
Flush The Toilet
Wash Your Hands
The bags were unloaded into the assigned drawers—Rayn’s to the right of the sink and Kip’s to the left. Orrin then showed them where the clean towels and washcloths were kept, where to hang them to dry, and their final destination in the corner hamper.
“Your dirty clothes can go in there too, as long as they aren’t wet or muddy. Shoes stay in your room or downstairs by the front door. I’ll show you.”
Zak and Orrin offered their hands to the children as they descended the stairs to the second floor. They stopped at the guest room and Orrin informed them who was sleeping where.
“This is your papas’ bedroom. If the door is closed, always knock first before trying to come in. Okay?”
Having been raised with the same rules in her foster home, Rayn simply nodded. Kip, however, knew that Orrin’s real bedroom was down the hall, though the door was closed at the moment. With a confused expression, he pointed at it.
“Papa Orn?”
Orrin went down on one knee and rustled Kip’s hair.
“Yes, that’s still my room, but Papa Zak and I want to try this one for a while. Maybe later we’ll use my old room, but not right now.”
Fortunately, his roundabout explanation satisfied the little shaver and Orrin showed them the other bedroom on the second floor.
It was bigger than the ones upstairs, with two windows and two closets, but had no furniture.
The idea had been to install bunk beds for multiple cubs, if needed, for future use.
Zak thought it would make a great place for his exercise equipment and made a mental note to ask Orrin about it later.
There wasn’t much for the children to see on the main floor, since they’d visited Orrin numerous times in the past. Nevertheless, they were shown the laundry room, half bath, closets, and ended up in the eat-in kitchen, where they got to choose their regular place at the table.
Last came the living room, where Orrin was delighted to see the entertainment center already set up. He peppered Zak with kisses.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved me a lot of time and a bunch of gray hairs.”
A bit dazed, Zak grabbed his surprise purchase and showed it to the children.
“Look what I found at the store. Anybody want to watch?”
They recognized the blue dog on the cover immediately and ran to claim spots on the sofa.
Orrin’s wide smile told Zak he’d chosen well.
“I’ll go make popcorn. Does everybody want butter?”
They did, and while Orrin got busy in the kitchen, Zak listened to the little ones explain the show and who the main characters were.
None of it would make sense until he saw it for himself, and they would begin with the first show of Season One so he could figure it out.
Kip wanted to know if they could watch Cubs In Space , too, and Zak told him maybe another time.
“I don’t have that one, Kip. I’ll ask Papa Orrin and see what we can do.”
The popcorn arrived in four big, brightly colored bowls, and Orrin let the children pick which one they wanted.
The adults parked themselves in the center of the couch, with a little one on either side, and started the show.
Not long after the popcorn was gone, both Rayn and Kip fell asleep—understandable, since they’d had an emotional day and were exhausted.
Zak stopped the program, shut off the TV, and wrapped an arm around his beloved.
Soft kisses followed as they enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet.
Eventually, Zak broke it with a whispered question.
“How long will they be out?”
Orrin shrugged.
“Hard to say. Maybe a half hour? I think they’re doing great, and so are you. We’re off to a good start.”
Zak agreed, pulled Orrin onto his lap, and threaded fingers through the man’s long locks. Orrin began to purr.
“Thanks, love. You’ve had lots more practice than me, but I’ll get the hang of it. Say, Kip wants me to get Cubs In Space. Is it something we can buy and bring home?”
Orrin nodded.
“He loves that show. We’re streaming it right now, but I think we can get the first season or two on DVD.
It would be nice to have our own copies, but we have to keep our stuff separate from what belongs to the Cub House.
We need to pay for any meals we eat there, too.
The BSA rules are strict, but I understand why. ”
Zak agreed. The orphan homes were chronically underfunded, and it wouldn’t be fair for them to take advantage of the Cub House simply because Orrin worked there and lived next door.
“No problem. We can afford to take care of ourselves and reimburse the Cub House for anything we eat or use. Will… will Rayn and Kip be lonely over here with just us?”
Orrin shook his head.
“I don’t think so. There will always be a houseful of cubs to play with until they start Kindergarten, and then they’ll also have classmates and school friends.
Plus, Zuzu, Griffin, Fort, Scout, and Birdy will still be around, and we can arrange playdates if they miss one another.
This group as we know it may drift apart as they age, but that’s normal too, so I’m not expecting any issues.
Having their own home and family is the new thing in their lives, and it should ground them.
If they’re happy here with us, the rest will fall into place. ”
Zak trusted Orrin’s judgement. After all, he had the training and experience to know what the kids needed and how to spot problems before they got out of hand. A glance at his watch told Zak that naptime might be over soon, and he had more questions for Orrin.
“When I was working on the entertainment center earlier, I wondered if you liked movies or dancing. What do you think?”
Orrin gave Zak a happy growl or two and kissed his cheek.