Chapter #2
“This is what you should have always had.” I slide down the wall to sit next to him. “I was the same as you. I grew up in squats, very rarely staying in one place for long. I was lucky if I got a mattress, and I had very few belongings because we couldn’t carry too much.
He looks at me, his red-rimmed eyes wide at my admission. “What happened to you?”
I shake my head at the memory. “I got back to the house we were staying, and everyone had left, including my mum. I haven’t seen her since I was thirteen. I went to live with Kip and Robin—you’ll meet them soon—and they became my parents.”
“Shall we show you what you’ve got in here?” Finn asks. I can hear the strain in his voice. Hopefully, Saxon won’t. I think Finn’s about to have a breakdown at the injustice of life. How just by being born, you might never have a chance to thrive.
Saxon looks at me. I nod and get back on my feet, holding my hand out for him to take.
We don’t overwhelm him with the Xbox console or the laptop, iPad, and other things kids like.
Instead, we let him look through the wardrobe at the clothes we’d bought, not many but enough to tide him over until we can all go shopping.
We point out Noah’s artwork, and Saxon cries a little bit again.
“He doesn’t even know me.” He sniffles.
“He knows you’re family, and we look after our family. I think he grew up in a children’s home. That’s his story to tell. All of us have had shitty childhoods and have survived. I know you may not feel it, or even understand it, but you’re here, and you’re safe.”
“Thank you,” he whispers, and for the first time since we met him, there’s a little sparkle in his eyes, one of hope, maybe.
I open the door at my dads’ and call out hello. Finn and Saxon are behind me, laughing over something they saw on the telly.
“Hey! We’re here!” I call out, only to be greeted by a very agitated Pops. “What’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”
“Yes, we’re all fine. Well, most of us. Noah is being punished.” He stares at me and then Finn; he’s only seen one episode of Saint and Noah’s punishments.
“How bad?” I look over my shoulder at Finn and Saxon. Finn stops talking and holds Saxon back. He immediately panics and thinks he’s done something wrong. “I’m not sure we should be here. He’s only thirteen. We can come back when it’s over.”
“He’s sort of dressed, and he’s under the table. Leaving now may be a good idea.”
“Can’t you tell Saint to hurry up; we’re all hungry,” I say with a roll of my eyes. “Never mind, leave it with me.”
I stomp into the kitchen and stare at my brother and channel my inner interrogator voice.
“Saint, how long are you going to keep this shit up for? Punish him at home, for fuck’s sake.
We’re sick of having to share our breakfast with Noah naked, or in a cage, or with a fucking tail, depending on what sort of mood you’re in.
Saxon doesn’t need to see this, and you need to stop being so fucking selfish.
You’ve done this so many times, it’s not even humiliating for him.
” I’m panting by the time I’ve got all of that off my chest.
Saint looks at me, his jaw slack and his eyes wide. Then, when the other brothers all nod in agreement, he scowls. “Get up here, boy,” he orders Noah from under the table. Says something to him that Noah nods at and they both leave the kitchen.
“Fucking hell!” Knox says. “I’m impressed, brother.” Everyone else at table nods.
Saxon sits at the table and looks at all of my brothers and shakes his head. “I’ve had some shit done to me. I’ve been starved and beaten, ignored and forgotten about. I can live with whatever you lot do to each other because I know you love each other fiercely.”
Pride swells in my chest, and I know I want him to be my son. Finn and I have talked about it too many times to mention. I give him a look, and he nods. I get up and go out to the car to collect the paperwork we’ve had ready for the right moment.
When I walk back in, all eyes are on me.
Then, when I get to Finn, he rises, and we stand next to Saxon.
“Um, we’ve had this for a few months now, and we’d like to give you this.
” I hand the envelope to him. His parents were more than willing to hand over their parental rights to the child they hurt so much they were both locked up for a long time.
We watch him open it. I don’t think there’s a single person breathing as they wait. Saxon reads through the pages slowly, but I think that’s because he has to keep wiping his eyes.
Finally, he looks at us. “You want to adopt me? Like for real, I’d be your son?”
“Yes. If you’d like to be,” Finn says because I’m crying and can hardly get more than a stuttered yes as I nod.
Saxon nods and bursts into tears as we gather him up in a hug while everyone else cheers and claps.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment as wonderful, incredible, fantastic, moving as this. I’ve done it; I’ve protected and cared for the most important person in my life.
My soon-to-be son.
Coming Next