Chapter 14
We walk into the kitchen the next morning and see it’s practically full.
“Hey, everyone,” I say, carrying River against my chest.
Kean is holding Lyric.
We get a round of hellos, and it’s then that I see Molly sitting at the breakfast table.
“Hey, Molly, meet the newest members of the family.” I walk around to her. “This is River, he’s not even a week old yet, and Kean has Lyric, who is sixteen months.”
Molly stands up and grins as I pass River over to her, the baby wide awake and watchful.
“Hello, little one, welcome to the family. You are truly blessed,” she says, smiling down at him.
She strokes his hand, then from her pocket pulls a tiny necklace, handing it to me.
“For protection, it will grow as he does.”
“Thank you, Molly,” I say, taking it. As soon as I have River back, that necklace is going on.
She hands River back to me, and Kean moves forward.
“Hello, Lyric, I’m your Aunt Molly.”
Lyric looks at her for a moment, then grins. “Ant Olly.”
Molly cackles out a laugh. “Close enough. You are truly blessed as well, little one,” she gently touches his head, then from her pocket pulls out another necklace. “This is for you, to keep you safe,” she tells him, putting it around his neck.
“Thank you, Molly,’ Kean says, smiling at her.
“This little one is going to keep you on your toes, but he will soon settle down. Both boys have been through a lot in such a short space of time, but they will both be happy, healthy and mischievous.”
“Thanks, Molly,” Kean says, letting out a sigh.
Lyric smiles at her as he fingers the necklace. “Ant Olly fank oou.”
Molly cackles. “You’ll do, little man.”
“We made an extra pot of coffee for you both this morning,” Adhan tells us.
“Thank the Goddess,” I say, sinking onto a chair next to Temp.
“Hello, little one, I’m your Uncle Temp,” Temp says, stroking River’s hand and putting his mug down.
“Here,” I say, passing River over to him.
He cradles the baby, smiling down at him. “He’s so small and light,” Temp comments, looking at his nephew. “We didn’t come and see you last night, because we thought we’d plague you today. He has more hair than I thought he’d have.”
“It might fall out soon, though,” Kean replies.
“Don’t you have work today?” I ask Temp.
“Nope, Saturday,” he replies, moving to show River to Ben.
I grab the coffee pot and pour coffee for Kean and then myself.
Lyric is sitting on Kean’s lap. He is still a little shy this morning, but seems to be becoming more comfortable.
“Down Clean,” Lyric demands suddenly and starts to wiggle.
I hear titters from around the table.
“Clean?” Jude queries.
“Yep,” Kean says, smiling. “I’m Clean and this,” he points to me, “is Tus.” While he’s talking, he puts Lyric down, and he toddles around the table and stops by Adhan's side.
“Unk Addy up,” he says, raising his arms and smiling.
Adhan laughs and picks him up, settling him on his lap. “Comfy?”
Lyric nods and, in his quick move, snags a sausage off Adhan’s plate.
Adhan laughs. “I see you only want me for my food. How about we cut that up to make it easier to eat?”
Lyric drops the sausage back on the plate, and Adhan cuts it up, feeding him.
“Sorry, Adhan,” I apologise.
He laughs. “No apologies needed, plus it’s not the first time I’ve shared my meal with a child. I was thinking we could turn the downstairs lounge into a children’s playroom .”
“That would be perfect, thank you,” I say. At least, I’m not the only one who thought that would make a good children’s room.
I look at Temp, who is now baby-free and see Cass happily holding River and chatting to him.
“When are you and Ben adopting?” I ask Temp for fun, cutting into my sausage.
“We’re not,” Temp replies, as if the answer was obvious.
“We’re both happy being uncles to whatever children come into the family,” Ben says, taking a drink of his coffee.
Molly cackles out a laugh.
We all turn to look at her.
“Don’t cackle like that, you crazy witch,” Temp says to her. “That’s your ‘I know something you don’t’ cackle.”
“We’re really not cut out to be full-time parents,” Ben insists.
Molly cackles again. “The future is a funny thing. I can’t wait to see what happens.”
Temp drops his head on Ben’s arm.
I pat his back as the rest of us laugh at them.
“So, is this the reason you want a wedding?” Cassie asks, looking at us.
“We were going to get married anyway, having the boys just made us bring it forward,” Kean replies, before eating some bacon.
“What time is the delivery van coming?” Jude asks. “You know, one of us would have brought our van up, right?”
“And spoil the surprise?” Sal says, laughing. “Of course, they would hire one.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” Jude replies, giving Connie some chopped banana.
“He should be here about eleven. We have all the furniture from Lyric’s room and what would have been River’s room,” Kean says.
“The room opposite yours is empty, if you want that one as well,” Adhan offers, feeding Lyric some sausage.
“Cheers, Bro,” Kean says, saluting him with his mug.
“I’m suddenly glad we have such a large house,” Cam says.
“Me too,” Adhan says. “I might moan, but having everyone here is lovely.”
“It really is,” Emily agrees. “Plus, I get to see my grandchildren every day.”
“Now we’re home, we need to start bringing structure into their lives. They’ve not had any yet, apart from River’s four hourly feeds,” Kean says.
“I can imagine. You’ll settle into one soon enough,” Emily says, who is now holding River.
It would seem the baby is being passed around the table, and Lyric is happily eating off Adhan’s plate.
Sal stands up. “Right, I’m off,” he says, kissing Connie and Jude.
“Me too,” Nix adds. “Have fun, everyone.”
Sal and Nix leave together. It’s then that I notice that Ernest, Alfred and Justice are missing.
“Did Justice get called out?” I ask
“Yeah, just before four,” Emily replies. “Both Ernest and Alfred are already at the shop; there is an early meeting and an early book delivery.”
“Expect Jodie and John to call around later for baby snuggles. Plus Ebby, Sly and the boys will be coming round so Enoch can play with Lyric,” Adhan says, using a spoon to give Lyric some scrambled eggs.
Lyric looks up and smiles. “Nox.”
Adhan nods. “Yes, your cousin, Enoch.”
Lyric sighs and leans back against Adhan’s chest, looking happy and content. That is, until Lyric pulls a face and lets one off, loud and by the sound of it messy.
“Oh by the Goddess!” Adhan exclaims, picking Lyric up and turning him so Lyric faces him. “Did you really just do a stinky on my lap?”
Lyric holds his nose and leans forward, and grabs Adhan’s nose. “Stinky.”
We all laugh.
“And this is why I’m happy being an uncle, because I don’t have to change your nappy,” Adhan declares, standing up and carrying Lyric to Kean. “Clean up in nappy one.”
Kean laughs and takes our son, shaking his head. “Mean Uncle Adhan not wanting to change your nappy.”
“Mean Unk Addy,” Lyric agrees, making us all laugh, as Kean stands up and goes to clean Lyric up.
I put my knife and fork down. “While Lyric isn’t here, I need to warn you that he asks for his mama a lot, and doesn’t really understand why neither of his parents are around.
It’s completely heart breaking hearing him cry for them.
When we took him to his house the other day, he was so excited and ran around the downstairs calling for them.
When they didn’t come, his cry was heart-wrenching.
Kean held him through it; he then fell asleep in my arms, but didn’t talk again until yesterday morning. ” I tell everyone.
“I can’t even begin to imagine how strange and confusing everything must be for him. You said it’s not even been a week, so of course he’ll want them,” Jude says.
“It’s no reflection on you two, you know that, right, sonny?” Molly asks, looking serious.
I nod. “Yeah, we know. We’re going to keep Reggie and Doris’ memory alive; we have their pictures, which we’ll put up in their rooms, and put together a memory book for each of them. I didn’t know Doris, but Monica did; she is going to write something about her for them.”
“That’s lovely, sonny,” Molly says.
“I love the way Lyric shortens words,” Sion says.
I laugh. “Yeah, grass is now known as ass.”
That caused a round of laughter.
“I have the best video to send you,” I grab my phone and attach the grass video to the family chat. I have just put my phone down when I realise, I'm now one of those parents who sends what we think are cute pictures and videos to others.
Everyone picks up their phones to have a look.
“You need the sound on for the full effect,” I tell him.
Everyone starts laughing. Especially when Kean tells the grass off and Lyric mimics him.
“That’s just perfect,” Cassie says, laughing.
“It really is,” I reply.