Chapter 37
Arlo
“Should we tell the kids we’re engaged? It’s been a week.”
Jasper hums, rubbing a hand up my back. “I think so.”
We’ve been cuddling in bed since we woke up. Before long, the kids will be awake, and they’ll want breakfast and to start the day. For now, I can spend some time cuddling with my fiancé.
It’s not a bad way to spend my time as a newly engaged man.
“Do you think we should get rings?” I ask, my heart fluttering at the thought. “Is that weird? I really want a ring.” I sit up, startling Jasper if his wide eyes are anything to go by. “I want you to wear a ring. I want them to match.”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “Okay, baby boy. We’ll get rings.”
I drop back against his chest, running my fingers over his collarbone. “That was easy.”
Jasper huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, I mean, for better or worse, you own me. I’ll do anything you want.”
“Do you still want to adopt the kids?” I whisper.
“Of course. I want the three of you to be mine in every conceivable way.” I nod, relieved, even though I’m not sure why. “I think we should wait until after we’re married. It’ll be easier, I think. For us to adopt them as husbands. I don’t really know how it works, though, so maybe not.”
I think that probably would make things easier. Then we’ll all be a family. Both in heart and legally. Well, I mean, obviously Salem, Nora, and I are already family, but our unit will be complete.
“Okay. Should we talk to them about that too?” I ask, propping myself up so I can look at Jasper.
He smiles at me, his blue eyes twinkling. “We probably should, but I don’t think they’ll be against it. Especially not Nora. Salem might be a tougher nut to crack.”
I’m not so sure about that. I’ve already noticed a difference in his behavior and how he interacts with us and with Nora. Being able to purge his feelings seems to have done a lot for him.
It makes sense. All anyone really wants is just to feel safe and to be reassured that they are.
A noise sounds from the kitchen—like a pot banging off something else—and I pull myself from Jasper’s arms.
“We better go see what they’re doing.”
Jasper hooks his arm around me and drags me down to him. “You can kiss me first.”
I can definitely do that.
After a few quick—or not so quick, as it turns out—kisses, we get dressed and head into the kitchen.
I’m nearly struck dumb by the sight. Salem is standing at the stove, his back to us, humming under his breath as he cooks, and Nora is sitting at the island, drumming her fingers on the counter to the beat of Salem’s humming.
Seeing Salem in the kitchen cooking brings me so much happiness. He’s avoided taking up space, but more than that, he’s been avoiding the kitchen. Seeing him in here, taking it upon himself to make breakfast? Fuck, my heart can hardly take it.
“Good morning,” I say, and they both startle, turning quickly to look at me.
Nora grins. “Morning.”
“What are you making?” Jasper asks, and Salem flushes. “It smells delicious.”
“Just pancakes and bacon. Nora was hungry, and I didn’t want her to wake you guys up.”
I frown at that. I was made to be a parent before my time, and while I don’t regret that, I also don’t want that for Salem. “You know you don’t have to, right? The two of you are my responsibility.”
Salem nods. “I know. Just wanted to. I was hungry too.”
Turning around, he goes back to cooking.
“Okay, well, are you gonna make some for me too?” I ask.
He scoffs at that. “Duh.”
I can’t help but smile. It’s nice to know he can still be his usual sassy self without it coming from a place of fear or anger.
Jasper rounds the kitchen counter to start making a pot of coffee, and I sit down next to Nora, surprised to find a pencil and paper in front of her. “What do you have there?”
She turns to me, a wide grin stretching her lips. “I’m writing another story. I want to show Luca the next time he comes over.”
My heart thumps. “I think he’ll love that.”
She lights up. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
Jasper sets a cup of coffee in front of me with a flourish, and I blow him a kiss.
“When do you wanna tell the kids?” Jasper asks, eyeing me over his own steaming mug.
“Tell us what?” Salem asks, reaching up into the cabinet to pull plates down.
“Let’s wait until we’re all sitting down.”
Ten minutes later, we’re all packing our plates to the dining room table.
“Okay, tell us,” Salem says as soon as his ass hits the chair. “I get anxious about not knowing stuff.”
My heart contracts. That’s huge. Admitting something like that. Fuck. “Jasper and I are engaged.”
Salem’s eyebrows raise. “That’s it?”
I glance around. “Is that… Is that not enough?”
He shrugs. “Thought it was something serious, like something bad.”
“And also,” Jasper says, glancing at me for approval. I’m pretty sure I know where he’s going, and I’m good with it. I want to tell them. Give them the choice. “We’d like to start the process to adopt you both. We’d—”
Jasper’s voice cuts off as Nora jumps up from her chair and rushes around the table, slamming into first me and then Jasper. “Really? You really want to adopt us?”
“We really do,” I choke out, surprisingly emotional about the whole thing.
“When?” Salem asks. “We’ve gotta wait for Mom and Dad to get their shit together, right?”
I shake my head. “The state of Tennessee is very close to terminating their rights. As soon as that’s done, we’ll be free to go forward with it.”
“Both of you, right?” Salem asks, side-eyeing Jasper a bit.
“Both of us,” Jasper says. “Like I was saying before. We’d like to wait until we’re married because it’s the easiest, legally, for me to be on the adoption papers.”
Salem nods slowly. “How long will that take? Getting married, I mean.”
“Well,” I start, “we’ll need to plan and figure out—”
“If I didn’t want to give your brother the wedding he deserves, I’d have him at the courthouse Monday morning,” Jasper blurts out, cutting me off.
“That soon?” I ask, smirking at him.
He nods, eyes earnest. “Yes.”
I glance at Salem. “Not a courthouse wedding, but I’m sure we could do something soon. In the next few months, maybe. In the summer.”
“You wanna get married in the summer, baby boy?” Jasper’s voice is soft and almost a little wistful, and it makes my heart swell.
“Maybe in the field next door. I love the flowers in the summer. We could get a little arch and get married in the flowers.”
The smile that overtakes his face forces one to my lips as well.
“Well, I want to wear a pretty dress,” Nora says.
“You can wear whatever makes you happy,” Jasper says, shooting her an indulgent grin.
If he has anything to say about it, these kids will be spoiled as fuck. They’re going to get anything they want, whenever they want it, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Relieved, I think. In some ways. Dread in others. Because, God, he’s gonna have to put his foot down about something every once in a while.
“So, wedding in the summer and adoption after?” Salem asks.
“Yep.” I glance at Jasper. “As long as you’re okay with a summer wedding.”
He snorts. “Baby boy, I’d marry you any time, anywhere.”
Salem makes a fake gagging sound. “Gross.”
“Really,” Nora agrees, leaving Jasper’s side to go back to her seat.
Jasper sighs. “And I was also thinking…” He pauses, rubbing a hand over his jaw nervously. “Maybe after the wedding, I’ll change my last name. So we all match.”
That stuns me into silence.
I’m not the only one. The kids are quiet too.
We all just stare at Jasper for a second, and then Salem clears his throat. “Do you have to?”
Jasper frowns, and I snap my head in Salem’s direction. I thought we had just turned a corner with him. “I guess not,” Jasper says quietly.
Salem’s eyes widen. “No. I just—I mean…” He groans. “What if I want your last name? Could we take your last name instead?”
Silence falls across the table again, and I blink at Salem in shock.
“Really?” Jasper whispers, his voice full of disbelief.
My heart thuds, my stomach warming at the thought of sharing Jasper’s name. Like we’d be leaving our shitty family and becoming one with him. Just the four of us, our own little unit.
Salem shrugs, trying and mostly failing to use his “too cool to be bothered” facade. “Yeah, I mean… our parents kinda suck, right? Fuck them.”
“Salem,” I warn.
He grimaces. “Sorry. Screw them,” he corrects. “So I’d rather be Salem Tate. What about you, Nora bug?”
She cocks her head. “Sure. I don’t care.”
Jasper’s throat clicks as he swallows. “You really want that?”
Salem’s eyebrows draw together. “Do you not?”
“It’s not that,” Jasper rushes to assure him. “I’m just surprised. I’d be… damn, I’d be honored for you all to have my last name.”
“Jasper,” Salem says in my same warning tone, his lips quirking up.
Shaking his head, Jasper laughs. “Sorry for my language.”
We really might have to get a swear jar. I’m sure Salem could fund his own college with how much he cusses. Jasper could fund Nora’s.
I giggle a little at the thought, and Jasper turns his attention to me. “What’s so funny?”
“Just thinking about how if I set up a swear jar, you and Salem could fund college tuitions.”
That gets a laugh from him and Salem both, though I’m not sure Nora gets the joke.
“So,” Jasper says after a second. “Do you want to take my last name?”
I nod. “I’d love that.”
His shoulders relax.
“We really are going to be a family, huh?” Salem asks quietly. “Forever?”
My throat goes too tight to speak, but Jasper nods. “We sure are, kid. Forever.”
Salem drops his gaze. “And we won’t be moving schools or losing friends or anything like that?”
“Never again. And you’ll never have to worry about where your next meal is coming from or if you’ll have new clothes for school. And truly… I’d really like you to let me buy your first car for you.”
Salem’s head shoots up. “That’s too much.”
I clear my throat. “Says who? We came from nothing, Salem. That doesn’t mean we have to settle for it for the rest of our lives. It doesn’t get to define us or our futures. I’ve always wanted better for you than I had. This is our chance to make sure you have it.”
He studies me, chewing on the inside of his cheek.
“It’s really not a big deal,” Jasper says.
“And I know we talked about my ‘no big deal’ being different from yours. I never want to dismiss you or your feelings, but… this is normal, kid. People want to set their kids up for success. They want to buy them cars and clothes and the food they enjoy. That should be the standard.”
“I know it wasn’t the standard set for me and you,” I interject. “But… it could be. If you let us make it that.”
Salem sits in silence for a few seconds, and then he nods slowly. “Okay, but can I help pick it out?”
I nearly sag in relief. “Yeah, I think that would be totally fine.”
Jasper reaches under the table, squeezing my knee as he and Salem talk about cars, and Nora shovels pancakes in her mouth, her head whipping back and forth like this conversation is the most interesting thing she’s ever heard.
I’m not stupid. I know this isn’t our ride-off-into-the-sunset moment. It’ll take time and reassurance and probably a shitload of therapy.
Salem will need to learn to trust fully in me and in Jasper. He’ll probably backslide. Hell, Nora might too, for that matter.
But none of that matters. Not really.
No matter what, we’ll have each other. The kids will be safe and loved. I’ll be safe and loved, and I get to be safe and loved with Jasper, the man who’s held my heart from damn near the moment I met him.
It might not be our ride-off-into-the-sunset moment, but it sure is the start of our happily ever after.