Chapter 19 #2
“You’re worried I think it’s lame your mom moved in with you to help you take care of Madison while her mother trains for the Olympics?”
“I guess when you put it like that, it sounds dumb.”
Chase smiled as he reached to tip Tobias’ chin up so they were eye to eye. Despite their eight-inch difference, Tobias had still been staring at the ground between them.
“The absolute dumbest,” he confirmed, and Tobias huffed out a breath of laughter. “Nothing about this situation makes you any less incredible than I already thought you were. If anything, it makes you even sexier.”
Tobias smiled softly, his cheeks turning pink, and nodded as he led them in the house, laughter coming from somewhere inside.
Chase took in everything he could as they wandered through the house. The foyer opened to a large staircase, an upstairs hallway visible from the front door. There was a closet to the right, where Tobias stowed both of their coats, and an opening to the right leading to the rest of the house.
As they walked further inside, Madison’s voice became clearer.
She was in the middle of explaining the merits of being a mermaid versus being a centaur.
It was a good debate, and he wanted to participate with his own opinions, but as he and Tobias entered a bright kitchen, the conversation dropped.
Instead, Madison squealed in delight at the sight of him in her house.
“Chase! Oby, you brought Chase home?” she shrieked and turned to a woman with graying hair and a soft smile. “This is the best day ever. Gigi, remember how I told you all about Chase? I can’t believe he’s here!”
Madison climbed off her stool as she talked and ran around the kitchen island until she reached Chase, throwing herself into his arms. Chase had lowered himself enough that he could catch her. He stood to spin her in a circle. Madison hugged him tightly, and he chuckled.
“Surprise! I’m so glad to see you too, Madison.”
Chase’s heart ached at the strength of Madison’s arms around him. It had been a while since anyone had been so excited to see him, and he basked in it.
When Madison pulled away, Chase set her on the ground, and she jumped into Tobias’ arms. Chase tried not to visibly swoon in front of what was likely the man’s mother.
Speaking of Tobias’ mom, Chase turned toward the island and walked toward her to say hello, extending a hand for her to shake.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Chase—”
“Oh, none of that,” the woman said as she threw her arms around him. “We do hugs around here.”
When she pulled back, she kept her hands secured on his shoulders and inspected him like only mothers did.
“It’s so good to put a face to the man who’s made such an impact in Toby and Maddie’s life. You can call me Grace.”
Dazed, all Chase could do was blink at Grace as her words hit him like a gut punch.
“Mom, give him some air. Don’t scare him away or anything,” Tobias said, and Grace let go of Chase.
“Gigi isn’t scary!” Madison said, defending her grandmother fiercely. “But if she was, Chase is brave, so he can handle anything. Right, Chase?”
“Uh, right!” Chase said, unsure how much intensity to put into his answer, considering the hypothetical threat was Grace. Taking a quick glance at the mess spread on the kitchen island, he quickly moved everyone’s focus. “What are you two working on?”
“We’re making a breakfast of champions for Oby!” Madison announced. “Did you know he’s going to play hockey soon?”
Tobias smiled adoringly at Madison.
“I know! Isn’t it cool?” Chase asked her.
“It’s the coolest! Gigi said we can go watch him play and everything.”
“That sounds awesome. It’s actually why I came over. I’m going to help him practice.”
Madison gave him a quizzical look. “You play hockey too?”
“No, but I’m a soccer goalie, so we have a lot in common.”
“Soccer? I’ve never tried it. Is it as hard as hockey?”
Chase bobbed his head side to side as he considered how to answer.
“It’s a different kind of hard. A soccer ball is a lot bigger than a puck, so a soccer net is a lot bigger than a hockey net. Although, I get to stand there while Uncle Toby has to do it all on ice skates, so that sounds a lot harder, huh?”
“Yeah, ice skating is really hard,” Madison said seriously, and then snapped to attention. “Oh, I almost forgot. I have a present for you!”
Madison ran out of the room, so Chase turned to Tobias and Grace, who were both staring at him with fondness.
“Careful, she’ll have you wrapped around her finger too, if you’re not careful,” Grace warned him.
“I think that trait runs in the family,” he said, his eyes going wide when he thought about how his words could be interpreted.
He wasn’t against being wrapped around Tobias’ finger.
Or around his whole body. Heat rushed to his cheeks, and a peek at Tobias showed him in a similar state. At least Grace looked amused.
Luckily, Madison returned before anyone could say anything else.
“Here, Chase, I made this for you in your favorite colors, orange and red,” she said as she thrust a handmade bracelet into his hands.
He went down on one knee to reach Madison’s eye level as he examined the bracelet. It had sparkly orange and red beads and the letters spelled out his name surrounded by glittery hearts.
“Wow, you made this yourself?” he asked, and Madison did her best impression of a bobblehead, nodding excitedly. “This is amazing. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” she beamed.
“Can you help me put it on?”
Her smile faded only slightly. “I’m not good at that part yet, but I’ve been practicing. Oby, can you help? We have to make it tight so it doesn’t fall off.”
“Yeah, we wouldn’t want that. I don’t ever want to lose this,” Chase said solemnly.
Tobias walked over to the two of them, and Chase peered up at him from his spot on the floor, suddenly aware of his position.
Trying to keep his focus above the belt, Chase held up his hand so Tobias could secure the bracelet around his wrist, his fingers fumbling as he worked the thick thread.
“Hey, how come Uncle Toby doesn’t have a bracelet?” Chase asked, desperate to think about anything besides kneeling so close to Tobias’… Nope, don’t think about that either.
“He’s had a bunch, but I’m practicing tying them on myself, so they don’t last as long,” Madison answered. “But I’m getting better!”
“You sure are, Maddie-moo,” Tobias said as he finished tying Chase’s new bracelet. “How about we help you finish making breakfast and then we can eat? You and Gigi have to get ready for your girls’ day soon, remember?”
The rest of the morning featured the most adorable display of family Chase had experienced in years. He’d always wanted kids of his own, ones he could love no matter who they grew up to be.
It took everything in him not to get too far ahead of himself and dream that his future could hold something like this. That it could be this.