25. Declan
25
DECLAN
I sighed, turning back to the breakfast I had started working on before Marcie texted. Walker had shown up just after Hayden stormed out of the house. He muttered ‘Good morning,’ grabbed some coffee, and walked outside to where my husband stood staring into the forest, battling demons I couldn’t fight for him.
Hayden storming off didn’t shock me, but it did sadden me. I had a good idea what it was about. He was upset that we weren’t with Marcie. I was too, but I was positive that just triggered some deeper, darker shit he still had lingering. Leftovers from Mara. The cunt.
As the more dominant of us, he took the role of providing and caring for us all seriously. He had when we lived together. He paid the bills and bought the food, and I let him because that was the kind of man his parents raised him to be, which didn’t surprise me in the least.
I grew up in Texas, and every Hispanic man I knew was the same. The man of the family provided. It wasn’t much different from the way my parents’ and grandparents’ generations had lived. Women could work, and they often did, but with the older generation, the men provided for the family, and the women worked to better the community through their committees and projects. It was the same in the families I grew up around who weren’t as affluent. Unless the woman had to work to help put food on the table, she didn’t. She stayed home, took care of the kids, and volunteered in the community or through church.
Sweetness
Thank you for listening.
Declan
You’re welcome. If you didn’t notice, we’re taken with you.
Sweetness
I’m going to wait and see.
Declan
Wait and see if we’re taken with you?
Sweetness
Oh, gosh. No. I uhh… I meant about my dad.
Declan
I knew what you meant, sweetness. I just wanted to lighten your mood a bit. I bet you’re blushing.
Sweetness
Stop. People are going to think I’m strange.
Declan
Fuck what people think. You tell them you got two men panting after your fine ass. They’ll quit thinking you’re strange and start asking for advice.
Sweetness
OMG! You’re so bad.
Declan
You ain’t seen nothing yet, sweetness. Just wait until Papi turns all that intensity loose on you. You’ll never need to wear blush again.
Papi
Listen to your Daddy, colibrí.
Sweetness
Gotta go.
My phone dinged with a message from Hayden.
Papi
She likes you better.
I burst out laughing.
Declan
No. You’re just bigger than life and a bit intense. Breakfast is ready by the way.
The kitchen door that led out to the outdoor dining area opened, and Walker and Hayden came.
“Got enough to feed another Marine?”
“If I didn’t, I’d make more. I was raised right, same as you, old man.”
“Fuck off with the old shit.”
Hayden came to me, pulling me into his embrace, and I sighed. His arms were my home and I was so fucking happy to have it back.
“Did Priest check the box?”
“I’ll check…”
Our phones rang before he finished the sentence. I was still holding mine, and I smiled when I saw her name on the screen. I walked outside to give us some privacy, Hayden hot on my heels. When I answered the video call, she didn’t give me the chance to say anything.
“OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Marcie’s bright, shiny, smiling, teary face filled the screen, the stuffed turtle clutched in her hand and pressed against her cheek.
“It’s not the OG model, but we didn’t want to risk the one your dad gave you getting lost in the mail.”
“I appreciate that so much, and this even more. You don’t understand…”
Her face crumpled, and I wanted to hold her, but I resigned myself to the fact that Hayden and I had a job to do. We couldn’t abandon Jackson and Katie to be with her. If things took a turn for the worse, we’d make arrangements, but this was the life we led, and there would be times when things got tough that we couldn’t be with her or each other.
“Colibrí, we understand. And while I’ve never been a Daddy to someone who regresses…”
I’d only ever played with a little at a club or two. I’d never taken on a full-time partner who regressed. Hell, until Hayden, I hadn’t had anyone in my life as more than a casual hook-up. But I wanted this with her. With them , I amended my thought when I looked at Hayden.
“I don’t regress. I don’t like diapers or bottles or… or anything else like that.”
“But you like cuddles on the couch with ice cream, Nemo, and Squirt?”
“Yeah…”
The hesitant questioning tone broke my heart because between it and the look on her face, I worried she thought she wouldn’t be accepted if she liked those things.
“Baby girl, you can like whatever you want, and if sometimes, you want to hand over the adulting to someone else…”
“Us. Not someone else. Ignore Declan. He’s being stupid. There is no one else.”
I was ready to punch the stupid fucker I married until she giggled. Hayden expanded with cocky confidence and pride, and I rolled my eyes at him. Ten feet tall didn’t begin to cover it.
“As I was saying, if you want to hand adulting over to someone, we,” I said with emphasis, staring right at Hayden before turning back to Marcie, “want to be that someone. So, even if it’s just cuddles and ice cream and a movie, that’s okay. If some days it’s less or more than that, well, that’s okay too.”
“Nicely said.”
I turned to stare at him again. “Maybe next time you let me finish my sentence before you interrupt.”
“Humph.”
Our darling girl giggled again, and I’d eat my fucking boot if she wasn’t at least a middle when she settled into a relationship that supported her the way she deserved.
“So, Daddy and I picked out the right thing? There was this really big…”
“Oh, no. This one is perfect. It’s small enough that I can keep him with me all the time.”
“Good. Do you need to get back, or do you wanna talk some more?”
“Don’t you guys need to go?”
“Nope. Not unless you do. We can grab our plates and sit down out here on the patio.”
“Can I ask something first?”
“Absolutely,” Hayden said, so I nodded, thinking we needed my laptop or tablet.
“Are y’all wearing the same thing you did last night? I’m not sure about Hayden, because all he wears are plain black t-shirts, but I think that is the same color shirt you had on yesterday, Declan.”
A door opened, and Heidi stuck her head between us and said, “Yep. They’re gross boys who slept on the couch in their clothes.” I shook my head at her while Marcie giggled.
“I brought your tablet, but I refuse to be your waitress. Go get your breakfast before the others eat it all.”
“I’ll get it, vato. You transfer the call.”
The three of us spent the rest of the morning on Liam and Elizabeth’s patio, video-chatting and getting to know each other. I loved every moment.
Every day should start just like this.
Well, maybe not like this, since our girl was a four-hour flight away. But sitting together over a long breakfast, sipping our coffee, Hayden’s hand on the back of my neck and Marcie’s giggles at Hayden’s bad jokes—yeah, I could see spending the rest of my life with the two of them, starting every morning just like this.
“Ms. Callan?”
Marcie’s chin trembled on the video feed. Hayden’s grip on my neck tightened, and I held my breath. She stared at us for a moment then sucked in a deep breath and turned to look off camera. I glanced at Hayden.
“Yes?”
That tremor I noticed before appeared in her voice, but she cleared her throat and tried again.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, ma’am. Your father seems to be coming around.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, and I sighed, feeling like a weight had dropped from my shoulders. She turned back to us, her hand still over her mouth, tears coursing down her face, the ones yet to make the journey glistened in her eyes.
“Go see your daddy, sweetness.”
She nodded, but otherwise didn’t move an inch.
“Colibrí, what’s wrong?” Hayden asked, leaning closer to the screen we had propped before us on the patio table.
“What if…”
“Don’t go there. There are so many what-ifs in this world, you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to suss them all out. All it does is lead to more what-ifs. Go see your daddy, figure out where you are, and what the options are from there.”
She nodded, then took a deep, shuddery breath and whispered, “Thank you” so low it didn’t transmit over the speakers.
“You’re welcome. Call or text when you know more.”