Chapter 6
“Know anywhere I can get a cat costume? Preferably, a calico one?” We had friends at our old club that were into pet play, but I’d never thought to converse with them about where they bought their gear.
My hybrid boy was an anomaly for sure, and there would be a lot of learning curves for this Daddy.
Chuck smiled and shook his head. “You know, if you order one I’ll have to as well or I’m gonna have a pouty boy.”
“Sorry, not sorry?” I was sure the same would happen in reverse. “Trey wants to be a cat and play with Sabrina as one. Not sure if he’s into pet play or if it’s more of a costume situation.”
“Well, you never know until you try. In a past life, I was a handler and have a few reputable sites still booked. I’ll send you the links and start shopping for one too.”
As soon as we got Esther’s stuff unloaded, the boys took off to set up Tae’s kitties. Tae came with a package of toys for Sabrina and a gift bag for Trey. I must’ve done something right raising Tae and Samian, because they’d both turned into sweet, loving men.
“Let’s go see what the boys have gotten up to.” I nodded toward their cabin. Sabrina was shut in our bedroom while we got Esther situated. Best to leave her there for a bit while all the moving around slowed down. She was a bit scared by all the noise when Trey went to check on her.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Trey came running up to me. “Look what Tae and Uncle Chuck got me.” It was hard to focus with him waving it all around. “Glitter magnetic building tiles. They stick together all on their own.”
“That is actually very cool.” Trey loved it when I played with him, and I could see this being a fun game for us. “Did you say thank you?” What would they think of next? At least there weren’t tiny pieces for the cat to choke on.
“Thank you, Uncle Chuck. Thank you, Tae.”
“You’re welcome, sweet boy,” Chuck told him. “What did Tae get for your new kitty?”
Trey shrugged. “I dunno. Didn’t want to open it until she was with me. Can we go to our cabin now, Daddy, and let Sabrina out?”
“Check with Grandma first and make sure she’s settled in.” I envisioned walking into a cat-toy explosion with the boys at the center of the mess, enjoying them more than Sabrina was.
“Tae, let’s go check,” Trey said as the boys took off across the lot toward our cabin.
“One of the many things I love about living up here is that he can run like a madman if he wants.” This life was meant for us for sure.
“Agreed. No slippery tile floors, busy streets, or nosy neighbors.”
“Amen, my brother.” I clapped his shoulder. “Let’s go see what they’re getting into.” This would be the first time Esther not only saw Trey and Tae playing together, but with their Littles running wild.
“Daddy!” Tae ran over and grabbed Chuck’s hand. “Come see Sabrina. She’s so pretty. I remember her when she was a teeny-tiny baby kitty.”
“Daddy, look,” my boy called out. “Uncle Chuck and Tae got her a princess costume.”
“They make those?” Huh, who knew.
“That and so much more,” Chuck said. “Imagine what you have times three.”
Glad Trey only picked one cat…
Well, at least my portion of the land payment was less than the rent was in Phoenix. Now I could afford to spoil my boy the way he deserved, and Sabrina too. I’d come to learn that was a new package deal.
“What smells so good?” Esther asked as she came out of her room.
“Daddy put dinner in the crockpot for everyone this morning,” Trey happily announced. “Smells nummy, Daddy.”
“Thank you, Angel. It’s chili, but I’m grilling ribs to go with it. Everyone good with that?”
“I’m good with anything that I don’t have to cook,” Chuck chimed in.
“Same,” Esther added. “It’s been a long couple of weeks for this old lady. But I have to say, these cabins are amazing. No wonder Ashwood has grown as it has. You boys do good work.”
“When you’re ready, we’ll give you a tour of the other two,” Chuck said. “Mom’s is a mirror image of yours but with the layout flipped. Tae has painted all the artwork for each of them.”
“Oh, my goodness, you did all this?” She pointed to the paintings we’d hung.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m an artist,” Tae happily replied. “Daddy’s Little artist.”
“And a very talented one from what I can see. Can I pay you to do some for my cabin?” Esther asked him.
“Nope, I’m doing them for free. My gift to you for being a part of our family.”
Esther teared up. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you boys, but I thank the good Lord in my nightly prayers for all of you.
You’ve shown me and my grandson more love than we’ve ever had.
Those are things that won’t be overlooked or forgotten.
” The boys were just as teary eyed and ran over to hug her.
“Okay, enough of this mushy stuff. Who’s playing tour guide? ”
“Let’s all go,” I suggested. “A nice walk before dinner will do us all some good.” Plus, with as busy as this morning was, I was sure tonight would be an early one for the group.
“Is this what I think it is?” Esther’s face lit up when we got to the concrete pad for her new home.
“It is. Not much to look at now, but step one is done.” Chuck and I walked across it, checking for any imperfections, which I’d already done.
But Chuck wouldn’t be the business owner he was if he didn’t have eyes on it too.
Esther followed us up and walked around, I was sure envisioning the layout we’d mentioned as best she could.
“Can I see your mom’s cabin, Chuck?”
“Absolutely.”
“It really is quite peaceful here. No noisy neighbors fighting or sirens blaring down the road. I love how each cabin has a front porch.” Calm was what the group seemed to crave after living in the big city all our lives.
“I knew you’d love it up here, Grandma. Just wait until you see all the animals. And we get snow in the winter.”
“Snowmen!” Tae cheered, and Trey joined in as they danced and played around.
The cabins were far enough apart to allow for a bit of privacy but close enough to where we could still see each of the homes.
Having as many acres as we did gave us plenty of space.
We did our best to situate the homes in areas where any trees we removed were either dead or small enough to be relocated elsewhere on the property.
It was important to us to keep our carbon footprints to a minimum.
Who knows, sustainable off-grid cabins could be the wave of the future. Or for northern Arizona, at the very least.
Chuck entered the code to his mom’s cabin. “It’s the same code for all cabins, that way in case of an emergency any of us can get inside. When the cabin is occupied, we utilize common courtesies and knock first,” Chuck told Esther then gave her the code. “Here we are.”
“Oh, now, this is adorable. I love how she’s decorated it.”
“Momma has a bit of an obsession with sunflowers, but they do brighten the place and tone down the wood.” Chuck was all smiles. I knew it meant a lot to him to be able to do this for his mother.
“Tae, did you paint this beautiful field of sunflowers?” Esther asked him.
“I did. I love sunflowers, it’s like they’re always smiling at you.” I was certain the smile on his face wasn’t forced in any way.
“So, mine will look just like this?” Chuck nodded. “I’ll have a fireplace too?”
“Yes, ma’am. We can show you the plans if you’d like,” Chuck offered. “Same room sizes, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and utility room.”
“Can I help with any of the costs? Is it okay to go ahead and order furniture? I feel like I should be helping.” Esther was overwhelmed, in a good way. But I understood her trepidation. Things like this didn’t happen to people like us. At least not before Chuck came into our lives.
“Tell you what, feel free to cook for us anytime you like and we’ll call it even,” Chuck said. “We work long hours at times, and it would be nice to come home and have a warm meal waiting.”
“Not only can I do that, but I’d love to. It’s been far too long since I cooked for anyone besides me.” Grandma was the best cook I knew, and I really missed it.
“Let’s show you the last cabin, Chuck and Tae’s. It’s also where our office is, and the shop is in the connected garage.” I loved having all of that on site. Made life up here much easier.
The boys ran ahead of us, and Esther stepped up beside me. “I’ve got to say, while I don’t fully understand this Daddy lifestyle, I’ve never seen my grandson happier. It’s like a part of him he’d held back for so long is finally free.”
“That’s a great way of putting it. It’s all about being true to yourself and letting go. Trey has that freedom with me because he knows Daddy will be there to take care of everything and catch him if he falls.”
“You’re a good man, Oscar.”
“Thank you, Esther, coming from you that means a lot. You did a great job raising him, now you can sit back and relax and know I’ll always put him first.”
“I’m sorry I ever doubted you. Those two together are adorable. Moving up here with you all was definitely the right choice for me.”
“I’m happy to hear that. Tomorrow, we can run into town and show you around. Pick up any groceries I may’ve forgotten. There’s a really good diner we usually hit when we’re there.”
“Sounds good, and lunch is on me.” Esther smiled. “God above, this land is beautiful.”
“It definitely draws you in.”
“Daddy,” Trey called out. “Can you build us a fort for our new playground?”
“Playground?” Esther questioned.
“Yes, in the empty area the cabins were built around. Then the boys can play right where we can keep an eye on them,” I told her. “I think that’s a great suggestion, Angel.”
“Angel?” Esther asked.
“Yes, Trey has always been my angel, lighting the way when all I saw was the dark. Trey is my happy place.”
Esther dabbed her eyes. “I guess all this time I missed that about you, Oscar. All I saw was the man putting his brothers first, which I both understood and loathed, watching Trey sit back hurt. But now that I’m getting to know you better, I understand more, and I apologize for judging you so harshly. ”
“Never apologize for loving and protecting Trey. If I would’ve had more time to think rather than react to raising my brothers, I promise I would’ve done things differently.”
“In hindsight, I think you did it just right. Now it’s time for the two of you, and I see a very bright future ahead for you and your angel.” I kissed her cheek. “Don’t you go making this old lady tear up now, you hear me?”
“Loud and clear, Esther. Loud and clear.” Having her here with us was going to be wonderful.