Chapter 32
Kellen
One Year Later
Elias holds my hand tightly as he, Salem, and I walk up the driveway to the kitchen door of Matthias and Ava’s house. Fear radiates off him, and I stop, crouching down in front of him.
“It’s okay. These are good people. My brothers have kids, little boys you can play with, and they have a pool, so you can swim. You like to swim, don’t you? I’ll be right there with you the whole time too.”
He nods, and in a voice full of emotion, he asks, “Will Salem be there too?”
I look up to see her smiling. In the year since I told her about Elias, she’s become someone who he really loves. It was a little awkward in the beginning, but he’s a adorable little guy who won her over.
He takes after his father that way.
She crouches down next to me and takes his other hand. “I’ll be right there, if you want me to.”
“I do. I want both of you there.”
“Okay, then. Your dad and I will be right there for you the whole time. I bet you’re going to want to run off and play with Theo and Matty in no time, though. You’re going to like them. I know you will.”
His dark eyes get big, and he asks, “Do you think they’ll want to play with me, Dad?”
I nod, sure his cousins will be crazy about him just like we are. “I know they will. It’ll be just like at preschool.”
“Okay.”
Glancing over at Salem, I see tears in her eyes.
He really is a cute kid, and I know he’s scared to meet all these new people, but I want my family to know Elias like we do.
We waited this long because we had to let him get used to us, but now that he can trust Salem and me, it’s time to meet the King family.
Everyone is here today to meet Elias, and although I know he’s probably a little overwhelmed, I want him to see he’s got lots of people who will be there for him.
That’s what being part of a big family is all about.
He never had that, so I’m sure it will take a little time for him to get used to it, but I want him to experience what I had as a kid growing up.
Family is everything. Elias deserves to have that just like Matthias and Marius’s kids do.
“Ready?”
Elias nods again, and the three of us start walking again toward the kitchen door. We walk inside to find everyone inside sitting around the table waiting for us. Six adults, two babies, and two little boys all turn their attention to us.
“Hey, everyone! The party has arrived!” I say with a laugh.
I look down at my son and then back at everyone staring at us in eager anticipation. “Everyone, this is Elias. Elias, these are my brothers, your uncles, their wives, who are your aunts, and their kids, who are your cousins.”
A chorus of voices say, “Hello, Elias,” and I look down to see a huge grin on his face.
Pointing at the boys sitting between Matthias and Ava, I say, “The bigger kid is Theo, and the slightly smaller one is Matty.”
Elias gives them a tiny wave as Matty protests my description of him. “I’m not smaller, Uncle Kellen! Theo is just older than me.”
The two of them scramble off their chairs to run up to us. “Elias, do you want to go outside? We have a ton of stuff to play, and our Mom and Dad said we could,” Theo says, practically pulling Elias away from me.
He looks up at me and asks, “Can I, Dad?”
I let go of his hand and smile. “Go and have a great time!”
They run off, and although I know it’s only kids playing in the backyard, my heart fills with happiness from how easily Theo and Matty accepted him. Salem walks over to Ava and gives her a hug, while Ronan comes over to talk to me.
“He’s like a miniature version of you, dude. How’s it feel to be a dad?” he asks.
I don’t know how to answer that question. It feels great. And difficult. More difficult than anything else I’ve ever done in my life. And then it’s great again. And then I worry about the most idiotic stuff that doesn’t even bother the kid.
So I just shrug and answer with what’s closest to the truth. “I’m great at it, of course.”
Marius shakes his head and smiles. “Just when I thought you couldn’t surprise me anymore, you end up with a kid. What’s next? Are you and Salem finally going to get married?”
I look over at her and watch a smile light up her face. “Let’s take one huge life change at a time. We’ve got forever to decide that.”
That answer satisfies my older brother, and he starts talking about something else. All the better. I don’t feel like telling everyone the big news yet.
They can find out that Salem and I eloped last weekend another time. Today is all about my son meeting his family.