Chapter 22 Quinn #2
“We had five more volunteers start this week, the partnership with the medical school is doing wonders.” Jane took a sip of her wine.
“You volunteer with the foundation?” When I’d talked to Edward last night, he mentioned the volunteer program and I was immediately interested. It was a bummer to learn that the Maria Knight Memorial Fund wasn’t up and running in Canada yet.
“Have been since it started, Maria was my best friend and an incredible woman. It helps me feel like I’m honoring her memory.”
I noticed Theo shift in his chair beside me.
I reached over and rested my hand on his thigh.
“That’s beautiful.” I cleared the emotion from my voice.
I’m sure raising her son to be the man that he was would have been enough honor, but I could tell Theo wanted to move on.
“So who was the worst of them growing up?”
“Here we go.” Noah’s eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together. Theo leaned in and kissed my cheek as Jane let out a laugh.
The rest of the night was spent learning more about Theo’s teenage years. It turned out that he and Asher had never been shy about getting into trouble, and Henry and Jane had been called to pick them up from school more than once.
I learned that Theo and Noah found Asher sleeping in a car and brought him home. Jane took one look at him and started making calls and he’d lived with them after that, it was mentioned in passing as part of a story and as much as I wanted to dig, I bit my lip.
We all laughed as they got to their university years, with everyone else adding to the stories all through dinner. By nine o’clock, I couldn’t stop yawning, and Jane hurried us upstairs.
I’d collapsed on the bed and was asleep before Theo was out of the washroom.
I rolled over in the bed for the third time to see Theo still sound asleep. Not surprising given that the clock said it was still before five in the morning.
I loved the scruff on his face in the morning and seeing his long dark lashes resting on his cheek. Theo had one hand behind his head and the other was underneath my pillow like he was reaching for me. He looked so peaceful I didn’t want to disturb him.
Crawling out of bed, I tiptoed down the hall after snagging his sweater from the chair. Pushing my arms through the sleeves, I pulled it down to cover me and went to the back of the house as quietly as I could. Going outside, I sat myself on the stone wall surrounding the patio.
It was cool without the sun up but I didn’t mind, the grass had a layer of dew making it smell amazing.
“Do you mind if I join you?” I jumped, looking at Jane behind me. “Didn’t mean to startle you.” She held her hands up with a smile.
“Of course.” I waved to the space next to me on the wall and she took a seat. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”
“No, I’m an early riser.”
I looked over at her skeptically. It was still dark out but I let her get away with it.
“Theo told me that this was one of the best places to watch the sunrise, since I couldn’t sleep I figured I might as well see it for myself.”
“Why couldn’t you sleep?”
“Jet lag is getting to me, although the rest of the guys don’t seem affected.”
“They travel so much I’m shocked they have normal sleep patterns at all.” We both laughed softly and a comfortable silence settled between us for a few minutes. “I was hoping to catch you alone actually.”
“Oh boy, is this where you grill me about my intentions with Theo?” I looked over at her and she shook her head with a soft smile.
“No, nothing like that. But I did want to thank you.” Her tone turned more serious and I focused my attention on her.
“For what?”
“Did Theo tell you what happened to Maria?”
“How she passed? Yeah, he did.” She let out a breath, closed her eyes and smiled before looking back at me, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
“He never talks about it. And the fact that he told you and he has you in that house.” She shook her head as she collected her thoughts and then took my hand.
“When we brought him here after she passed, I was so worried. He’d just lost his mother, his father didn’t even bat an eye at signing over custody to me.
Theo didn’t say a word that day, he hardly said anything at the funeral.
Just stood there, stoic and staring blankly forward.
I’m not sure I ever saw him shed a tear.
“That boy was disappearing before my eyes. I thought maybe he would grow out of it, that the grief would lessen and he would gain some of himself back. I thought he would live again. But he didn’t.
He closed himself off the day his mum died.
He let Noah and Asher in but I watched him lock everyone else out.
Did you know he’s hardly been home since he left for school?
He would always find a reason to stay away for holidays. He doesn’t even call me.”
“I didn’t know,” I said quietly, trying to keep my own emotions at bay.
My heart broke for the little boy who lost the only family he’d ever known and didn’t lean on the people who were there to help him.
“If he’s in the room when I’m on the phone with Noah or Asher he’ll say hello, but he never calls me, never says more than basic pleasantries.
I feared he would disappear completely when he moved to a different country.
He’d never stop by when he was back in town for work.
And then you know what he did a few weeks ago?
He called me, all on his own.” A few tears spilled out of her eyes.
“I picked up the phone in a panic, I thought something was wrong, that someone was seriously hurt.
It was the only reason I could think that he would call.
“But no, he wanted to say hello and tell me about this woman he’d met. He wanted me to meet her.” I returned the smile she sent me. “I didn’t push, I didn’t know what to do. So when I hung up with him, I called Noah, who of course, gave me more information.
“They all say such lovely things about you. Those boys have always been tight. Noah, Asher and Theo were thick as thieves growing up and I had no problem bringing them into my home. And then at the first break they brought Will, Oli, and Jaxson home and suddenly they had a team.
“I was so happy because if Theo wasn’t letting me in at least he had people in his corner. They’re a tight knit group, they each have their reasons for closing off but now I hear about you in every story they share. It’s the first time they’ve let anyone in since they all became a family.”
“Sometimes their group chat is a little much. They share a lot with me, even when they shouldn’t.” She laughed like I wanted her to. “But I feel very lucky they’ve let me in and let me be a part of it.”
“Well dear, you brought him back to me. I haven’t seen him smile in a long time, but the way he smiles when he looks at you…
” she shook her head, “well… I can see the love, clear as day.” I tried to hide the hope her words sparked in me.
I was falling hard and I really hoped he felt the same way.
“He hasn’t been this alive in a long time, the way he joked around at the table last night, I know Maria would be so happy he found you.
It gives me peace that he’s found happiness with you. ”
I reached out and grabbed her hand. “He’s incredibly important to me.”
What else could I say to all she just shared? She was also right, I did love him, but since I hadn’t told him how I felt, I didn’t want to tell her first.
“And I should be thanking you. I know that it may not seem like it, but he wouldn’t be the man he is today without you.”
“You’re lovely.” She waved off my compliment. “He looks at you like Henry looks at me.” She winked, giving my hand a final squeeze as we both turned to watch the sunrise over the hill in silence.
Theo was right. It was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. A warmth had spread through my chest. I was incredibly happy, maybe more than I’d ever been.
Feeling like you found your place, that you were cherished and cared for, it was like nothing I’d experienced. But it scared me a little.
The voice in the back of my head kept reminding me that it meant that I had a lot to lose.