Chapter 35
TYLER
Three months later - July
Ty grunts as he points at a photo. Most of his sounds are grunts. I think it’s a combination of Denny and me not being quiet in bed, and that he hears a lot of grunting when we watch hockey. Grunts are his preferred form of communication.
Along with the cutest little pointer finger.
I pick up the photo and bring it to him. “See Mommy? Isn’t she pretty?”
Ty looks at the picture. I wonder what he thinks when he looks at pictures of Sally. Sometimes I wonder how I’m going to convey what Mommy means when she’s not here. Hell, we haven’t even worked out how Ty will refer to me.
It’s weird to be Uncle when Denny and I are together.
It’s weird to be a form of Daddy when I’m his mother’s brother.
Where’s the happy medium there? Right now, I’m just Tyler, but we’re getting to the point where Ty is associating words with people.
He knows Denny is Daddy. He knows that I’m Tyler. He knows the names of Denny’s friends.
But we don’t always want Ty to call me Tyler. Not only because it’s his name, but because I’m not just a name, right? I’m a parent. At the very least, I’m his uncle.
I set Sally’s photo back on the dresser and turn so Ty can look at the rest of Sally’s room.
We visit her house once a week. Usually for an hour or so.
We walk around, and I let Ty point at the things he wants to examine.
I talk to him about Sally, telling him stories and making sure he knows Sally loved him more than anyone in this entire world and that she’d be here if she could. She didn’t choose to leave him.
He’s not quite six months old, so I know my words are mostly not understood. That’s okay. I’m going to keep saying them to make sure Ty never forgets.
Half the time we visit, Denny is with us. I think he’s there for support, but I also think he’s getting to know Sally through the stories I tell Ty. It wasn’t long ago that he told me he wished he’d gotten to know her. I believe that.
“You ready to go see the guys?” I ask.
Ty looks at me and grins. ‘The guys’ is what we call Denny’s group of friends.
Ty almost always grins as soon as we mention the guys.
I’m pretty sure they’re his favorite people.
I’m secretly really worried if someone gets traded.
It doesn’t look like anyone is for next season, but we’re integrating Denny’s friends into Ty’s life so often that I’m concerned about what he’s going to think if they suddenly stop showing up.
The sun is bright when we step outside. Ty slaps his hand over his eyes when I stop to set the alarm. I laugh. “What a goof. Your sunglasses are in the car.”
I still drive Sally’s car. In a way, it keeps us close to my sister.
As I get Ty buckled in with his little kid sunglasses over his eyes, I straighten and look at my moving pod still sitting in Sally’s driveway.
Arguably, if I haven’t retrieved anything from it in the last six months, I could just get rid of it and never miss anything inside, right?
I don’t because I know there are a few sentimental things in there. Photo albums and whatever. They’re probably ruined.
Even with this suspicion, I don’t open it. I climb into the car and start the engine.
Ty grunts, and I look in my rearview mirror to see him pointing at the sunroof. I flip the switch so it begins sliding back, and he beams, giggling as the open air is revealed to him.
“Need to stop to pick up lunch for the guys, then we’ll go home,” I tell him, as if he needed the explanation.
We stop at the deli and park in the to-go spot. We’re only waiting a minute when someone wheels a cart filled with boxes out to the car. I shake my head. Fucking hockey players could eat out a grocery store.
“You throwing a party?” the guy asks as I get out to open the trunk.
“No. Six big hockey players.” They’re not all hockey players but he doesn’t really need to know that.
“Ah. Do you get any?” he asks as he loads the boxes into the car.
I snort. “I get the scraps.”
He laughs. “Have a good day, man.”
“Thanks.” I climb back in the car, and Ty is stretched in his car seat to see the man walk away.
He doesn’t truly fit in the carrier anymore, but all the articles and reports we’ve read say he’s supposed to stay in it for a while longer.
Even though he’s long and folded in on himself.
It seems stupidly wrong. Especially today, when I look at how uncomfortable he likely is.
The guys are in the front yard kicking a soccer ball around when we pull in.
As soon as I open the car door, Denny has me against his chest. I grin, loving his attention.
It’s usually brief and less frequent when there are others around.
I know it’s not embarrassment or him hiding this.
He’s simply not someone who shows much affection outside of the privacy of our home.
Cameras are everywhere. He’s not a fan of paparazzi or being plastered all over headlines for anything other than hockey. I get it.
Felton is standing a few feet away when we break apart.
“Fel brought Ty a present, and he’s dying to play,” Denny explains.
“Food is in the trunk,” I call to the guys as Denny opens the back seat.
“Oof,” Denny says and taps Ty’s knees. “Is this truly safer than the bigger seat?”
“That’s what I was just thinking. I think we need to make the decision to level up. His face meets his knees when he leans forward, so if we get into an accident, his face is going to bounce off his knees! How is that safer than the bigger seat?”
“I agree. We’ll swap them out before he gets in the car again.” Denny pulls the whole seat out and sets it on the ground. We don’t always take out the carrier. There’s no need to bring it inside. But at this point, it’s easier to get Ty out when he’s not squished into a ball.
As soon as he’s unbuckled, he’s trying to push himself up. Denny stands and gestures for Felton. “Go for it.”
Felton is the biggest man I have ever seen in my entire life. The way he’s so fucking careful, mindful, and gentle with Ty is almost riveting. And Ty absolutely adores him.
“Come on, Ty Ty. I have something for you! Want to play?” Felton asks as he turns toward the yard.
Denny sets the car seat back in the car and shuts the door.
I close the trunk on the way by, and we follow everyone inside.
Felton has a small net set up in the hall.
He’s putting a helmet on Ty and has a mini goalie stick in Ty’s hands.
We watch as he sits on the floor with a stack of soft balls beside him, has Ty on his feet being held up by Felton’s big hands, and begins teaching Ty how to shoot a ‘puck’ into the goal.
“He’s pretty determined that Ty is going to be a goalie,” Ren says.
“It’s the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen,” I admit.
I’m not the only one who thinks so. The others all nod.
We leave them to it in the hall and gather in the dining room, where the food is now spread out over the table. It truly does look like we’re having a party.
“How’s he doing?” Kroy asks, nodding his head toward Felton.
Ren nods subtly as he takes a bite of his sandwich.
“I think I managed to get the point across to his shitty family and even shittier parents. We haven’t heard from them in several months now.
Which, as you can imagine, is remarkable for his mental health.
Otherwise, we’re talking about checking out a kink club. ”
“Why?” Carson asks.
“He’s been dropping hints about wanting another gang bang,” Ren says, shrugging.
“Oh,” Carson asks.
No one looks in my direction as they continue discussing Ren’s reservations about a kink club and strangers.
They don’t put Denny on the spot, and Denny doesn’t stay out of the conversation.
The entire time I listen, my stomach flips, but maybe not for the reason I imagined it would.
For some reason, it’s far more uncomfortable to me that Ren’s going to take Felton to a bunch of strangers for a gang bang than it is at the idea that Denny is involved in a gang bang with them.
For their entire visit, this is what I’m thinking about, regardless of the conversation at hand.
Ty is passed out on the floor. He’s practically spread-eagled, and it’s fucking adorable. The guys always wear him out, and he sleeps so long after that we need to wake him up to ensure that he sleeps through the night.
I drop his blanket on the table and then climb onto Denny’s lap, straddling him. His dick immediately responds. Heat floods his eyes as he looks at me, allowing me to get comfortable before touching me.
“You’re always so horny,” I comment.
“It’s your fault. Why are you so sexy?”
I press my lips to his for a chaste kiss, something he finds amusing. His hands rest on my thighs, waiting for me to dictate what we’re doing.
Which is exactly nothing with Ty in the room. It was one thing when he was a newborn and didn’t truly see us. It’s another thing entirely when he’s beginning to comprehend his surroundings.
“So, can we talk about something?”
His smile falls a little. “Okay.”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you really think breaking up is ever going to be the topic?”
Denny studies me for a minute and then shakes his head. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
“If you’re unsure, I think we need to work on facilitating communication about where we are in this. I’m happy, Denny. I’m not going anywhere. I have exactly zero desire to ever be away from you.”
He sighs. “Good.”
“Your turn. Assure me.”
His amused smile is back, but his hand is gentle, loving as he slowly traces my jaw. “I don’t ever want to know what living without you feels like, Tyler.”
“Jesus, you’re stupidly swoony.”
“Mm. So what did you want to talk about?”
“Gang bangs.”
He raises an eyebrow and then chuckles. “Oh yeah? I thought we already talked about it.”
“Months ago, and not really. We kind of put a pin in it and never returned to the conversation.”