6. Elijah
CHAPTER 6
Elijah
I leaned against the doorframe, watching my nephews swarm around Papa’s hospital bed like excited puppies. Alex, the oldest at eight, was showing off his LEGO shirt, while six-year-old Lincoln regaled Papa with a dramatic retelling of his favorite episode of Spiderman. Joey, not to be outdone, was attempting to climb onto the bed to get closer to the action.
“Easy there, buddy,” I said, stepping forward to scoop up Joey before he could jostle any of Papa’s tubes or wires. “Let’s give Papa some breathing room, okay?”
As I settled Joey on my hip, I caught the tail end of the nurse’s conversation with Mom. “...at least six weeks of rest and relaxation. No stress, no excitement. Just calm, quiet recovery time.”
I suppressed a snort. Calm and quiet weren’t exactly the Wells family’s strong suits.
Mom’s brow furrowed as she glanced from the nurse to the rowdy boys, then back to Papa. I could practically see the gears turning in her head as she tried to reconcile ‘no stress’ with ‘three energetic grandsons.’
“We’ll have to call Nathan and Rebecca,” she said, wringing her hands. “They’ll need to cut their trip short and come home early.”
I felt a pang of guilt. Nathan and Rebecca needed this trip. They deserved some time to reconnect after walking through their rough patch this summer.
“No way, Mom,” I said, shifting Joey to my other hip as he squirmed. “I can handle the boys. There’s no need to ruin their vacation.”
Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “You? Eli, honey, I love you, but you can barely keep a houseplant alive. How do you expect to manage three young boys?”
I bristled at her lack of faith, even as a small voice in the back of my head whispered that she might have a point. But I pushed that doubt aside. “I think I can handle a few kids for a week.”
As if on cue, Lincoln let out a war cry and launched himself at Alex, nearly knocking over the IV stand in the process.
“A week and a half,” she corrected.
I winced. Okay, so maybe this wouldn’t be a walk in the park. But I was determined to prove I could do this. To show Mom—and Dad—that I wasn’t just the family screw-up.
“Look,” I said, setting Joey down and corralling the other two before they could start World War III in the hospital room, “I know it won’t be easy. But I can do this. Let Nathan and Rebecca enjoy their trip. I’ll call them and make sure, but I’ve got this covered.”
Mom still looked skeptical, but I could see her resolve wavering. I held my breath, waiting for her decision.
This was my chance to step up, to be the responsible son for once. And maybe to finally earn that look of pride from Dad that always seemed reserved for Nathan.
I met Mom’s eyes, silently pleading. Come on, Mom. Trust me. Let me do this.
I held my breath as Mom’s eyes darted between me and the boys, who were mostly quiet, coloring in the corner, making more cards for Papa. Finally, she let out a long sigh.
“Alright, Eli. You can watch them.” The relief that washed over me was short-lived as she added, “But I’ll be checking in every day.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, trying not to sound too eager. “I won’t let you down.”
I turned to share the news with Dad, only to find him eyeing me with that all-too-familiar look of doubt. It was like a punch to the gut, but I plastered on a smile anyway.
He grunted, adjusting his reading glasses. “This sounds like a recipe for disaster.”
Ouch. I forced a chuckle, but inside, I was a mess of determination and anxiety.
As I herded the boys out of the room, Mom followed us. “Eli’s going to be watching you for a while, boys. Be good for your uncle, okay?”
I caught Papa’s skeptical snort as we left. Great. Nothing like a vote of confidence from dear old dad.
Back in the waiting room, I found Carla pacing, her dark hair swinging with each turn. When she saw me, relief flooded her face, quickly replaced by concern as she took in my expression.
“How’s your dad?” she asked.
I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly feeling the weight of everything crashing down on me. “He’ll be okay, but he needs rest. A lot of it.”
Carla’s brow furrowed. “And the boys?”
“That’s... complicated,” I said, dropping into a chair. “I’m going to be watching them for a while.”
Her eyes widened. “You?”
I let out a humorless laugh. Even Carla didn’t think I could do it. “Mom’s got her hands full with Dad, and well, Dad thinks I’m about as responsible as a circus clown on roller skates.”
Carla’s lips twitched, but she didn’t smile. She knew me too well, could see the struggle behind my attempt at humor.
“Eli,” she said softly, “are you sure about this? Three boys is a lot to handle.”
I straightened up, pushing down the doubt that threatened to overwhelm me. “I can do this, Carla.”
But even as I said it, I couldn’t help wondering if I was in way over my head. Three energetic boys, a disapproving father, and ten days of chaos ahead. What could possibly go wrong?
I watched Carla’s face as she processed my words. Her dark eyes flickered with uncertainty, and she bit her lower lip—a telltale sign of her inner conflict that I remembered all too well from our high school days. She shifted in her seat, her fingers absently playing with the hem of her shirt.
I pushed away the hurt that her hesitation caused. “I’m going to call Nathan and Rebecca and give them an update. Can you make sure these guys behave for a bit longer?” I pulled out my phone and made the call.
Nathan’s face came across the screen. “Eli? How’s Dad?”
“He’s stable but needs rest. Which, as you could imagine, means the boys need a new plan.”
I explained the situation, with Carla occasionally chiming in. Rebecca joined the call, her worry evident on her face.
“Are you sure about this, Eli?” Nathan asked, his tone cautious. “Three kids is a lot of responsibility.”
“Maybe we should just come home,” Rebecca said.
I felt a flash of irritation. “I’m not completely useless, you know. I can handle this.”
Rebecca still seemed unsure. “I don’t know…”
Seriously? I was so untrustworthy that she would consider canceling ten days in the Bahamas?
“Can I talk to Carla for a second?” Rebecca asked quietly.
I shrugged, handing the phone to Carla, who quickly took the call to another corner of the room. I distracted myself with the boys so I wouldn’t be tempted to eavesdrop.
A few minutes later, Carla came back. I raised an eyebrow with an unspoken question.
“Eli, Carla has agreed to help you take care of the boys for the rest of our trip,” Rebecca said.
My mouth fell open. “What? That’s really not–“
“Look, man,” Nathan jumped in, “it’s either this, or we come home. And I really don’t want to come home yet,” he admitted.
I ran a hand over my face. “Fine. So what? We’ll trade off nights or something?”
Rebecca grinned. “You can all stay at our house. It’ll be easier on the boys, and with both of you, it should be a breeze.”
“Two adults are better than one when it comes to three rambunctious boys,” Carla admitted.
I sighed. “Are you sure you’re okay with this, Putters?” She hadn’t exactly seemed thrilled when she came back from the sidebar with her bestie.
Carla nodded, but her expression was unreadable.
There was a pause, and I studied Nathan’s expression. “We’re trusting you, Eli.”
My heart swelled hearing his words, before the full truth hit me. He trusted me, as long as I had a chaperone.
His eyes darted slightly to the left, where I knew Carla would be shown on his screen. “Just… be careful, okay?”
I knew he wasn’t just talking about the boys. He knew the history with Carla better than anyone. “We will, Nate. Don’t worry.”
As I hung up, I caught Carla’s gaze. There was a mix of determination and something else in her eyes—something that made a twist of nerves coil tight in my belly.
“Well,” I said, trying to lighten the mood, “looks like we’re in for quite an adventure, huh?”
Carla took the boys home while I stayed at the hospital for a few more hours. Around five in the afternoon, I stepped into Nathan and Rebecca’s house, immediately assaulted by a chorus of shouts and laughter. Three blurs – otherwise known as my nephews – zoomed past, nearly knocking me off my feet.
“Uncle Eli! We’re starving!” Alex skidded to a stop in front of me.
I grinned, ruffling his hair. “Well, we can’t have that, can we? What’s on the menu, Chef Alex?”
“Pizza!” all three boys chorused.
I glanced at Carla, who was eyeing my duffle bag. “Pizza it is, then. Do you want me to call?”
Carla raised an eyebrow. “We’re cooking instead. Rebecca keeps dough on hand. These hooligans can help. And you, I suppose.”
I couldn’t help but notice how her eyes lingered on my chest for a moment. Butterflies took flight in my stomach., but I pushed the feeling aside. Focus, Wells.
As we maneuvered around the kitchen, I found myself hyper-aware of Carla’s presence. Every accidental brush of her arm sent tingles through me. I scolded myself. We weren’t teenagers anymore.
“Alright, troops!” I called out, trying to wrangle the boys. “Who wants to be my official cheese sprinkler?”
Linc’s hand shot up. “Me! Me!”
“Excellent choice, soldier. Alex, you’re on sauce duty. And Joey,” I said, addressing the youngest, “you’re our very important pizza inspector. Make sure we don’t miss any spots!”
Carla laughed, the sound warming me more than the preheating oven. “You’re good with them,” she said softly as she unrolled the refrigerated dough onto a sheet pan.
I shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. “They make it easy. They’re great kids.”
After what felt like hours of controlled chaos, we finally got the boys fed, bathed, and into bed. I collapsed onto the couch, exhausted but oddly satisfied.
Carla sank down on the other end of the couch. “We did it,” she said, a note of triumph in her voice.
“Yeah, we did.” I turned to look at her, struck by how beautiful she looked even with flour in her hair and tomato sauce on her shirt. I cleared my throat. “Uh, you should take the main bedroom. I’ll crash on the couch.”
She started to protest, but I held up a hand. “I insist. It’s the least I can do after you agreed to help with this whole... situation.”
Carla studied me for a heartbeat, her gaze softening. “You’re not the same Eli I remember from high school, are you?”
I swallowed hard. “I’d like to think I’ve grown up a bit. Maybe even learned how to be responsible now and then.”
She smiled, and I saw a flicker of the girl I’d fallen for all those years ago. “Good night, Eli,” she said softly, standing up. My fingers ached with the urge to reach out and touch her. One thought of my dad lying in his hospital bed sent a twinge of guilt through me at my betrayal of his wishes.
This was going to be a very long week.
Ten days, I corrected with a grimace. I could handle ten days of essentially living with Carla. Then we’d just go back to our default setting of ignoring each other.