Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
AARON
A few weeks later…
“This is it, Aaron,” Vi said, lifting a box with a grunt. “This is the last time I’m helping you move. You’re done. So, I hope you don’t get tired of him, Lars.”
Lars chuckled and grabbed a box himself. He stopped next to Aaron and leaned over to kiss him. “I think we’ll be good.”
Aaron grinned. Before he could climb into the truck to get some more of his belongings, a tiny body collided with his legs. With a laugh, he picked up Chloe. “What are you doing out here, Little Monster? It’s too cold for you.”
“I wanna play in the snow!” She wiggled in his arms, kicking her feet.
At least she had on her coat and shoes. Wait… “Who put your shoes on?”
“Mommy said I can help,” she said with a big smile.
“She did?” he asked in an exaggerated tone. But then, he kissed her cheek and lifted her to the back of the truck.
Climbing up beside her, he held her little hand and searched for something light enough for her to carry.
He found a random pillow and offered it over before getting back down and lifting his hands.
She waited until he was ready then jumped without hesitation, trusting him to catch her.
That trust meant everything to him. She’d had her cast removed last week, but he didn’t think either would forget the counter accident anytime soon.
When she took off toward the house, he called out, “Don’t run. It’s too slick.”
She slowed down, but he continued watching until she made it up to the deck and indoors with Lars’s help.
“That girl is obsessed with you,” Aiden said, returning to bring in more.
“The feeling is mutual,” he said with a big smile.
“Speaking of…”
He laughed when he saw Bri rushing out in a similar state of dress as Chloe. “Slow,” he told her before she could fall and bust her ass. When she reached them, he grinned down at her. “I thought you were watching Frozen with Allie.”
“I want to help set up my room,” she said with a shrug.
After the funeral, he’d moved out of Vi’s apartment, and for the past few weeks, he and Bri had stayed at his mom’s house.
Mel had been looking for her own place, and while Vi had offered her spare room, Mel wanted somewhere closer and more kid friendly.
Eventually, she found a two-bedroom rental just a couple minutes away.
It had taken a lot of late-night conversations to work out a solution to the living situation.
Lars and Mel wanted to continue co-parenting full time, but there just wasn’t enough room in this house.
They’d finally settled on a plan that involved the second home.
The spare bedroom was set up for the girls, but they would mostly be staying here.
Mel would essentially work from the other house during the day while the girls were at school, come here for the afternoon and evening, then go home after their bedtime.
And if Lars and Aaron wanted a night to themselves, either the girls would spend the night there or they would while Mel came here instead.
The main point was that all three of them would be here for the girls. No one was going too far. And it might change in the future—hell, it might not work at all—but they had agreed to talk about it if that was the case.
Aaron was optimistic though.
He focused on his sister again. Mel moving out meant Lars was back in the master bedroom, freeing up the guest room. The one they’d decided Bri could have. Aaron grinned at her. “I figured you’d do that after we brought in all the boxes.”
She grabbed the tailgate like she was about to pull herself up. “You guys are taking too long.”
With a laugh, he lifted her into the truck just as he had with Chloe.
She went to grab a box but grunted at the weight and searched for another.
He climbed up and slid the heavy one toward Aiden, then he found a lighter one for Bri.
Jumping to the ground, he helped her down.
As she made her way inside, Vi, Lars, and Chloe returned for more.
Vi shook her head. “Why are we carrying everything in for you?”
“Because I keep getting little ones who insist on helping,” Aaron said as he lifted Chloe onto the truck again, tickling her sides. She giggled and climbed away from him. Lars hopped up with her to help. Aaron followed, shaking his head.
“Excuses,” Lars said. But his tone was light, teasing. As if on cue, Bri reappeared, and Aaron laughed.
It took nearly an hour, but they finally got everything moved in.
Aaron didn’t have a lot, mainly clothes and books.
Bri had much more, which all went into her newly painted purple room.
This past weekend, he and Lars had painted and went shopping with her to pick out new curtains, bedding, and other little things for the bedroom that had once been Aaron’s safe haven. He loved seeing it transformed for her.
“Pizza’s here,” Mel called just as they started opening boxes.
“Let’s take a break,” he told Bri. When she frowned, he chuckled. What kind of kid chose organizing over pizza? This girl was so excited though. He couldn’t deny how adorable it was. She’d been so quiet the past few weeks since the funeral; this was a welcome change.
Meanwhile, Chloe jumped up and down yelling, “Pizza!”
Putting a hand on top of Bri’s head, he leaned down to say, “We can get back to this after we eat. But it might take a couple days to get unpacked.”
“But Christmas is in a few days. I need room for all my new toys,” she said with wide eyes. “You promised Santa would know where to find me here. And then, school starts again, so I need my stuff.”
Aaron looked at Lars. “Give us a second?”
He nodded and headed out, picking up Chloe on the way. As they left, Aaron knelt in front of his sister, and he realized she had tears in her eyes. It wasn’t only excitement making her want to set up her room.
“Hey, look at me.” He brushed a thumb across her cheek. “I know there’s a lot of change going on.” It was no wonder she wanted her belongings unpacked. She needed some sense of familiarity. “But I’m here, okay? We’ll figure this out together.”
When she agreed quietly, he pulled her into a hug.
“Santa absolutely knows where to find you,” he promised, loving that she still believed in him.
He knew this was likely one of the last Christmases she’d have where she believed in the magic, and he wanted to make it extra special for her.
“How about you go down to eat, and by the time you’re finished, I’ll have most of this done for you? ”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Just go eat and have some fun with the girls.”
She tightened her arms around him. “Thank you, Aaron.”
After she ran off, he stood and looked around the room.
They’d already put the bedding on, and the rest of the big furniture was in place.
After the funeral, he, Aiden, and their mom went through their dad’s house, selling what they could and donating the rest. Bri’s bedroom furniture had been secondhand pieces his dad had bought after moving here, according to Bri, nothing super meaningful.
So, he’d convinced her to have what was already in this guest room instead, that way they didn’t have to swap it all out.
He even offered to paint the dressers later if she wanted to.
Unpacking the boxes was all they had left to do for the most part.
Thankfully, Charlie had the foresight to label them.
He stacked the ones full of clothes near the closet then focused on the rest. Pulling open one, he smiled at the dozens of stuffed animals inside.
As he went to work, setting them on her bed, Lars returned with two plates.
“Oh, thank God,” Aaron said, pausing to take one. “I was afraid it’d be gone before I got down there.”
Lars lowered to the floor. “Nah. I’d never let you starve.”
Aaron smiled and sat right next to him before taking a bite.
“Bri said you told her to go eat while you kept working.”
Swallowing the pizza, Aaron explained, “I think she’s struggling more than she lets on. She didn’t want to stop, but I know she needs food, so…”
Lars bumped his shoulder into Aaron’s. “So, you compromised.”
“I just… I want her to be happy here and feel like this is her home. I don’t want her to feel like a guest, and I think getting her stuff unpacked will really help with that.”
“It will.” Lars set his plate down and put a hand on Aaron’s wrist. “We’ll make sure she’s happy and loved. It’ll take time for her to get used to things, but I’m confident everything will be good.”
For the first time, Aaron truly believed that.
Exhaling, he put his own pizza aside to turn toward his boyfriend. “Thank you. For letting us move in, for being so supportive.” He leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth. “For making me feel loved.”
Lars kissed him, snaking a hand behind his head to hold him close.
He tugged at Aaron’s waist until he was straddling him.
They hadn’t had a minute alone in days. But they weren’t about to do anything with everyone right downstairs.
Still, just sitting here with Lars filled Aaron’s heart with joy.
He broke apart to meet his gaze. “I love you.”
Their lips met again, but it wasn’t desperation that held them together. It wasn’t like before when both were clawing for any sort of end to the loneliness, when they longed to feel anything else.
They weren’t fighting the clock now.
There was plenty of time.