Since it was a birthday and a goodbye, everyone gathered at Mercy House in the early evening for a small party. When they'd finished up there, Lock would officially move in with Flynn. Barb and Mitch had helped the younger boys buy a few gifts, and Flynn had gotten him a new hoodie.
Setting down his nearly empty cake plate, Flynn asked his brother, "Lock, what do you see yourself doing in the future?"
"Dang, bruh, Marcia said I had to have a two-bedroom place before they'd even consider giving me custody of Sterling. So lame, bruh. That means I need a decent job to add to my savings."
Marcia was the Rhodes brothers’ caseworker. Out of those Flynn had met in his life, she was pretty decent. "And what do you have in mind for earning enough money?"
Lock leaned forward. "Okay, cuh, this here's how it went down. I called your bossman like you said, and he was all, like, I can apprentice to be a plumber or electrician or something. So I was like, cool, cool. And he was like, just come in with my license, you know? So that's what I'mma do. He's pretty chill, bruh, you got lucky."
Was that a headache forming behind his eyes? Either that, or a brain tumor. "Yeah, I'm lucky, all right."
Fischer came over and sat down, giving Flynn a much-needed break from the conversation with Lock. "When can you visit me at my new house?"
"Any time, little dude." Flynn had to suppress the urge to ruffle Fischer's hair. He hadn't seen him since he moved in with his foster parents. "My next day off is day after tomorrow."
Nodding, Fischer said, "The adoption should go through real soon. Steve tries too hard, but I can tell he's nice. Wants to throw around a ball and stuff every day. Marly just wants to cuddle and bake like that woman on the black-and-white TV show."
A crease formed between his brows. "June Cleaver?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
Nudging Fischer on the shoulder, Flynn said, "That's a good thing. It means they're decent people, buddy."
"Yeah." Fischer sat there quietly for a bit. "Yeah, they are."
That was the important thing. Blinking back tears, Flynn smiled and reflected on the time he'd spent parenting the youngest boy. It made it harder to let him go, even to a loving home.
"Ready, bruh?" Lock interrupted his thoughts, standing up and grabbing his backpack.
"In a hurry to be an adult?" Flynn asked.
"Bruh, there's no school or anything else to do with myself over the summer. So, yeah."
As Flynn quickly learned, it was both easy and hard to live with Lock. The kid stayed out of his way, but he was also always there. Flynn went from living alone to having noise 24/7. If it wasn't the TV, it was music from Lock's cell phone. Or it was him banging around in the kitchen after midnight. It made it impossible for Flynn to read, even isolated in his bedroom, or to get an uninterrupted night of sleep. Flynn gave him a week to settle in before telling him he absolutely had to start work the following Monday. Though he loved the kid, he needed a break.
Saturday morning, he barely took the time to gulp down a cup of coffee before getting dressed. "I'm going to Bristowe's."
Two seconds later, he was sprinting down the steps just so he could hear himself think.
Bristowe was more than happy to see him, even with the short notice. She let him into her apartment and gave him a hug. "Is it going better with your brother?"
"Nope." He pulled away. "But I have the weekend off, and I'm spending it away from him."
"Ooh, sorry to hear that." Throwing her arms around his neck again, she kissed his cheek.
"I knew it would be an adjustment. And I know it's possible I'll have to do this a bunch more times, but holy shit."
"He also has to get used to living with you. He's never been out in the real world, so to speak."
"About that." Snuggling her hips closer to his, he said, "Helping him reminded me of some law about assistance for foster kids until they're twenty-three. I qualify for a scholarship, and my old caseworker showed me how to apply."
"That's fantastic news!"
"I wouldn't have looked into it if not for you." Dropping a kiss to her nose, he said, "It feels like I was just existing until I met you. Eat, sleep, work, occasionally fuck. Rinse and repeat. But now, I have hope for something better."
Smiling at him, Bristowe said, "I love you, Flynn. I want to see you happy."
Stepping back, he scrubbed his hands over his face. "The thing is, this was just supposed to be sex. I don't know how to deal with deeper feelings. What if we screw this up? There's no way I could handle losing you now."
