“Crazy advanced? Yeah. I swear he’s been chattering since he came out of me. I don’t know why we even bothered teaching him baby sign language because he’s been telling us what’s up since day one.”
I look back at Marco as he cuts up Leo’s food and I take another mental check-in. No anxiety. Steady hands. Clear mind. I’m in a good place; I’m with wonderful people. And I realize, I want this. Istillwant this. I want to know these little nuances and intimate details about my family. Leo having an incredible vocabulary; Viera’s four-year-old career aspirations; the charming nicknames thrown everywhere. That’s what I want.
I’ll be sure to journal this all down for Dr. Zenner later. I think she’ll be thrilled to hear this. I’m thrilled with myself, to be honest. Not that I think children would be my only source of happiness, but because I’m here in this situation, excited for what my future could be. Even if that means without kids, even if it’s just the three of us.
As we finish up lunch, I watch Marco do the most incredible, panty-melting thing: unassisted, he puts on a baby sling and slides Leo into it, then starts cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen. Leo chatters and points to everything, trying to “help.”
I think I’ve just died.
Marco catches my eyes and gives me a knowing smirk as he places a plate on the drying rack.
Heknowshow hot this is.
Rebecca and Vinny look like they’re totally unfazed by this too. They’re not trying to stop him—he must do this pretty often.
“Uncle Jay, can we play hockey downstairs now?” Viera asks, tugging on Jay’s shirt sleeve.
“Take your plate to Uncle Marco first.”
“Then it’s nap time after that, peanut,” Vinny adds.
Viera jumps off her chair and takes her plate to the kitchen, careful not to spill. “Come on, Cora!” she smiles, pulling my hand. “I’ll teach you hockey.”
She takes us downstairs where a little net is set up. She launches into a serious explanation of how to use a hockey stick and how to score. I can’t help but smile and take in all her wisdom. Jay plays goalie, Kayla at his side, as Viera and I pass the soft puck and shoot on him. When Marco comes down with Leo still strapped to his chest, he takes a stick, kisses me on the forehead, and joins in.
“Where’s Bec and Vinny?” I ask.
“Just having some couple-time together on the couch upstairs. We try to give them a break whenever we can.”
It’s not lost on me the trust the two of them show Marco and Jay.
Thirty minutes later, Leo starts rubbing his eyes, and the guys take the kids upstairs for their nap. I take a seat on the couch next to Bec, watching my guys ascend the stairs to the kids’ bedrooms.
“They do this a lot, don’t they?” I ask her.
“They’re naturals.”
I glare semi-accusingly. “Did they put you up to this? Are they showing off?”
Vinny and Bec both chuckle. “No, I swear, they’re always like this. We’ve gone away for long weekends and they’ve watched the kids the whole time.”
I smile at her, but then my eyes catch on the little drawing table. I stand up, grab a fresh piece of paper and start to sketch Viera in a ballerina tutu, holding a hockey stick, and wearing a firefighter’s helmet.
I hold up the drawing to show them as Jay and Marco come back down to join us. “Anything else I’m missing from her future career path?”
Vinny chuckles, “No, I think that’s it right now.”
Jay helps me stand from my position on the floor, looks at the drawing with a smile, then gives me a chaste kiss. “She’s going to love this.” He sits me down on the couch between his legs and Marco sits behind him.
“So, it’s the three of you,” Rebecca muses and shakes her head. “It’s a wild concept, but you all look so… content. Like the three of you fit so well together.”
“It’s wild to some,” Marco says. “It’s right for us. I couldn’t imagine better partners.”
“Well little brother, after the shitty childhood we went through, you deserve to be happy. We both do.”
We spend the next hour or so chatting and getting to know each other before saying goodbye. Bec demanded we come back soon, and I’m absolutely looking forward to it. I can see myself in this family—which in and of itself is not something I saw for my future before Marco and Jay. But they just keep warming my heart, showing me all the beautiful possibilities our lives can have.
As we get into our car and pull away, Jay asks, “So? Thoughts? Where’s your head, baby?”
