“And he’s beautiful,” Gage said. He looked over his shoulder at the couch, where Bo had gone to hide. “Do you want to see him?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitance or reluctance when Aaron spoke. “I want to meet my son.”
Gage took Aaron by the hand and guided him to the couch. The blankets piled on it trembled and wheezed. Gage squeezed Aaron’s hand, then let it go so he could sink down next to where Bo was hiding. When he was settled, he laid a hand on top of the pile where he figured Bo’s head would be. “Hey, baby boy. It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe.”
The blankets said nothing. They kept trembling.
“I have someone here I want you to meet. Will you come out and say hello?”
“No,” Bo sobbed. His voice crackled.
Gage pinched his lips together and looked up at Aaron apologetically. Aaron stood near the couch, watching the blankets patiently. It didn’t look like he was annoyed by Bo’s refusal.
He’s waited for me for years,Gage thought.Of course he can wait a few minutes for his son.
“It’s someone very special,” Gage said softly. He stroked Bo’s head. “Do you know how I told you that one day, your daddy would come home, and we’d be a family?”
Bo was quiet, but Gage was certain that he’d heard. He kept stroking the blankets, doing his best to soothe his son.
“Well… your daddy just came home. He’s come home to us, and he wants to meet you. Will you come out to say hello?”
The blankets started to move, until finally, a crown of golden hair popped out from beneath them. Bo, teary-eyed, looked up at Gage and lifted his arms. Gage plucked him free from the blankets and brought him to sit on his lap. Then, with tremendous affection, he smoothed Bo’s hair back from his forehead and gestured at Aaron. “Say hello to Daddy?”
“Hello, Daddy,” Bo said in a little voice. Then, more sheepishly, he mumbled, “Hello.”
“Hi, little man,” Aaron replied, his voice kinder and softer than Gage had ever heard it before. He approached the couch cautiously and sank to one knee in front of Bo. Bo whimpered pitifully and pushed back against Gage, and Aaron didn’t come any closer. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m sorry that it took me this long to be here with you.”
Bo wheezed a few, incomprehensible syllables. He squirmed on Gage’s lap, and Gage had to lift him up and reposition him on his knee.
“It’s okay, baby boy. I’ve got you.” Gage held him in place, making sure he had all the support he needed. Bo was starting to get big, but with his health the way it was, he was more dependent on Gage than Gage thought he should be.
When Bo was settled, Gage glanced at Aaron. Wonder had shaped his features, and Gage read from it how badly he wanted to make a connection. Still, he didn’t infringe on Bo’s personal space—in all things, Aaron was thoughtful and kind. It warmed Gage’s heart to see it. He kissed the top of Bo’s head and asked him a gentle question, hoping he could get Bo to open up. “Is it okay if Daddy gives you a hug to say hello?”
“No,” Bo said. He twisted and squirmed until he had his back to Aaron, then buried his face against Gage’s chest. “No!”
“Okay.” Gage held back his frustration, keeping it as far as possible from his voice. It was okay that Bo was scared—Aaron had been yelling in the hallway, and even though he was calm now, Bo had likely made an association. It would take a little bit of time to undo, but it wasn’t insurmountable. Bo would let Aaron into his heart when he was ready. “It’s okay. No one’s going to force you.”
Aaron sat back on his calves. A look of disappointment flashed across his face, but it was only temporary. “If you decide you want a hug, you let me know, okay?”
Bo said nothing. Instead, he started to cry. Gage stroked his hair and did his best to comfort his son, but his heart ached. Bo hadn’t met many adults before—he’d been hidden away most of his life, and his social circle, as a consequence, was small. It shouldn’t have surprised Gage that he wouldn’t take well to meeting a stranger, especially after what had happened in the hall. But seeing Aaron have to put on a brave face while his child rejected him broke Gage’s heart.
“Would it be okay if Daddy stayed with us today?” Gage asked. He hadn’t discussed plans for the rest of the day with Aaron—they’d been a little too focused on other matters—but he figured that Aaron’s intention was to stay so they could catch up, especially now that Bo was in the picture. “He’s not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do, but he wants to get to know you. Is that okay?”
Bo sobbed, and when he drew breath, his lungs crackled. Gage made a small, disappointed sound and kissed the top of his head again.
“I know it’s scary,” Gage murmured, hoping Bo could hear him over the sound of his own fear. “I know that meeting new people is hard, and that meeting your daddy for the first time is a really big deal. It’s okay to feel like you’re feeling, but will you give Daddy a chance to show you that he’s nice, and that he loves you?”
Bo sniffled. He pulled at Gage’s shirt, but seemed, otherwise, to be calming down.
“That’s a good boy,” Gage said. Bo slid off his lap and pulled the blankets over himself until his nose was covered. Mostly concealed, he peeked over the blanket’s frayed edge. He looked at Aaron, and Aaron looked back. “You take the time you need to feel good, okay? That’s all we’re asking.”
Bo nodded. He pulled the covers tightly over his body and said nothing. The labored sound of his breathing marked the silence, time slowing until it dragged. Finally, Gage couldn’t take it anymore. He left the couch to put on an oldPeppa PigDVD in the hopes it would calm Bo down.
It did.
Slowly, the blanket dropped from Bo’s face. The tension disappeared from his small body, and he settled into a semi-reclined position against the arm of the couch while the episode played. Gage, relieved, came to stand by Aaron’s side. He’d given up on approaching Bo and abandoned his lowered position, standing tall once more. Gage squeezed his shoulder. In time, Bo would learn the kind of man that Aaron really was, and he’d come to adore his father as much as Gage did. All they had to do was be patient.
As the world returned to normal, Aaron brought his suitcase inside, and they settled on the couch as a newly formed family—Gage in the middle, with Bo’s head rested on his thigh and Aaron’s arm draped over his shoulder. From the rigid way Aaron held himself, and the frantic energy in the air, Gage knew Aaron had questions. If Gage had been in his position, he would have had questions, too, but he was pleased to see that Aaron was sensible enough not to start asking them in front of Bo, who was panicked enough as it was.
