By the sounds of the footsteps down the hall, Matthew was approaching. Damien applied the polish to the rag and scrubbed with all his might. Not only did the crayon come off, but the floor looked extra clean. When the last traces of green were gone, Damien capped the bottle and slid it across the floor so it disappeared under the couch, with a mental note to himself to grab it before Bryan could. He pitched the rag in the same direction. It disappeared as well.
“They were in a book,” Emily said with a laugh. “Realcaterpillars don’t go to school, Daddy.”
They were too close. Damien didn’t have time to get up. In a bid to look natural, he rolled onto his side so he faced the entrance to the living room, propped himself up on his elbow, and rested his head in his hand, ready to give Matthew his best over-the-top bedroom eyes.
Bryan babbled at him joyfully.
“Shh.” Damien gave Bryan a knowing look. “If you keep quiet about this, there’s apple slices in it for you.”
Before Bryan could decry his obvious bribery, Matthew and Emily appeared in the entryway. Emily was latched onto Matthew’s leg.
“Um.” Matthew blinked. “Hi.”
“Hey, baby boy.” Damien waggled an eyebrow suggestively. “’Sup?”
“Do I want to know?”
“Nope.”
“Okay. That’s good enough for me.” Matthew crossed the room, swinging his leg wide to accommodate Emily’s weight. When he arrived in front of Damien, he pried Emily off his leg and sank to the floor so they were face to face. Bryan was sandwiched between them. Not wanting to be left out, Emily scaled Matthew’s hip and claimed her spot in their impromptu snuggle nest.
“Is this what we’re doing now, by the way?” Matthew asked. “Hanging out together in a big pile on the floor?”
“Sometimes a man’s gotta get up close and personal with some hardwood, you know? Today’s just one of those days I’ve gotta get down, and I’m not talking about with the sickness.”
“Remind me again why I’m marrying you?”
“After the kids go to bed.”
Matthew burst out laughing. When he’d contained himself, he lifted up on his elbows, stretched over Bryan, and kissed Damien somewhat chastely on the lips. “I love you.”
“See? You didn’t even have to wait until bed.” Damien winked. “I love you, too.”
* * *
Later that night, once the kids were in bed and Matthew was half-asleep, Damien exited his digital day planner and put thoughts of tomorrow’s workload aside. Business had taken off more quickly than he’d anticipated, and Bigg Investments was not only in the black, but flourishing. In the not-so-distant future, Damien would have to sic Nadja—his personal-assistant-turned-secretary and proud recipient of a five percent raise—on finding additional managers to meet demands and grow his bottom line, but that would wait for another day. He refused to let his career overtake his life. Not only were his friends and family worthy of his time, but leaving work at work was vital to his well-being.
It was still, at times, a struggle to disconnect, but it was something Damien was getting better at every day. The thought of missing any of Bryan’s firsts because he was pulling sixteen-hour days at the office was enough to keep him in check.
With that in mind, Damien shifted his legs slowly to keep from disrupting the family tortoiseshell cat, Placenty, who was sleeping on them, and sent a message to the Bigg family chat.
Mimi: Trigger Warning: Diabetes
Mimi: Emily and Bryan drew me a picture for my office today
A photograph of the picture loaded into the chat.
Mimi: I know it’s only September, but who’s going to be at Bigg Daddy’s house for Thanksgiving? Matthew and I have been talking about doing either Thanksgiving or Christmas with you guys, then spending the other holiday with his family. If everyone can let me know what your plans are, we’ll try to come when the biggest number of you are there
No one replied, but Damien was sure he’d wake up to a slew of messages that would make their choice no easier.
“Daddy?” Matthew mumbled, his speech slurring as he fell asleep. “Cuddle me?”
“Of course I will. Just give me one second, baby. I need to do something real quick.”
With his boy waiting, Damien loaded the Single Dad chat to thank the men who’d not only saved the day, but who’d helped change his life.
KnotMyProblem: You guys saved my ass today
