In my distraction, other brothers had started to notice us. Nash approached from one side, Locke from the other, and I watched with warmth in my chest as Locke did a double take and quickened his pace.
The boys saw him coming.
Folk set them down so they could run to Uncle Locke, and it was all over for me.
Locke’s tears became mine and I had to turn away.
By then, Rubi had Ivy out of the car and Nash had reached us.
“Daddy, why is Locke crying?”
“Because he hasn’t seen Bo and Jules for a long time.”
Ivy accepted my answer and wandered away to find Liliana.
Nash and Rubi remained bewildered, concern etched on Nash’s face, even as Locke laughed through his emotion and scooped both boys up in his big arms. “Please tell me that ain’t nothing that’s gonna make us kill somebody?”
“No murder on Sundays,” Rubi deadpanned. “But if you could fill us in, that would be grand.”
Folk shut the car doors. “They’re Rocco’s kids. My parents adopted them.”
It took a second to sink in. Rubi glanced rapidly between Locke and Folk while Nash caught up. Then it was over for them too, especially Rubi.
He swept Folk up in a bear hug. Nash embraced me. “Fucking A. He’s a magic one, eh?”
I couldn’t argue with that. I squeezed Nash back, then released him so he could go to Locke with legitimate hearts in his eyes.
“Daddy kink,” Rubi called.
Nash flipped him the bird.
Laughing, I searched for Ivy, despite my gut knowing she was exactly where she’d been six seconds ago, eating a foot long hotdog with ketchup on her face.
My gut was right, and my gaze danced on by until it landed on Cam, Saint, and Alexei standing at the clubhouse doors, watching Locke sit the boys on the biggest bikes Nash and River had in the garage.
Saint whispered something in Cam’s ear.
Cam grinned.
Alexei rolled his eyes and walked away, crossing the yard to Folk and embracing him with a warmth that should’ve surprised me. But knowing what I did about Folk and Alexei’s unique friendship, it didn’t. Between them, they’d moved heaven and earth to help the other reach this point, and neither one of them would ever forget it.
Orla sidled up beside me. “I have something for you.”
I wrenched my gaze from Folk. “For me? But it’s not my birthday.”
Orla shrugged. “I’m hoping you’ll feel like it is when you see what I brought you.”
She passed me a white A4 envelope.
I turned it over, but its unmarked exterior gave nothing away.
“Open it,” she urged.
I obeyed. Birthday or not, I wasn’t fucking stupid.
The envelope wasn’t sealed. I reached inside and extracted the paperwork it held, scanning it with distracted eyes until the words began to make sense.
It was a letter from Lauren’s solicitor, signed by Lauren, stating that she intended to apply to the family court to relinquish her legal parental responsibility to Ivy. A request she’d hurled back in my face every time I’d asked through our lawyers over the past few months.
