As I tiptoed closer to greet Henry, I noticed the creases of worry on Michael’s face as he spoke in hushed tones on the phone in the hallway. His back was tense, and his hand gripped the phone tightly.
Not wanting to disturb him, I gestured for Henry to join me in the living room. His eyes widened with excitement as he showed me his drawing—a knight defending a castle—and we decided to replicate it using his building blocks.
The living room was a sanctuary of sorts, with family photos adorning the walls and a bookshelf full of children's books and classic literature. The soft fabric of the well-worn couch felt familiar and comforting under my fingertips.
As Henry and I built the castle, the sound of Michael’s voice filtered through from the hallway, his tone taut with stress.
I had had my own share of unpleasantness today at Harmony House, dealing with funding issues thanks to certain people in city hall focusing on the identity of some of our kids rather than the fact we helped any child in town who needed help.
Like James, who was becoming increasingly withdrawn but swore everything was fine. It was a fine line to make sure he knew he could talk to us about anything without him feeling as though we were forcing the issue. And for all I knew, I was imagining things or his mood was nothing more than him being a typical teen. Still, I wasn’t about to completely dismiss the pit in my gut.
It had been one of those days when the only thing that got me through was knowing I'd be spending time with my guys at the end.
When Michael finally clicked off the phone, he looked beaten down. His eyes were glazed and lifeless, devoid of the usual enthusiasm and energy that so defined him. The mayor's endless demands were taking their toll, and there was a weariness to him like he hadn't seen in years.
“Hey,” I said softly. I quickly pressed my lips to Michael’s while Henry’s attention was on pulling out all the triangle blocks he could find. Michael briefly leaned his head on my shoulder. “Rough day?”
He ran his hand through his hair and nodded. “That’s an understatement. Two members of the council are pushing back on my proposal, and I have a mountain of paperwork. The mayor seems to think the opinions of these two are indicative of everyone in town seeing him as a laughingstock if I don't make drastic changes.”
Seeing him like this, I felt an overwhelming need to take some of the burdens from his shoulders.
“You know what?” I said, an idea forming in my head. “My dad’s grilling tonight and asked if we wanted to join them. How about you and Henry come over to my parents’ place? It’ll do you good to unwind among family. The roast will keep until tomorrow.”
He hesitated, biting his lower lip. “I don’t know, Billy…”
“Michael, my family adores you and Henry. It’s high time we all spent some quality time together,” I reassured him. “They’ll have to get used to seeing us together at some point, so we might as well ease them into it now.”
He didn’t protest the way he used to, claiming he wasn’t truly welcome because of what he’d done to Danny. I’d been trying to figure out how I could get him to release the guilt he was holding onto because it wasn’t doing anyone any good at this point.
“My mom can't stop talking about Henry since he spent the night there. I'm pretty sure steaks are simply a ploy to give her some time with a tiny human.” My mom loved her role as a caretaker and made no secret of how hard it was for her to admit her boys were all grown up.
There was a prolonged pause as he looked between me and Henry, who was watching us with big, hopeful eyes.
“Okay,” Michael finally agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe you’re right.”
I sent Michael to quickly pack a bag for Henry with some toys and a pair of pajamas in case the fresh air did him in before we were ready to head home. Whether he realized it or not, my parents really had missed him once they got over the shock and anger when he left Danny.
After picking up a bottle of wine as a gift at Michael's insistence, we made our way to my parents’ house. My mom was in the kitchen and my dad was setting the table. Danny was there, too, which I hadn't anticipated.
When Michael noticed him, his eyes widened momentarily before narrowing, and his lips tightened into a thin line. The easy conversation that had filled the room seemed to falter for just a moment, a subtle acknowledgment of the history and discomfort that had just entered the space.
“Billy, Michael! And little Henry too!” My mom greeted us with open arms. I went in for a hug, only to be passed by as she hoisted Henry into her arms with a grunt. “Lola missed you! Have you grown since the last time you were here?”
Michael gaped at me and mouthed,“Lola?”
I simply shrugged because I had no idea where the name came from, either. But she was so damned happy I wasn’t going to question her.
“Uh-huh. Uncle Billy cooks for us, and there's always lotsa vegetables.” He mangled the last word in a way only a preschooler could as he wiggled his way out of her grasp.
Mom glanced at me, quirking an eyebrow as she smirked. “He does, does he?”
“Yep. He said no more pizza,” Henry informed her. We'd need to be careful because I was fairly certain she'd officially pegged him as her source for any info. “And he says therealwayshas to be green stuff on the plate. But I don’t have to eat more than two bites if I don’t like it.”
“That’s a wonderful rule to go by,” Mom said, looking over his head to me.
Michael's eyes flickered toward Danny, and I saw that familiar tension creep up his neck. I followed his gaze, noticing my brother watching the entire scene in front of him unfolding. A million questions appeared in the confused expression on his face, but he didn't say a word.
I offered up a silent prayer Danny would assume I was only around them so much as a friend. It wasn't that I was ashamed of what was happening with Michael so much as I wanted to know what exactly we were doing and where we were going before I made any declarations that could fracture the family.
