“I know it’s sudden, but he has nowhere else, and both of us have space. I’ll completely understand if it’s too much for me to ask if a teenager can crash here when I don’t technically live here, but I thought—”
“Billy, I’m not upset about you wanting to give James a stable, safe place to live. I just figured we’d talk to Danny together. No, not together. I wanted to be the one to tell him because there’s plenty I need to say.” Michael's voice rose, and I could see the hurt in his eyes.
My heart ached, realizing what I had done. “I’m sorry, Michael. It was in the heat of the moment, and I was just thinking about James. He’s so lost and scared. I don’t want him going to a shelter.”
“That’s not the point, Billy! Hell, that’s not even why I’m upset.” Michael’s voice was harsh. “We’re supposed to be in this together.”
“I know, I messed up.” I swallowed hard. “If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t have blurted it out like that.”
Instead of continuing to rant about how stupid I’d been, Michael actually started laughing.
“You find this funny?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing.
“No, not funny,” he said, wiping a tear from his eye. “Just… you’re something else, Billy. And in a weird way, this is so you. You get so caught up in trying to do the right thing in one situation that you completely screw up something else. I should have known news about us would come out at completely the wrong time and without us presenting a united front. It’s a damned good thing I love you as much as I do.”
I let out a relieved laugh, too. “So, what do you say? Are you in?”
Michael looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah, I’m in. We’ll help James. But, Billy…” He looked at me with a serious expression. “We need to communicate, okay? We’re a team.”
I nodded eagerly. “A team. Got it.”
We stayed up late that night, making lists of what we’d need to make a comfortable space for James, talking about ground rules, and acknowledging the life changes that were about to happen. I found myself wishing all these preparations weren’t for a temporary houseguest, and wondered if Michael would ever consider expanding our little family on a more permanent basis. Henry would love having an older brother or sister to annoy the hell out of.
Too soon. Way too fucking soon.
Over the next two days, we finished cleaning out the rest of the basement, picked up a bed and some furniture from the online marketplace for the spare room down there, and made the place look homey.
The day James was to arrive, we had a family meeting, just me and Michael.
“We need to have each other’s backs,” Michael began, his voice serious. “No matter how hard this gets, we have to be a united front for James. We can’t let him see us fall apart. Kids are like horses, they can smell your emotions. And in his case, he’ll likely think he’s causing problems.”
“You’re right,” I said, my voice choked. I would have laughed if not for how I’d screwed things up at the start of this adventure. I was the social worker, the one who was literally trained for situations like this, but Michael’s Papa Bear streak was showing. “I’m so sorry for how all this started. I promise I will be better.”
“And I promise I will try to be more understanding,” Michael replied. “This is a big step for both of us, even if it’s only for a little while.”
The doorbell rang, interrupting our conversation. I felt my heart in my throat as I went to open it. Standing there was James, clutching a small bag of belongings. His eyes were wide, his face a mixture of hope and fear.
“Hey James, welcome home,” Michael said, stepping aside to let him in. We showed him his room, and tried to make him feel like he belonged.
“I told the caseworker I’d drop him off,” Mrs. Fisher explained. “She had a last-minute emergency and said she was trying to find someone else.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Fisher.” I pulled her into a tight hug. She really was Harmony Grove’s resident grandma.
That night, as I watched James devour the homemade lasagna my mom had sent over, I felt like maybe—just maybe—we could do this.
12
MICHAEL
It wasa rare Saturday at home thanks to the rain, and the living room looked as if a tornado had blown through. There were blocks and toy cars strewn everywhere but hearing Henry’s maniacal giggles every time the tower fell and his animated directions as James constructed a new tower made everything worthwhile.
James's eyes had a sparkle that hadn't been there before, and his posture had shifted from hunched over to standing with confidence. His lips curved upward in a smile more often than not now, making the transformation since coming to live with us all the more remarkable.
Billy and I watched them from the kitchen, our eyes meeting as we shared an unspoken moment of contentment. The sound of their laughter and the warm smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen filled the house, wrapping it in a blanket of homey comfort.
“Eggs scrambled or sunny-side up?” he asked, pulling me from my reverie. His voice was soft, a hint of teasing smile dancing on his lips.
“Scrambled, please,” I replied, my gaze drawn back to the living room where James was now engrossed in a storytelling session, making Henry roar with laughter with his animated expressions.
