“Where were you?” Ian asked.
“Kiara Gordon,” he whispered.
“When you’re ready, help is right here,” Ian said. “Come let me help you up. Grilled cheese all around.”
Wes, with Ian’s help, found his legs and joined the group in the dining room. Birdie slept in a portable crib. Reed sat in a highchair next to Wes’s regular seat. “Hey, Reed, ready for grilled cheese?” Wes smiled.
The little boy smiled. “Grilled cheese.”
Eleanor carried a tray of sandwiches, and Kieran and Zach brought over a pitcher of lemonade. Kip served everyone while Eleanor sat on the other side of Reed and cut up his sandwich in bite-sized pieces. Reed gleefully ate pieces of the sandwich and drank from a sippy cup with Eleanor’s assistance.
Suddenly, the toddler’s brow furrowed. In one little hand, he picked up a piece of sandwich. In the other, he pulled on Wes’s arm.
“What is it, pal?” Wes asked.
He held up the piece of sandwich and offered it to Wes. “Dada.”
The conversation at the table ceased. Wes took the piece from the little boy with a tremoring hand and popped it into his mouth. He didn’t know if he should correct the little boy or pretend he didn’t say it.
“Yummy. Thank you, Reed.” He smiled. He had to talk with Eleanor.
