My heart hurt as I watched the fleeting pain in Hawke’s gaze as he looked at Matty. And I knew in that moment he was thinking about his own son. But he managed a smile and said, “Wow, you got it exactly right.”
Matty nodded knowingly and Hawke shifted the tablet so Matty could see us both. “Daddy, guess what?”
“What?”
“Ronan and Seth knew how sad I was when they said I wasn’t gonna have any hair for a while, so look.”
The image teetered for a moment and when it came back intofocus, I slapped my hand over my mouth in disbelief. Because there on the bed next to my son sat Ronan and Seth, their heads completely bald.
“Hi!” Seth said with a wave.
“Isn’t it cool, Daddy?” Matty said as he put one hand on Ronan’s shaved head and the other on Seth’s. The men looked so different, but I barely noticed that. All I noticed were their big smiles as they proudly showed off their new look.
“It’s really cool,” I managed to get out. Tears were flooding my eyes and I was helpless to hold them back. When Hawke used his arm to pull me against his chest, I gladly went. I knew my son and Ronan and Seth could see me, but I was too busy trying to hold it together.
“Daddy?”
“He’s okay, Matty. He’s just missing you,” Hawke said quietly.
“Daddy,” Matty called to me, his voice low and sweet.
“Yeah, buddy,” I said as I pulled back from Hawke’s chest and wiped at my eyes.
“Love you lots.”
I let out a watery laugh. “Forever and ever,” I finished.
“Hey, Matty’s nurse is here to check his central line. We’ll talk to you guys later, okay?” Ronan said.
I nodded. “Thanks, Ronan,” I whispered as my eyes connected with the other man’s. I hoped he heard what I couldn’t put into words and when he nodded a moment later, I knew he had.
“Bye, Daddy!”
“Bye, Matty. I’ll be home soon, okay. Love you.”
“I love you too. Bye, Hawke.”
“Bye, Matty,” Hawke said quietly.
The screen went dark a second later and I instantly lost it and began crying. Hawke gathered me in his arms and lay down on the bed, taking me with him. I curled against his side and sobbed as he held me tight. It was several minutes before I quieted enough to say, “Thank you, Michael.”
Hawke’s arms tightened around me even more when I said his name.
“For what?” he asked.
“For everything,” I said simply.
Hawke was silent for a moment and then he was rolling me onto my back as he hovered above me. His hand came up to cup my face. “I wish I could give you more, Tate. I wish I could be everything you needed.”
And then he sealed his mouth over mine.
Chapter 21
HAWKE
“Here.”
I put down the towel I’d been using to dry my hair and took the picture Tate handed me.
