33
Reyes
On Sunday, we had plans to drive to Charleston to visit Wyatt. Jake and I hadn’t talked with Harris about our plans to adopt him yet, but we did make a few phone calls to Linda to discuss our options. The answers we’d received so far were vague, which was frustrating as hell. She said she needed to talk to Wyatt and “make a plan,” whatever the hell that meant. Jake and I were just hoping it meant being able to change Harrison’s permanent residence to ours sooner rather than later. We’d even looked into buying a house but decided we couldn’t make any huge decisions until we knew more. The only thing that had changed was my obvious need for a car. I’d returned the rental as soon as I moved in with Jake, and surviving on Jake’s truck alone was a pain in the ass, so we decided a stop at a dealership was on the agenda while we were in Charleston.
While Harrison worked hard at tying his shoes, Jake pulled a box from the closet by the front door. “This is for you, Sport.”
Both Harrison and I looked at him in confusion. “What is it?” he asked.
Jake smiled. “You’re going to have to open it to find out.” He started to reach for it, but Jake held it just out of his reach. “Uh-huh.Afteryou finish getting ready.”
Harrison huffed and hurried through the routine of tying his shoes and getting his coat on before eagerly tearing through the package. His eyes went wide as soon as he saw what was inside.
“OPTIMUS PRIME!” he nearly screamed.
Jake laughed and ruffled his hair, which I noticed was getting kind of long. We’d need to take him to get it cut soon. “Why don’t you bring it and show Wyatt,” he said.
“Can I bring Bumblebee too?” he asked excitedly.
“Of course.”
Jake stepped back when Harris jumped up from his place on the floor as if excepting him to run to his room for the toy. Instead, Harrison wrapped his small arms around Jake’s waist, hugging him as tight as he could. “Thank you!”
Jake’s lips pressed together in a smile as he hugged him back. “You’re welcome, Sport. Now, go on. We gotta get going.”
My heart once again threatened to burst out of my chest. Small gestures like this were all the proof I needed to know that Jake really had let Harris into his heart, and it only made me love him more. Aside from the stress of waiting to hear back from Linda, things had gone back to normal between Jake and me. We laughed more, fucked more, and had easily fallen back into the comforting friendship that had been so easy for us from the day we met.
I gave him a crooked smile as I approached, leaning in to kiss him lightly on the lips without saying a single word. Jake’s returning smile told me he understood all the same.
Outside, Carter was loading a few things into his car and waved a greeting as soon as he saw us. Harrison quickly ran around the bushes dividing our property and held up the toys.
“Look, Mr. Price! Jake got me Optimus Prime!”
Carter feigned excitement, pretending the toy was the coolest thing since sliced bread, which only heightened Harrison’s excitement. The entire drive to Charleston, he carried on in rushed, excited tones about every little feature he saw on the toy. Jake silently reached across the seat and took my hand in his, squeezing it once. There was so much pride and joy in his eyes that, if I had to guess, matched my own.
The hospital in Charleston was much larger than the one in Reedsport, with more advanced treatment options, which was why Wyatt had come to this one instead of the one near Reedsport. We had to ask for directions three times before finally finding the right room. Wyatt was sitting upright, holding a plastic mug with a straw, idly watching something on the TV. His face lit up as soon as he saw Harrison, and I was glad I had at least called before we left this morning, so he knew we were coming.
“Harris, my boy! How are you?”
Jake and I stood back while the two of them reunited. I could tell Harrison wanted to climb up into the bed with Wyatt, but he seemed to know better, paying close attention to the IV connected to Wyatt’s arm.
“I’ve missed you!” Harrison said.
“Ah, but it sounds like you’re having fun without me too.”
Harrison glanced back at us with a grin before nodding at Wyatt. “Yeah, they’re fun!”
Wyatt was patient and attentive with Harrison, making it easy to see how much he cared for the boy. The two had a special bond that we didn’t want to break by choosing to adopt him, and we’d already talked about doing everything we could to keep Wyatt as a part of Harrison’s life.
Jake took my hand in his and gave me a squeeze to get my attention. Leaning in close, he whispered, “I think you should be the one to tell him. Without Harris though.”
I nodded in agreement, tightening my hand in his. We already knew this conversation needed to happen today, but we hadn’t had the chance to talk about how we wanted it to go.
When we looked back, Wyatt’s eyes were focused on our joined hands. I noticed a smile touching his aged lips that seemed to hint of faraway memories. For the first time, I wondered if Wyatt had ever loved before, if he’d ever had someone to call his own. I’d never asked about his past, because I’d always had the feeling it wasn’t something he shared freely. When he noticed me, he tipped his head and smiled at us before answering another one of Harrison’s questions.
“Yes, I’ll be home soon,” he said. “Sooner than expected actually.”
“Really?” Harrison beamed.
