Wyatt nodded. “They say it might be next week.”
“Do you mind if we ask what’s wrong?” I asked. “You said a stomach disease, but can you tell us more?”
Wyatt’s face fell slightly as he rubbed at a place on his lower abdomen. “Same problem my dad had. The walls of my stomach are too thick, which makes it hard for the food to move through the digestive tract. Even processing simple foods takes twice as much work and can clog up the system.”
“Stomach cancer?” Jake asked, surprised.
The light in Wyatt’s eyes faded a bit. “No, not yet, but that’s what we’re trying to prevent. ‘Fraid I’ll be on a strict diet from now on, which means no more of my breads.”
The level of sadness in his voice broke my heart. This was a man who simplylivedfor baking breads. He was damn good at it too. I’d lost count how many times I’d seen Wyatt covered in flour and dough residue or how many loaves he’d sent home with me after helping him around his house. Giving that up had to be devastating.
“No!” Harrison whined. “I miss your cinnamon raisin bread!”
He laughed. “Oh, don’t you worry, kiddo. I can still make it. I just can’t eat it.”
“But I like eating itwithyou,” Harrison said in a sad, broken voice.
Wyatt lifted a hand and patted Harrison’s arm, smiling.
Jake and I took the seats by the window while the two of them continued their conversation. Harrison shared his new toy with Wyatt, pointing out every little feature he’d discovered on the drive over. The older man took it in stride, acting just as fascinated and excited as the seven-year-old.
I started to wonder if Wyatt would understand when we told him we wanted to adopt Harrison. I could only imagine how that would feel after all he’d been through the last couple of weeks. He was already giving up something he loved by not being able to bake. Would he feel lost without Harrison too? I had to remind myself we weren’t severing their connection completely. Wyatt would still be a part of Harrison’s life in any capacity he wanted. Jake and I would make sure of it.
Sensing my inner turmoil, Jake put an arm around the back of my chair and gave me a reassuring smile.
When the nurse came to check Wyatt’s vitals, Jake stood. “Hey, Sport, why don’t we go to the cafeteria and get a treat for Wyatt?” He glanced at Wyatt. “Any restrictions besides bread?”
My older friend sighed. “Pretty much anything edible?”
The nurse laughed. “Now, now, it’s not that bad. The smoothies are delicious. You can have one of those if you’d like.”
Wyatt perked up a little at that, requesting a strawberry smoothie before Jake and Harrison headed toward the door. Jake stopped and gave me an encouraging look before leaving. I nodded in understanding. This wasn’t about the food at all, but a chance for me to talk to Wyatt.
I waited for the nurse to leave before clearing my throat. “I’m glad to hear you’ll be returning home soon.”
He nodded, pulling the too-thin blanket up in an attempt to fight off the chilly hospital air.
“Harrison means a lot to both of us. I hope you know that.”
He lifted his scruffy chin in my direction and smiled. “I can tell. He always speaks highly of you two when he calls.”
I rubbed a finger over the worn fabric of my jeans, searching for the best way to break the news, but there didn’t seem to be an easy way to do it. “Wyatt, Jake and I would like to adopt him.”
In the short time I’d known Wyatt, I’d never felt judged or disliked by him, even when it had become clear that Jake and I were a couple. But now, hearing we wanted to adopt the kid he had grown to care for, there was no denying the hurt and despair in his expression. The light in his eyes from Harrison’s visit had vanished, replaced with a sorrow I was sure he’d feel long after we left.
After a long stretch of silence, Wyatt looked away as he tried to subtly wipe his face with the back of his hands. I waited patiently for him to say something, hating that I was doing this to him.
“We’ll be good fathers to him,” I said when guilt pushed me to speak.
The tiniest of smiles touched his lips, though he still didn’t look at me. “Of that I have no doubt. It’s plain how much you both care for him.”
“We do. More than anything.”
Wyatt smoothed out the blanket in a nervous gesture before finally looking up with tear-filled eyes. “Do you want to know why I signed up to be a foster parent twenty some odd years ago?” he asked. “I did it when I realized I’d never be brave enough to do what you two are doing. Not only to be with the man I loved but to raise kids of our own. It wasn’t accepted then and would have cost me more than I was willing to give up at the time.” He looked away. “Didn’t matter in the end. I lost it all anyway. But foster care remained the closest thing to a family I would ever get, even if each child who came to me was temporary.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise.Wyatt was gay?Suddenly, it all made sense. It wasn’t only that he thought we were taking Harrison from him, but we were reminding him of everything he never had.
“We’re not trying to take him from you, Wyatt. In fact, we would love for you to still be a part of his life. I know it would mean the world to Harrison if you were. But we’d really like to give him a permanent home, so he doesn’t always have that look of worry in his eyes,” I said gently. “If this last week has been any indication, Harris lives waiting for the other shoe to drop, like his world is always about to fall apart. He knows you love him, but also knows foster care is temporary. And we just think he deserves more than that.”
