Hayden’s brow furrowed as he considered it.
“Think how grown up you’ll be, too,” Reid added. “You’d be setting such a good example for your baby brother. He’ll look at you and go ‘wow, that’s what I need to be doing.’”
Reid’s words did the trick. Hayden gave a decisive nod. “Yes. I’m a big brother now. It’s very important.”
“It is.” Reid’s lips twitched. “The most importantest.”
Hayden bounced a few more times. “Will ye come back and play again soon?”
“Course,” Reid said, ruffling his hair. “Maybe next time we can race speedboats. How does that sound?”
Hayden’s eyes were like saucers. “Epic! See ya later.”
Just like that, he was off, the back door banging behind him.
“I’d say he moves that fast because he’s a shifter, but actually I think it’s just Hayden.”
“He’s a bundle of energy in the best possible way,” Reid said. “That was some class A kid manipulation by the way.”
“Meh. He’s indoors and happily taking a bath. No one is crying, so it’s a win to me.” I held my hand out to Reid. “Wanna take a walk with me?”
“Sure.” He slipped his hand into mine and we turned towards the woods.
Neither of us spoke until we were between the trees. Reid seemed happy to just be walking…and me? Well, I could have used another few hours before breaking this news to him. Weeks. Months. Years, even.
If I could delay this for him, I would.
But I couldn’t. The Clarksons were coming, whether we wanted them to or not.
When I finally found my voice, it wasn’t on the topic I was meant to be bringing up. “When I suggested taking the day to decompress, I didn’t think you’d be playing pretend with a four-year-old.”
“Me neither.” Reid chuckled. “It was fun though. He’s such a cute kid.”
“He is.”
Reid hesitated. “Is he…Does he have ADHD? Is that even possible?”
It didn’t surprise me that Reid had noticed. “Aye, he does. Supes can have neurodivergent conditions, as it’s not an illness, just their brains working differently.”
“Huh.” Reid bit his lip. “I didn’t realise that.”
He fell quiet, but the ease of earlier was gone. I nudged him gently with my shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “Just processing, ye know?”
I nodded. “I do.”
He was silent for a few more minutes, but I could feel the tension rising in him. It was building to a crescendo that was going to burst at any second.
And I’d be right here for him when it did.
Reid came to an abrupt halt and I readied myself. “Like, I’m sorry, but what the actualfuck?”
My instincts told me to stay quiet. That Reid didn’t want a response, just someone to listen.
“There I am, spending my twenty-three fucking years believing that the only reason I have ADHD is because I’mhuman.Just more evidence of why I’d never be good enough. Not only that, but those twats made me believe I was fucking unlovable because of it. They thought it made me weak. Not worth protecting. They made mebelievethat all shifter clans were the same. That I would’ve been treated like that wherever I grew up.”
My wolf howled as Reid gave a shuddering sob before turning to me. “But it’s not true, is it?”
