“I do live here. College is not home! Get back here.”
“Welcome to the Brandt house,” Ben said, startling me out of being thoroughly distracted from my anxiety and laughing at their antics. “Before you ask, yes, it’s always like this. They miss him.” Ben turned to smile at his family. “Do you have a big family?”
“Not really. I have two younger siblings, but there’s eight and ten years between us.” And my parents would’ve fainted at the sight of us causing such a ruckus in front of someone—or at all, for that matter.
Asher slowly made his way across a huge living room with oversized sofas and pictures on every available flat surface.
“How about I show you to your room?” Ben waved at the pile of kids trying to stop Asher from chasing Nathan. “This might take a few minutes.”
I blinked and nodded. Was this the moment? Ben’s move to get me alone for the parental warning I’d prepared for?
He led me down a short hall to a staircase that turned halfway up as mine did. The second floor had an open loft with hallways left and right.
“The boys are on the left and the girls on the right.”
I said nothing, carrying my three bags and Asher’s one to a room at the end with the door open. Black and shades of gray covered everything from the walls to the bedding and curtains. Asher had told me about his gothic era in school, but I was still a little surprised. He was too expressive, too inherently colorful for this.
Ben nodded at a picture stuck inside the framed mirror. “I don’t have to tell you how special Asher is. Not only to this family, but everyone.”
I sat the bags beside the dresser and pulled the picture free. Asher, dressed in black with dark liner around his eyes, had his arm around the shoulders of a smaller guy dressed the same with a black and green mottled bruise around one of his startling blue eyes.
“Jamie,” I said.
Ben nodded several times. “He’ll be here at some point, I’m sure, but I imagine you’ve heard a lot about him.” Ben glanced around the room. “Asher takes care of everyone around here. The way he was downstairs, he’s that way with anyone. Always giving of himself, making everyone feel seen, feel important.”
I placed the picture back in its position on the mirror and turned to face Asher’s stepfather, bracing for the warning.
“Asher needs someone who’s gonna take care of him. I don’t mean with money, but take care of him emotionally and mentally the way he does those he loves. Patty and I had our concerns when he told us about you. You get what I mean, don’t you? With the age difference, the economic difference …”
“You have my word; those will never be an issue.”
Ben smiled and nodded. “I’ll believe you because Asher does. I’m sure you’ve figured out he’s more mature than anyone his age has a right to be. He’s determined and driven and puts his all into everything he does. He’s thought this through, we know it, but as parents, we worry.”
“Understandably so and expected.”
“Right, okay.” He clapped once, his expression brightening as if the topic was done and over as easy as that. “We’re not a filthy bunch, but May is very … tactile. She’ll try to touch everything.” Ben wagged a finger at me. “Hopefully, you’ve brought something else.”
“Yes, I think I might.” He turned to leave, but I stopped him. “Thank you for allowing me to join your family for a few days, Mr. Brandt.”
“Ben, call me Ben, son. And it’s our pleasure.” He huffed. “We were bound to get to know you at some point. No time like the present.”
“How’s your father? Asher told me he’s been unwell.”
Ben smiled, but there was no missing the pain in his eyes. Would I feel the same when it was my father’s time? Would I ever have a child who would dread the day I left this earth?
“We’re taking it a day at a time. He’s comfortable, and that’s all we can do for him now.” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Thank you for asking.”
I nodded, but before I could say more, Asher burst into the room, running at full speed, and slammed the door behind him.
“Got it.” He held up his prize. The hoodie. Multiple fists pounded on the other side of the door. Asher shoved a shoulder against it and held the handle.
“Help,” he shouted at Ben.
Without hesitation, Ben yanked the door open, yellingRawr, and sent them screaming, with Ben chasing after them.
Asher chuckled, slammed the door again, and leaned against it. “We should be good for about five minutes of alone time.” He lifted away from the door and prowled closer. “Not near enough time for anything more than getting you naked.”
Asher snickered as I dropped my jaw.
