Page 53 of Gideon

“Yes, he would be your brother,” I explained. “He also has four younger siblings.”

“What’s a sibling?”

“A sibling is a brother or sister. Ryan takes care of them.”

“Where’s his mommy?”

“She’s there, but Ryan likes taking care of them. Are you excited about visiting him?”

“Yeah, I can’t wait! Can I call Grandpa and tell him I have a brother?”

“We’ll call him later. Are you ready for school?”

“Yes!”

I turned as Gideon walked in. He was driving Haley to school.

“Gideon!” Haley said, her eyes lighting up.

“What is it, sweetie?” Gideon asked, picking her up.

“If you’re my daddy now, can I call you Daddy?”

“Of course you can. I’d love for you to call me Daddy.”

“Now you have Ryan and me!”

“That’s right, sweetheart. Now I have Ryan and you.”

I could see the worry in Gideon’s eyes. I wrapped my arms around him. “Why don’t you visit Ryan and see what his life is like? He needs more than just the responsibility of his siblings. He needs friends. He should be playing football and baseball—just being a kid.” Laney looked at me and shook her head.

“Take him and the little ones to the cabin so they can fish and get away from that toxic environment. That has to be depressing. I’ve been in that environment before, and I’ve known so many kids who lived with an alcoholic parent. Believe me, it’s not good. It can destroy your soul if you let it.”

“I already packed my bag. I’ll drop Haley off at school and head out from there. I hate leaving you alone, but I need to do this for Ryan. He deserves more than raising those babies by himself. What should I do with the kids? What can I say to him?”

“You’ll figure it out when you get there. Just talk to him. Tell him how much you love him. Then, make sure everything is taken care of. Hire a housekeeper and a nanny to help with the kids so Ryan can go to college, make friends, and live his life.”

“Have I told you how brilliant you are?”

“No, but thank you.” I smiled. “Tell him they’re moving here with us. And let his mother know that if she doesn’t get help, she’ll never see her kids again.”

“You’re amazing. Bye, sweetheart. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I said softly.

27

Gideon

I watchedRyan walk home with the two youngest of his siblings, both still in diapers. They couldn’t have been more than a year apart.

“Hey,” Ryan greeted me, his face lighting up with happiness and surprise.

“I thought we could get to know each other,” I said. “I have a cabin on the lake. You and the kids can stay there if this gets too much.”

Ryan shook his head, his smile fading slightly. “That’s really generous, but it’s too far. I walk the kids to school, and I don’t have a car or a license. My grandpa was teaching me to drive before... the accident. I’ve got college classes starting at ten, so I have to make sure the little ones are in a safe place first.”

I followed him inside as he headed to the kitchen, starting to prepare food for the kids.

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