Page 161 of The Prodigal Son

“You realize I am one of your dads, right?” I ask as I climb out the window and take a seat on the roof next to him.

“Yeah, but you’re the cool one.”

“Thanks,” I say, nudging him with my shoulder. “I will gloat about that for years to come.”

He chuckles. Then it’s quiet.

“Anything you want to talk about?” I ask.

He shrugs. “No. I’m just in a bad mood.”

I nod in understanding. “That’s fair.”

Maddox has a lot of bad moods. Understandably, he’s had a rough start in life, and even when they dropped him off, I could see the resentment in his eyes. Resentment toward a world that handed him an unfair deal.

I know that look all too well. But the moment I realized the life I was given was unjust, I ran from it, which is my biggest fear with Maddox. I worry he’ll think he could do it on his own or that we could never understand the things he’s going through. I know how that feels because I was once in those shoes. Maddoxreminds me so much of a young Isaac, so full of spite and loneliness.

How do I hold him close while giving him room to grow at the same time? I want to smother him with love, but I know if I do, it’ll make him fight even more to leave. All Jens and I can really do is love him and give him a family that supports him no matter what. But the fear never really goes away.

“I get it,” I reply nonchalantly. “I get in bad moods, too. When I was your age, I hated my home so much I ran away and never looked back. And you know what I found?”

“Let me guess,” he huffs with annoyance. “You’re gonna tell me how terrible it was to try and scare me from doing it.”

Laughing, I shake my head. “No, actually, it was awesome. It made me stronger and more independent and taught me how to work hard for what I want.”

Maddox glares at me with his brows pinched together. “What is wrong with you? Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you have something I never did,” I reply.

“Two annoying dads?”

“Very funny.” I shove him playfully on the shoulder. “No, two parents who accept you exactly the way you are, moods and all.”

He rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”

“Also, a dad with lots of money and good connections who could find you before you cross county lines.”

“I’m not gonna run away, okay?” His tone is argumentative and hostile, but that’s just what I’ve come to expect from Maddox. He’s at that age, and I assume he’ll grow out of it someday. Or maybe he won’t, and I can send him to my brother Luke’s house so they can be grumps together.

“Good. Because my point is…you don’t have to. You can have as many bad moods as you want, but you do have to stop climbing onto the roof alone. If you fall off, your dad will lose his mind.”

I sling an arm over his shoulders and pull him toward me for a hug.

“We love you, Mads.”

He rests his head on my shoulder for a brief second. “I love you, too.”

The moment is wonderful but ends too quickly.

Trying to remain aloof and cool, I climb back into his bedroom. I give him a stern glare, and he finally rolls his eyes and climbs back in behind me.

“Thank you,” I say before heading to the door.

He drops down onto his unmade bed and picks up a video game controller.

Before leaving, I lean in and add, “If you’re interested, we’re going to watch Milo and Sami put on their show in the living room. You probably don’t want to, though. That’s fine.”

I smile to myself all the way back down to the couch where Jensen is sitting without a toddler on his chest. He must have successfully put Maya down in her crib, which is a miracle worth celebrating.

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