Page 79 of Fractured Grief
I led Indy and Hazel up the front steps and into Ma’s rustic Craftsman-style house. It was the house I’d grown up in and felt like home as much as my own house did, just in a different way.
We followed the sound of voices and greeted Bodhi, Ma, Yaya, and Lyric in the kitchen, where they were helping sort out the food. We then led Indy and Haze to the lawn and all the activity outside.
Kids of various ages played tag in the large backyard. Kaydence was there as somewhat of a mediator, taking turns to tag the kids, too. It was weird to see Kay playing with the kids without Lyric. He noticed my arrival and came over to greet me, and I formally introduced him to Indy and Hazel again.
Kay knelt to Hazel’s level. “Would you like to play tag too? Or we could build a snowman? I can introduce you to all the cousins, and Lyric promised to come play with us soon, too,” he said, beaming at Hazel.
“Can I, Daddy?” She asked Indy.
“Of course, sweetheart.”
She held Kay’s hand as he made his way back to the group of kids, and he introduced them all to Hazel. She had come out of her shell a lot lately, and it was great to see.
“She’s surprisingly confident,” I commented.
“She is.” Indy squeezed my hand. “She used to be like this all the time when Lexi was alive. It’s nice to see her coming back to herself.” He smiled up at me, and I couldn’t help but press my lips to his.
“Get a room,” Lyric hissed right next to my ear, causing me to jump and nip Indy’s lip.
“Ouch,’ he exclaimed, still smiling.
“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” I ran my thumb over his plump bottom lip.
He nodded, and I thumped Lyric on the shoulder. “Hey! Not my fault you were necking in the middle of the walkway. I have precious food to distribute!”
I rolled my eyes at him, ever the shit stirrer.
Ma and Yaya appeared behind Lyric with more platters, and Yaya handed me the platter before letting out a loud whistle and shouting, “As fáme!”
Everyone hurried toward the tables, grabbing plates and filling them with food.
“What did she say?” Indy whispered to me as I led him over to one of the serving tables.
“She said, ‘Let’s eat’, in Greek. It’s a tradition at these brunches whenever all the food is ready, Yaya calls for us all to eat.”
“As fame,” Indy whispered, trying but failing to pronounce the word. “Cool, well, let’s eat and you can show me all the Greek delicacies again.” He gazed at all the food like he was trying to remember what they were called and what he’d had before. “Is there moussaka? That was so good.” The little moan he let out had me shifting on the spot as my cock twitched in my jeans.
I stood behind Indy and hugged him to my chest, whispering in his ear. “If that’s your response, I’ll get you all the moussaka you could eat just to hear how much you enjoy it.”
He moaned at my words and pushed back against me, eliciting a growl as he grazed my cock. I couldn’t get enough of him. I was addicted. I wanted to devour him again and again.
“Later,” he whispered teasingly before turning to face me. He kissed my cheek playfully before taking the empty plate I held.
I had to breathe deeply to get my body under control. “Tease.” I nuzzled his throat, relishing in his full body shiver, before grabbing a plate too. I stopped to tell Indy what each dish was called or what it was made of as we filled our plates.
Once our plates were full, we made our way to one of the set-up picnic tables with heaters all around, where Atty and Bodhi were already seated. They had their heads together, talking softly. They broke apart at our approach.
“Geia sou aderfé. Ya sou, Indy. It’s good to see you again,” Atty said as he reached over to shake Indy’s hand.
Indy looked perplexed. “What did you just say? It sounded beautiful.”
“I was greeting my little brother in Greek and saying hello to you. Sorry, we tend to slip in and out of Greek colloquialisms and greetings when we all get together like this,” Atty explained. “So, how have you found Hope’s Ridge? Enjoyed your time here.” Atty, of course, sent me a smirk—bloody brothers. I rolled my eyes.
“It’s been lovely. We’ve had a great time. I love the vibe here. Everyone’s so friendly and welcoming. It’s so different from what I grew up with.”
“Where’d you grow up?” Bodhi asked, and we continued chatting away for a while, enjoying the good food and even better company.
I loved that Atty and Bodhi were getting to know Indy and making him feel welcome. My heart swelled in my chest as Indy chatted animatedly with Bodhi. He was becoming part of the family just as much as Bodhi had.
