Page 65 of Damaged Prince
Chapter 13
Logan
“Put the pony rides over there. That way it doesn’t ruin the grass. I’ll have someone come clean up when we’re done,” I instruct the petting zoo I hired for my one-year-old’s birthday.
Yup. You heard me. A petting zoo. But that’s not all. We have an inflatable bouncy castle, face painting, lawn games, a clown, a balloon artist, along with a fuck-ton of other things.
You might be asking why? He’s only one; he’s not going to remember any of this. No, but I will. I want Benny to have the best first birthday money can buy.
Normally, the amount in my bank account doesn’t matter to me. Money isn’t a big deal. I spend what I need. Not always on things I want.
But for this, I wanted to go all out.
Only thing is, none of my friends have kids. And no one in my family has small children. I didn’t know any of the parents from Benny’s old day care. So, there were no other kids to invite.
We could have had something small and fun at home with just me, Laney, Kai, my brothers, our parents, and me. And for a little while, that’s what I was going to do.
Then Elijah was talking about the kids he works with down at the rec center and how excited they all got over something as simple as new baseball gear. Like it was Christmas all over again for them.
It got me realizing that these kids didn’t have the luxury that my brothers and I had, or any of the people we grew up with. Not even close.
That's when I came up with my crazy idea to throw a community fair. One that all the kids from the neighborhood rec center, were invited to. Two birds, one stone.
Benny could have the best birthday, and I wouldn’t be seen as the crazy parent who went all out for a handful of people.
And by the look of pure joy on the kids’ faces who’ve already shown up, I don’t have a single regret.
“Look who’s up from his nap and ready to par-tayyyy,” Laney says cheerfully, a sleepy Benny in her arms.
He has a bright smile on his face, looking ready for anything.
My heart swells at the sight of them together. I don’t think I’ve ever been so in love with anyone in my life more than I am with these two.
Delaney Jones is a godsend, there’s no other way to put it.
The other week, when Benny called her mama, my heart nearly exploded.
He might just be a baby, but he’s been through a lot in his tiny life. More than anyone should have to go through.
Knowing he trusted Laney like that, saw her as an important person, just solidified the fact that she was perfect for us.
Yes, I know babies babble mama and dada all the time. But the way he clung to her, crying because he was afraid his mama was going to leave him. Yeah, you can’t convince me it’s not because that’s exactly how he sees her.
Laney took it with grace, accepting my little boy as hers in a heartbeat. Seeing how much she loves him, how much she cares, there’s no way I ever stood a chance when it came to falling in love with her.
I’m head over heels, madly in love with that woman. And if I have my way, she’s going to share my last name. I won’t be selfish and demand she marry me when she can’t marry the others. But sharing the same name as us would be the next best thing.
Sure, Kai doesn’t share the same last name, but I’m sure he would change his too if he felt left out, right? I mean, the man is smitten with my brother as it is, I don’t see why he wouldn’t want to for him.
That is something I’m still not used to. Growing up, Eli was different. He showed no interest in guys, girls, or dating. For a while, I thought it was just because of his depression that he wasn’t interested in anything in general.
Then, when he became older, broke out of his shell more, his friends around him were all getting into relationships, and I saw the longing in his eyes. Yet still, he never went on dates. Never had crushes.
One day, I saw Eli’s computer on, his search showing, and the question he asked was: ‘how do I know I’m demisexual?’
I did my own research, and after reading a few articles, everything started to make more sense.
Now, seeing him not only in love with one, but two people, I can’t be anything but proud and happy for him.
