Page 84 of Stained Hearts
I sat up. “Why the hell was my mom in here?”
“She wants us up for Christmas morning!” He slid his legs over the edge of the bed. “She’s already got Galen and Robert downstairs setting the table. Marco is taking care of the flowers he brought, and Andy is…. Well, Andy’s passed out on the couch. Marco said he would take care of anything Andy needed to be doing. Livvy is in the kitchen, helping Mom cook up enough food to put us all into a coma.”
His words caught my attention. “Aiden, do you realize what you just said?”
“You meanMom? Yeah.” He flipped the switch, bathing the room in bright lights. “Is it okay? I mean, I don’t have to if you’d rather I didn’t.”
I grabbed him and pulled him back down on the bed. “Baby, nothing would make me happier. I told you, this is your family, and she’s your mother as much as she is mine. The two of them will be so happy if you call them Mom and Dad.”
God, this was an unexpected gift. Aiden finally accepted his place in our lives, and now everything was right with the world.
“Come on. Let’s get dressed and go out and greet the family.”
“Okay.” His smile was radiant. “I love them, you know.”
“And they love you, almost as much as me. You’re precious to them, in ways you’ll never fully understand.”
God, it felt good to be able to say the L-word without melting down in a panic.
“C’mon, we have to go.” He reached for his walker and pulled it close to the bed. When I thought he was about to stand up, he glanced over his shoulder instead. “Can I say something and have you promise not to get upset?”
Those conversations never went well. “Best I can do is promise I’ll try. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s….” His eyes fluttered closed. “Remember how I said I wanted you to take me to that club for Christmas?”
He hadn’t mentioned it since the first time, but I did remember. “Yeah. We can go this weekend if you want.”
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t want to go anymore.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “I thought you were excited about it.”
He flopped back down on the bed. “I thought so too, but now?” He rolled over so he was facing me. “I want us to experiment. There are still things I want to try, but I want it to be something just between us. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t want to share that part of my life with anyone else. Does that make sense?”
I blew out a breath. I was grateful he’d decided he didn’t want to go, because I knew I’d have a hard time tamping down my jealousy. Aiden might not believe me, but he was so damned beautiful, and I knew if we went to the club, men would be checking him out.
“It makes perfect sense, and if I’m honest, I’m glad, because the thought of other men looking at you would drive me crazy.”
He opened his mouth.
“And if you say no one would be looking at you, we’re going to have problems. One day, and I make this promise to you, you’re going to look into the eyes of our child, and you’re going to see how beautiful you are.”
A grin ghosted over his face. “You said our child.”
“I did.” I took his hand. “Having a family with you? It’s very high on my list of things I want in life, coming in only second to you.” I gestured to the room we were in. “This family? We’re better for having you and Olivia with us. I want our child to know so much love that they’ll never doubt the power of family.”
I thought back to Brian’s family and to Aiden’s parents who dismissed them simply for being gay. There was no doubt in my mind that our child would never fear coming to us with their concerns, because they would find that everyone from Grandma and Grandpa to Daddy and Papa to Uncles and Auntie would be there, ready to listen.
“Tommy, I….”
The second froze and stretched out into eternity for me. “What did you say?”
The blood drained from his face. “I’m sorry. I—”
“No!” I pulled him close. “Say it again.”
“Tommy.”
God, I never realized how much I loved that name. I grabbed Aiden’s face and kissed him deeply. “Thank you.”
