Page 10 of Six of Hearts
"Gabriel," he said. "This is Caleb."
The other man was more reserved, wearing a suit despite it being Friday afternoon. Buzz-cut brown hair, navy blue eyes, a warm but measured smile. He held the hand of a small boy with auburn hair.
"Ronan," he said simply. "And this is Finn."
Something about Ronan drew my attention—a quietness, a careful control. Finn stayed close to his father's side, watching me with intelligent eyes.
The last man entered with a little girl whose hand was clasped in his. Darker blonde hair, tan skin, a smile that seemed to brighten the whole room.
"I'm Julian," he said, his voice deep and pleasant. "And this is Hazel."
"Hi, Hazel." I smiled at her, and she smiled back shyly.
"Hi."
I looked around at all of them—six men, seven children, all watching me with varying degrees of curiosity and hope.
The fathers stood together with an ease that spoke of real friendship, real trust. Whatever this arrangement was, it wasn't just practical. It was personal.
"I have something for each of you," I told the kids, kneeling down and pulling out the wrapped packages.
They gathered around me, and I handed out the gifts one by one. The twins' faces lit up when they saw their personalised gloves. Mila gasped at the ballerina jewellery box.
Caleb examined the rain stick with fascination, and I showed him how to turn it slowly, watching the beads fall.
"If you ever feel worried or overwhelmed, you can use this to help calm down," I explained. "Your dad has one too, so you can do it together."
Gabriel's expression softened as he looked at the matching rain stick in his hand.
Hazel opened her activity book carefully, flipping through the pages. "Thank you," she said quietly.
And Finn—Finn stared at the ninja snowman like I'd given him treasure. "I love it," he whispered.
My throat tightened. "I'm so glad."
I looked up at all of them—these seven beautiful children who I was going to get to know, get to care for. "Is it okay if I help take care of you guys?"
"Yeah!" they chorused.
"Yay!" I opened my arms, and they piled in for a hug, all warmth and excitement and acceptance.
When they scattered to play with their new gifts, I stood to face the fathers. Six pairs of eyes watched me with expressions ranging from approval to relief to something I couldn't quite name.
"Welcome to the family, Aria," Liam said, then followed the kids.
Gabriel gave me a nod and a smile before heading after them.
Ronan held my gaze for a moment longer. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For Finn's gift. He'll treasure it."
Then he too left, and I was alone with Noah, Julian, and Ethan.
Noah pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to me. "For the Kid Cruiser."
I took them with a laugh, remembering his story about the minivan. "Thank you."
"Julian handles all the administrative stuff," Noah explained, his hand on Julian's shoulder. "He'll get you set up with payments and benefits."
"I'll be in the office tomorrow," Julian said. "Stop by when you can, and we'll get everything squared away."
