Page 4 of Family First
He grunted in response, clearly not convinced. I couldn’t help but smile, remembering why I had fallen in love with this fiercely independent—stubbornly idiotic—man. I bet if Stan could’ve willed it, he’d be shimmying out of the hospital without a care in the world. As we made our way to the car, I kept the conversation light, trying to distract him from his current predicament.
“The kids have planned something special for you at home,” I hinted.
He gave me a smile and raised an eyebrow. “What kind of something?”
“You’ll see.”
“Mama cooking all the things?”
“All the things,” I said, recalling the scents of peppers and mustard filling our huge house as I’d left. Not to mention the banners, and the lights, and the…
Yeah, I’d just let the kids get on with it, and when Ten had gotten involved I knew it would be okay. Over-the-top, probably, but then Stan deserved it—anything to make him smile.
We entered the house, after a lot of cursing, with Stan suggesting that pain could go fuck itself at least twice, in Russian, which unfortunately for him I understood completely. As soon as we stepped inside, Elvis’s “Jailhouse Rock” filled the air and I blinked at the bright in-your-face chaos of it all. In the three hours I’d been gone, the front room and hallway had been transformed into an Elvis-themed wonderland with records, posters, and everyone wearing quirky Elvis wigs. Ten and Jared were there, along with Adler and Layton, plus Bryan and his partner, Gatlin. It was a party.
Maybe it was too much?
Or maybe I should stop thinking of Stan as being an invalid and hope his grumpiness slid away and the pain wasn’t too bad.
“Welcome home, Graceland style!” Ten declared, ever the enthusiastic one, doing his best Elvis impersonation.
Jared, in contrast, gave Stan a serious nod, his way of showing concern without drowning in Elvis-themed happiness. “Glad to have you back, man.”
Adler turned to show the huge Elvis face on his shirt, Stan’s mama turned to reveal a matching one, and the kids broke out into some kind of choreographed dance.
Stan tapped his fingers on the wheelchair in time to the song, grinning, the tension in his face easing a little as the song drew to an end.
“Is most good show. Like Las Vegas without girls in feathers,” he said before we hoisted him to his feet for the arduous move from wheelchair to recliner. His face pinched with pain at each step. Thank God there were only a few.
The aroma of delicious food wafted from the kitchen, and I could see an array of soft drinks set out on the table. Everyone was trying to keep the atmosphere light and fun, and for a moment, Stan looked happy.
Bryan approached, his expression holding a mix of relief and concern. “Good to see you out of there, Stan. We missed you at game four.”
Stan’s eyes lit up. Hockey. “Good winning!” he exclaimed, then frowned.
I could see his mind churning out things to say about the fact the Railers were tied two games each, or that Bryan needed to fix this, or that, between the pipes—I cut him off with a deliberate kiss, and after a moment of surprise he melted into the embrace.
“Break it up, boys, we have food!” Adler exclaimed.
“Tell me the hockey!” Stan said loudly as soon as our kiss ended, as if he’d been biding his time to say the words.
Bryan hesitated, glancing my way, as if seeking permission. Hockey could well be a touchy subject right now, given everything. But seeing Stan’s eager face, I gave a nod, signaling it was okay, but I hoped the warning with it—ignore his grumpiness over not playing—came over strong.
Bryan grinned. “We nailed game four. Won comfortably.”
“Bryan was a genius in net,” Adler announced, and Layton shoved him at his lack of tact, but that was typical Adler. “What did I say?” he defended as Layton rolled his eyes.
But Stan was chuckling, and his face lit up. “Tell me all the things!” he demanded.
As the hour wore on, Stan tried his best to stay engaged and upbeat, even with the pain and discomfort. Every now and then, I’d catch him grimacing or shifting in his seat. But he soldiered on, for the sake of our kids, our friends, and for himself, and reminded me of the strength and resilience of my man I had chosen to spend my life with.
Despite the challenges that lay ahead, everything would be okay.
Right?
ChapterThree
STAN
