“He’s either going to think they’re all in a relationship together, or he’s going to think Croix is your Dad and Merrick’s love child.”
Obviously Merrick and Dad had come to the same conclusion because they both reached for each other’s hands at the same time. “He’s ours.”
It’d been so long since anyone—who wasn’t Rett—had cracked a joke like that, the rest of the room didn’t even blink. Well, they blinked, but there was no snickering or reactions to it that’d give the fact it was a joke away.
“That’s great,” the doctor said, sounding exhausted and not reacting to the announcement.
I decided at that moment I liked the guy—how much would depend on what he had to say about my brother, though. “Who’s Hart?”
My baby brother took a step forward and raised a hand, looking nervous. “I am.”
The first emotion showed on the doctor’s face. Amusement.
“Croix says to tell you you’re adopted.”
SEVENTEEN
REMY
Tana was in the shower when the knock on the door came, and I opened it and put my finger to my lips to tell Mom to keep her voice low.
Nodding, she beckoned behind her, and Carrie’s mom appeared with my son fast asleep on her chest. Christ, it’d only been a week, but I swear he’d grown in that time.
“He fell asleep a few minutes ago. We had a restless night last night because he’s got another tooth coming in. Then there was the flight, so he’s exhausted himself.”
Both women looked at each other, both looking frazzled.
Taking him from Clarice and feeling contentment wash over me at having him in my arms, I murmured, “What happened on the flight?”
Mom carefully stroked the soft hair on the top of his head that was standing slightly on end. “Either your son hates flying, or teething and flying don’t go well together. He cried the whole way and got so upset he threw up. We brought him straight here so we could give him a bath.”
Clarice added, “And me.”
I winced. “Toby puked on you on the plane?” When she nodded, I shuddered and smiled apologetically at her. “I’m so sorry. He’s been on one twice, but that was months ago and he slept through it with no problems.”
“These things happen,” she shrugged. “Plus, we got through the arrivals line quickly because no one wanted to be near us.”
Just then, Tobe’s eyes fluttered open, and he stared up at me sleepily. “Dada?”
“Hey, Bub. It’s so good to see you.”
The nickname had come from Tana and her family, but it suited him, so I was going to start using it. Jerry had started the trend by calling them all it, but now it’d been given to Toby, too, and I loved it. He was firmly embedded in the hearts of both our families, and it just solidified for me that fate existed. Not many people had a nickname that could be given to a baby from another family, firmly bringing them into their own, but the Spring/Beamers had done just that.
Toby straightened up, wobbling slightly before he caught himself by grabbing my t-shirt. “Dada!”
The squeal wasn’t loud, but almost like she had a built-in radar for him, the shower stopped. Moments later, Tana opened the door, her body wrapped in a towel and tears already in her eyes. I’d never seen her cry until Croix’s accident happened, and I really hoped I never saw her like that again. Even her happy tears cut through me, but there was a strange beauty in the ones trailing down her cheeks at that moment.
“Nana!” Tobe squealed, reaching out for her.
Not seeing Mom and Clarice standing in the doorway, she caught him and swung him around in a circle.
“You’re here!” she cried, then brought him close to her chest. “I missed you so much, Bub.”
Smiling happily over her shoulder at us, Toby patted her arm, making the women behind me sigh.
“That’s a beautiful sight,” Clarice said quietly, and when I looked at her, she looked happy but understandingly heartbroken at the same time.
Feeling my eyes on her, she turned her attention to me. “I’m so happy for both of you, Remy, and Carrie would be, too.” Reaching out to squeeze my bicep, she added, “You’re a good daddy. We always knew you would be.”
Leaning in and wrapping her arm around my waist, Mom whispered, “You just needed to believe you could do it.”
Looking back over at where Toby was telling Tana stories, I finally understood what had been on their faces that day. It wasn’t that they didn’t think I could do it, it was that they’d wanted me to know I could. Pity was a common human emotion, and I’d interpreted it negatively when it hadn’t been like that at all.
“Every day is a learning day,” I murmured. “Most of the time, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, but Tana’s always there to help me out.”