Page 46 of Her Saviors

I don’t know what else to say right now because I don’t know what Gavin wants to do in the long run. “Come on, let’s let Mia sleep, okay?”

He sighs, but gets off my lap and then reaches up to take my hand as we leave the nursery and head back downstairs. I see the look on Brooklyn and Gavin’s face and realize that even though the monitor was low, they were still able to figure out what has Kyler so upset. Brooklyn is trying hard not to let the tears spill over her lashes as she looks at us. This is a battle I’m not sure she’ll win. Today is an emotional day after what Kyler’s just said and she’s already emotional with all the pregnancy hormones running rampant through her.

“How about we take your bike out for a ride?” Gavin asks, getting off the couch and standing before his brother.

The weather has been a bit crazy lately, but we have a clear day so we may as well take him outside and hopefully take his mind off things. Kyler nods, still very much lost in his head as he looks between the three of us.

“Okay if I ride, Brooky?” he asks her, his lip wobbling as he looks at her and only her.

“You can ride, Little Man. I’ll come out and watch you,” Brooklyn tells him as Gavin and I lead Kyler into the garage. She grabs the monitor and follows behind us since Mia is still asleep. Instead of entering the garage with us, Brooklyn goes out on the porch to wait for us so we have a few minutes alone.

As soon as the three of us are in the garage, Gavin kneels down in front of his brother and looks at him. For a minute, he doesn’t say anything. I’m worried that he’s about to break down and leave us alone when he’s been doing so well.

“Kyler, you’re my brother and that will never change for any reason. Our family is changin’ and that’s okay. When everythin’ is done, Brooklyn, Jayce, and I will adopt you and Mia. Do you know what that means?” Gavin asks him as Kyler shakes his head in response. “That means you and Mia will be our children. We’ll be your parents even though you already had a mom and dad. Because they’re in heaven now, you’ll live with us and will never have to worry about not having a home to come to when you need it. We all love you and Mia so much, Kyler.”

“Love you, Gavin,” Kyler says, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Gavin’s neck as his little body shakes. “We won’t leave you ever?”

“Never, Little Man. You will stay in our home as long as you want to,” Gavin promises him as he continues to hold our boy in his arms as they have their moment.

“You love us?” Kyler asks, looking up at me.

“I do love you and Mia very much. Our new babies won’t take away from that, Little Man. We’ll all love the four of you the same,” I answer him, crouching down and holding out my arms for him to step into.

After giving Kyler the reassurance he needs, we get him in his riding gear and make sure his helmet is secure. Gavin opens the garage door so Kyler can push his bike out. He’s gotten really good over the last few months and tries to do as much as possible on his own. Kyler is really independent when he doesn’t get lost in his head because of everything he’s been through recently. Theresa, his counselor, has assured us we’re doing well. She meets with him regularly so we can get ahead of anything that might be bothering him. His tantrums have lessened significantly, which is good, because it’s difficult to discipline a little boy who is acting out due to grief. He doesn’t have the capacity to verbally express what he’s feeling, so he throws tantrums instead. Gavin and I stand by him as Kyler looks up at Brooklyn and calls out that he loves her. Brooklyn loses her battle as the tears slide down her face and she tells him she loves him too.

We let Kyler ride for an hour or so before we go in to get ready for lunch. He’s happier than when we brought him outside and the ride did him some good. It’s the same thing all of us do when we need to clear our head—we ride our bikes and let the wind take away all the negative shit so we can come back with clear heads. Apparently Kyler is the same and needs an outlet when he’s feeling overwhelmed. We’ll do whatever he needs. That will never be an issue for any of us.

As we go to sit down for dinner, there’s a knock on the door. I go to open it and find Mrs. Deville standing there with a smile on her face.

“Mr. Sord, it’s good to see you again,” she greets me, as I step back and allow her into our home.

“It’s good to see you as well. Did we know you were comin’ tonight?” I ask her, confusion filling me.

“No. This is my last surprise visit. We have to do so many of these visits when people take children into their homes here. If you don’t know we’re coming, you can’t put on a front and pretend things are going well if they truly aren’t. I’ve been here for breakfast, lunch, and now dinner time. How are you all doing?” she informs me as she looks around the house to find toys scattered in the living room and one of Kyler’s papers from school on the counter with a bunch of crayons spilled out next to it.

“Um, I’m sorry about the mess,” Brooklyn says, standing up from her chair immediately as she reaches out to grab the table so she’s steady and doesn’t fall over in her haste to get up.

“I don’t see a mess, Mrs. Sord-Calhoun. I see a home that’s lived in and toys out the kids were playing with before dinner. I’m also seeing school work and crayons out because you’re ensuring Kyler keeps up with his school work even though he’s had the day off of school. I know those papers were sent home even if the teacher doesn’t expect them to be completed. She just wanted to send the kids home with something for the long weekend,” Mrs. Deville says as she steps up to the table. “What’s for dinner tonight?”

“Tonight we’re having Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and peas. We have rolls to go with it. Kyler is having milk to drink with his dinner. We’ve been giving Mia parts of what we eat for every meal. We’re careful and write down everything the kids eat. I’ve been keeping notebooks with everything the kids have to eat, when they’ve been to the doctor, Kyler’s grades, and everything else. Especially their schedule,” Brooklyn says, rushing to the island where she grabs the notebooks she’s been writing in every single day.

Mrs. Deville takes them and looks through the pages as she joins us at the table, telling us to proceed with eating. Kyler tells her all about his day, including riding on his motorcycle. Brooklyn quickly explains it’s one for his age and doesn’t go fast. She tells our caseworker about his riding gear and helmet as well. She pulls out her phone and gives it to the caseworker so she can watch one of the videos Brooklyn has made. Mrs. Deville makes a note in our file with a smile on her face.

“Kyler, do you like living here?” Mrs. Deville asks him while he eats his dinner.

“Yeah. Mia and I are loved here. Gavin wants to keep us,” he states proudly while looking at his brother. “I like school and can play with my new friends there. I’m learning colors and reading.”

“Wow! That’s a lot, Kyler. Do you think Mia likes living here?” Mrs. Deville questions, a soft smile on her face.

“Yeah. She scares everyone here,” Kyler says referencing the morning we realized she started sleeping through the night.

Gavin explains the story as Mrs. Deville laughs and assures us we’re not the only ones who experience that fear when a baby sleeps through the night for the first time. She also assures Brooklyn we did everything right by checking on Mia, being prepared to call in the doctor, and asking someone older who has raised her kids and grandkids. I relax back in my chair and finish my dinner as Kyler and Mrs. Deville talk.

“This is the schedule you have the kids on every single day?” Mrs. Deville asks us as she continues looking through the notebooks.

“It is. They actually got used to it a lot quicker than we anticipated. It seems as though Mia and Kyler love the structure we’ve given them while still having the ability to change things up when it’s necessary,” Brooklyn answers her as I stand up and start collecting the dirty dishes from the table while making sure Mia has enough food as she plays and eats at the same time. “I also have a calendar on the refrigerator with all of their appointments. I figure when they get older and start whatever activities they’re interested in, it’ll be a bigger one, but for now, it works.”

There are mashed potatoes in her hair and gravy covering her face. She’s so dirty from dinner and enjoying her food that it’s hard to see her eyes. Parts of her hair are actually sticking up in places because of the mashed potatoes. She truly is a sight to behold and I wonder if we get points deducted by Mrs. Deville because our girl is a wreck. Turning around, Gavin snaps a picture of her as she laughs at him. Somehow, Mia always knows when someone is taking a picture of her and hams it up for the camera.

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