Page 12 of The Homecoming: The Island

“I think the same.” Nico gave Ira an apologetic look. “Mom sheltered me all my life, and, when I came to The Base, I was completely unprepared for what followed. In their great wisdom, Grandad and Grumpa decided to expose me to everything involved with running the sanctuary. The events on the island offered me the opportunity to put some of the knowledge I accumulated in vet school to good use.”

“The island showed us that, when united, we are a force to reckon with.” Lorcan cast a look in Thorvald’s direction, a mix of pride and affection in his eyes. “However, I think I understand Ira’s point, too, and he is at least partially right.”

“We made friends there, forged bonds, rescued one another’s asses. Sorry, but I don’t think I can forget this. Don’t want to forget it, even if I also have bad memories about that place.”

“This is what I’m talking about,” Ira finally exclaimed, his voice vibrant and passionate. “Why keep talking about something that gives us nightmares and reminds us of horrible things from our past? Why does Tarrin have to permanently remember the man who hurt him so badly? Or Whitey? They are your brothers, cousins, and friends—why would you want them to suffer?”

“Of course not,” Lochlin answered in a soft voice, so different from the one he used earlier. “Even if he doesn’t say anything, I know Julien feels guilty for not accompanying us that day, and it eats him alive. And this one…” He pointed to Whitey, who was staring blankly ahead. “… is one of the most annoying creatures on Earth, but I love him to pieces. Tell me how can I erase all those unpleasant memories from his head and I’ll do it.”

“It’s simple.” Ira gave the blond a warm, compassionate look. “Stop talking about the island and what happened there. Like Gavin said, that experience changed us for the better, made us stronger, braver, more mature, became a part of us. We have to accept it and move on, never look back, never mention those events again.”

“You are right.” Lorcan nodded his approval. “Donald, John, Maddy, and the other guys from the Sanitini family most likely want the same thing. This doesn’t mean we can’t continue to be friends.” He turned to Whitey, who made no efforts to hide his disappointment at his words from earlier. “I’ll talk to Pater, maybe we’ll invite them here one of these days.”

“I don’t think so.” Emery shook his head. “Valentine’s Day is coming, and most likely they would want to surprise their soulmates with a romantic moment.” He sighed dreamily.

“Valentine’s Day…isn’t that when those who have boyfriends or girlfriends score big time?” Whitey grinned, making suggestive gestures.

“Gods, you are incorrigible,” Lochlin huffed, feigning despair. “Why do I love you so much?” He ruffled the older boy’s platinum-blond hair, locked his head, and kissed his forehead.

“Because I’m your stepbrother, and I’m handsome, intelligent, and adorable?” Whitey flashed Lochlin a cute grin, making everyone laugh, easing the tension from earlier.

**********

The day passed quickly, all the boys keeping themselves busy with peeling, washing, chopping, dicing, and slicing the vegetables for the dishes Winter and the other three cooks prepared for lunch and dinner. To everyone’s relief, Whitey bounced back to his usual, bubbly self, his jokes and smart-ass remarks making everyone laugh till they cried.

In spite of the relaxed atmosphere, Lochlin’s heart remained heavy. His longtime boyfriend, Lazarus, who he last saw two days before the kidnapping, showed no sign of life, although he and the rest of the boys were home for more than a day. When he asked his fathers about Lazarus, the men shrugged helplessly, telling him that the boy was out of the city with his family, and that was all they knew.

Lochlin blinked against a sting of tears, and he put his hand to his heart in an attempt to calm its erratic beating and soothe the ache within. He scooted away, in the furthest corner of the long, wide counter, so the others couldn’t see his internal turmoil. The only ones Lochlin couldn’t hide from were his triplets, Emery and Julien, who knew the whole story.

When the tears began to fall, the blond offered to peel and dice all the onions, earning everyone’s eternal gratitude. Once the job was done, he asked Winter to let him set the table for lunch, which the man accepted, to Lochlin’s great relief. The blond spent the whole afternoon keeping himself busy with things that required solo work, successfully avoiding the company of others.

When he felt the overwhelming need to get some air, he let Winter know and left the building, heading to one of the playgrounds in the central yard. Watching the children of all ages having fun always put a smile on Lochlin’s face, no matter how difficult his day. After walking along one of the alleys for a while, he sat on a bench that offered him the best view over the playground.

His attention was captured by a group of small children, no older than six or seven—most of them from neglectful, abusive environments—who enjoyed every minute of the game they invented on the spot. Their happy giggles and laughter filled the air with crystalline sounds, putting a smile on Lochlin’s face.

He couldn’t resist the temptation and joined the small kids, who welcomed him with happy interjections, surrounding him and putting their short, thin arms around his waist. Almost disappearing beneath the pile of small children who wanted a piece of him, Lochlin had to use his ticklish fingers to free himself.

And then, he saw him; Raven-black hair, pink, soft lips and deep-blue, warm eyes filled with kindness and love. Lazarus stood there, a few steps away from him, a smile brightening his delicate facial features. Lochlin blinked a few times, then stared at the boy in front of him in disbelief, half convinced that everything was just a dream, and the image would disappear the second he woke up.

“Earth to my favorite blondie,” a pleasant, almost musical voice pulled him from the state of stupor he was in. “Are you with me?”

“Lazarus… is that really you?” Lochlin closed the distance between him and the black-haired boy, throwing himself in his arms. “I missed you so, so much, and when Papa and Dad told me that…” Unable to continue, the blond boy sobbed quietly.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Lazarus whispered, lightly caressing his boyfriend’s unruly curls. “It must have been so hard for you, with me not giving any sign of life,” he continued, guilt washing over him.

“I thought you wouldn’t want me back, once you found out about the kidnapping, because you would have thought I’m spoiled goods and you would have been disgusted by me and wouldn’t even want to look in my direction, and…” The words flew from Lochlin’s lips like a torrent as if afraid of being interrupted before finishing everything he had to say.

“Shh, baby, I’m here, and I’m not going to leave you like that, but I had no choice. Or maybe, I didn’t fight hard enough,” Lazarus whispered in a guilt-ridden voice. “Let’s go someplace more private where we can talk. These munchkins may look innocent, but they are the greatest gossipers from The Base.” The boy gave an amused look at the little children surrounding them.

“Yup. Tomorrow, everyone, from guards to teachers and kids from school will know you as that mean boy who made Lochlin cry,” the blond cutie grinned, starting to walk.

“And they would be right, because that’s exactly what I did.” Lazarus laced fingers with his boyfriend, lightly squeezing them. “Like I told you almost three years ago, I’m adopted, and my parents are the type who remind me all the time how lucky I am they took me from the streets and gave me a name and put a roof over my head.”

“That’s…they shouldn’t tell you those things, it’s not your fault you ended up on the streets, with no memories of who you are or where you live and what happened to your parents,” Lochlin whispered in a pained voice, caressing the back of Lazarus’s hand with the tips of his fingers.

“I tried to tell them on more than one occasion, but they didn’t listen. Anyway, two weeks ago, mom’s father demanded to see the whole family, and, although I didn’t want to go, they made me, by playing the ungrateful adoptive son card again. We stayed there longer than planned because of a heavy snowfall that affected the flights and also lead to a failure in the communication systems.”

There was nothing but sincerity in Lazarus’s voice. Lochlin’s heart ached for his boyfriend. “I’m sorry for everything their parents throw at you, for how they make you feel, but, above all, I’m sorry that I doubted you.”

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