Page 62 of Baby Boy

That was it! Avery was so worried about pushing Jace away or screwing up that hewasscrewing up. His Daddy wanted to make the tough decisions for him and instead of allowing it, Avery was pushing himself.

He had to trust Jace to tell him if it was too much trouble taking care of him. Avery was fighting the very nature that Jace wanted from him. He needed to be himself and allow Jace to be himself.

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JACE

Jace knew the minute that his boy figured something out. His posture relaxed and his butt gave a little wiggle. Jace rolled his shoulders, not having realized how much tension he’d been holding in.

As soon as he’d spotted his boy slumped over his backpack while sitting on the bus bench, he’d known their date night would not be happening. He hadn’t wanted Avery to think he was hiding him or ashamed of being seen with him, so he’d suggested dinner out at a nice restaurant. He should have realized how exhausted his boy would have been. Plus, he should have insisted on picking him up.

Disobeying him was hard on his boy, but maybe Avery needed the punishment. There had to be a way to show Avery that no matter what he did or said, Jace wasn’t going anywhere. Jace had hoped that time would show Avery how very special he was, but Avery was his own worst enemy. This might be the push Avery needed to realize that Jace was complete dedicated.

With Avery having been so upset earlier, Jace decided on having a light and easy dinner. Then, in the morning, he’d make his boy waffles before sending him to work. Jace set the timer as promised before pulling out some garlic toast from the freezer. He toasted the bread and warmed up some of the Italian chili he’d made the previous weekend. That would be both comforting and warming for his boy. Then they could watch television while Avery played a little. Just an easy night where his boy wouldn’t have to think anymore.

Taking the chili from the freezer, he emptied the container into a sauce bowl and started to warm it up. He had everything cooking by the time the timer dinged.

Avery didn’t react to the loud sound.

Jace washed and dried his hands before strolling over to the boy.

“Okay, baby,” Jace cooed. “I need you to come over and sit in my lap.” The best conversations happened with cuddling, in his opinion.

Avery turned, binkie still in his mouth and his lily and Jared clutched tightly.

Jace waved him forward. Once he was close, Jace patted his leg. Avery offered him a little smile then climbed up. With one hand around his waist, Jace used his other to position the boy, then pulled the pacifier from Avery’s mouth.

“Did you think about what you did?” Jace asked.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

Avery bit his lip then sighed. “You won’t be mad?”

That wasn’t what Jace expected, but he nodded anyway.

“I got frustrated and yelled because I was trying to show you that you don’t always have to take care of me. That I could meet you at a restaurant without you having to go out of your way.”

Jace almost interrupted him to tell him that he didn’t need to prove anything, but Avery pushed forward.

“I cussed because you were so concerned and worried about me when I failed to even get to the restaurant because I was so tired. I felt like I was too much trouble.”

Wow, his boy had spent the punishment time wisely.

“And I didn’t call you because I didn’t want you to be bothered by me once again.”

All those thoughts were what Avery struggled with, so Jace wasn’t surprised. He was a little in awe that Avery had figured it out so fast. Sometimes it was hard to acknowledge one’s own behavior.

“And would I want you to feel those things?” he asked.

“No,” Avery answered quickly. “You want to take care of me. You don’t mind picking me up.”

“That’s correct.”

“And you don’t think I’m too much work,” Avery said with a quick glance at him.

“Quite the opposite,” Jace agreed.

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