Page 23 of Baby Boy

Laughing, Jace pointed toward a chair. “Sit down, silly boy.”

Avery skipped over and pulled out the chair. He plopped down with Jared in his lap.

“Zoo or trains?” Jace asked, holding up two kid coloring books from a drawer.

“Zoo!” Avery bounced, unable to help it. It was just like the coloring book he’d seen when he’d been at the store with Jasmin. He almost asked if Jace had the superheroes one, but he didn’t want to sound ungrateful.

“I thought so,” Jace commented. He grabbed a big box of colorful crayons from the drawer before heading over to where Avery sat. “We’ll have to look and see what other ones you’d like.”

Avery almost offered his opinion but chickened out at the last minute.

“How about you color a picture for me?”

“Yes!” Avery easily agreed. He didn’t have to worry about doing anything wrong because Jace was telling him what to do.

Avery got the coloring book, crayons, and a kiss on the top of his head. He opened the book and shuffled through the pages until he found a mama and baby giraffe. He wiggled around as he pulled out the brown crayon and started on his picture.

It was so much better than the adult coloring books or the colored pencils. He changed colors just because he could. If he was little, he could choose what color he wanted his animals. The sounds in the kitchen were soothing, letting him know that Jace was close by. He worked for several minutes before Jace was back at his side.

“How about a drink?”

Avery lifted his head just as Jace set a plastic cup with a lid in front of him. A sippy cup. It was bright yellow with a lion on it. Avery eyed the cup, not knowing what to do.

“I can get you another glass if you want,” Jace offered.

Avery shook his head before he even meant to respond in any way.

“Good boy,” Jace praised.

He looked back down at his picture as Jace went back to the stove, the sizzling in the pan taking his attention once again.

Avery glanced at the cup before he began coloring again. He was thirsty. And he was wearing cars on his pajamas. It wouldn’t be a big deal to drink out of the sippy cup, he told himself. He’d said he would try, after all.

He set the crayon down before grabbing the cup with both hands. Avery traced a finger over the lion’s mane. Lions were brave and Avery could be too.

Avery lifted the cup to his lips.

Jace wasn’t looking at him.

He quickly took a sip. The cool crisp flavor of apples burst on his tongue. Apple juice! Avery hadn’t had apple juice in years. He drank more, slowly emptying half before he set the cup down and picked up the green crayon for the grass.

He was going to color the best picture ever.

If this was what it meant to be Jace’s boy, Avery didn’t understand why everyone wasn’t looking for a Daddy.

He’d been dressed in soft clothes, given a new stuffed animal, and gotten to color and drink apple juice. Avery didn’t have to worry about anything but trying to stay in the lines of his picture.

Avery held in a giggle. He might color just outside the lines but he’d try his very best!

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JACE

Jace watched Avery out of the corner of his eye. The night had been going better than he’d expected. Avery was being so brave, trying new things. He was a natural, just like Jace suspected.

Jace finished cutting up the pork chop for Avery’s kid’s plate that matched the sippy cup and put it in one of the plate’s divided sections. Pork chops might not be a big deal but they paired perfectly with the homemade mac and cheese he’d baked. In one of the remaining dividers, he added some apple sauce. He hadn’t missed how excited Avery had gotten when he’d tasted the apple juice. Plus, his grandmother had also added apple sauce to pork. It was a familiar routine he wanted to share with Avery. The last step was buttering a roll for his boy. Once he was satisfied with how Avery’s plate looked, he picked it up along with the hippo fork he’d found.

“Baby boy, it’s time to eat,” he announced as he stood next to Avery.

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