Page 257 of As The Shifter World Turns

“I wish Dad was here,” Toby whispered. I’d been worried that Toby wasn’t as close to his dad as he once was, but was pleased to be proved wrong.

While I’d been wanting to avoid awkward conversation with my mate, this wasn’t about me. But as I got my phone to text him, there were footsteps on the porch.

“Martin, we’re glad you came.”

Toby hugged his dad and a glass of champagne was placed in my mate’s hand. “We’re just talking about when we all lived in Sunshine Manor,” Daire said. “And the first time some of us met.”

“You and I have been friends for years,” my mate said to Daire. “That’s why I was here that day. To see you but I bumped into Neil.”

“And poor TD thought my dad was a serial killer or stalker or something.” Toby was grinning from ear to ear. Everyone studied their drinks and I glanced at Daire, silently begging him not to go into detail about how terrified I was. “But we met at soccer,” my son continued. “And I loved Neil, my TD, from that moment.”

I burst into tears and hugged him. He put an arm around Martin who tookCharlie from Daire. No matter what happened between me and Martin, we’d always be a family. Other than my tears, and Elune and Dyani playing with toys, the room was silent.

“I love you, dad. Love you, TD. Love you, little bro.”

Micah cleared his throat. “I’d like to make another toast. To families.”

“To families.”

“Dad, are you free after this?” Toby asked my mate. He nodded. “Can we shift?”

“Sure. Do you want to go now?”

Toby and Martin looked at me.

“That’s fine. Go with your dad.”

“I was thinking, if you’d like, maybe you and Charlie could come too. You could stay in the car or go for a walk.” My older son was a master manipulator. And I was okay with being handled on this occasion.

“That okay with you?” I asked Martin.

“Absolutely. I’ll turn my phone off.”

“Maybe we can go for Thai food afterward, seeing as it’s TD’s favorite.”

“We can do that. Sorry to be party poopers,” I said to Archer. “But we’re going out to the lake house.”

“Go.” He steered us onto the porch. “You need time together as a family.” He gave me a hug. “Love you. Bring me back some green chicken curry?”

While Martin and I didn’t discuss anything of consequence during our outing, it showed me how we could continue to be a family, even if we weren’t together.

116

AS THE GOSSIP FLOWS

Martin

“Come back after you drop Toby off?” Neil said as Toby climbed in the car.

It felt so amazing having him talking to me again. Our night out as a family had been so enjoyable. We still weren’t where we needed to be, but it was a start.

Turning off my phone had been exactly what we needed. I paid for it later that night when I had a bazillion messages and a pissed off agent, but it had been worth it. I needed to do that more. Living this life I’d been living wasn’t good for me, for Neil, and most importantly for my family.

If only I could figure a way out of it.

I’d been so dumb not accepting the job offer from Ivor. It was me being greedy and wanting it all. But if having it all meant I lost my family, it meant I had nothing. I learned that lesson just a little too late.

I climbed in the car after watching Neil and Charlie head into the house. It was the building that housed his apartment. The one that used to be ours.

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