Page 15 of Demitrius

Demi knew that Mandy was still upset with him. He was at himself, too. But she was at least talking to him, and that was more than he could have hoped for at this time. She was also talking to him about his home and how she’d move back in when things were settled. He didn’t dare ask what settled meant, but he was hoping that he could get her back in the house before Samuel or his sister were free. And that was looking more and more like it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

The judge had pulled them aside and told them what they needed to do to adopt Martin and Teddy. It wasn’t a long list, most of it they’d already done. Like establishing a home for the two of them. Getting them into school or some kind of educational structure. Also, to put them in a place, not necessarily a home, but a loving and settled kind of family. His did that for them. Then he suggested that they get on their way to getting married. Mandy didn’t think that was fair. Single people adopted all the time, but he said that since they were already sharing a home, it wouldn’t be that far of a leap to get them to take the next step. She said that she’d have to think about it. So that was where they were now.

“I have to get with that attorney that called here and let him know that Georgie’s reaction was far more than it should have been for her having nothing to do with her parents’ deaths.” Demi asked if she thought that they’d both been killed by them. “I have no reason to doubt his thoughts on that. If they did both kill them, or even just Georgie, then they’ll put her away as well. I know that the judge is one of those three times you lose sort of people. He said that Samuel and Georgie both have spent time in prison before. I just don’t understand how they think that they can get the kids and all the benefits of welfare too. Like they’re entitled to it or something.”

“They more than likely think that they are entitled to it. It’s free to them, and others are getting it, so why shouldn’t they?” She told him that was just crazy. “Are you still going to put the money you get for keeping them in the bank? I think that’s a wonderful idea. They can use it when they head off to college or something.”

“That was my plan. I’m not going to force them to go to college, but I’m going to be very disappointed if they don’t go. They need to make something of themselves for their mom’s sake. She gave up a lot for them to be free to make the decision to go or not.” She had too. She gave up her life to protect them both. “That reminds me. I need to call and get her headstone set up. I’ve been saving for it since I’ve been working for your family. I have enough now.”

“I would have given it to you.” She told him that she had it now, but was grateful for him saying that. “If you need anything else, just let me know. I have enough funds to keep you and the boys in whatever you need.”

“They’re not going to be spoiled. Just putting that out there. They’re going to work for what theywant, and I’m not going to be giving them anything and everything that they want. I don’t want them to have it all so that they’re spoiled rotten kids like some rich families are.”

“I agree with you on that. I don’t think that any of us will spoil our kids. We’ve had to do without. I don’t mean that we won’t give them things that they need, especially for school, but I don’t want them to be rotten any more than you do. They’ll get what they need and, like you said, work for the rest.” She nodded, and he could see her mind working on that, too. What sort of things they’d give them to make their lives better, but not too much.

Demi didn’t have anything. Not even a new car. He’d gotten himself a second-hand car when he’d needed it, and he’d not gotten himself any new clothing in years. He wore what he had until it wasn’t even fit for a rag. It was just the way they were. Locke even bought second-hand, too, and he had all kinds of money. But he thought of things now.

They needed a more reliable car to get the boys back and forth to school. Also, the house was about half-filled out, and he wanted them to have their own things. Taking the bunk beds from the little house had been on his list of things to do, just so they’d have more room in their own rooms. Also bikes. The two that they had were rusty and worn, and he was afraid they’d get hurt from them. There were a great many things that he wanted to get for them that were a necessity.

He started a list of things that he wanted to take care of, and he noticed that Mandy had one as well. They needed new backpacks. The ones that they’d been given were in bad shape, and he thought that one of them had been his when he’d been taking classes at the university. They needed one better than he’d had.

“I have things that I can use for the house at the little one if you’d not mind bringing them over.” He asked her what they might be. “Well, one thing that I need is the coffee maker. It arrived just before I left here, and I’ve not set it up. I do need a cup of coffee once in a while, and it’s a really nice one. Also, there is the couch in the living room. It’ll be too small by itself in your living room, but it’s at least something we can sit on. There are lamps, too.”

After they’d gone over their lists, he was impressed at how much she wanted to bring to the big house. There were things that they were going to have to buy, extra towels and linens and such, but they had plenty of time to get some of the things that the boys needed too, like computers. They would need them to do their homework on. A great many of the classes they were going to take were online and could be done at their own pace. He loved that idea, too.

Demi also made sure that she had some credit cards with her name on them. He only had the three major ones and hadn’t felt like getting anything more after Alex had gone through their credit when she’d first come to the family and gotten them narrowed down on what they were spending money on each month. He’d been spending money on two cable accounts in the same home. And one of the others had been paying to have his suits pressed monthly when he didn’t even wear a suit to the tune of five grand per month. They’d been had, and thankfully, she’d been able to get things taken care of for them in less time than he would have thought. He knew that he’d put it off until he forgot about it again.

There had also been a limo service that they were being charged for, which none of them used. They would have driven or walked to most of the things and places that they needed to go. He would be forever grateful to her for looking outside the box for them.

“Mr. Demi? Can we just call you Demi?” He told Teddy that he’d like that too. “I know you’re not our dad on account of you being nice and all but someday we might want to do that too. You’re way nicer than he ever was to us. Aunt Mandy said it would be up to you what we called you. Is that all right?”

“It is. Calling me Mr. Demi makes me feel kind of old.” Martin pointed out that he was old, and he tickled him until he screamed. “What do you call my brothers? Mr. Locke? I think it’s safe to assume that they’re going to be your uncles soon, so you can call them that. I know you call Alex your aunt.”

“Yeah, she said that calling her Miss Alex made her feel like she needs to be having a lot of cats. I love cats, so I don’t understand that.” He told him that he should ask her sometimes. “I will, but sheuses big words and I don’t understand her any more than I did before. Aunt Shipley kind of scares us. I don’t think that she’d hurt us, but she always has a gun, and that’s sort of scary to the two of us.” Martin nodded like his head was on a bobble. “Aunt Mandy is the best to us. She sits us down and talks to us about everything. I’m glad. She even explains things so that we understand them too. All kinds of stuff. I asked her for a dog and she sat us down and told us that a dog is a lot of responsibility and that if we wanted one, we was going to have to work for it. That’s what we’re doing. Showing her how we can be responsible human beings before we can be responsible for another being. I love that she called us human beings. Because you know why? Cause that’s what we are. Isn’t that funny?”

“That is funny. And I agree with her about being responsible for something else. That’s a good plan to have.” Martin said they already had a name picked out for it. Snoopy. “That is a great name. I like it.” Mandy had made two kids who hadn’t had a thing in their lives want something to take care of. And he had no doubt that they’d do a good job of it, too, simply because of how they were being raised.

Something that he’d been asking himself since she’d moved back into his house, and he’d realized that he loved her, was why he ever thought that he didn’t. Every day since then, he’d been finding new ways that he loved her, new things that would have him gushing about how wonderful she was. Christ, he loved her with every breath he took.

She made it easy, too, to love her. She was kind, compassionate, and loving. She took care too that those around her had what they needed from her and then some. She was also happy. He loved hearing her singing through the house. While she was outside with the boys or simply hanging out with him. She gave joy wherever she was, and he loved every bit of her.

Tonight they were having make-your-own pizza. And he was looking forward to that more than he was any six-course meal that he could have whipped up. It was the simple things in life that were giving him such joy now, and he didn’t even care who called him a sap.

Chapter 7

The house was settling into a good routine. He didn’t like it, but that seemed to be making the rest of the residents of the house happy, so he went along with it. He wanted things to shake up, to be fun. But with two kids in the house and a woman who seemed to be a little upset with him most of the time, he was going with it. Demi hated routine.

For as much as he loved things organized, he didn’t care for getting up at seven in the morning, taking a shower, eating, and going out the door. He supposed that he was bored. That’s what it was, he told himself, he was bored. And he was going to get himself in trouble if he didn’t stick with being bored all the time.

While he didn’t want anyone mad at him, he did need something more. Maybe a little play in the morning before getting a shower. Not sex, though that would be fantastic, but something to happen that would make everyone smile throughout the day when they thought about it. Something…just something. He was so going to be in trouble. Especially if he kept thinking the way that he was.

Demi didn’t want chaos. He just wanted something to shake things up. To giggle a little. He kept telling himself that he could do this. It could be boring, but every day, he thought of something else to do, to shake things up a bit. One of these mornings, he was going to bust loose and do it. However he was afraid that everyone would be pissed off at him for messing up their routine. Deciding to talk to his brothers, he left the house before the kids were finished with breakfast and went in search of any one of them to talk to.

“Don’t do it.” Locke just happened to be the one that he found first, and after telling him his dilemma, his brother was shaking his head even before he finished speaking. “You’ll upset everyone, and I’m sure that’s not what you want. Have you gone completely mad? Seriously, Demi, don’t do it. Not only will you regret it, but you’ll regret it for a long time. Wives have long memories and they’ll remember that shit long after the kids are grown and out of the house. They’ll be calling you the bad guy.”

“For wanting a little fun? When did you get to be an old man? It’s not like I’m going to go out and murder someone. I’m just going to interject a little fun in the morning. I think you’re looking at this all wrong. Don’t you ever mess up Alex’s routine in the morning?” He nodded and said that she’d messed it up, not him. “So, if you want a little sex in the morning, you have to wait for her to start it? That doesn’t sound like you at all.”

“All I can tell you is not to do it.” He went to find another brother. But on his way to find someone else, his cell phone rang. It was Mandy.

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