Page 4 of Brother to Brother

“Yeah, let ‘em sleep,” Nox agreed, and I knew he’d back me. Out of all four of us brothers, he’d always been the softest.

I shut the door and sighed, looking at my two surviving brothers, first Rush then Nox, “After you both get off of work, come on back here.”

“Need a hand bringing anything else in?” Nox asked.

“Nah, Bro, but thanks; I got it. Try and get some sleep and we’ll see y’all tomorrow.”

“What are you going to do?” Rush asked, brows knit together.

“Don’t have a fuckin’ clue, but for right now, until I figure it out, you’re lookin’ at it.”

He and Nox nodded in unison and let themselves out while I set to putting the damn crib together for the living room. An hour and at least two beers later, it was done and I was dragging some ass but I still brought up all of her and the baby’s shit from the car, piling it on the dining room table.

I went over and flopped down on the couch after it was done, throwing an arm over my eyes. I had no fucking idea what I was doing, none whatsoever. All I knew? That boy in there was blood. Grinder’s blood, sure, and even though we were foster brothers, coming up in the system together, it didn’t matter. Grinder’s blood, Rush or Nox’s blood, it was as good as my own and you didn’t abandon family.

Mel was the boy’s mother, so like it as not that made her family too. I didn’t have to like it, I just had to live with it.Of course, living with it isn’t exactly the worst hardship ever, now is it you fuckin’ pussy?I asked myself. I sighed, and shifted on the couch uncomfortably. I’d always been a little jealous of Grind when it’d come to Mel. She’d been the prettiest of any of the girls to come around the club, but once Grind set his sights on a piece of ass…

Not so ancient history, but history none the less. I didn’t make a habit of dwelling on what was in my rearview, and this was no exception. Besides, I needed to figure out the road ahead because this particular hairpin curve had been totally unexpected. It took me a while, but I managed to fall into an uneasy sleep. I could deal with this shit after the day job. It would just have to wait.

Chapter 5

Melody

Noah becoming fussy is what woke me. I pushed myself up and looked at him, asking automatically, “You got a stinky butt?” His best answer was to start fussing louder, beginning to cry.

“Okay, Baby. Up we go!” I stood up and picked him up. Taking him and his diaper bag into the living room which seemingly hadexplodedwith our belongings overnight.

“Wow,” I uttered, Noah squirming in my arms.

I fetched a towel out of the pile of our clothes and stuff on the dining room table and laid it down on the carpet, along with Noah right on top of it. I played with my son, singing and rhyming and generally trying anything to keep him smiling and giggling while I worked him out of his choo choo train pajamas. Archer was asleep on the couch, and I was terrified of waking him. God knew what he’d do if we did.

I finished changing Noah and picked him up, hugging him and asking, “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah,” he said in his soft baby voice and it was one of the things that made me smile. He was growing up so fast, and so many things he said were clear but then he would come up with something silly and it was a never ending source of joy… my only joy now.

“What does he eat?” my head snapped up and I quailed at Archer’s voice I started to immediately apologize and he gave me one of his withering looks, like he didn’t give a fuck, so I quit while I was ahead and shut my mouth. “What does he eat?” he asked again.

“Anything, he isn’t allergic to anything,” I said.

“I meant formula, baby food; cereal? That kind of thing,” he said and with a grunt he sat up.

“Oh, regular food like what you and I eat,” Noah shifted in my arms and I readjusted him.

“Mamma, hungee!” he said and Archer almost,almostcracked a smile. I couldn’t help myself,Ismiled.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Chicken nuggets,” he said clearly and I sighed.

“Okay, chicken nuggets is not breakfast food, how about cereal?” I asked.

“Pancakes good?” Archer asked.

“Pancakes!” Noah lit up and I laughed.

“I think you have a winner there,” I said and Archer nodded, climbing to his feet.

“I’m gonna run out and get you guys breakfast, but I need your car to get to work,” he said stretching.

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