Page 88 of Anteros' Return

“Me too, mate, me too. Now, shall we go and join your mum? Maybe dinner is here.”

“Yes! I’m starving!” His face lit up brighter than the stars in the night sky as he jumped up to his feet.

“Well, it’s a good job we ordered so much food then.”

“Hey, Dad?” He tugged at my hand, trying to pull me up with all his strength. “When do I get to meet your mum and dad? Do they want to meet me?”

“Whenever your mum says it is a good time to, but yes, they cannot wait to meet you.” I reached into my pocket, handing him the one hundred pounds my dad had given me to give to Liam. “Actually, this is from your grandad for your birthday.”

His eyes widened with delight as he held the two fifty pound notes in his hand. “I’ve never had this much money before.”

“Do you know what you’re going to spend it on?”

“Not yet, except one thing.” He stuffed the notes into his piggy bank in the shape of a football. “I want to be the first person to buy something from Mummy’s bakery. I want to be her first customer.”

My heart swelled with pride at how wonderful this kid was. I literally had no words, I just nodded with a smile.

“Come on, dinner time!” He didn’t let go of my hand as he hurried down the stairs, the aroma from the diner’s food wafting in our direction.

“Hey, you two.” Em had already plated up dinner as she placed it on the settings on the table. She looked up at me with a smile, her eyes silently questioning if everything was okay until she spotted Liam’s hand in mine and she already knew.

Liam let go of my hand and flopped himself down onto his seat as I reached Emily who had that familiar blush to her cheeks, the one she only ever had around me. I leaned against the counter, wanting to touch her, hold her, and kiss her, but Liam being around made that pretty hard. She mouthed the word ‘later’ to me, and for now, I’d take that. But only for now.

“You know what I’d really like for my next birthday?” Liam asked with a giggle as he stuffed a chip into his mouth.

“Hit us with it,” I answered, wondering what more this kid could possibly want that he had to ask for it a year in advance.

“A brother or sister.”

Emily almost choked as I could barely contain my smile.

“How about you just eat your dinner before it gets cold?” Emily tutted as we joined Liam at the table.

Nothing else was said about a sibling, Mike, or the fact that I was Liam’s dad while we ate. But it was one of the first times I knew that every decision I was making was the right one.

After dinner, Liam blew out the candles on his cake, but not before Emily asked him to make a wish.

“My wish has already come true.” Liam looked up at me over his cake before blowing out the eight candles, and I knew at that very moment that having his dad around was all he ever wanted.

“You go and get ready for bed, birthday boy. I’ll be up to tuck you in once I’ve cleared away down here,” Em said as she loaded the cake plates into the dishwasher.

“Actually, I want Dad to tuck me in.” He had already darted up the stairs before either of us could answer. “I love you, Mum!” he shouted from the top of the stairs, making Em smile at how adorable he was.

“Is that alright with you?” I asked, not wanting to overstep on Emily’s usual routine with him.

“He’s your son, Beck. You never have to ask me if things are alright, especially if he’s asked for you.” She shut the dishwasher, leaving the gap between us bigger than I liked.

Of course, I closed it.

“I’d never want to step on your toes, cupcake, especially since it’s been you and him for so long.” I pushed her against the counter as her lips parted slightly.

“You don’t ever have to worry about stepping on my toes.”

I lowered my head, our foreheads now touching as I brought my lips a mere inch from hers. “I’m here for the long haul, Em. I’m not walking away from you again.” I didn’t know how much she believed that, but I knew with time she would.

“Do you really mean that, Beck?” she whispered against my mouth.

“With my life. You and Liam are it for me. There is nothing else that is more important than you both.” I smiled as I kissed her, tasting the sweetest mixture of vanilla icing and her. “I used to think I missed being here, at home… But I soon realised that it wasn’t here that I was missing, it wasyou.”

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