Page 26 of Home: Posy 5

"Good. Sounds good."

"And you know what else?"

"What?"

"There is nothing you can do or say to make Mama Bubba and Papa Gelo want to send you away. You're their baby, remember?"

He giggled and finally stopped sucking his thumb.

"Listen, Reau, I'm going to tell you something very important. The adults don't want you to know, but I think you deserve to. It's about your Mommy Daddy."

"What about them?" He tilted his head and his stone-colored eyes met mine for a second before he dropped them to my throat.

"This might be hard to hear, but maybe it will help you finally understand that you arenevergoing back there. But, uh, if anyone asks how you found out, say Arch told you, okay?" I hurried to add.

"But Chi-Chi is sleeping—"

"I know, but he's better than I am at winning arguments with adults." I took a big breath, let it out slowly, and just put it out there. "They're dead."

"Who's dead?"

"Mommy Daddy."

"What?" he gasped as tears filled his eyes.

Good going, boy,Spring rumbled. You made him cry again!

"Mommy Daddy are dead." I petted his soft curls and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry if that makes you sad."

I didn't understand why he would care about his abusers. I thought he would be glad they were gone, not grieve them.

"But Dr. York isn't done fixing me yet!" he wailed. "They died before I was fixed! Now no one will love me!"

Goddess, how does this kid's brain work?I shook my head.

"What do you mean?" I knew he hated to explain because it took time and words and patience, but I needed a helping hand here. "Can you please walk me through why you think no one will love you?"

"If Mommy Daddy can't love me, no one can! And they didn't because I'm broken! Dr. York is fixing me, but he's not done yet!"

"Oh, baby, that's not true. You aren't broken. Arch and I both told you that. Dr. York, Mama Bubba, and Papa Gelo all told you that, too. Don't you believe us?"

"Then why didn't Mommy Daddy love me? And how can others love me if my own Mommy Daddy couldn't?"

"Anyone can love anyone. Let's start there. It has nothing to do with whoelseloves you. I love you. Archer loves you. Your mama and papa and Leo and Poppy and Kon love you. The alphas and Posy and Peri and Beta Ty love you. Everyone in our family loves you."

"They do?" He stopped crying and wiped his eyes and nose on the blanket, and I made a mental note to throw it in the wash in the morning.

"Yeah, they do. We do.Ido. Can't you feel it? Don't you feel good and nice when you're with us? Don't you feel connected to us and happy?" When he nodded with his beautiful eyes fixed on my face, I smiled and kissed his forehead. "That's love. And everyone gives you so, so much of it."

"When my heart feels warm, that's love?"

"Yeah. That's love."

"What about when my penis gets hard? Is that love?"

I choked for a second, then had to hold back my giggles.

"Um, I'm not sure it's a good time to talk about that. First of all, I'm not awake enough. Second of all, Arch isn't here. Yeah. Let's wait for Arch. He cantotallyanswer all your questions on that one."

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