Page 97 of These Bonds that Unite Us
“You’ve got it, kid,” Donovan promises before hurriedly ending the call to accept another. Life as a DAU leader must be hectic and frustrating. I don’t envy his constant rushing.
“Not good news then?” Titan grunts from where he lounges behind me.
“Yes, and no. Ben is going to turn on our father, but that doesn’t exclude me from participating. It’s still up in the air whether I’ll be required to testify or not.”
He sits up, hands soothing over my shoulders and kneading the stress from my sore muscles. “Whatever happens, you won’t have to face it alone. We’ve got your back.”
“And your front!” Nexus calls from the bathroom. “I’ll protect those beautiful titties for you, gorgeous!”
His teasing breaks the worst of the tension. I send a pulse of love down our bond, silently thanking him for making me laugh when I feel like I’d rather be crying.
He emerges a few minutes later, perfectly done up with his usual winged eyeliner and styled hair. The green and black striped sweater he’s wearing is cropped to show off the inch or two of toned stomach his high-waisted, dark green skinny jeans don’t cover. It’s adorable and so utterly Nexus.
“Okay, sweet girl, let’s get you dressed and ready to go! We have a baby to snuggle!”
Anticipation builds the closer we get to Foster and Shepherd’s apartment. Nervousness does too. I’ve never held a baby before. What if I drop him? Or he starts crying and I can’t soothe him?
“You’ve got this, starlight,” Callisto interrupts my panicked spiral. He takes my hand in his, twining our fingers together and letting our connection steady us. He’s right, I can do this. There has to be some instinct inside of me that will tell me what to do. And if there isn’t at least I won’t be alone.
“Hi, Aunt Omen!” Kait giggles as she runs past us the moment we walk inside. She’s dressed in a princess gown with fairy wings and a superhero mask. Foster runs behind her, wings of his own on his back. She laughs louder as he chases her.
Visiting their house is so different from the last time I was here. It’s loud, messy, and chaotic in all of the best ways. Most notable of all though is the joy spread across both of my friend’s faces. Having my sister and the kids here has given them purpose outside of working themselves to death. Something they desperately needed.
“Oh, you’re here! Ignore the mess,” Hannah says, ushering us inside. I’m surprised to find her babyless, but the mystery is quickly solved when we walk into their kitchen to find my new nephew strapped in a carrier on a very grumpy Shepherd’s chest. I nearly choke on my own saliva when he narrows his eyes on me. This is fucking gold and I wish Bea were here to see it!
Hannah isn’t fazed by his menacing stare though, and quickly sweeps in to grab the baby. He’s so tiny in her arms. And cute, so fucking cute with his wrinkly little hands and chubby cheeks. I’m in love!
“He’s beautiful, Hannah.”
“Thank you.” She smiles down at him with the exhausted but proud look moms always seem to have.
“Everyone is going to have to fight me for baby and kid snuggles now. I have a lot to make up for,” I joke.
“You’re here now,” she lightly scolds me. “We never would have gotten out of New Hampshire if you were still there with me.”
I guess I never considered what would have happened if we were still together when she had Kaitlin. Nothing good, that’s for certain.
“What’s his name?” I ask, changing the topic. We’re here to celebrate this cutie, not to get lost in what-ifs.
“She hasn’t told us yet,” Shepherd grunts.
My head tilts as I look back at my sister. Her cheeks flame with embarrassment as she quickly glances away from Shepherd. Soft baby coos distract me from their apparent sexual tension. This little man already has me wrapped around his finger. They both will be spoiled rotten with us around.
“So, wanna share what that’s about?” I mutter while I rock back and forth. We’re alone in the living room after Shepherd kicked us out so he could finish making lunch.
“I did something..” She hesitates, glancing back at the door. “And I don’t know how they’re going to take it.”
My eyebrows raise, curious as to what she could be so nervous to share with them. I also know her nerves aren’t warranted. The Wilson’s adoration for my sister is blatantly obvious to anyone who sees them. There isn’t anything she could do to upset them.
I tell her as much, offering a comforting side hug when her teeth dig into her cheek. “Tell them while we are here, and if they react poorly you can come home with us.”
“I guess that sounds like a good plan.”
“Come eat!” Shepherd calls out. Feet tap across the floor seconds before Kaitlin appears sans costume. She’s shaking her hands out, sending tiny drops of water all over her shirt.
“Dry your hands, little bug, don’t shake them!” Hannah jumps up, rushing to assist her daughter. I follow after them, taking a seat at their dining table.
Shepherd sweeps over to take the baby back, returning him to his carrier. A pout pushes at my lips now that I’m not wrapped in baby snuggles, but he just points to my plate and starts dishing food for Hannah.
