Page 17 of Like Sugar

His brown eyes widened with joy.“Mama is coming?”His voice was louder than appropriate and again, my father flashed me a look telling me to get my kid in line.

“Sorry, he’s three,” I apologized to the room.“His mom has been on the road for work the last few weeks and he’s a little excited.”The staff, extended family, and press all nodded knowingly, but not my father.

Honestly, it was that attitude that made me thankful that the poor kid hadn’t been exposed to this earlier in his brief life.Hell, it’s the one part of my life I wish I could continue to shelter him from.Wyatt didn’t notice the tension, though.

“Mister Vice President, Catherine Roberts has arrived,” a butler announced.It annoyed me that my father refused to acknowledge the fact Catherine had changed her last name to Fuller when she got pregnant and her father tried to erase her from the family.

Catherine appeared behind him on the arm of Sergio, the drummer of the band she worked with.“Mama!”Wyatt yelled, launching himself across the room.She flashed an apologetic smile to my father before bending down to pull Wyatt into her arms.I could see her whisper in his ear, likely asking him to be on his best behavior.He nodded seriously before fist bumping Sergio.

Catherine took Wyatt by the hand and made her way into the room.“Senator, nice to see you,” she leaned in for a chaste hug.

“You okay?”I said in her ear so no one could hear.I placed a kiss on her cheek, and she nodded, looking away.Sergio and I shook hands, though his face suggested he would rather punch me.

“Mama, you remember the white president?”Wyatt asked, holding his hand out as if he were introducing her to my father.

“Of course.It’s lovely to see you, misterVicePresident,” Catherine smiled.“Thank you so much for having us.”

“You’re family, Catherine, of course,” he said in his best politician’s voice as he leaned in and gave her the same welcome kiss on the cheek.“Wyatt here is the most fun Thanksgiving has seen since my boys were young,” he chuckled.

Yeah, I’ll bet.I remember my childhood and there’s no way my father would have allowed us in the room if my mother couldn’t keep us quiet.

“He must be showing off for the press.He’s not accustomed to such fanfare.I’ll take him to the playroom to get some energy out,” Catherine said, dutifully.She scooped Wyatt up off the floor and made her way out of the room, Sergio hot on her heels.

“Pay attention, son.That’s how you parent an unruly child,” my father said to me under his breath.

“Thanks to you, I’ve only been a parent for a minute, so you’ll have to excuse my novice,” I said through clenched teeth away from the ears of the press.Seriously, what the fuck?Since letting the world know I had a son, I relied heavily on Eleanor and Catherine to lead in matters that pertained to Wyatt.They were experts in deflecting his tantrums when the days got too long, or dampening his excitement when things were, well, exciting.

With both gone for the last month I was flailing about.Candace was better at taming the child than I was, and I was ashamed to realize that I let her lead the way when it came to taking care of my kid.I knew I was failing as a parent, but it chapped my ass to have my father point it out.If I had been allowed to be his father from the beginning, I would know what I was doing by now.

I mingled around, feeling antsy without my little sidekick.My brother, Rob, came up to me with his boyfriend, Andrew, as soon as they arrived.“Hey, where’s my nephew?”Rob asked, looking around.“You said you were bringing him.”

It pissed Rob off when he found out that he had a nephew last spring.Not because Wyatt existed, but because Rob missed out on three years of spoiling him as his uncle.If he wasn’t so busy flying around the world, Rob was an international pilot, I would’ve asked him to live with us while Catherine got her feet under her.

Instead, I had a hot as hell nanny I wanted to throw against the nearest wall and fuck until she screamed.So inappropriate.“He’s with Catherine in the other room.He keeps calling dad the ‘white’ president.”

Rob doesn’t hold back his laughter.“That’s amazing.Thank god you knocked up Cee and not Elle.Imagine how boring your kid would be?The two of you are a couple of sticks in the mud.My girl, Cee, knows how to party.”

I rolled my eyes.If only he could see Eleanor now.On tour with a rock band.“Yeah, well.Wasn’t intentional.”

Rob looks at Andrew, chuckling.“Only my big brother could manage to knock up his fiance’s sister with a one-night stand.Kid came out holding her IUD.Makes me thankful to be gay.No surprise pregnancies there, eh?”

“Shh!Keep it down!Dad is giving us the evil eye.”

“It’s just too hilarious.I’m the fuck-up and yet somehow you are the one who caused the vein bulging in dad’s forehead.”

“Uncle Wob!”I hear Wyatt cheer from the back of the room.I looked over to see Catherine gently reminding him to lower his voice as the trio walked toward us.

“Hey, Wy!”Rob says as he and Andrew give Wyatt high fives.“How’s my favorite kid?”

“I has to use my manners today.I keeps forgetting, but mama says it’s okay cuz I’s just free,” Wyatt explains.

“What do you say you and Uncle Rob find some cookies in the kitchen?”Rob waggles his eyebrows.

“Can I pwease, mama?”Wyatt looks to Catherine, who gives Rob a side eye.

“One cookie.You haven’t had dinner yet.Keep an eye on Uncle Rob and make sure he only takes one as well, okay?”she responded.

“Okay!Thanks mama!Let’s go, Uncle Wob.I saw ones wif frosting!”Wyatt pulled Rob’s hand excitedly.

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