I knew where this was going. “You have to have whatever adult is looking after you with you before you open the door, got it?”I waited for his solemn nod before I let out a breath. “Open the door, Tris.”
Tristan whirled around and threw open the door, not even shivering at the gust of cold air that blew in. “Grams! Hi, you came to see me!”
“I’m here to see you all,” Mary said brightly, bending to receive my son’s tight hug. She used the opportunity to enter the house, followed closely by Regan.
“Aunt Regan!” Tristan squealed and he launched himself toward them, but screeched to a halt when he saw the boxes they were carrying. “Cupcakes!”
“For after breakfast,ifyour parents say it’s okay.”
Tristan’s pout was epic and for just a second, I thought he was going to have a tantrum. Tristan didn’t have many of those anymore, thankfully mostly growing out of that stage now that we were working on using his words. He stopped himself, theatrically drawing in a deep breath and blowing it out through his mouth. Then he turned to Caitlyn.
“Mommy, Aunt Regan doesn’t feel like a girlora boy.”
Which Caitlyn knew because the kids couldn’t stop talking about all of the people they met at Thanksgiving and she’d been regaled with many a tale in the past few weeks. Harper had even shared all the pics she’d taken of them.
To her credit, Caitlyn took that in stride, and nodded seriously. “Thank you for telling me. That’s important information to have.” Cait ruffled Tristan’s hair, then turned her attention to the people at the door. “Nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard all about you.”
Mary beamed, her eyes soft. I could tell she liked Cait right off the bat. I’d learned quickly that Mary Mulligan didn’t hide her emotions.
“Mary, Regan, this is my…this is Caitlyn.” I almost introduced her as my wife, that change still new, the habit of the words wanting to escape. “Cait, Teague’s mom and sibling.”
“It’s so lovely to meet you,” Mary said warmly, going in for a hug. Cait obliged but pulled back quickly. She wasn’t much of a hugger.
“Come in out of the cold,” I said quickly, wanting to divert their attention.
Regan stepped further into the room, but Mary stayed where she was, her attention dropping to Tristan. “I need someone strong to help me get the bags out of the car.”
Tristan’s hand shot in the air, and he bounced on his toes. “Me! I’m strong.”
When he flexed his little arm, Mary felt the non-existent muscle and gasped. “Youarestrong. Get your boots and coat on then, and come help.”
While Tristan scrambled to do that, I turned to face her. “Mary,” I began, trying to keep the chastisement out of my tone.
“Hush.” She waved a hand at me. “It’s just a few groceries and some freezer meals. I know Charlie stocked the fridge, but this is just to help you while you settle. You have enough to worry about this week. It’s just a few things. You wouldn’t deny me the chance to help, now would you.”
It wasn’t a question, and there was just a hint of menace in her tone. But I knew her well enough that it was all with good intention, so I threw my hands up in the air. Mary rewarded me with a throaty laugh, bent to help Tristan zip his coat, and then took his hand to lead him down to the car. I turned wide eyes on Regan.
They grinned. “She’s a force of nature, you know that. When she said she was heading over, I figured the least I could do was tag along and try to mitigate some of the damage.”
I chuckled and held out my hands. “Here, let me take that so you can get your coat off.”
They handed over the box. “There’s muffins in there, blueberry as well as chocolate chip. It’s not just cupcakes.”
I squinted at them. “But there are cupcakes, right?”
Regan’s throaty laugh sounded just like their mother’s. “Of course.”
“Quick, Cait. Come steal one before the little hooligans get their hands on them.”
Caitlyn followed us to the kitchen, and when I opened the box, she gasped. Her attention was immediately drawn to the rainbow frosting. She lifted a brow as she regarded Regan. “The famous Unicorn Fart?”
Regan nodded, but then pointed at the others in turn. “Vampire’s Bite, Gnome’s Garden, and Gryphon’s Talon.”
“That one’s new?” We’d been into Sugar Rush and knew Regan’s offerings. I couldn’t recall hearing about that cupcake before.
Another nod. “Harper gave me the idea at Thanksgiving, so make sure you save one of those for her.”
My breath caught, and for a second, I couldn’t even explain why I was so touched. But then it hit me all at once. These people had met my children once, had spent only a couple of days in their presence, and already they were including them. Regan didn’t have to create a new cupcake, and even if they had, they certainly didn’t have to give my daughter credit. But they did. The entire Mulligan crew, as well as Nic and Dana, adored my children. It was a sure sign that Cait and I had made the right choice to relocate them across the country.
