AMOS
"Moving into position." Marcus speaks quietly as he lowers his end of the single bed frame to the floor. I drop the other end onto the carpet and he taps his ear, pretending to speak into a comms set.
"Bed is in position for the HVT."
I shake my head slowly. "Why did you leave the SEALs again?"
Marcus straightens up. "Not my choice, mate. Bloody doctors won't let me back in."
"That's why you don't go to the doctor," chimes in Hudson from the doorway.
"Can you give me some space in here?" Avery sits cross-legged on the floor with decals spread out around her. "And what is a HVT?"
"High value target," we all say at once.
She rolls her eyes. "Is that how you're referring to our nephew? Poor kid's going to think he's living in a military school."
Marcus helps me shuffle the bed against the wall, and then he and Hudson file out into the living room.
"Do you think he's too old for dinosaurs?" Avery holds up a realistic-looking T-Rex with its jaws open showing razor-sharp teeth. "Or would cars be better?" In her other hand she holds a red sports car decal.
"Are six year olds into dinosaurs?" I rack my brain, trying to remember what me and Jake were into at that age, and come up a blank.
"I'll ask Alana."
I slide me phone out of my pocket and fire off a quick text.
Are six year olds into dinosaurs or cars?
I tap my phone impatiently, waiting for the reply.
"It's Saturday, Amos. I'm sure Alana doesn't want to be bothered over the weekend with all your questions."
I frown at the phone screen which remains stubbornly blank.
"I'll put them both up," Avery decides.
In the past few days, I've cleared the junk out of my spare room and painted it. Today everyone's here helping me build furniture and put the finishing touches on what will be Sam's room.
The living room is full of flatpack furniture. We've made the bed, and I've got the dresser and bookcase to go. Avery insisted on decorating the room, and I have to admit the touches she's brought to it make it more of a kid’s room. I would have left the walls white and plain, but Avery suggested a green feature wall,a reading lamp, and wall decals. She went shopping with Paige, her best friend and Hudson's sister, and picked out a comforter cover, cuddly toys, which I thought a six-year-old boy was too big for, and fairy lights to string around the room. I wouldn't have chosen them for a boy, but she assures me he'll love it.
I went along with her suggestions, because the more I've gotten into this, the more I've realized I know nothing about kids, and boys, and six-year-olds.
Alana is coming over at my request to make sure my place is suitable for a kid. She told me all he needs is a dry place to sleep, but I want him to have more than that. I want this to be his home.
So I called in my friends, and in the last three days we've transformed my two-bedroom apartment that I've lived in when not deployed for the past five years into a home fit for Jake's son.
My phone buzzes, and I grin when I see it's a message from Alana.
Both
My smile widens. She's a woman of few words, or maybe it's because it's the hundredth text I've sent this week. But I figure she's the expert on kids and knows Sam better than any of us.
Another text comes through.
Sam likes cars
"Put the cars up," I tell Avery. "Scrap the dinosaurs."
