Whatever else happened, I would make this right for him. As soon as Brie returned from her honeymoon, I would get Dom onto her couch. She would make sure my boy would get through everything that had happened to him. She dealt with kids who had seen trauma. Hell, she had a group session for kids who had lost their mothers. I would see if Dom could attend that.
As the kids ate, I placed little Victoria in the gap between Bex and Dom. I fetched a spare blanket out of the hall cupboard and made sure to put an extra towel in the main bathroom.
“If you want to shower this evening, go ahead.” I said to Dom. “I think Landon has had a long day. He can go straight to bed. Do you have pajamas for him?”
“In the bag.” Dom pointed at the diaper bag he had lugged with him. “There’s a change of clothes for her, too. And a few more diapers and some formula. I figured I could buy what we needed when we got here.”
“Dom.” Bex put her hand on Dom’s thigh. “Just relax. Get some sleep. Whatever we need, I’ll sort it out. You did so well. And you came to the right place. But you are not alone. Logan and I have this. We’ll make it right for you.”
It had been less than three hours since Dom had arrived. And already, I knew. Our lives were changed forever. I just didn’t know how much.
Chapter Seven
LOGAN
Dominic must’ve been dead tired if he didn’t hear the little girl stirring awake next to him. It was also a testament to the fact he felt safe enough to relax that much. Was it any wonder after what he had been through? The baby had woken up once during the night and I had changed her diaper and fed her a bottle from the limited supplies Dominic had in the bag. When she let out a small cry about half an hour ago, I was already awake. I hadn't slept well.
Dominic was in danger. We gave him up to provide a better life for him, but he lost his dad at a young age and now he was in more danger than anyone should experience, let alone a fifteen-year-old kid. The only upside was that it was an open adoption and he found the one person who could keep him safe.
Landon had also woken up about ten minutes earlier. He was nearly three and I figured some cereal and fruit would be fine for him. One of us would need to go shopping at some point. The baby supplies Dominic had brought with him were not going to last past the next day at most.
When Bex finally emerged from the bedroom, I could tell she had been awake for a while already. We’d had another argument about me sleeping on the couch. She wanted to be closer tothe entrance of the apartment and I wasn’t going to let her sleep anywhere but in the bed. It didn’t matter that we weren't together yet, she was mine. Only knowing that her brothers had approved the security measures in the building had assured her I was safe on the couch by myself.
“You need help with them? I wasn’t sure if I would be more of a help than a hindrance, so I stayed out of the way.”
I smiled. It was something she had struggled with when she discovered she was pregnant. She didn’t think she would be a good mother. That the best thing she could do for her kid, was to let someone else raise him. I always knew better.
Besides, I was the caregiver in our dynamic. I took care of people. Bex, though, she was a warrior and she would do whatever it took to protect her cubs. I could see it in those pretty brown eyes of hers. She had no intention of losing Dominic again, and she would move mountains to make sure he didn’t lose his siblings.
“I’m going to put her in the sink for a quick bath.” She’d been traveling for hours the day before and probably needed a change of clothing. “Why don’t you get Landon some cereal, and see what the rest of us can have for breakfast.”
By the time a sleepy-looking Dominic had emerged from my guest bedroom, Landon was sitting on a propped-up couch cushion in front of the coffee table attempting to get as much cereal and milk across the table as he possibly could. Little Victoria was dressed and propped between pillows on the armchair, napping after her bottle.
I smiled over at the young man who looked so much like the one in the mirror all those years ago. Maybe his skin tone was a little lighter. And I would never dream of growing out my afro that much. But it suited the kid. I was seventeen when he was born, and he was fifteen, had just started his sophomore year inhigh school. “We have eggs and toast. I took a chance with cereal for Landon, since I don’t know if anyone has any allergies.”
“I’m allergic to shellfish, but otherwise we all eat anything.” He sat on the floor next to Landon and kissed his brother's cheek. “Morning, kiddo.”
The little boy smiled at his big brother and the love between them was beautiful to watch. The Salingers had that, and even shared it with me. I was so glad my son had it too. The little boy lifted his spoon to Dom.
“Nice try, kid. Eat your breakfast.” His smile was easy and I wanted more of those. Since he’d arrived, it was the first time he looked relaxed. He glanced over at Bex. “You said you’d have more questions for me this morning.”
“I gave a run-down of our conversation to my brother Jake.” Bex sat at the small kitchen table, twisting her fingers around each other. “He’s going to ask you some follow up questions.”
“What?” He moved closer to Landon. “Why can’t you do it?”
It was obvious the kid was scared. Who wouldn’t be after what he had been through? “Dom… Do you mind if I call you that?”
“Okay.” His shoulders relaxed and he let out a deep exhale.
“Neither Bex nor I ever told our families about you. Well, she told her twin, Mason and her older sister, Debbie. Her youngest brother overheard me and Mason arguing, that’s how he knows. I’m not close to my mother, but Bex is close to her family. Her mother and older brothers don’t know about you. They’re going to be angry and we don’t want you caught up in that.”
Dom frowned and darted his eyes between the two of us. “They’re going to be angry because I’m here?”
“Oh, no.” Bex stood and then dropped to the floor next to Dom. “Not at all. They’re going to be angry atmefor not telling them about you. For denying them the chance to get to know you. They’ll think I didn’t trust them. But when they meet you,they're gonna… Oh, my mother will love you, and I don’t want that moment to be muddled with her anger at me. So, I’ll handle them today. But be prepared to meet a few of them before sunset.”
Dom nodded and lifted the remote off the table. “Can I?” When I nodded, he scrolled through channels until he landed on a show with animated dogs which all looked to be dressed like humans. He picked Landon up and onto the couch. “Why don’t you watch some TV while I eat, okay?”
Landon grinned and nodded. “Duma.” It was the first word he’d uttered since he arrived.
