Page 15 of The Platinum Dragon's Courageous Mate

“He is friends with my dad and my Ammu.”

Kieran nodded. “I’m going to bet Uncle Lachlan is friends with everybody.”

Grant nodded immediately, as if to say that was absolutely true. “He got hurt real bad, so he was very sad. Uncle Bryant came here with him, and he felt better, but it was very bad hurting. We have to love him extra special hard.”

Kieran felt his eyes sting some a that. “How wonderful you all are, giving extra love.”

Grant grabbed his hands. “I thinks you need extra too. You look so sad.”

Kieran swallowed hard. “I am sometimes. But I’m trying not to be.”

“Papa says it’s okay to have all the feels. Even big feelings. Even when they make me cry.”

“Does he say that? Wow, it sounds like he’s a very good papa.”

Grant nodded. “And Ammu too.” Grant climbed up into his lap and hugged him. “You can feel it, and then throw it in the air; throw it in the air like this.” He threw his hands up and spread them wide. “Sometimes that’s what you have to do.”

“Feel big feels and throw them in the air?”

Grant nodded, and Kieran smiled and tried it.

Weirdly, he did feel better.

“You’re a very smart young man.”

“Uh-huh.” Grant said it with the total confidence of someone who had been loved his whole life. He had never doubted that people cared about him.

Kieran wanted that for Micah.

Lachlan knocked, and Grant chuckled.

“Come in, Uncle Lockie! We feel so much better!”

“Do you already? That’s wonderful.” Lachlan carried two games and a little carrier tray with some juice boxes, some soft drinks, cookies, fruit, and cheese.

“Uh-huh. I taught him to throw his sad feels up in the air.”

“Ah, yes, I have seen your father do that.” Lachlan acted like everything the little ones said to him was perfectly reasonable. It was wild, but so wonderful.

“Let’s play Candyland! Are those cookies?”

“They are, but first a little fruit and cheese.”

“Okay. I like fruit.”

Soon enough they were all three sitting on the floor, the game board between them, having snacks. Lachlan had filled a little plate for each of them.

“Can I be blue?”

Lachlan smiled at him. “Can you be blue…”

“Please.”

Lachlan nodded to Grant, laughing. “What color would you like, Kieran?”

“Purple.”

“Oh, no! That means I’ll be red. Like your dad, Grant.”