Page 30 of Together Is Where We Belong

“Why don’t you open it and see?” I said, a little nervous as to if he’d like it or not.

He threw the tissue paper to the side and pulled out three Lego sets and two of my old firetrucks. I hoped he liked them since they weren’t new.

“This is so cool. Mama look at these,” he said in awe of the Lego sets as he carefully inspected each of the boxes.

“Those are cool, bud,” Carolina said as she sat on the couch behind us and looked over Luke’s shoulder.

“Will you help me build them?” he looked up at me and asked. His voice a tiny whisper, so much different from his loud, excited voice from before.

“Of course,” I said proudly.

“These trucks are so cool. They’re the old model-style firetrucks. I haven’t seen them in stores before,” he said as he sat the boxes of Legos to the side and pushed the trucks around the floor.

“That’s because those were mine from when I was about your age,” I told him, wary of his response.

“Really? That’s awesome,” he said as he made a siren sound and pushed the trucks around the floor, one in each hand.

I couldn’t contain my smile at his excitement over having something of mine.

“Can we watch the movie now?” Luke asked as he looked over at Carolina.

“Why don’t you carry your new toys to your room first? And what do you say, Luke?” Carolina questioned.

She was such a good mom to him. She was patient but firm, and just by watching the look in her eyes as she watched him play I could tell she had so much love for him.

“Thanks, Dad. These are the best,” Luke said as he picked up everything and trotted off to his room.

My breath caught in my throat at hearing him call me dad. Tears welled in my eyes, and I turned my head to hide my emotions, hoping to keep them at bay and that Carolina hadn’t noticed.

“He’s a great kid,” I managed to choke out before I got my emotions in check and turned back to face Carolina.

“Yes, he truly is.” She beamed.

I wanted to talk to her about him and about what it meant now that we’d met, but it’d have to wait because as soon as I opened my mouth to ask, Luke barreled back into the room the same way he'd left it.

“Did you put them away or toss them on the floor?” Carolina said with a grin.

“I put them on my dresser so I could put them away in my closet before bed,” he said as he covered up with the blanket.

I got up off the floor and sat on the love seat opposite Carolina and Luke. I didn’t want to crowd them.

“Can you sit over here with me, Dad?” Luke asked with a yawn, and I didn’t know what to say. I looked over at Carolina for permission, and she nodded and then looked down at Luke.

I sat on the opposite side of Luke taking up the last cushion of the couch, putting my arm on the back of the couch behind him. I expected him to cuddle into his mom, but he shocked me when he laid his head on my chest and curled into my side.

I smiled down at Luke just as the movie began to play. Carolina moving caught my attention, and I turned my head to look in her direction. She was putting her phone in her lap as she stared down at Luke and back up at me, a warm smile on her face.

I wouldn’t let myself think about what all this meant. How any outsider looking in right now would assume we were this picture-perfect family. Because that we would never be. All Carolina and I could ever be again were coparents to the perfect boy who laid beside me. Instead of focusing on those thoughts, I slipped my arm off the back of the couch and wrapped it around Luke and relished in the moment of having him tucked safely beside me.

Thirty minutes into the movie, Luke snored softly.

“He never makes it through the full movie when we watch it at night. Let me take him,” Carolina suggested as she stood.

I didn’t want this moment to end. I didn’t want to leave him and go next door and be away from him.

“May I?” I asked as I looked up at Carolina, silently pleading with her to let me have this moment.

She nodded as she stepped back.