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Chapter Five
“Mom and Pop, I’d like you to meet Derek and Jaden Webster. Derek, these are my parents, and the rest of my family.”
Derek didn’t know if he wanted to cry or not. There were so many, and they were all smiling. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Chance has told me so much about you.”
Chance took him around and introduced him to the others. “These are my brothers, Michael and Chad, and their wives, Sarah and Ellen. And my sisters, Ann and Melissa, and their spouses, Greg and Paul.”
There were also grandparents and a niece and nephews. Jaden was a little shy around them at first and then he took a liking to Ann. He reached for her and Ann was glad to have him.
“We better move to the dining room before the food gets cold,” Melissa said.
Derek looked around. The farmhouse was huge and homey and filled with laughter. That was the kind of life he’d always wanted him and Jaden to have.
Chance sat him to his right. There was a wooden high chair for Jaden to sit in between them.
“It’s been passed down from child to child,” Mrs. Richards explained. “I’m glad we kept it after Brock got older. He was the last one to use it.”
“It’s beautiful,” Derek said stroking the feeding tray. The one he had at home for Jaden wasn’t as sturdy as this one. They just didn’t make things like this anymore.
Melissa and Ann brought out food.
“Derek doesn’t eat meat,” Chance said.
“Yes, I remember you told us that,” Melissa said. She picked up a plate and placed it in front of Chance. There was a piece of baked fish and plenty of vegetables.
“Thank you,” Derek said. “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”
“No trouble at all,” Melissa said, placing a plate in front of her son. “Brock doesn’t eat meat either.”
Derek glanced down at the young college guy. He resembled Chance, but with lighter colored hair.
“I’ve also pureed some vegetables for Jaden,” Melissa said. “He’s a beautiful child.”
“He’s teething,” Chance said. “He and I have been bonding in the wee hours of the morning.”
“I remembered when you were teething,” Mrs. Richards said. “You drove me crazy with your whining.”
Derek chuckled.
“What are you laughing for?” Chance asked. “I turned out okay, didn’t I?”
Chance had beautiful teeth.
“Yes,” Derek said. “You did.”
Ann and Melissa finally sat down at the table and Chance’s grandfather said grace. For the next two hours they ate, laughed, talked, and Derek learned all the good juicy details of Chance’s childhood.
“My folks really like you,” Chance said as they drove back to Derek’s place.
“Oh, how can you tell?” Derek asked.
Chance stopped at the corner and pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Derek. “Read the text.”
Derek smiled. It was a message from Chance’s father.We like him and want him and Jaden to be a part of our family.
“I think I’m going to cry.”
“Don’t,” Chance said. “You’ll scare Jaden.”
