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“Yes,” he whispered as he opened his eyes, appearing grateful. "He's old enough to remember who comes in and out of his life now. I don't want to make a connection with someone who isn't going to stick around."
I couldn't fight my curiosity any longer. If Lance didn't want to answer, I wouldn't push, but I had to at least ask, "Has that happened before?"
He sighed before looking in Brady's direction again. He was still on the far side of the room. "It's important for you to know what happened, but I don't want Brady to know any of this. He was too young to remember anything and I don't want him to get his feelings hurt."
I nodded my understanding. "I will never betray your trust." And I would never hurt Brady.
"I was with a man named David for three years, and I really thought that we'd be together for life." My stomach squeezed at his words, but I kept my face neutral. "But I should have known better.”
“What do you mean?”
“David was closeted. He didn’t want his family or friends knowing anything about our relationship. I didn’t push; everyone has their own comfort level and should be able to come out on their own time. I thought that if I loved him enough and we just focused on our relationship, everything would be fine.”
“I always knew that I wanted kids, and David said that he did too. I was the one who initially looked into adopting a baby, and David seemed onboard at first. We filled out paperwork together, pooled our finances, and attended the mandatory counseling and classes.”
“Everything was going great. I thought that we could build our own family, and when I first laid eyes on Brady when he was just two days old, I fell in love. I knew that I was looking at my future. I thought that David felt the same way. He even suggested that his parents may accept his identity easier if they had a grandkid to look forward to.”
“But they didn’t?” I assumed, but Lance huffed a humorless laugh.
“Things never got that far. A month after we brought Brady home, David became very distant around both of us. He took less and less interest in Brady, and would barely even speak to me. He stayed out late and some nights never came home at all. And then one day, he came home and said that it was over.”
Fury at David and sympathy for Lance warred inside me. “Did he say why?”
“It just wasn’t the life he wanted,” Lance shrugged. “He said that it was too much too soon, and that he’d made a mistake. He ended up signing away all of his parental rights to Brady, making it like he was never involved at all. David kicked me out of the home we shared. I had no savings because we used it all for the adoption, and I had quit my job; I was going to stay home with Brady while David provided the income. I had my whole world pulled out from under me. He erased any memory of us from his life and I’ve never heard from him again.”
“I immediately went out looking for work, and was blessed to find Josie. She gave me a position at the cafe and a place to stay. I don’t know how I would have made it without her.”
“I’m so sorry,” I offered, though it seemed so inadequate for what he’d lived through. I tentatively placed my hand on Lance’s knee, and he didn’t push me away. He placed his hand on top of mine and gave me a small smile.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, but I’m glad it worked out the way that it did. Brady will have no memories of David and will never know that he was abandoned or unwanted. All he knows is that his daddy loves him and is always there for him.”
“And he is so lucky to have you,” I insisted with a gentle squeeze to his knee.
“I’m lucky to have him too. I don’t know how I’d make it without that little boy. He’s everything to me, so you understand why I have to always look out for him.”
“Of course I do, but there’s something you need to understand too.” Lance raised his eyebrows in question and I explained, “When I saw you for the first time, I felt a connection to you that I can’t explain. My heart and soul whispered, ‘He’s the one’, and I had to get closer to you. And then when I found out you had a son, it made everything even better. I’ve always wanted children and I can’t imagine a better kid than Brady. I want to get closer to him too, provide for both of you, and make you so happy. I know I’ll need to earn your trust, but I won’t run. I’m here to stay.”
Lance’s pretty blue eyes were misty as they looked into mine. They held only a sliver of uncertainty, yet were overflowing with hope. Our mate bond would be working hard to convince him that I was different; that I was his forever, but his human nature and bad past experiences were surely putting up a fight.
“Daddy, I’m thirsty,” a small voice said, capturing Lance’s and my attention. Brady stood in front of us, his face red again and covered with a thin layer of sweat.
“I’ll get us all something to drink,” I offered. “Are you getting hungry too?” Brady nodded so hard that his sweaty hair flopped against his forehead. “Do you like hot dogs? They sell them here.”
“I love hot dogs! They’re like my favorite food ever!”
I smiled at his excitement before turning to Lance. “Are you okay with hot dogs? I’d like to take you somewhere fancier, but I want Brady to be able to play as long as he likes.”
“I don’t need fancy,” he answered, his eyes still glassy and twinkling. “Hot dgs sound perfect.”
We munched on hot dogs, nachos, and slushies until we were stuffed and couldn’t eat another bite. Brady wasn’t happy when Lance told him that he needed to let his dinner settle for a while before he jumped on the trampolines again, but I was able to keep the kid entertained with one of his favorite games we played; guessing which hand a quarter was hiding in.
I told him to keep all of the coins he found, and then I took him to the front of the building, where there was a line of quarter-operated toy machines. Brady used his coins to buy a Yo-Yo, which he played with until his dad told him that he could bounce again.
All three of us walked onto a mat together. Lance and I jumped near Brady, sending the boy high into the air as he squealed his enjoyment and asked for more. We bounced him as high as we could, keeping a watchful eye to make sure that he didn't get too close to the edge.
Once Brady had his fill of the trampolines, he decided that he wanted to try out the foam pits. His exploration began with him sitting on the padding and feeling the soft blocks with his feet. After he tested them out, Brady jumped from the edge into the pit, nearly disappearing from sight.
Once his bravery grew, jumping in wasn't enough for him, so Brady asked me to toss him into the foam blocks. So, I picked him up around the middle, spun him around, and threw him into the soft pit while he cheered. Lance watched while shaking his head, claiming that his young son was more daring than he could ever be.
