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“Blake, you will not be running off Theo. He’s good for our girl and it’s clear he’s just like all of you men around here.” She mutters under her breath, “Neanderthals, the lot of you.”
“Now, Baby,” Beckett Banks comes up behind Amelia, his wife, and wraps an arm around her waist, “you know you like it.”
“You’re delusional,” she grumbles back at him, but when her eyes meet mine, I can see the laughter there.
“Sure,” Beckett holds out the word before looking at me. As his green eyes take me in, I know he’s taking my measure, but I’m not worried about it. The feeling of comfort—of family and love—that surrounds these people can’t be faked and it can’t be taken away now that I’ve touched it. Beckett smirks and nods. “Welcome to the family. There’s a guy’s chat we’ll get you in on along with the family chat.”
Amelia scowls at her husband. “That’s only because Troy had to be a big baby about the lady’s chat. What do you even chat about? Do you help each other remember anniversaries, birthdays, and stuff?”
“No, Baby,” Beckett drawls soothingly, “we have the family calendar for that. You know Andrea keeps it updated for everyone.”
“That didn’t answer all my questions, Beckett Banks,” she sasses.
“Sometimes we talk about the leaderboard,” he offers, and she goes bright red.
Amelia turns to me, waving her hand. “Right. Well, that’s not a conversation for polite company.” Blake barks out a laugh and gets a glare from Amelia before she turns to me with a wide smile. “Welcome Theo. We’re glad to have you as part of the family.”
“Thank you,” I’m barely able to choke the words out.
I haven’t had a family in a long time. I feel welcomed in a way I never expected to be. And the feeling doesn’t go away the more people I meet or the more conversations I have.
Everyone is different, but there are commonalities between everyone. The kindness. The care. The determination. The drive.
After a few hours, I’m pretty sure I’ve met everyone, and Sarah was pulled away from me by some of the kids who talked her into going into the bouncy house with them. I went to grab us some bottles of water and are heading back to the bouncy house when I’m stopped short by three blonde women who all have eyes that match the honey-color of my woman.
“Theo,” Chloe begins, her eyes assessing, “glad we get to speak to you alone for a moment.”
“Okay,” I sound a little wary and curious. “What can I do for you ladies?”
The silence stretches between us until I want to fidget where I stand. They might not be all that intimidating size wise, but I know how much Sarah’s sisters mean to her. She would do anything for them, and I know the same is true of them for her.
I think part of that is because of the history they share, the trauma, but it’s not the only thing which binds them together. They could have gone their separate ways as soon as each hit 18, but they didn’t. They stayed close because they were given a new definition of family, of safety, and it reinforced the love they already had for each other.
“I haven’t told her yet,” I keep my voice low, “but I love your sister. I love her with everything I am, and I promise you that I’ll give her all of me and make sure she’s happy.”
Three sets of eyes soften as they look at me. When they glance at each other, I see a sliver of regret there along with the sheen of unshed tears.
“We were just messing with you,” Genesis, the youngest, says. “We know you love her. Anyone with eyes can see it.”
“You’ve made her so happy already,” Ruth’s voice is insistent. “I’ve gotten to meet a new side of my sister since you came into her life. It’s kind of amazing. She’s still her but also,” she trails off like she isn’t sure how to put her feelings and thoughts into words.
“She’s more,” Chloe finishes and the sisters nod their heads. “She’s more herself. More settled. And so happy.” Chloe blinks rapidly and I can tell she’s holding back tears. “Thank you.”
Genesis winces, “We just had to mess with you a little since you’re our brother.”
I bark out a laugh and kiss each sister on their forehead, my chest feeling warm with their words. They think of me as their brother. I’ve never been a brother. I was an only child, but now I have three sisters.
“I’ve never had sisters before,” I tell them honestly. I narrow my eyes, “You can’t paint my toenails.”
Genesis pouts, but Chloe shrugs. “We might not be able to convince you, but some of the kids around here are the ones you need to watch out for. Talk about emotional warfare. They know all the tricks.”
I chuckle as I keep moving toward the bouncy houses. “I’m taking some water to my woman. Why don’t you three go in and bounce?”
Genesis gets a look of glee on her face and then she’s pulling on Ruth who grabs Chloe before she can be tugged too far.
I spend the next fifteen minutes watching four sisters jump together. Their smiles are almost too big for their faces and it’s a beautiful sight. When I look to my right and left, I find that I’m being flanked by Ryder, Micah, and Stone, Genesis’ man.
We all have the same look of wonder on our faces as we watch our women have a good time.
