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Trying to hide her nervousness, she slung her purse over her shoulder and took a deep breath, picking up Max. As she walked towards the front door, it opened… and she paused, turning to look back at the mailbox to verify she had the right place.
“Madison?” the man said easily – and she recognized his voice.
Eric.
This could not be her pen pal!
This man was ruggedly handsome with a very controlled stance to him. He looked almost like he was holding himself in check, keeping a very cool or aloof appearance that was slightly offsetting.
Gosh, he was gorgeous,she mused numbly, hesitating.
“Are you Madison Keene?” he reiterated, and paused. “I’m Eric Morrison.”
“Oh!” she realized she was staring, and plastered a fake smile on her face that probably looked more like a grimace. “I’m sorry – long day. Yes, I’m Madison, and this is Max…”
… Just as a dog shot out from between his denim-clad legs, making her notice him even more. His olive-green shirt was stretched over his shoulders, and he had such a deep tan on his arms and face. She could see a shot-bead chain around his neck that disappeared into the collar, and tried to avoid looking at his face, just so she didn’t become a blithering idiot again.
“And there goes Trigger,” he chuckled softly, making his stern expression crack slightly as another man came bounding out of the house behind him.
“I got her, Eric! Don’t you worry. I’ll get Trigger.”
“Just be careful and don’t go in the street, Greg.”
“You sound like Mom…”
“Because Mom is right…” Eric countered, and Madison just stared in shock at the two men that looked so similar yet so different. Where Eric was stern and ruggedly handsome, the younger of the two was childlike, with much different features.
“Greg, this is my friend Madison and her son, Max,” Eric began, and she saw a slight tilt to his lips as if he was smiling in understanding. “Madison, this is my brother.”
“Your brother?” she whispered, stunned and looking at Eric in a new light. No wonder he was so open about everything when she was unloading on him about Max and her problems. He probably understood better than anyone about what worries and fears she had, having experienced them firsthand.
“Greg,” she began, sticking out her hand to the younger man. “It’s so very nice to meet you. Eric talks about you a lot,” she fibbed immediately as she shook his hand. Greg pumped it several times and then hugged Eric.
“He’s the best brother and tells tall tales about me.”
“So, you aren’t Superman after all?” she asked knowingly, spotting the large S on his T-shirt and glancing at Eric – only to see his smile soften.
“Nope,” Greg smiled. “But he’s my hero… almost as much as Eric.”
“Alright, Twerp,” Eric smiled softly, mussing up his hair. “Let’s get Trigger and go inside, before you make me sound actually nice.”
“Youarenice,” Greg volunteered, and then pointed at Max. “Oh look, Max is a treasure like me!”
“Maxisa treasure,” she smiled tearfully, feeling something within her grow warm as she got an inkling of just how open, loving, and accepting the Morrison family was going to be.
A ‘treasure’…she mused, loving the way they looked at the differences, because theywereindeed a treasure.
That’s what Asher could never understand or ‘see’.
Max was her son, wouldalwaysbe her son, and she didn’t care about his eye color, his hair color, or his extra chromosome. He was hers, a part of her heart and soul – and her greatest joy – no matter what.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Eric said quietly, extending his hand towards her. She took it, shaking it for a moment and hesitated, looking uncomfortable in that second before releasing his hand.
“Hi Max,” he volunteered, reaching for the toddler’s hand, unphased at the drool on his hand from where Max had been chewing on his finger for the last ten minutes in the car… one of his favorite past times while in his car seat. “Hey buddy. How are you?”
Madison swallowed silently, watching them… only to see Max stick out his arms towards Eric – as Eric cracked a smile, glancing at her.
“May I?”
