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Molly slowed to a stop and parked the bus. Reed started gathering his belongings while Elic clutched his bag. Starry stood by his side, the rope in Elic’s hand. She was going to enjoy the farm. Hopefully she was dog friendly. Our parents had a pack of pooches who would love to welcome someone else into the fold.
We didn’t even make it off the bus before Mom climbed on the second the door opened. “My boys are home!”
We were lucky in so many ways. Yes, it was awful what my mom and I’d been through before she met Rich, her more than me. And Reed, his dad, and sister losing his mom like they had, I couldn’t even imagine. Our blended family worked well though. I never felt like I wasn’t Rich’s son. My mom made sure Reed and Cadence were always as loved as me.
She reached Reed first, wrapping him in a hug. At five foot nine, she was almost as tall as him.
Elic stood between Reed and me, Starry’s bobbed tail wiggling her whole butt as she stared up at my mom.
“Who do we have here?” she asked.
“Mom, this is Elic,” Reed said. “He’s going to be staying with me for a while.” Reed and Cadence started calling her mom a long time ago. Not right away, but eventually they began to, making her very happy.
She took Elic in, but not in a judgmental way. She was assessing him, making sure he was okay. It was her way. She cared about those around her. Nothing mattered more than her family.
Elic took a step forward and winced.
“That won’t do,” she tsked. “Cas, help Elic off the bus. Reed, grab his bag. Your father can get your stuff while we get Elic into the house, as well as this sweet baby by his side.”
No questions. No, who the hell was this? There would be questions later. For now, Elic would be mothered.
“Elic, this is Adria, Reed and Casper’s mom,” Molly said. “She’s good people. You let them help you, okay? You couldn’t have landed with a better family.”
“How were my boys?” Mom asked when she turned toward Molly.
“Good. They ate well and performed their hearts out.” Molly hadn’t breathed a word about Reed and me being together on tour. She was like the bank vault at the Bellagio in Vegas. Nothing was getting through there.
“That’s great to hear,” Mom replied. “I have dinner already set up inside. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
Reed rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Mom. That’s why you have dinner ready.” We knew it was because she couldn’t help herself. She lived to take care of us, Cadence, and Rich.
“Smart-ass,” she muttered. “Get off the bus.”
I approached Elic, making sure he knew I was there. “Can I?” I asked, motioning with my arm to his waist.
He nodded and tensed. I expected he would. It couldn’t have been easy to have strangers touch him. With any luck, Aunt Nora would help him. She was a general practitioner.
Carefully, I slid my arm around his waist to hold him so he could take the weight off his injured foot. I couldn’t help but notice how bony his hip was against my palm. How the fabric of his shirt was rough and gritty. He couldn’t be comfortable. Reed would have clothes for him. They’d be big, but he was closer to Reed’s size than mine.
We slowly got off the bus to find Rich waiting for us. I called him Dad when we spoke, but in my head, he was still Rich. That didn’t mean he wasn’t a father to me. He was. I had gotten into the habit of calling him Rich in the beginning and it stuck.
He grinned when we got to the paved driveway. Rich’s hair had grayed over the years, overtaking the brown he once had. His brown eyes were kind and crinkled at the corners. Age did that. So did two sons in their thirties who traveled around the world to play music.
“I overheard,” he said. “Elic, I’m Rich Ashford. It’s nice to have you visiting us. I’m sure my wife and sons will see to everything you need, but I’m here as well as my daughter, Cadence. Is there anything you want me to take care of for you?”
“No, sir, that’s okay. I don’t want to be an imposition.”
“Son, you’re on Ashford land now. You’re staying with Reed. You’re one of us, whether you like it or not. Please call me Rich.”
Elic nodded and cast his eyes to Starry.
“Who’s this?” Rich asked, reaching his hand out for Starry to sniff. When she started licking him, he crouched in front of her. He ruffled the fur on her head as she started bathing his face with licks. Rich’s deep chuckle settled a bit of my nerves at having Elic here. Rich was as much a home to me as the farm was.
“Starry,” Elic said. “She found me, not the other way around. She has a star shape on her belly, so I thought the name was fitting.”
“It’s a good name, Elic. If she found you and stayed, she was meant to be yours.”
Elic looked like he wanted to say more but kept the words to himself. He was in a new environment that was vastly different from the one he was previously in.
