“Welcome home,” Nelson greeted. “Your family grew while you were away.”
“We figured,” Darius replied, still confused. “Is something wrong? Did all four hatch?”
See, that was the problem. No, only two of the four broody hens had hatched. But Gray and Darius had been under the impression that the hens only hatched one chick at a time. Which could not have been more wrong.
“No, only two of them,” Nelson chuckled. He saw the humor. He thought it was hilarious, even. “But I reckon it’s time you found out that most of your breedin’ hens will lay a dozen eggs.”
Gray smirked at Darius. “Nelson says there are seventeen chicks.”
The surprise on Darius’s face was clear as day, and the next time Jayden wanted down, Darius was quick to comply.
“Seventeen?” Jayden exclaimed.
“Seventeen that made it,” Nelson replied with a nod.
Gray was gonna have to find more recipes for chicken.
He looked forward to it.
“Daddy, I wanna see them,” Justin pleaded. “Can I have one in my room?”
Gray grinned and slapped a hand to Darius’s shoulder, which seemed to shake him from the shock. “I’m leaving that conversation for you, baby.”
Darius snorted and shook his head. “Figures. Well, let’s take a look at the little rascals. I reckon I need to go get more chick starter tomorrow. I’ll add it to the list.”
While Justin flew into Darius’s arms, Jayden stayed back with Gray.
“You don’t wanna see the chicks, sweetheart?” Gray asked, threading his fingers through Jayden’s hair. But it wasn’t enough. He needed a hello hug. It’d gotten lost in the chick drama. “Hi, by the way. I’ve missed you so damn much.”
Jayden blushed and squeezed Gray back. “I’m glad to be home. I miss my chores.”
“Said no kid ever.”
Jayden snickered. “It’s true! And your breakfasts. And dinners. And snacks.”
From inside the coop, they heard Justin gush his excitement in too-loud whispers, and Gray’s only regret was that he wasn’t there to capture it on camera. Then he figured, they would have more chances.
“So how about it? You don’t wanna see the chicks?” Gray got down on one knee in the rain-dampened grass and positioned Jayden to sit on the other knee. It was the only way to get them on the same level these days. The boy was growing too fast.
Jayden shook his head and played with the drawstring on Gray’s hoodie. “I’ll wait until you’ve decided which we are keeping and which ones we will eat for dinner. He promised he was gonna make the best fried chicken in the world.”
Gray chuckled and couldn’t help but notice the use of “he.” Darius had told him about that—actually, so had William. It was part of the transition between using names and a certain term.
“What if I get sad?” Jayden asked curiously. “Justin will cry.”
Gray phrased himself carefully. “I think it’ll be uncomfortable in the beginning for me too. But you know what? It’s okay to feel a little sad. I think that shows you care about the animal. It’s important we give them a good life before we…you know.”
Jayden nodded slowly. “Before we eat them.”
Gray smirked a little. “Yeah. Before we eat them.”
Jayden let out a sigh that made him sound far older than he was, and he looked out over their property. “I love living here. I think Jonas woulda liked it also.”
A phantom pain made its way through Gray, tightening his chest. “I think so too. And we keep him with us, don’t we? Every day and always.”
Jayden nodded once, and his eyes became glassy. A reaction he wouldn’t have shown anybody a year ago.
“I love you, Jayden. I hope you know that.” Gray brought Jayden’s hand to his lips and kissed it briefly.
Jayden sniffled and nodded again. “Yeah. Same. A lot.”
Damn it. Gray hadn’t expected this to get so emotional, and now all he wanted was to host a movie night upstairs and never let the boys go. He needed his family close. He’d missed them so fucking much. It was as if they took his heart with them when they weren’t nearby.
“How about you and I go put together some food?” Gray suggested. “Willow and Niko are waiting inside too.”
“Yeah, I’m hungry,” Jayden replied, sliding off Gray’s knee. “Can we have eggs and bacon? Like, breakfast food? Because whatever we bought on the way tasted so weird.”
Gray laughed softly and stood up. “Definitely. We’ll make breakfast. Nelson actually dropped off a huge slab of bacon today, so it can’t get any fresher than that.”
Jayden legit fist-pumped the air. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”
A while after Nelson had left and they’d eaten their very late breakfast, it was time for Willow to go home. James was on his way to pick her up. But first, she and Darius wanted some privacy out on the porch.
Jayden and Justin were cuddled up on the couch and watching a movie, and that made it easier for Gray to run around the cabin and unpack their bags. The laundry basket filled up rapidly, so he started a load too. Then he refilled the boys’ glasses with lemonade so he could sneak a peek out the window at the same time.