“DO you want to bring the coffee maker, honey? We could put it downstairs.” Lord, Dev had a lot of stuff and most of it was cool. Aiden was going to have to donate a few things to make room in the house.
“Is that too decadent? Having a coffee maker downstairs? On the other hand, that’s our office, and if we’re working after the kids have gone to bed, it’ll be nice to not have to go upstairs and make noise in the kitchen just to have coffee. Yeah, let’s bring it.”
“Rock on. What about the dishes? I’m easy. Tell me whether you like yours or mine.”
“I’m not married to mine. We might want to pack them up and store them, though. Do you have room for storing stuff? I’m thinking as the kids get older, breakage might be an issue.” Dev packed the waffle maker and the grill.
“We do have some, yeah. There’s that one wall along the garage. We’ll have to mark everything.”
“You’ve done it again. I’m always so impressed by how organized you are. I’ve always kind of be-bopped along, and then U showed up and it’s been panic at the disco ever since, trying to keep on top of the baby stuff.” Dev began to pack away the dishes, leaving a couple of mugs and glasses out. “Those are favorites, and I’d like to be able to add them to the cupboard now if that’s okay.”
“Sure, it’s your home too, right?” They were a family. Two work-from-home dads, three kids—totally normal.
“I know, I know. That’s going to take some getting used to, though, you know? I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen, and it’s a bit weird to suddenly be a part of a family again. Not that I’m unhappy about it or anything. I love that you want me and U. It’s just different from how it’s been for a lot of years.”
“Yeah, I missed being a part of a couple. It’s how I’m made, I guess.”
Dev bumped their hips together. “I like being a part of a couple with you. I made a good single person, but being a part of a ‘we’ is… really nice. Of course I’m not sure packing up my place is how I wanted to spend our first one-on-one time without the kids….”
“Yeah, well….” Aiden leaned over and kissed Dev good and hard. “I’d say let’s sneak it in, but we have too much to do as it is, and oh my God, I’ve become a responsible adult!”
Dev cracked up. “I keep finding myself thinking that ever since I got U. Maybe we can break for lunch at some point and go somewhere nice to eat? I was hoping this would be a couple-hour job—it’s not like the place is huge, but I think we’re going to be lucky not to have to come back another day.”
They’d rented a U-Haul for the day, so they had to make it work even if that meant coming back after the kids were in bed to finish up.
“Yeah, I’m going to see if Logan will come this afternoon, and we have those two guys willing to help with heavy lifting.”
“Dirk and Bill? Did you know Dirk has a little girl Linds’s age?” That was right, Dev had used the guys before. “He’s a single dad too. I was thinking we should invite Dirk to our daddy-and-kids meeting days.”
“Sure. Totally. Zack likes him or he wouldn’t have recommended him.”
“Cool. It was such a boon to me to have somewhere to go, I’d like to pay it forward, you know?” Dev stretched to grab the stuff from the top of the cupboards, his T-shirt riding up and affording Aiden a glimpse of what he knew was warm, smooth skin.
He tickled, but only for a second, because he needed to get the pots and pans under the sink, which were not coming with them because Dev was absolutely not a cook. They could sell these off easy as they looked like they hadn’t been used even once.
Dev laughed and danced away from him, nearly dropping a large serving dish. He managed to catch it before it hit the counter. “That would have been a mess. Do you need any serving dishes or do all these go into the sell pile?”
“Save ones that are special to you, honey. I have tons.”
Dev snorted. “I don’t have any special dishes. Games? That’s a different story, and I’m not getting rid of any of them. Even our doubles I’m keeping, in case one of them gets worn out or eaten by a teething baby or something.”
“Lord. I wonder if cold CDs work….”
“God, no. They’d crack and splinter and there’d be sharp bits everywhere.” Dev shook his head. Aiden usually had good instincts when it came to baby safety. “Some of the controllers, on the other hand….”
“Yeah, yeah. We’re going to have to make sure we bag all the cords for the equip—”
Someone banged on the door, the sound sharp and weirdly unfriendly, which was stupid. That’s not how it worked.
“I have no idea who that could be.” Dev headed to the door, a serving bowl still clutched in one hand.
“Maybe the guys are early,” Aiden offered.
“They’re going to have to help us pack if they are. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing.” Dev was chuckling but the sound cut off hard as he opened the door. “Mother.”
Aiden had never heard that cold, dead note in Dev’s voice before.
“Devon. Where is my grandson?”
“You still don’t know his name, do you, Mother?” Dev didn’t step back, his back ramrod straight and blocking Aiden’s view. “And he’s somewhere safe. I don’t really have anything to say to you.”
“You will….”
Oh, fuck this. Aiden stepped over where he could see her and his eyes went wide. Dev looked exactly like her, if he were pinched and evil and fifty and a girl. “Just shut the door, honey.”
Dev looked back at him, clearly surprised to see him there. His fingers tightened on the door.
“Don’t you dare shut that door in my face!”
Dev took a deep breath and swung the door closed. It shut loudly, and Dev said, “Oh God.”
“Good job.” Aiden knew how hard that had to be. “Did it lock?”
“It locks automatically when you close it.” Still, Dev checked, and as he did, the handle turned, Dev’s mother clearly trying to get it open again.
Dev took a step back. “Jesus. She must have been waiting around for me to come back.”
The knock at the door came again. “Devon! You open this door right now!”
“Man, that mother voice never goes away even if she’s not my mother anymore, eh?”
“Call Logan, honey. You need to record this. I’ll keep packing.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Good idea.”
Dev’s mother called out again, voice shrill, and he stared like he was mesmerized by it. Aiden took his arm and pulled him back into the kitchen, guided him to a chair.
“Make that call.”
Dev pulled his phone out of his pocket and did as Aiden had suggested, leaving it on speaker.
The phone rang a few minutes, then Logan answered. “Hello?”
“Logan. Man. It’s Dev, and I’ve got Aiden here with me. We’re packing my place up.”
Which, given that Logan was looking after the kids, he totally knew, but Aiden figured Dev could be forgiven for being nervous and a little out of it.
“My mother showed up demanding the baby. She’s still at the door banging to come in. She doesn’t even know his name!”
“Okay. Tell her she’s not welcome, and I’ll call the police and have her escorted off. Don’t engage, don’t be nasty, just be firm and polite.”
“Should I tell her through the closed door?” Dev asked, looking lost.
Aiden had to think that was what Dev had looked like when he’d first told his folks he was gay and been kicked out. Lost because the people who were supposed to love him no matter what were cutting him off completely.
“Yeah, don’t give her an in. Through the door is fine.”
“Okay. Thanks, Logan.”
“You want me to tell her, honey?” Aiden asked. Because he totally would.
Dev closed the call and pocketed his phone. “I really do, but I think I need to do it. Would it be super wussy of me if I asked you to hold my hand while I do it?”
“Not a bit.” He kissed Dev’s temple. “She sounds like a harpy.”
“She would tell you she’s an angel, spreading God’s word. I think the only thing she’s spreading is the hate her church promotes.” Dev took his hand and they went to the door together.
His mother was still banging every thirty seconds or so, her voice becoming more shrill each time.
Dev took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Mother, but I don’t want to see you, and I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Open the door this instant, you nasty little miscreant.”
Wow, five-dollar words. That and a court order might—might—get her a chance to see her grandson.
“Please, Mother, you’re disturbing the neighbors. I don’t want to talk to you—you have to leave.” Dev sounded cool as a cucumber, but Aiden could feel the way his hand trembled.
“You’re doing great, honey,” he whispered, squeezing Dev’s fingers. He was so proud because how hard did that have to be?
“Open up right now! I’m going to call the cops on you for stealing that little boy!”
Dev shook his head. “They’re already on their way, Mother. Please go before they get here.” Dev turned to him, whispering fiercely. “I did not steal him—Terry left him with me. With me.”
“Because she knew you would love him and take care of him.”
The bitch on the other side of the door didn’t deserve anyone.
Dev nodded. “Okay, we were firm and polite—can we go work in the back bedroom so we can’t hear her anymore, or do we have to stay here and keep asking her to go?”
“Let’s go back. If the police need us, they’ll knock loud I bet.” He had no idea. He’d never done anything like this before.
Dev nodded. “Or ring the bell downstairs before coming up like Mom should have done.” They went into the back, and Dev was shaking, breathing fast and quick.
“You’re okay. Logan’s got Dylan. Logan’s amazing. He’ll fix this.” Aiden had to believe that. He wasn’t losing either Dev or that little boy. They were a family.
Dev nodded and let go of his hand, wrapping him in a hug instead. Dev held on, face buried in his neck. “He is. We need to find Terry and get her to sign the paperwork for me to adopt him. Then there’s nothing she can do.”
“Yeah. We’ll hire another PI. I have some in savings.”
“That’s not fair—you don’t have to do that.” Dev shook his head and straightened. “You shouldn’t have to dig into your savings to find my sister.”
“We’re a family. We do what we have to.” He knew that. They did what they needed to.
“Have I told you yet that I love you?” Dev asked.
As a matter of fact, Dev had not. Of course, he hadn’t said it to Dev yet either. “No, but I’d hoped you felt the same way I do.”
Dev’s face lit up with his smile. “You do too? I’m so glad.” Dev kissed him, sloppy and a little too eager and exactly what the moment called for.
He returned the kiss, then backed off. “I do. Love you. Too.”
Dev beamed and hugged him again. “Okay. Okay. I can totally do this. Let’s get to work so we can get this finished. Maybe we can bring supper home to our family instead of just you and me going out.”
“I think we’ll both feel better being there with them right now.”
Dev nodded as he grabbed a box and started shoving stuff in it. “Yeah. I know I would. I kind of really, really want to hug U right now. Just hold him and breathe in his baby smell.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Home in our place.” The hatred in Dev’s mother’s voice made him uncomfortable, made him want to leave.
They worked hard, only hearing Dev’s mother every now and then as she got exceptionally shrill. Whenever that happened, Dev would pack faster. They were almost finished with the room when there was a louder banging. “It’s the police. Could you come to the door, please?”
“I can’t believe I’m glad the police are here.” Dev headed back to the front door.
Aiden was right at Dev’s hip. No way he was letting his lover deal with this alone.
Dev opened the door, revealing a single officer. Aiden could hear Dev’s mother’s shrill voice from down the hall, but he couldn’t see her.
“You’re the occupant here?”
“Yes. I’m Devon Smithson. Thank you for coming. I asked her to leave, but she wouldn’t go.”
“Yeah, we’ll talk to the neighbors. One of them also called us.”
Dev winced. “Man, I’m sorry. She’s my mother, but we haven’t really spoken since I was sixteen, when she kicked me out.”
“She claims that you have a stolen baby.”
“No, sir. I have my son, who is an infant, but there’s no stolen baby.”
“Is he in the condo with you?”
“No, sir. He’s at our home. I’m moving out. Here’s my lawyer’s card. He’s the one to call about custody issues.”
“Okay, just a couple more questions. Did you throw Mrs. Smithson out of your house? She’s claiming you laid hands on her.”
Dev gasped, his eyes going wide. “No! I never would.”
“He didn’t have the door open more than fifteen seconds. She didn’t come in and he didn’t go out.”
Dev nodded. “After I closed the door, I told her again I didn’t want to see her and that I wanted her to leave. When she didn’t, we went to the other end of the condo so we couldn’t hear as much of what she was saying.”
“So you’re definitely moving out?” the officer asked, nodding at the boxes in the room.
“Yeah, I am. Aiden has two girls, and his place is better for raising kids.”
“We’ll need to take your new information down,” the officer noted.
“Okay.” Dev straightened and took a deep breath. “As long as you don’t tell my mother. I don’t want her showing up and scaring the kids.”
“No, sir. Of course not.”
“I’m going to call Logan, Dev, while you’re doing this.”
The officer glanced up, a questioning look on his face.
“That’s my lawyer,” Dev told the man.
“Oh. Of course.”
Aiden grabbed his phone and hit Logan’s number. “Answer the phone, man.”
“Yo, Aiden. Everything okay? The cops get there?”
“Yes. They got our address, the police. I wanted to tell you. This woman’s insane, man. In. Sane. Off her frigging rocker.”
“The cops having the address should be fine, as long as they don’t do something stupid like tell her. Do I need to get the paperwork in on a restraining order for her?”
“God yes. She wants Dylan. You need to find the sister. What can we do?” He was scared—for Dev and Dylan, but for his girls too.
“Okay, breathe. She doesn’t have your address, and I will get the restraining order processed first thing tomorrow. I’ll start the paperwork online now. I’ve got a private eye looking for Terry. He’s got a couple of promising leads. I’ll get him to step it up. You have to trust everything is going to be okay.” Logan was always so damn calm. It could be infuriating.
“You didn’t see this woman. She was frightening.”
“She has to be. She’s a mother who kicked her son out for being gay. But we have the law on our side, Aiden.”
“I know. I know, but… you’ve got the kids?”
“I’ve got the kids. They’re eating lunch. Or rather Linds is, the babies had their bottles already and are playing with the Fisher-Price thingies. We are fine. A hundred percent fine.”
“Okay. Okay, good. We’re finishing the packing part.”
“I’ll call the guys and send them over, shall I?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dev escorting the officer out the door.
“Please, yeah. Yeah, we need to get out of here.”
“So let me hang up already and get them sent to you. Deep breaths, Aiden. It’s going to be fine.”
Dev closed the door and double-checked the lock.
“Right. I’ll see you tonight. I’ll bring pizza or something.” He hung up and put his phone away. “You ready to finish this up and get out of here?”
Dev took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “Yeah. Yeah, there’s only a few things left to pack, and I guess I should take pictures of everything else, get it up on letgo.com or something, eh? Are the guys on their way?”
“They are, and the kids are safe. The babies are playing and Linds is lunching.”
“Good. Good.” Dev hugged him tight, vibrating again. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d have had a total mental breakdown from lack of sleep.” That was easy.
“You’re right, I would. U’d be a ball of anger and upset. It doesn’t bear thinking about.” Dev kissed him. “Okay. Okay. Let’s focus on getting this place emptied.”
“Yeah. It’s time to get your stuff home and then we’ll integrate.”
“Two, four, six, eight, we all want to integrate.” Dev repeated the phrase again, moving with a funny walk over to his electronics and beginning to pack it up, even as he repeated the sentence again. Dev stopped long enough to throw him a wide, slightly giddy grin.
“Love you, dork.” And he did.
Dev nodded his head enthusiastically. “Love you too, Aiden.”
“Let’s get our shit together and go home, then.”
“Yeah. Let’s do it.” Dev blew him a kiss and got to packing the last few boxes, working quickly and efficiently, clearly motivated.
Thank goodness his lover wasn’t the kind who shorted out and couldn’t function in stress.
With three kids, stress was the norm.