Stevie looked up from the book she was reading to her youngest children when the door opened and her oldest boys trooped inside, followed closely by Jared. Jay and Xander laughed at something Jared said, looking happier and more relaxed than they'd been in days. Jay's run-in with the neighborhood bully had taken a lot out of the entire family. She felt glad to see things returning to normal, or as normal as they'd ever be with a set of gay twins under the roof. Stevie thought sixteen seemed young for them to be so sure but Clark reminded her Alex had been aware of his sexuality at thirteen.
Discovering they were gay was a normal development in the lives of some young people, but aware that everyone in the world didn't see gay youths as normal, Stevie worried. She watched as they hung up their coats, relieved to see Jay no longer favored his side. Xander took Jared's coat and put it in the closet beside the rest. He lingered a few more minutes talking to the boys, before tousling their hair and letting them go. Jared turned towards Stevie with a warm smile and an answering one curled her own lips. She closed the book she'd been reading to the dismay of the little ones.
"Mom!" Kels protested.
She handed him the book. "Your brothers will finish the story in the kitchen. Cookies and milk for everyone!"
"Yay!" Jens jumped down and detoured for a quick hug of Jared's leg. He looked up and met Jared's amused gaze. "Cookies."
"I understand, little man, priorities." Jared grinned and Jens looked confused. "Go eat your cookies, I'll see you after."
Jens beamed and let go of Jared's leg, making a beeline for the kitchen. Rachel, only four and the newest addition to the Johnson clan, paused to look back at Stevie, an ugly fat cat hung limp in her arms.
"Can I go get Annie? She likes cookies."
Stevie smiled at her. "Sure, if she's not done with her schoolwork, tell her I said it's time for a cookie break. Leave kitty in the bedroom and wash your hands before you eat." Rachel nodded and turned to hurry up the stairs.
Patting the sofa beside her Stevie turned her smile on Jared.
He grinned back. "How's she doing? Do she and Annie share a room?"
"The only other place to put her was the classroom and we need that. Annie is thrilled to share with her little sister. I thought she'd be disappointed we didn't adopt a baby but it turns out four is the perfect age for a new adopted sister." Stevie laughed. "Rachel is doing okay, she's still deciding about us… well, all of us but Annie, whom she adores. She's a little shy with the twins and Clark, but she never had a father in the home so that's only natural. It's going to take her a little while to trust me."
"I'll never understand how people abandon their children." Jared kept his voice low, watching as Annie and Rachel came down the stairs hand in hand. Rachel looked freshly scrubbed.
"Uncle J!" Annie grinned, and at the bottom of the stairs she leaned to whisper something in Rachel's ear. The little girl waited, watching big-eyed as Annie rushed over to hug Jared. She forgot her nearly adult status of thirteen-going-on-fourteen and sat down on his knee. "How's Uncle A?"
"He's doing much better. I think we'll be over to visit soon."
Annie clasped her hands together in her lap with barely contained delight. "Really?"
"I promise. Now I think someone is anxious the boys are going to eat all the cookies before she gets there." He nodded in Rachel's direction.
Annie hugged him again and hurried to go reassure Rachel that if boys had all the cookies, girls would take them back.
Stevie watched as they disappeared into the kitchen. "Sometimes I forget how many of them there are." She laughed.
"Six is a lot," Jared agreed. "But is it enough?"
Stevie blushed. Every time she thought their family was complete she'd gotten that stirring that told her there was room for one more. "It is for now. Tell me how the boys were."
"Brilliant as usual. We worked on the banister for one of the elderly ladies in town, Mrs Hodgens. We got it fixed and the boys shoveled snow for her so she can get to the car without killing herself. We're going back next week to work on some bad places in the floor and the walls." Jared shook his head. "It's sad how these people live in their homes their entire lives, and so many spend their final years watching the places fall apart around them because they don't have the money for repairs. Mrs Hodgens shouldn't be using the stairs, however sturdy they are. I thought of a way to convert her downstairs into a single apartment and the upstairs could be closed off. I'm going to talk to Clark about it before I mention it to her. I doubt she can pay very much, if anything, but it'll be a fantastic project for the boys."
Stevie covered her doubt with a smile. Clark wouldn't stand in the way of Jared helping the elderly lady, but he'd mentioned to her that sometimes he thought Jared gave away as much as they made and he got frustrated with Jared's forays into remodeling and repair work when he wanted the business focused on commercial building. They had very different ideas of how to run things and while Jared often deferred to Clark as the one with stronger business sense, he still turned up regularly with jobs that took more time and paid less.
Stevie thought Clark should suggest they create two departments within the company and become JD Construction and Home Repair, but Clark balked at the idea. Despite his status as full partner, Clark saw the company as Jared's and any ideas for major change had to come from him. Sometimes it took every ounce of her willpower not to interfere.
"It sounds like they'd learn a lot. You know, Jared, I have friends who homeschool and they are very jealous of my arrangement with you for the boys. You are so good with the twins. Have you thought about doing a class? You could actually get paid for your time." Stevie watched Jared's face light up at the idea.
"Seriously? I never thought about it being a big deal. I enjoy the boys. I wouldn't mind adding a few more." Jared's expression dimmed. "But there's no time for it. I already take so much time away from the company for all the odd projects I do. Clark will have a fit if I add something permanent."
Feeling surprised, Stevie studied Jared in silence. That was the first hint she'd ever had that he was aware of how Clark felt.
Jared frowned and started to say something but clamped his mouth closed.
"What?" she asked, feeling a bit leery. The conversation had taken a turn she hadn't expected and wasn't sure she should pursue.
"It's just… Alex has been gone from work for the whole year and I've hardly been there. Clark's run everything without us. I know he's always wanted to do more commercial stuff and I sometimes I feel like I'm holding him back." Jared hesitated and his jaw firmed. "What do you think he'd say if I offered to sell out to him?"