She steps aside, holding the door open for me, and if I weren’t trying to play it cool, I’d jump and clap my heels together in excitement.
That enthusiasm sobers a little when it hits me that I’m going to meet him officially for the first time, not as his dad but as Drew. I’m going to get to see more than his little face peeking through a slit in the open doorway or watch him play with Easter grass like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world.
Izzy sweeps her hand in the direction of the kids. All three are in the center of the living room floor with a mess of jumbo building blocks scattered around them. Amelia is working hard on what looks like a castle. The boys seem content to just put them in a pile.
“Andy,” Izzy says.
She’s close enough to my arm that I can feel the warmth of her body, but when I look over at her, she takes a step away.
“This is Drew. He’s your Uncle Lawson’s brother.”
Well, that introduction puts me right in my place.
She didn’t say I’m her friend. There was nothing personal, no link to her at all. Thankfully, Andy is only sixteen months old and not able to understand that by her introduction, I guess it would make me his uncle as well.
I keep my frown to myself. We’re doing this at her pace. It’s something I agreed to, and I’m just happy to be here.
“What do you have there?”
He looks up at me, his eyes the same color as mine, hair—like mine—an unruly mess. He even has that same cowlick in the front that I battled with throughout high school until I just accepted the stupid thing. A little grin plays on his round face before he turns his attention back to the blocks.
I take a seat on the floor near the kids but make sure to keep some distance. I don’t want to take over their space. Just like I told Izzy yesterday, I’m happy to just sit and watch.
Sitting and watching however isn’t something the kids are interested in. It takes mere minutes of me being on their level before I have a stack of blocks in my lap and two smiling little boys who think I’m a jungle gym.
Jamie tuckers out first, his little mouth opening on a yawn more than once before he sits on a bean bag on the other side of the room and passes out.
Amelia loses interest in the blocks but finds the cartoon Izzy has playing in the background entertaining.
I follow the sight of the little girl as she crosses the room because she’s heading in Izzy’s direction. I haven’t taken many opportunities to look over at her, but I’d be a fool not to look now. Her eyes are pointed in the direction of the television, but I don’t doubt for a second she’s paid attention to every word I’ve said to the kids since I arrived over an hour ago.
A loud grunt and a clatter draws my attention, and I watch with an eyebrow raised as Andy smacks one jumbo block against another.
“Watch,” I tell him, gently pulling the block from his little fist.
His head turns, eyes daring mine as I wait for him to pick up another and hit me with it. Lawson mentioned him being fiercely independent, but watching him get angry because he can’t figure something out doesn’t sit well with me.
“Look.” I wave the block until it catches his eye. “Like this.”
His eyes follow the block as I press it down to lock with another. He grabs the pair from my hand before ripping them apart again. They’re tossed to the side, and I do my best to keep from laughing. He’s tall for his age, but compared to my size, he’s a tiny little thing. His attitude is much larger than his body.
“Like this,” I say, taking another duo of blocks and putting them together.
He snatches those away as well.
I want to ask Izzy if this is what cranky looks like but she was clear that I was here to visit with him and not her.
“See?” I do it again. He snatches them again.
But then it turns into a game. I put two together, he pulls them a part until we’re out of blocks within reach because he’s tossed them away.
Surprisingly, he crosses the room, gathering the blocks and placing them back in front of me again, smiling as he waits for me to put two together. He’s fascinated by it, his laughter the sweetest sound I think I’ve ever heard, and the game continues for over half an hour.
I couldn’t be happier.
Then the front door opens, causing Andy’s eyes to dart that direction. I don’t turn around because I figure it’s Hound and Gigi coming back, but then my son’s face lights up.
“Dada!”
Hound explained it the other night. Andy is mimicking what Jamie does when he gets home, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
“Hey, buddy.”
I turn just in time to see another man scoop my son up and wrap him in a hug. Apollo is a good man. I’ve known it for a while, but knowing that doesn’t stop the green irritation of jealousy from trying to make me a bitter man.
I stand, refusing to stay on the floor while Apollo bonds even more with my child.
“Are you playing with Drew?”
Even Apollo doesn’t make a mistake and call me his dad. It makes me wonder how many conversations about me have gone on before I showed up today.
“Hey, man.” Apollo offers me his hand, and I take it even though it kills me to see Andy’s hand flat against the man’s chest.
“Hey.”
We shake, and I try to stuff down the agitation that he’s a better man than me. If the tables were reversed, I might gloat about how another man’s kid likes me more than his father. If the tables were turned, I never would’ve taken a step back from Izzy. I would’ve made her mine the second I got a chance because I know the quality of woman she is. He’s a fool for not jumping when he had the chance because there’s no way I’m backing down now.
“It’s good to see you.” I look over at Izzy. “I guess I better go. Tomorrow?”
“Sure,” she answers with a quick nod of her head.
“Bye!” Andy says, his little hand waving when I walk toward the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, little guy.”
My heart is in my throat as I leave. I want to hug him, hold him in my arms, but that will have to come another day.
Chapter 37
Isabella
“Ack. That’s nasty.” I pull the beetle from Andy’s tiny hand. “Don’t touch it.”
Andy’s brow furrows, but he doesn’t stay upset for long. His eyes focus on something else.
“That’s a butterfly,” I tell him. “Isn’t it pretty?”
He watches the butterfly fly around, getting excited when it lands on the front porch rail. Then he’s on his feet rushing toward it. Thankfully, the thing flies away before he can scoop it up.
“Bye-bye.” He waves as the butterfly disappears around the house.
Avery wasn’t at the nursery school today, and when I picked him up, he was in rare form. He doesn’t exactly get upset and stay that way for long, but he was a little crankier than usual when we got back to the house. Since he loves to be outside, I figured spending some time on the porch would be better than making him feel cooped up indoors.
“Look at these.”
Andy turns his nose up at the jumbo building blocks. He doesn’t want to play with them unless Drew is here to do it with him. Drew has been making daily visits, even on the days he has nursery school, keeping his word that he’ll just sit and observe if Andy isn’t interested in interacting, for the last couple of weeks.