“Buddy, that was supposed to be our little secret.” I smile as Bodhi peers up at me.
“But Bodhi is my brother. I can’t keep secrets from my brother.” Easton loops his arm through Bodhi’s. “Open your present. It’s Avengers Assemble. Wanna play superheroes?”
“Cupcakes and superheroes. That sounds like a good plan,” Vivien says, crouching down a little. She smiles at Bodhi, and I can tell she’s fighting her emotions. “Hello, Bodhi. I’m Vivien. I’m Easton’s mommy. It’s really nice to meet you.”
“Hi.” His cheeks flush red as he looks at her. “Thank you for the gift.”
“You’re welcome. I hope you like it.”
“This is my daddy Dillon,” the little motormouth says, reaching back to grab my hand.
“Hey, Bodhi,” I lean down, holding up my hand for a high-five.
His mouth hangs open, and his eyes widen as he stares at me. “You’re in a band!” he exclaims in an excited voice. He looks up at Lori. “I saw him on TV! Remember!”
“My daddy is the best singer and the best guitarist in the whole wide world,” East says. “And our daddy Reeve is the best actor ever. I’ve got his movies at home. We can watch them when you live with us.”
Poor Bodhi looks a little overwhelmed.
“Let’s move out of the hallway,” Vivien says, lifting her shoulder in Lori’s direction. Lori is clutching the door frame, looking a little wobbly on her feet.
I offer Lori my arm, as Vivien closes the door behind me. “Lean on me.”
We make our way into the main living area, and it’s a large open space that looks well lived in with comfortable sofas, a colorful worn patterned rug, and tons of pictures of Bodhi on the wall. A packed toy box is open in the middle of the room, and the boys gravitate there after helping themselves to a cupcake. I help Lori to sit in a recliner chair while Vivien pours lemonade into two plastic glasses for the boys. “I should make coffee.” Lori moves to stand.
“Don’t get up,” Vivien says. “I’ll make some.”
“The kitchen is through there.” Lori winces as she points through an archway. Pain lances across her face as she tries to get comfortable in the chair.
“Have the doctors not given you anything for the pain?” I ask when Vivien has left the room.
“I have pain meds, but they make me groggy, and I kept falling asleep. It’s only the two of us here, and I need to be alert to take care of Bodhi.”
“I know we were going to wait a couple of weeks until we had the room set up for you, but I think you should move in with us ASAP.”
“I don’t know.” She looks over to where Bodhi and Easton are playing with their superhero figures on the floor. “This has all been a big shock for Bodhi. He’s been quieter than usual.”
“It’s only delaying the inevitable. At least at our place, you can take your meds and grab some sleep knowing he’s being cared for. Our housekeeper, Charlotte, is an amazing cook, and she’ll make all your meals. It will remove the burden from you and give you more time to spend with your son.”
“What about school?”
“They have a place for Bodhi at Easton’s school,” Vivien says, coming into the room carrying a tray with some mugs and a coffee pot, milk, and sugar.
“You have that lined up already?” Lori looks shocked.
“Once we made the decision, we started putting plans in place,” my wife confirms, pouring coffee into a mug for Lori and handing it to her. “Dillon made a bed like Easton’s for Bodhi, and we added it to his room. We thought it might help if the boys roomed together? Although, we have plenty of space, and he can have his own room or stay with you, if you prefer.”
Viv hands me a coffee, taking a seat on the couch next to me.
“Mommy, look what Bodhi got me!” Easton comes bounding over, holding out a Hot Wheels set.
“Awesome. Did you say thank you to Lori?”
“Thank you, Lori.” Easton leans down, kissing her cheek. “I love it so much.”
“Bodhi picked it out for you.”
“My brother made a good choice.” He runs back to Bodhi, sinking onto the floor.
“He’s a very confident little boy,” Lori remarks. “I think he’ll help to bring Bodhi out of his shell.”
“Reeve was very quiet as a kid,” Vivien remarks, sipping her coffee. “Then he got to eight or nine, and it was like he suddenly found his voice.”
“How did he take the news?” I ask Lori, watching Bodhi smile at something Easton says.
“He was happy to hear he has a cousin but sad he never got to meet his daddy.”
“What did you tell him about Saffron?” Vivien asks.
“I told him she was sick and couldn’t take care of him and I was desperate to love him so I adopted him and he came to live with me and Travis.”
“Travis signed the paperwork,” Vivien confirms. “Carson called this morning to confirm he has legally relinquished all of his parental rights.”
“I’m so disgusted with him. It was one thing to abandon me but quite another to walk out on Bodhi. He was only three, so he barely even remembers him now.” She purses her lips. “I’m glad he didn’t challenge it. At least it makes it a little easier.”
“Vivien.” Bodhi clears his throat, standing in front of Viv with two red spots on his cheeks and his hands behind his back. He looks to Lori and she smiles, nodding in encouragement. “This is for you.” He whips a rose from behind his back—a lavender rose—and hands it to Vivien.
Her hand shakes as she takes it from him, but she keeps her composure as she smiles at him. “Thank you so much, Bodhi. It’s beautiful.” He flushes, looking at his mum before racing back to join Easton.
Vivien stares at the flower in shock, and I slide my arm around her shoulder. Viv glances at Lori. “How did he know Reeve used to give me lavender roses?”
Lori’s eyes widen. “He did?”
Viv nods.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” A smile graces Lori’s mouth. “I’m a keen gardener, and I have a few red rose bushes out in the backyard. Bodhi was playing out there just before you arrived, and it was the strangest thing, but that rose was in the middle of one of the bushes. He stared at it for ages, and then he asked me if he could give it to you.” She wipes a tear from her eye. “I think Reeve is looking out for him. Looking out for all of us, and that’s his way of saying he approves.”
“How much longer is this going to take?” I ask Carson Park, leaning back in my chair, having a hard time not snarling at the guy. I’ve never been overly fond of the dick, but since we discovered he knew about Bodhi and continued to keep it a secret after Reeve died, I have zero time for him. The only reason we’re using him to manage the adoption is because he’s been involved from the very start and he has paperwork which was supposed to help speed up the process.
“I’m pushing it through as fast as I can, Dillon, but there is a lot of red tape and a lot of procedures to comply with. These measures are in place to protect children, and we can’t cut corners.”