Alessa and Kevin were close enough in age that they did just about everything together. Eagle and Taylor had talked it over, and ended up keeping Kevin back in school a year so he and his sister could be in the same class. Having her brother with her seemed to give Alessa the confidence she needed. And Kevin was extremely protective of his little sister, making it very clear that if anyone made fun of her or was mean to her in any way, they’d have to answer to him.
Eagle and Taylor weren’t perfect parents, but he knew their kids felt safe, protected, and loved.
They’d also decided, after how hard Alessa’s birth had been, to not have more children. Taylor had been disappointed, but she’d bounced back quickly, throwing herself into raising their two children the best she knew how.
And apparently that included making sure they were involved in every activity under the sun. Eagle wanted to complain, but secretly he loved watching his kids run, jump, swim, draw, act, and whatever else they happened to be involved in at the moment.
No matter how many activities their kids were enrolled in, Eagle knew their favorite thing to do would always be playing pinball. He’d given in and bought an old Star Wars pinball machine for their house a few years ago. He and Taylor played all the time, and after watching them for a while, both Kevin and Alessa had wanted turns.
Kevin currently had the high score, with Alessa not far behind. The two kids were even better than their parents, something that Eagle was proud as hell over, even though he bitched about it to his friends all the time.
“Did you see that?” Taylor exclaimed in a huff. “That boy totally cut Kevin off. Get him!” she yelled at Alessa. Their daughter’s brown curly hair was in disarray on her head, held off her face with a scrunchie. It was thick, like her mom’s, and Eagle guessed in a few years it would be both the bane of his daughter’s existence and her best feature. He knew because Taylor complained all the time about how long it took for her hair to dry and what a pain in the ass it was, but he couldn’t keep his hands out of it and couldn’t imagine her cutting it.
Eagle could only shake his head as Taylor ranted. He never would’ve expected it, but he knew where Kevin and Alessa got their competitive streaks.
“Go, go, go!” Molly yelled from next to him.
Well, maybe his kids’ competitive streaks weren’t all from their mom.
“Block him!” Cassidy yelled from the other side of Molly.
“Get a goal, and snacks are on me!” Skylar called out.
The women around him all laughed, and Eagle could only roll his eyes. Skylar and Bull took great delight in spoiling his kids. He claimed it drove him crazy, but secretly he loved it. Kevin and Alessa loved their “aunts and uncles” almost as much as they loved their parents. The entire gang hung out all the time.
They all used to go to the high school football games to watch Mario cheer, and they did their best to attend as many musicals, games, and activities as they could. The six men and women around him were truly his family. And Eagle knew he could count on them for anything, any time of the day.
“Go, Alessa!” Kelsy called out. She was Smoke and Molly’s daughter, and Alessa’s best friend. They’d been together practically since birth and were as different as night and day. Kelsy was outgoing and loved being the center of attention, while Alessa was content to hang back and take in her surroundings before joining in the activities. Part of that came from her prosopagnosia, but with Kelsy’s and her brother’s help, she’d become more and more confident over the years.
Eagle was happy. More content than he’d ever thought he could be.
Leaning over, he kissed Taylor’s temple.
Taylor glanced at him, and Eagle saw her eyes go to the faded scar on his forehead. He’d gotten it a decade ago when the serial killer who’d targeted his wife had forced their car to crash. For Taylor, it was a blessing. It gave her a way to recognize him even from across the room, something she wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise because of her condition. For Eagle, it was a daily reminder every time he looked in the mirror of how precious life was. Seeing it made him mentally vow to do whatever it took to keep his wife and children safe from the evil in the world.
He’d spent years keeping other people safe, and now his entire mission in life was to raise his children to be thoughtful, kind, and decent human beings.
“What’s wrong?” Taylor asked as she stared up at him.
“Nothing,” Eagle told her.
“You only get that look when you’re thinking too hard,” she scolded lightly.
“I’m just wondering how I got so lucky,” he said.
Taylor rolled her eyes. “How about you wonder what we’re gonna feed these kids when they get home? You know as well as I do they’re gonna be starved—and don’t get fast food again. That stuff’ll rot their bodies from the inside out.”
Eagle chuckled. “Right. I’ll make hamburgers. How’s that?”
“Better than hot dogs,” Taylor grumbled.
His wife hated hot dogs, but their kids loved them. She did everything she could to keep the things out of the house, but every now and then, Eagle would sneak them in as a treat for Kevin and Alessa. It wasn’t as if they ate like shit—not at all—but Taylor was determined to give them the best of everything, including the food they ate.
Just then, everyone around them started screaming, and Eagle looked up in time to see Alessa kick the ball into the net. The other team’s goalie had made a dive for the ball but missed.
Kelsy and everyone else were jumping up and down, yelling in excitement, and Eagle was as proud as he could be when instead of joining in the celebration, his daughter went up to the goalie and patted the young man on the back. Only when he’d stopped scowling and smiled at her did she turn to her team and pump a fist in the air.
He and his friends had made sure everyone knew the meaning of being sportsmanlike, and the lectures had really sunk in. Or maybe it was just Alessa being who she was.
The game went on for another thirty minutes, and at the end, the score was twenty-two to eighteen, with their team winning. Soccer for preteens wasn’t exactly up to professional standards, as there were more goals made than blocks, but it made for a fun, exciting game.
Kevin and Alessa ran off the field toward them, his son in front, leading the way as usual. Every time Eagle thought about how hard Alessa’s life was with prosopagnosia—without her brother, she’d have a hard time even knowing which group of spectators were her parents and friends—it made him more determined to make sure his daughter felt loved and safe. Thinking about how his wife grew up feeling alone and being bullied still made him want to seriously hurt someone.
He squatted down and waited for his daughter to get close. Then he said, “Good game, Les.” He always used her nickname when he greeted her, just so she’d know who he was.
Smiling, Alessa threw herself into his arms. Closing his eyes, Eagle soaked in the moment. He knew it was only a matter of time before his little girl grew out of needing his hugs. Before she decided he was annoying and didn’t understand her at all. He wasn’t sure he was ready for the teenage years, but together, he and Taylor could get through anything.
“Good job!” Kelsy said, smiling at her friend. Alessa pulled out of Eagle’s arms and hugged her friend.