Sequel: Infinite ›
Trouble-Maker
Nieces & Nephews.
I looked to Ronnie with wide eyes as I realized that his father was coming out of the house. He grinned at me and shrugged, nodding towards the door. I slid out slowly as he got out quickly and then got Nico from the back, balancing her on one arm as he ran to his father and pulled him into his arms.
"Pops!" Ronnie grinned as he hugged his father.
Ronnie's father had a smile on his face as he pulled his oldest child into his arms and hugged him tightly, paying no attention to Moon as he did so. I stood by the front of my car with my arms folded and a smile on my lips as I watched Ronnie interact with his dad.
When they pulled apart Ronnie's dad, Russell, turned to me. "You must be, Atticus!" he cheered as he hurried over and wrapped his thick arms around my shoulders.
I nodded. "You must be Russell," I said as I hugged him back tightly, feeling happy that he was happy to meet me. "It's so great to meet you."
Russell pulled away. "Yes you too! My boy hasn't told me much about you, but from what he did, I'm so proud that he found a good woman like you," he said as he nodded once and then moved over to smile at my younger sister, who was burying her face in in Ronnie's shoulder.
"Who do we have here?" Russell questioned, reaching out to touch the end of her hair with the tip of his finger.
"Moon," Ronnie said with a grin as he tried to coax Nico out of her shy facade.
"Moon?" Ronnie's dad asked, double-checking if that was her real, odd name.
Ronnie nodded, "For real."
I shrugged as I walked over and pulled Nico from Ronnie. "Nico Moon Celeste," I told Russell with a grin, "My father has a thing for weird names."
Russell grinned. "Why don't we head into the house?"
Ronnie laughed and basically ran into his childhood home. I laughed after him and followed Russell's lead as he wrapped one arm around my waist. "So," he asked as we walked through the threshold, "What do you see in that boy of mine?" He had a quirky little smile on his face as he talked to me and I could tell that he already knew what Ronnie and I saw in each other.
I shrugged as Ronnie grabbed Nico's little hands and pulled her into the living room. Ronnie's father and I sat on the threadbare couch, talking about how Ronnie was a child. We were killing time before Ronnie's older brother was supposed to be over with his children. Ronnie told me that there were quite a few of them.
"So," Russell asked, "How did you two meet?"
I grinned at the cliche questioned and wrapped my arms around Ronnie's waist as he moved to stand next to where I sat on the couch. "We met through my father," I said, shaking my head with chuckle.
Russell nodded his head. "Yes, now I think I remember Ronnie telling me something about that."
Russell, Ronnie, and I looked up as a horn sounded from the driveway. Ronnie grinned, handed Nico to me carefully before jumping over the coffee table and sprinting outside. I laughed and followed Russell.
Outside was a large blue van that had kids spilling out of it from either direction. Our of the driver's seat came a tall man. He grinned and hugged his brother and then his father. "Lyla had something with Luce," he said as Ronnie looked over the bunch. I knew that Lucy was Anthony's step-daughter.
Ronnie greeted his nephews before pulling me over to his brother and the kids. "Att, this is Anthony," he pointed to his brother. I hugged him and grinned at the kids who were chatting loudly and pushing each other around.
Ronnie introduced me to them, starting oldest to youngest, from what I could tell. "This is Devin, Nolan, James, and Tanner," he pointed them all out. I smiled at the group of brunette kids.
"I'm Atticus," I said, "And this is Nico."
Nolan, the second oldest boy, at about age eight, had a spiky mohawk on his head while Tanner had a flat one. James and Devin both had shaggy brown hair, but Devin wore glasses and James had a constant grin.
Tanner and James hung on Ronnie all day long, asking him about his band, prison, and a bunch of other things. Ronnie was easy going with these kids and it made me laugh and smile when he tackled Tanner onto the couch. Nolan then climbed onto his uncle's back while James tried to pull Tanner out. Devin, the oldest boy, was on Ronnie's side, yanking his younger brother off of Ronnie's back and throwing him to the floor, giving me a heart attack as his head slammed against the carpet.
Their father only laughed and pulled the boy back to his feet, rubbing the spot where the brunette's head had hit the floor. Tanner shoved him off and continued his assault on Ronnie.
We ate lunch around two thirty, all of us shoved into the living room, the kids sitting cross legged on the floor, their plates in their laps as they watched WWE with series conviction. Ronnie and I cuddled up on the couch as Nico slept in his old makeshift bedroom.
"Pops!" Ronnie grinned as he hugged his father.
Ronnie's father had a smile on his face as he pulled his oldest child into his arms and hugged him tightly, paying no attention to Moon as he did so. I stood by the front of my car with my arms folded and a smile on my lips as I watched Ronnie interact with his dad.
When they pulled apart Ronnie's dad, Russell, turned to me. "You must be, Atticus!" he cheered as he hurried over and wrapped his thick arms around my shoulders.
I nodded. "You must be Russell," I said as I hugged him back tightly, feeling happy that he was happy to meet me. "It's so great to meet you."
Russell pulled away. "Yes you too! My boy hasn't told me much about you, but from what he did, I'm so proud that he found a good woman like you," he said as he nodded once and then moved over to smile at my younger sister, who was burying her face in in Ronnie's shoulder.
"Who do we have here?" Russell questioned, reaching out to touch the end of her hair with the tip of his finger.
"Moon," Ronnie said with a grin as he tried to coax Nico out of her shy facade.
"Moon?" Ronnie's dad asked, double-checking if that was her real, odd name.
Ronnie nodded, "For real."
I shrugged as I walked over and pulled Nico from Ronnie. "Nico Moon Celeste," I told Russell with a grin, "My father has a thing for weird names."
Russell grinned. "Why don't we head into the house?"
Ronnie laughed and basically ran into his childhood home. I laughed after him and followed Russell's lead as he wrapped one arm around my waist. "So," he asked as we walked through the threshold, "What do you see in that boy of mine?" He had a quirky little smile on his face as he talked to me and I could tell that he already knew what Ronnie and I saw in each other.
I shrugged as Ronnie grabbed Nico's little hands and pulled her into the living room. Ronnie's father and I sat on the threadbare couch, talking about how Ronnie was a child. We were killing time before Ronnie's older brother was supposed to be over with his children. Ronnie told me that there were quite a few of them.
"So," Russell asked, "How did you two meet?"
I grinned at the cliche questioned and wrapped my arms around Ronnie's waist as he moved to stand next to where I sat on the couch. "We met through my father," I said, shaking my head with chuckle.
Russell nodded his head. "Yes, now I think I remember Ronnie telling me something about that."
Russell, Ronnie, and I looked up as a horn sounded from the driveway. Ronnie grinned, handed Nico to me carefully before jumping over the coffee table and sprinting outside. I laughed and followed Russell.
Outside was a large blue van that had kids spilling out of it from either direction. Our of the driver's seat came a tall man. He grinned and hugged his brother and then his father. "Lyla had something with Luce," he said as Ronnie looked over the bunch. I knew that Lucy was Anthony's step-daughter.
Ronnie greeted his nephews before pulling me over to his brother and the kids. "Att, this is Anthony," he pointed to his brother. I hugged him and grinned at the kids who were chatting loudly and pushing each other around.
Ronnie introduced me to them, starting oldest to youngest, from what I could tell. "This is Devin, Nolan, James, and Tanner," he pointed them all out. I smiled at the group of brunette kids.
"I'm Atticus," I said, "And this is Nico."
Nolan, the second oldest boy, at about age eight, had a spiky mohawk on his head while Tanner had a flat one. James and Devin both had shaggy brown hair, but Devin wore glasses and James had a constant grin.
Tanner and James hung on Ronnie all day long, asking him about his band, prison, and a bunch of other things. Ronnie was easy going with these kids and it made me laugh and smile when he tackled Tanner onto the couch. Nolan then climbed onto his uncle's back while James tried to pull Tanner out. Devin, the oldest boy, was on Ronnie's side, yanking his younger brother off of Ronnie's back and throwing him to the floor, giving me a heart attack as his head slammed against the carpet.
Their father only laughed and pulled the boy back to his feet, rubbing the spot where the brunette's head had hit the floor. Tanner shoved him off and continued his assault on Ronnie.
We ate lunch around two thirty, all of us shoved into the living room, the kids sitting cross legged on the floor, their plates in their laps as they watched WWE with series conviction. Ronnie and I cuddled up on the couch as Nico slept in his old makeshift bedroom.