Father Figure
Fifty
I anxiously bounced on the balls of my feet as I watched people exit the plane. I tried to get a look further down the tunnel, but I couldn't see anything. I could hear them, though. Sidney was calling after them while the boys were giggling and yelling to each other.
And then I saw them. They weaved through a group of people and looked around. When they spotted me, their eyes all lit up. "Mama!"
I fell to my knees to hug them all. I kissed their faces several times. "I missed you guys so much," I told them as I hugged them again.
"I missed you so much, mama! I was so sad without you!" Gab exclaimed as he hugged me again. I smiled and rubbed his back.
"Well, you guys are home now. How was Nova Scotia? I asked.
"Amazing!"
"So great!"
"I love it!"
Sidney appeared behind them, out of breath and looking worn down. My stomach did a flip as he looked at me. "Rough flight?" I asked.
He sighed. "You could say that," he answered, pointedly looking at each of the boys. They all giggled and clung to my legs.
"Welcome back to Pittsburgh," I told him and reached forward to hug him. His arms slipped around me in a tight hug.
"It is so good to be back," he replied softly.
He leaned down to kiss me, but I flinched, my mind going directly to the baby. As his lips connected with my cheek, he tensed up. "Let's get home, eh?" I suggested as I pulled back.
His eyes searched my face as he nodded. I looked down at the boys. "Ready to go home?" I asked.
They all nodded and chimed in with their agreement. Gab took one of my hands while Kris took the other. Beau held on to Gab's hand as well as Sidney's. "I'm so happy we are home," Beau announced.
"Me, too, buddy," I told him truthfully.
---
As we walked into Sidney's house, they boys rushed inside. "Are we sleeping here tonight?" Beau called out.
I smiled to myself. "Yup," I answered. I could see Sidney smiling out of the corner of my eye. "Why don't you guys change into your pajamas and brush your teeth so you can get to bed," I suggested.
I followed Sidney upstairs to his bedroom, biting my lip nervously. He slowed down to take in the few photos I'd hung up in the hall. There was a photo of each boy on his birthday followed by one of the four of us together. The last frame held each other the boys grinning at me in their jerseys followed by one of us at his first game back. The boys were all holding up "Welcome back Sid" signs. I hadn't realized until I was putting the photo in the frame that Vero had captured Sidney in the background on the ice.
Beau slid into the hallway looking confused. "Why is everything here?" he asked in confusion. Gab and Kris soon filed into the hallway with the same question.
I glanced up at Sidney. He gave me a smile. "Well, we're all going to live here," I said slowly.
"Really?" Kris exclaimed. I nodded. "Yes!"
Before they could celebrate too much, I ushered them to their bathroom. "Come on. You need to brush your teeth so you can go to bed," I reminded them. They grudgingly listened to me.
I quickly followed Sidney back to his room. He had his suitcase laying on the floor by the bed. His eyes were taking in the few changes to his room. "Are you completely moved in?" he asked.
"I just have their beds I thought I'd sell and some kitchen stuff I figured I could take to Goodwill. I'll probably take the beds there, too, actually," I told him.
He gave me a small smile that I returned. I averted my eyes to the dresser beside me. "You okay?" he asked warily. "If this is too much, you don't have to. I understand if you changed your mind," he mumbled.
I quickly shook my head. "No, I want to be here. I really do," I assured him. "I just... I have to talk to you about something tonight once the boys are asleep," I admitted.
I watched as he swallowed and nervously licked over his lips. "Alright. Sounds good."
And then I saw them. They weaved through a group of people and looked around. When they spotted me, their eyes all lit up. "Mama!"
I fell to my knees to hug them all. I kissed their faces several times. "I missed you guys so much," I told them as I hugged them again.
"I missed you so much, mama! I was so sad without you!" Gab exclaimed as he hugged me again. I smiled and rubbed his back.
"Well, you guys are home now. How was Nova Scotia? I asked.
"Amazing!"
"So great!"
"I love it!"
Sidney appeared behind them, out of breath and looking worn down. My stomach did a flip as he looked at me. "Rough flight?" I asked.
He sighed. "You could say that," he answered, pointedly looking at each of the boys. They all giggled and clung to my legs.
"Welcome back to Pittsburgh," I told him and reached forward to hug him. His arms slipped around me in a tight hug.
"It is so good to be back," he replied softly.
He leaned down to kiss me, but I flinched, my mind going directly to the baby. As his lips connected with my cheek, he tensed up. "Let's get home, eh?" I suggested as I pulled back.
His eyes searched my face as he nodded. I looked down at the boys. "Ready to go home?" I asked.
They all nodded and chimed in with their agreement. Gab took one of my hands while Kris took the other. Beau held on to Gab's hand as well as Sidney's. "I'm so happy we are home," Beau announced.
"Me, too, buddy," I told him truthfully.
---
As we walked into Sidney's house, they boys rushed inside. "Are we sleeping here tonight?" Beau called out.
I smiled to myself. "Yup," I answered. I could see Sidney smiling out of the corner of my eye. "Why don't you guys change into your pajamas and brush your teeth so you can get to bed," I suggested.
I followed Sidney upstairs to his bedroom, biting my lip nervously. He slowed down to take in the few photos I'd hung up in the hall. There was a photo of each boy on his birthday followed by one of the four of us together. The last frame held each other the boys grinning at me in their jerseys followed by one of us at his first game back. The boys were all holding up "Welcome back Sid" signs. I hadn't realized until I was putting the photo in the frame that Vero had captured Sidney in the background on the ice.
Beau slid into the hallway looking confused. "Why is everything here?" he asked in confusion. Gab and Kris soon filed into the hallway with the same question.
I glanced up at Sidney. He gave me a smile. "Well, we're all going to live here," I said slowly.
"Really?" Kris exclaimed. I nodded. "Yes!"
Before they could celebrate too much, I ushered them to their bathroom. "Come on. You need to brush your teeth so you can go to bed," I reminded them. They grudgingly listened to me.
I quickly followed Sidney back to his room. He had his suitcase laying on the floor by the bed. His eyes were taking in the few changes to his room. "Are you completely moved in?" he asked.
"I just have their beds I thought I'd sell and some kitchen stuff I figured I could take to Goodwill. I'll probably take the beds there, too, actually," I told him.
He gave me a small smile that I returned. I averted my eyes to the dresser beside me. "You okay?" he asked warily. "If this is too much, you don't have to. I understand if you changed your mind," he mumbled.
I quickly shook my head. "No, I want to be here. I really do," I assured him. "I just... I have to talk to you about something tonight once the boys are asleep," I admitted.
I watched as he swallowed and nervously licked over his lips. "Alright. Sounds good."