“I am sure you do.” Ford looked Gav in the eyes. “But remember you told us how you powered through, got on the next ride, and had a blast?” Ford waited for Gavin to nod. “Trust me, you’ll get through this. Savanna, Sawyer, Callum, Grandma and Grandpa, and I are all going to be there. We’ll be cheering you on.”
“Are you going to embarrass me?”
Ford nodded, smiling wide. “Probably.”
Gavin groaned, but the corners of his mouth were trying to turn up, and it was the first time Ford had seen something resembling a smile on his face over the course of the past few hours.
Gavin turned back to the mirror and let out a put-upon sigh that had Ford struggling to hold back his laughter.
“I’ll leave you to it.” Ford moved to pat Gavin’s head, but the kid ducked.
“Watch the hair.” Gavin rolled his eyes, shaking his head, the look in his eyes saying, “What do grown-ups know?”
Ford left Gavin’s room when he heard the front door, and as he started to make his way down the stairs, he spotted Sawyer coming into the house. Sawyer looked up and met Ford’s gaze.
“Honey, I’m home,” Sawyer called out to him, the corner of his mouth quirked up.
Ford snickered and made his way the rest of the way down where he greeted Sawyer with a kiss. “How was the new renter for the storefront on main street?”
“His check cleared.” Sawyer stepped back and shrugged out of his coat, “But he sent a proxy. Apparently, he’ll be here in a few months. He bought a house too and the lawyer closed on that.”
Sawyer hung his coat over his arms. “You were right, babe. Buying those store fronts was a fantastic investment.” Sawyer slipped his hand into the back pockets of Ford’s jeans, and brushed his lips with a gentle kiss. “So how’s our leading man?”
“You mean the supporting man?” Ford reminded Sawyer. “Well… nerves are starting to get the better of him. Told him to picture everyone naked.”
Sawyer arched an eyebrow since Ford had told him not to give the kids that kind of advice at first.
Ford shrugged, “I know, but frankly it was the only thing to make him smile. If it works…” He put his hands up, “…who am I to knock it.”
“I didn’t say anything” Sawyer kissed him on the cheek, “Are Callum and Savanna ready?”
“Savanna was fixing her hair.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes. “Of course.”
Ford laughed. “Well, we might as well get used to it. It’s only going to get worse from here.”
“True.” Ford knew, like him, Sawyer was looking forward to it. “And Callum?” Sawyer asked.
“Napping. He should be up in time for us to head out.”
“Perfect,” Sawyer seemed to tense, “But before I forget to tell you, I got a message from the lawyer who is handling the case against Cynthia and Larry.”
“Oh? What he’d say?” Ford felt that churning in his gut that happened every time Cynthia or Larry were mentioned.
“Well, he’s going to call me later. He said there’s an update on the case. He has to finalize some things, and I might have to take the call later tonight.”
Ford slowly exhaled. “God, I hope all is well. I’m sure they’ve been transferred here, by now, but we haven’t gotten much follow-up.”
“I know, babe,” Sawyer said, “but I figured no news is good news. We’re not seeing the whites of their eyes, and I, for one, am grateful for that.”
Ford nodded. “So am I!" But that was not to say it was ever off his mind, added to his worry about Gavin, Ford was now worried about what the lawyer had to say.
“Everything will work out,” Sawyer rubbed up and down his back, and he leaned in and kissed Ford. “You’ll see.”
“I’ll trust that,” Ford said between kisses. He refused to think about his family dealing with any more crap. They had their crap storm for the year, and if God was listening, no more for at least the next twenty… it would be too greedy to say fifty, right?
“Callum’s awake.”
They broke from the kiss, when they heard Savanna’s voice.
“Great,” Ford was going to focus on his family. They were going to watch Gavin’s play and ignore everything else. He watched Savie come down the stairs, then she handed Callum over the moment she was down. “Are you done finessing your hair?” Ford teased.
She giggled. “A girl is never done.” She winked before spinning on her heel, and tossed Ford a look over her shoulder.
Sawyer laughed.
“A girl is never done, Sawyer. Don’t you know that?” Ford shared a look with his boyfriend, and they both burst out laughing
“I do now.” Sawyer said between laughs. He kissed Callum on his forehead. “I better go get ready.”
He brushed past Ford and went up the stairs. Ford looked down at Callum. “Come on, love, let’s get you ready to go out.” It was almost time to leave the house, and they couldn’t be late.
“Hold up! Wait right there.” Sawyer held up his digital camera. It looked like a really good one, and seemed relatively new if the way Sawyer had been trying to figure some of the buttons out was any indication. Ford wouldn’t be shocked to find he’d just bought it.
Ford chuckled when he heard Gavin groan. “Not another picture.”
He spun around to face them just before he reached the main doors to the school. Parents and students were milling around outside, all going in to see the play, but Ford and Sawyer wanted just fifty more pictures. It’d make for a great album.
The kids didn’t have much of their early lives documented and both of them were trying to make up for it.
“You might as well just get used to it,” Ford said. “He isn’t
