“Addison, I got this. She wants to be with Uncle Perry. Why can’t you just let us be great?” he teased, causing Addison to grimace and storm ahead and Aiden to laugh. Before he could even get to the door, Rebecca swung it open and stepped out wearing a bright yellow romper.
“Aiden! Addison! Allison! Perry!” Everyone laughed as she charged towards them with open arms. After she greeted everyone, she went straight for the baby and walked off towards their father who was standing at the grill wearing biker jeans, a long black ratty tank top, and boots. His hair was pulled into a ponytail and he was bobbing his head to some old music, perhaps “Bat Out of Hell” by Meatloaf. Dad met eyes with him, saluted him, and turned back towards the ribs he was babysitting.
“Where’s my grandbaby?” he asked, placing a bottle of beer down on a nearby stool.
“Rebecca stole her and took her in the house.” Addison walked up to him and he pulled her to his side for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m doing good, Greg. How about yourself?”
“Better now that you all are here. Hey, there’s some salad and stuff in the house, drinks and all of that. Help yourself.”
“All right, I think I will. I’ll be right back, Aiden.” She winked and as she passed by, he swatted her behind and watched her sway on into the house. Perry pulled up a lawn chair beside him and dropped himself into it.
“Where’s Steve?” Perry asked.
“He’ll be down in a little bit. Had to pick up his son from his ex-girlfriend’s house first… Look, I wanna tell you guys that I want the four of us to go out for a boys’ night soon. I guess that’s what I’d call it… like up to Canada at the Hakai Lodge. They’ve got good salmon fishing there. I’ve been many times. I think it’ll be a good chance for us to, you know, spend a little time together.”
“That sounds great!” Perry’s cheeks warmed with a reddened hue.
“It does. I’d like that. Perry and I have never been fishing before, Dad.” Suddenly, his father turned to him with a serious expression. He blinked several times, then turned back towards the meat, clearing his throat as if he’d gotten choked up. “What’s wrong?” Aiden questioned. “Did I say something to upset—”
“No, you didn’t say nothing to upset me and nothing is wrong. That’s uh… that’s the first time you called me Dad is all, Aiden. Usually it’s just Greg. Thank you.” The man sniffed and turned over the meat, clearly feeling emotions he no longer wished to express. “Perry?”
“Yes?”
“Not gonna twist your arm or anything, but uh, you can call me Dad, too… if you want.” Perry looked at Aiden in a strange way, then back at Greg. Aiden had already told his Dad all about the issue with Perry’s parentage. At the time, the man hadn’t said much about it, but Aiden could tell he’d been churning over the information, and there was no denying that Greg liked Perry very much, and the feeling was mutual.
“Drinks!” Addison burst through the screen door, barreling towards them, her arms full of ice cold beers. She gave one to each of them, then cracked open herself a root beer. She was still breastfeeding.
“Thanks, baby.” Aiden grabbed the woman and placed her on his lap.
Perry started telling a good story about a guy at work stealing butter, making them all practically choke with laughter.
“Rebecca!” Dad called out, his hand on his hip and brows furrowed. “Bring Allison out here please so she can give Grandpa a kiss! Hoggin’ up the baby again!” A few minutes later, Rebecca appeared at the door, clearly not wishing to be there by the expression on her face.
“Make it fast, Dad. I was just getting ready to read her a story.”
The old man rolled his eyes, set the grilling tongs down, and took the baby in his hands, grinning as wide as the moon.
“This baby don’t care about no damn stories, do you, cutie?! She wants to see her grandpa, being the grill master that he is. Isn’t that right, you sweet little angel?!” Allison looked down at him, her big brown eyes syrupy and almost cartoonish as she sized the man up.
“Uh, Dad, be careful holding her high up like that. Today she’s been—” But it was too late. Allison spit up all over him, causing Perry and Rebecca to burst out laughing.
“Oh no! Allison… my Lord.” Addison covered her mouth with her hand and fought a giggle.
“Well, shit!” Dad cursed, then burst out laughing. “That’s how you say hello, huh? Well, I tell you what. Never—”
“Greg, I’ll take her. Her tummy has been a little upset today, I believe,” Addison explained.
“Nah, I got her. Maybe in some cultures that’s good luck, huh?” Laughing, he headed towards the door, the baby in his arms. “I’m gonna go clean both of us off. I’ll be right back.”
Rebecca chased behind him and looked over her shoulder at them with narrowed eyes.
“Dad doesn’t know what he’s doing! I’ll make sure everything is all right. Don’t worry.”
They smiled at the woman as she disappeared inside the house, the door slamming behind them. Perry pulled out his phone and started to mess around with it. After cracking the hell up at the whole damn incident, Aiden pulled Addison closer to him and pressed his lips against hers.
“Next time we come out, we should invite your parents. How’d you think they’d feel about seeing my father’s chicken fried steak contest t-shirts he is so damn proud of winning and his plastic beer mug collection?” He guffawed at his own joke and all she could do was smile at him and shake her head.
“You’re so silly. I think you know that visit probably wouldn’t go too well, but that doesn’t mean it should never happen.”
“I agree with you, there, baby. Might be good for everyone involved.”
“You know what might be good for me, though?” She whispered in his ear.
“I don’t know, baby.” He slicked his tongue along his lower lip in anticipation of something raunchy spilling out of her mouth. “Tell me…”
“An awesome garage sale they’re having at the English estate! You should have seen the advertisement in the paper, Aiden!”
He rolled his eyes and screamed, which only caused her to cackle. The damn woman knew she’d set him up.
“No more garage sales, Addison! I can’t take it!”
But she rattled on about all the deals she’d probably be able to find. He sat there looking at her, falling in love with her harder than ever. Taking a deep breath, he trailed his gaze around the land, his father’s land, then thought about his mother. About how she’d gotten a nice new apartment within her budget, and she seemed to be finding her happiness again. He thought about Perry, hanging on, being himself… one of his best friends in the world. Then, he teared up as he thought about his daughter, a beautiful baby girl with large almond-shaped eyes, curly black hair, and a smile that rivaled the sun.
…And then he looked at Addison again, and there was no doubt in his mind, that when he’d found ‘the one’ she’d not only helped him find his voice, to allow himself to love wholly and freely, but to be who he was without shame, guilt, or burden. Aiden was a humanitarian who needed to heal the world, but now, he’d begun that process by starting with himself…
THE END