"How do you do that?" he asked softly. Propriety scolded him for being so intrusive and brash, but he was desperate to know.
They turned to him, Julia's hand on Thomas's shoulder and her expression tender.
"How do you forge ahead, never losing yourselves or the love you have for each other, after... everything?"
No question what Seb would look like when he got older--Seb and Ethan were both the spitting image of Thomas Hobbs. At sixty-five years old, Thomas was a handsome man, with a square jaw and green eyes that sparkled with life and mischief. His once-black hair was now salt-and-pepper, and although some of his leg muscles had deteriorated over the years due to his condition, he was still a tiger Therian, strong-bodied and strong-willed. Much like Ethan refused to allow his condition to define him, Thomas refused to be defined by his Therian Acheron Syndrome. Life had never been easy for the Hobbs family, but they endured, always together.
"Son, love is a precious gift, but love alone isn't enough to weather the storms in life. You know as well as I do that life can be hard, messy, infuriating, terrifying, and unfair, and love will certainly help ease the pain," Thomas said, taking Julia's hand in his. "But unless you use that love as a foundation to build on, you'll get swept away in the maelstrom."
Hudson nodded his understanding. He smiled warmly at Thomas before motioning to the Cornish pasties. "Your secret's safe with me."
Julia placed several pasties on a plate and handed them to Thomas with a kiss. Thomas thanked Hudson for the pasties, then declared he'd be upstairs watching his favorite TV show and instructed Julia on hiding the remaining pasties. Then he looked up at Hudson with those big green eyes filled with hope.
"Stay for dinner?"
Hudson caved so quickly it was pitiful. "Of course."
With a wink, Thomas took his plate of pasties and was off.
Hudson turned to Julia, arching an eyebrow at her. "Oh, he's good."
"Honey, that look is how we ended up with three boys. By the time Ethan was born, I made sure I was immune to it."
Hudson waggled his eyebrows. "Not completely immune, I'm sure."
Julia gasped and playfully swatted his arm with a laugh. "Hush, you." She pointed to one of the chairs at the large oak dinner table. "Sit your pretty little butt down. We have a lot of catching up to do. Tea?"
"Yes, thank you." Hudson took a seat, watching as Julia moved around the kitchen. Everything looked just how it did the last time he was here. He loved her kitchen. It was the biggest, warmest part of the large brownstone, with varnished wooden floors, white cupboards, silver-marble countertops, and state-of-the-art stainless-steel appliances. The Hobbs boys spared no expense where their family home was concerned. They might have moved out years ago, but this was still home. Even Thomas's electric wheelchair was high-end. Thomas had been reluctant at first, especially when he discovered how much it cost, but his sons refused to budge. If Thomas was going to be in a wheelchair, his boys were going to make damned sure it was the best out there.
The large brownstone had cost a mint. Seb and Rafe made the purchase after joining the THIRDS, and once Ethan had joined the organization, he chipped in to help his brothers. By the time Rafe had made it to Team Leader, the house was paid off. Thomas struggled with his pride for some time after having gone from being the sole breadwinner to having his sons take care of everything. With his family's help, Thomas learned that depending on a family who loved him and wanted to help didn't make him weak. Years later, with Therian aid, social security, and the support of their boys, Julia and Thomas lived comfortably without the fear of losing their home a second time.
The kettle boiled as a classic tune floated up from the digital radio on the counter. Hudson smiled, recalling a time when he'd spent hours at this very table in this same seat with Julia talking and laughing. Often Darla Summers would join them. That reminded him.
"How's Darla? I asked Cal about her this afternoon, and he just grunted that she was fine."
Julia chuckled as she placed Hudson's cup of tea in front of him. It was exactly the way he liked it. With a wicked smile that told Hudson some juicy gossip was forthcoming, Julia took a seat across from him with her own tea.
"Oh, honey, Darla's got herself a new man."
Hudson almost choked on his tea. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin Julia passed him before gaping at her. He leaned in. "When was this?"
"About three months now. Darla's crazy about him. He's a bear Therian. Used to coach college football. He's retired now. You should see the way he looks at her."
"And how does Cal look at him?" Hudson took a sip of his tea. As if he didn't know the answer.
"Like he wants to put him on the first ship heading into the Bermuda Triangle."
They both laughed. It was hard not to picture Calvin's face glaring daggers at his mother's new beau. Calvin was as protective of Darla as he was of Ethan. Hudson couldn't blame him. Darla was the only family Calvin had next to the Hobbs clan. It had been just the two of them for so long, making one sacrifice after another, trying their hardest to be a family, to make ends meet and survive.
"Cal's such a good boy. You know he wants her to be happy, so he's trying very hard, but trust doesn't come easy to him. He might be a grown man, but deep down, where Darla is concerned, he's still a little boy afraid of seeing his mother get hurt again. After what that bastard father of his did to them, who can blame him?"
Hudson nodded. "I wouldn't worry, love. If Cal catches so much as a hint that Darla is in distress, he will put the fear of God in that man, bear Therian or not. Cal's small, but he can be intimidating as hell."
"Are you kidding?" Julia leaned in and tapped her nail against the table. "If anyone lays a finger on Darla, my boys will be over there so fast the man won't know what hit him. Well, he will. It'll likely be Seb's fist. My boys know violence isn't the answer, especially with them being tiger Therians, but you push their buttons, and you deserve what you get. Seb has no tolerance for abuse of any kind, and you know how protective he is of his family."
Hudson took another sip of his tea. Boy, did he know it. They continued to chat and gossip, drinking copious amounts of tea and then nibbling on biscuits Julia put on the table.
"I'm so glad you came by," Julia said, smiling warmly. She placed a hand on his. "I missed this."