“No one did,” Ali mumbled quietly.
He hugged KJ, who’d grown as tall as Ricky but favored his mom’s coloring with dark hair and green eyes.
“Are you here for my project?” KJ asked expectantly.
Kade inwardly cringed at the mention of the project. He was no role model and he hated the idea of KJ writing about him as his hero.
“I’m just here to see you guys.” He was there to do a lot more than that, but he figured it was best to keep it simple for now, especially since he wanted to keep his no-violence streak going.
Before any more questions could be posed, the doorbell rang three times in succession followed by two sharp knocks. KJ’s eyes grew large and he shook his head as he took a few steps back. Beside him, Ali and Ricky turned to face each other and rock-paper-scissored silently. Roshambo was a Walsh tradition.
After three pounds of their fists to their palm Ali kept her hand in a fist and Ricky flattened his. Since paper beats rock Ricky shrugged in apology as Ali’s head fell back and an exasperated sigh fell from her lips.
With an exaggerated eye roll she turned on her heel and crossed to the front door, inhaling through her nose before opening it. “Hi, Presley.” Ali’s voice was cheery but her body language was telling another story. Her shoulders were practically touching her ears. “KJ is busy doing homework and then he has jiu-jitsu, so now is not a great time.”
From where Kade stood, his view of the visitor was blocked, so he leaned back and peeked between the blinds of the front window. A cute blonde girl stood on the porch.
Ali exchanged pleasantries with Presley for a minute before shutting the door and returning to the living room and pointing her finger directly at KJ. “That’s the last time I’m covering for you. She’s a nice girl.”
“She’s annoying,” KJ dismissed rudely.
Her eyes shut for a brief second before she continued, “She’s a nice girl and if you don’t want to see her when she comes over, then you need to tell her. Your brother and I are done lying for you.”
“Whatever. I didn’t ask you to lie for me,” KJ shot back in a tone that would’ve gotten Kade knocked out if he’d dared speak to his father like that.
He didn’t agree with his dad’s parenting style, but he did believe in speaking to people with respect. His instinct was to tell the kid not to speak to his aunt like that, but it wasn’t his place. He hadn’t earned that right. Yet. But he planned to.
For now, he figured it was best to try and alleviate the tension.
“Listen, I’m sorry I missed your guys’ birthday.” Kade bent down and unzipped his bag. “I’ve got something for you.”
He straightened and handed the twins the newest Xbox and Playstation, neither of which had been released yet. He’d called in a favor from an actor who had shadowed him to prepare for a role on a feature film who also voiced several video game characters.
The boys’ eyes grew almost as big as their heads as each one took a console.
“And here’s some games.” He hadn’t gift wrapped the consoles but he had wrapped the games. He was pulling them out of his bag when Ali moved close to him, her body pressed against his arm. The soft swell of her breast was unmistakable and his dick stirred beneath the zipper of his jeans.
“Kitchen. Now,” she hissed next to his ear before announcing loudly. “I’m going to finish making dinner.”
She walked into the kitchen and he handed the games to the twins. “Do you guys know how to set these up?”
They both shot him a pitiful glance.
Of course they did.
The boys grabbed their gifts and headed down to the basement.
“You coming?” KJ asked as he glanced over his shoulder and held the door open.
“I’ll be down in a few minutes.” He had to go face the music first.
KJ nodded and then disappeared down the stairs with his brother. A pang strummed in his chest. Seeing the boys going down there, each holding a box in their arms, made him feel like he was Ebenezer Scrooge on the journey of Christmas past.
The twins reminded him so much of himself and Patrick. Fuck. He missed his best friend. It had taken him a long time to accept a world without Patrick in it. He’d thought he had, but seeing the boys was testing his resolve.
Grief was such a tame word to describe what he felt. It seemed so benign when the experience was agonizing. Torture. Devastation.
A clatter of something hitting the floor snapped him out of his depressing reverie and back to the present.