She smirks at me, "And how was it that we met again?"
"Fair point. You are to stay with her,” I tell my boys. "He doesn't get to touch her."
Mia stands up and shakes her head. "I'm not part of this, I'm going to make dinner. Lorna, do you want to help?"
"Yes mommy." She wiggles off the sofa and rushes out of the room behind Mia.
"Maya baby, go help your mom."
She glares at me as she gets off the sofa. "You're so sexist dad. You never ask any of the boys to help."
"Why are all these females full of attitude?" I ask wondering when my baby girl started back chatting me.
"I can hear you!" Mia says, "And your daughter is right. You've never once asked the boys to help me do dinner, you always make the girls." She doesn't have any heat in her voice.
"They are to be separated at all times," I instruct my boys.
Dennon and Finley smirk, enjoying the task that I've set them. "On it dad." Dennon replies, he's fourteen and thinks he's God's gift to women. Mia tells me that he takes after me but I don't see it. Finley is the calmer of my boys, he's so laid back. But he'll knock you out with one punch if you piss him off enough. He's thirteen and takes af
ter his mom looks wise.
"Dad, can I have a word?" David asks and I nod for him to follow me.
Sitting down in my office I wait for him to spill whatever is on his mind. "I know that you and mom spoke about me finishing school and college first before joining the family."
"Yeah," I say carefully wondering where he's going with this and why he's not having this conversation with his mom as well.
"I don't want to go to college, in fact, once I graduate I want to join the family." He graduates in less than two months.
"What's brought this on?"
He shrugs. "I've been thinking about it a lot. All of us want to join the family."
"All of you?"
He nods. "Yeah, Haley, Dennon, and Finley."
"Have you spoken to your mom about this?"
"Yeah dad, I told her earlier today and she told me that it was my choice as I'm eighteen now. She'd prefer it if I went to college but she can't stop me from doing what I want. As long as I'm happy then she is."
"That sounds like your mom alright. So what do you want?"
He sits up straighter. "One day I want to be the boss, just as you are, just as gramps was before you and your gramps was before him."
"Your name doesn't mean you're the boss."
He nods. "I know, mom's told me about it. She's told us all about it. Gramps told me how you worked your way up and that's what I want to do too. The respect your men have for you was earned and if I'm going to be boss one day then I want to earn it too."
I nod in approval, that right there shows me that my son has what it takes to be boss. "Okay then, this weekend you're with me."
His eyes light up like I've just told him all his Christmas' have come at once. "Thanks dad."
"We done?" He nods. "Good, we're going to help your mom and sister's out with making dinner."
"Okay, thanks dad for listening and for the opportunity."
I get to my feet. "It's going to be hard work, a lot of grunt work."