Treasure Hunt (boyxboy)

Treasure Hunt | Chapter Twenty-Seven

     It amazed me that my sibling's children could take to me so easily. It also amazed me how easily my brothers and sister were so easily able to look passed the fact that I had not met their spouses, save for one, and their children. I knew I hurt them every time I poliety declined each wedding invitation. I'd sent my best regards towards them, a happy life and a happy marriage with happy and healthy children. But I wasn't able to be around any of them, even though they had been the ones to back me up during that point in my life, it hurt too much to be there. It was something I wasn't able to control and they understood that, and thankfully they still loved me.

     I also couldn't believe how fast Treasure was able to warm up to her cousins. Henry, Andrew, and Leah were the closest to her in age and she played with them for a long while until she realized that she liked to play with the younger ones, getting excited as they babbled and walked uneasily. She found even more interest in Holly as Abbie agreed to let her hold her. She sat carefully next to my sister with a pillow in her lap and her arms cradled. She was so happy as my sister placed her youngest in my daughter's arms, her eyes lighting up in a way I've never imagined.

     Zach was much different. He sat on the other side of Loran, clinging to his shirt as he watched all the small children around him, toys littering the floor in some areas. Small children made him uncomfortable as he didn't quite know what to do.

     "She reminds me so much of Peter holding you when you were a newborn," My mother sat across from me, a steaming mug of coffee in her hands. I remained silent, not knowing quite what to say so she started to speak again but this time, seeming to direct it at Loran. "They all fought over him, he was the new baby doll, they all wanted to play with him. Peter was the nicest, held him and loved on him a little. Harry and Drew tried their best to do what Peter did, and Abbie was still too little to understand. She pushed him away from her instead."

     Loran laughed. "That reminds me of when Zach went to hold Treasure after she graduated from the NICU and finally got to come home. He was so excited to hold her until she actually got home, then he didn't want anything to do with her."

     "NICU?" My mother asked, a little startled.

     "She was born prematurely," I responded. "Twenty-five weeks, she stayed in the NICU until she was three months old. She weighed a little over a pound and when she left the NICU she was around seven."

     "Oh my God, Dalton, I had no idea." She said, sympathetically. 

     I just shrugged, I didn't know what to say and I'm glad I didn't as my father joined my mother. He gave Loran a stare of hatred - the same one he'd given the day I'd left to move in with him. He believed he'd gotten me pregnant and then stolen me away. Oh how wrong he was. My mother was planning on telling him the truth once we all left. I just wished he'd stop looking at him like that. It wasn't Loran's fault that he made my life better.

     "Dad," Zach tugged on Loran's shirt once Abbie had began to strike up a conversation with my parents in order to break my father's gaze. "When can we go home? I don't wanna be here, anymore."

     I heard a small sigh leave Loran's lips. "When Dalton's ready to go, we'll go. Until then, just sit tight." 

     Zach rolled his eyes, his sigh almost inaudible. "Excuse us," I said and pulled on Loran's hand to have him follow me, Zach looked slightly horrified as we left him to sit there on his own. "We can go whenever," I whispered to my lover once we were by ourselves.

     "Are you sure?" He leaned against the wall. "You kind of seemed like you were enjoying yourself."

     I shrugged and took in a deep breath, releasing it after a few minutes. "There's just a lot of memories here, and they're a little overwhelming."

     He leaned in closely and kissed me gently. "I understand."

     I silently thanked him and then entered the small sitting room once again. "We're gonna head on out." I said, uncomfortably as all eyes were now on me. 

     Zach practically jumped up to his relief and Treasure groaned. "No, daddy! Not yet! Please! I don't wanna leave the baby!" She pouted.

     Before I had the opportunity to answer, Abbie suggested, "Would it be okay if she were to stay at my house, tonight, Dalton? I could drop her off tomorrow morning."

     My chest tightened, leave Treasure with someone else? The only other people I trusted my child with besides Loran and myself was Logan and Ariel. "Please, daddy!" Treasure begged. "Please, please, please!" 

     I looked at Loran before waving for Abbie to come talk to me. She picked Holly back up just because she wasn't going to be sitting next to my daughter anymore and then stood with me and Loran. "She has problems, Abbie."

     "What's wrong with her?"

     "We're in the process of finding out." Loran answered. "She's having kidney problems, lately. It could be something, it could be nothing. Most nights, she wets the bed and she's usually sick throughout the day, but she's not contagious. She has her good days, like today."

     "I'm nervous to let her go," I admitted to my sister who seemed shocked. "She's never out of my sight, even if she's with Ariel and Logan, I always know where they're at and what they're doing."

     "Dalton, it's just a sleepover. I don't live that far from your house. Not even five minutes. If you don't want her to sleepover, I respect that, and you know I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her."

     I looked at Loran once more, "What do you think?"

     "It's up to you, babe. I have no problem with her going, but then again, its how you feel."

     I begrudgingly gave in. I didn't want to be that parent, the one that prevents their children from childhood connections and things that would be good for them, but at the same time, I envisioned her as the small newborn my body worked so hard to protect and even that failed me, failed her. I was just trying to protect her from anything and everything that could be potentially harmful, intentionally or not. But I didn't want my family to think that the reason I wouldn't let her stay was because I thought my sister would do something to intentionally harm her. It was just instinct. And I couldn't help it.

     "Thank you, daddy!" She squealed and giggled and hugged my legs and then Loran's and then mine once again.

     "I'll walk you out," My mother stood up, placing the mug on the coffee table and following us up the steps. "It was so good to see you again, Dalton." She bit her bottom lip. "I really have missed you."

     I hesitated and then acted on impulse. I hugged her, tightly.