Here is Home • The Pack

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Alright, here we go, breakfast of champions. We got bananas, and...more bananas. I don't know about you, but I like bananas. That sound good to you, huh?"

It was early on Friday morning, and everyone else was still asleep. Lachlan had gotten up to go to the bathroom, and on his way back he noticed Ruby sitting up in her bed. Not wanting to wake Preston up by getting back into bed, and not wanting Ruby to wake the whole house by crying her eyes out, Lachlan decided to stay up and feed her. While getting the food out of the cupboard, he tried to make small talk with her, if only to keep her quiet until a spoonful of bananas had airplaned its way into her mouth.

"Come on, that's it. Good stuff, right? Who am I kidding of course I'm right, bananas are the shit. Though I usually prefer surrounded by a pancake, but we take what we can get yeah?" Lachlan rambled.

Ruby looked at him, eyes wide, mouth covered in the mashed fruit. Every time Lachlan would tickle her belly in congratulations for eating another spoonful, Ruby would laugh one of those perfect baby laughs and Lachlan's heart soared.

"Okay, let's clean you up. We can't have your mouth all sticky can we?" Lachlan cooed. He grabbed a wipe from Ruby's diaper bag and wiped the fruit from her face and hands. After making sure a new diaper wasn't necessary, Lachlan laid down on the couch with Ruby on his chest, watching old cartoons on mute.

A little while later, Preston shuffled into the living room, eyes immediately lighting up at the sight of Ruby asleep on Lachlan's chest and Lachlan softly rubbing her back.

"Mm, g'morning," Preston groaned sleepily. "How long you been up?"

"Not long, 'bout an hour or so. Soon as I lay the kid back down, I'll make eggs," Lachlan replied, reaching a hand out to Preston.

Preston took Lachlan's hand and bent over the couch to give him a kiss. It was short and sweet, just a light press of their lips. Preston could still taste some of the banana Lachlan was feeding himself in between bites to Ruby.

"Mmkay, I'll go start some coffee. Love you."

"Love you too," Lachlan smiled, pulling Preston down for another quick kiss. Ruby sniffled, shifting a little in her sleep. Preston lightly kissed her head before making his way into the kitchen. Lachlan stroked a hand through Ruby's hair and brushed his lips across her forehead.

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too, don't worry," Lachlan whispered.

Ruby seemed to hear, and let out a small, contented sigh. She continued to sleep blissfully, without a care in the world.

• •

"I do not understand the point of this game." Jerome said, picking at his nails whilst pulling silly faces at Ruby, who was sitting in Preston's lap.

"The doc said Preston needs a support system and a nice, stable environment. She said he should spend time with his family doing normal shit or whatever." Lachlan replied as he took a card from the pile.

"Family time is fun time!" Rob joked unenthusiastically.

"Family and fun are two words that have never belonged in the same sentence." Alfie muttered. "Besides, nothing about this is normal. Where did you even get this?"