Choosing Home

Chapter Forty One

"I know," Ben whispered. Seeing the look on Phillip's face was a look Ben would never be able to get out of his head. That being said, there'd been a small part of him that felt some relief because he knew that the whole mess with the contract was truly behind him.

Chad shook his head. "You wonder what the kids are going to hear about their mom and dad growing up?"

"Knowing Phillip and Aurora? They'll tell them the truth," Ben said. "Thankfully though, both girls will have Phil and Claudine and Henry lavishing them with love. Not to mention, as Mal said, they'll have me...and you. We knew her all the way back in infancy after all. Plus they won't have to deal with Leah potentially verbally abusing them or worse."

Chad shook his head. "Leah was the worst."

"No need to tell me dude," Ben said.

"Oh yeah, you'd know better than anyone," Chad nodded.

Ben sighed. "I'm sorry that she did that to you by the way. Hypnotized you I mean. I knew Leah was horrible but I...I didn't know..."

It was Chad's turn to sigh. They'd gotten that confirmed by Fairy Godmother after Mal had talked to Cinderella about her talk with Chad. While it was no longer present, Fairy Godmother was still able to tell the hypnosis had existed due to the magical...I guess stain would almost be the right word to use.

"I know you didn't. Hell, I don't even remember it clearly but thanks," Chad told him.

"No worries. Now, let's talk about something happier than Leah," Ben chuckled. "Like when you're planning on proposing?"

"Dude—what the—shh! We've only been dating a couple of months!" Chad spluttered but with a small smile.

"Okay, okay," Ben chuckled. "I was joking Chad."

Chad shook his head and smiled as he looked over at Ginny, who was currently bouncing Genevieve on her lap. "This is going to sound crazy but...I could see myself doing it...it a while I mean. But I can see myself proposing to her."

Ben smiled and rested his hand on to Chad's shoulders. "You know your sisters are going to go insane when you do. Kitty and Lucy were so excited when you met Ginny."

"Hey they're your sisters too. Just because you've got Geene now doesn't mean you can get rid of my sisters that easily," Chad told him. "But you're right. And you know they never let me forget it? Lucy physically pushed me out of my room when they insisted I ask her out. Oh that reminds me, what's the policy on bringing animals back from the Isle?"

"...there isn't one?"

"Good. Gin's got some donkey friends that she's worried about but with everything that's been going on, she hasn't had a chance to ask. I want to surprise her with a small cottage in Charmington with a field where the donkeys can roam."

"You know the Coachman's going to need a new way to run his business? At least according to Mal he used the donkeys to run his taxi."

"Yeah well frankly Ben, I don't really care about the Coachman right now. Just my girlfriend's happiness."

Ben smiled and nodded. "I'll grant the visa as soon as I can to get the donkeys over here. I promise."

"Thanks Ben."

"No worries. Now, going back to what you were talking about with your sisters, I think they might be the female versions of Akiho and Emir. You know, considering how obsessed they were with your love life," Ben told him.

"Gods that's scary...we should set up meetings for them," Chad said with a small chuckle.

"You want Kitty, Lucy, Emir, and Akiho to be alone in the same room?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow.