A Different Slice

32.2 - Meet the Family (Kieran)

Leanne watched the boy with a serene smile as he inspected a clover flower in the law. "Do you want kids, Kieran?"

He coughed to cover his surprise. "I haven't given it too much thought. It would depend on my partner. If they wanted them, I'd be open to it, but if they didn't, that's also okay."

He recalled Naomi mentioning she didn't want kids and talking about the parental pressure to have grandkids that had eased with the birth of her nephews. He'd be fine without kids. Enough of his childhood was spent caring for Jake when their mother gave up or screamed in Jake's face until he was in tears. She thought fear would make him conform to her wishes instead of trying to meet his needs. Kieran cared about his brother too much to force him to go places that caused him discomfort or eat things he hated.

The qualities that made Jake a 'stubborn brat' to their mother also led him to excel in his field at a very young age. He could tune out the surrounding noise, focus on one task for hours and weeks, and pick up on the minute details that made the difference between his app's code failing or succeeding more efficiently than others. Since he'd been finding creative solutions to avoid uncomfortable situations, he was a pro at innovative problem-solving.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"A younger brother. We share a condo in the exchange."

"Wow. I can't imagine my girls staying that close. They bickered a lot."

Kieran chuckled, and his gaze shot to Naomi, who was acting as goalie for her nephew in front of the shed. "I can picture that. It's not forever, but it is nice to have family close, and we've learned to tolerate each other's quirks, not without daily bickering though."

"It's good to know you value family." Leanne smiled and kneeled at her grandson's level. "Grandma has to go cook supper. Do you want to come inside or stay outside with Aunt Mimi?"

Leo looked at Kieran with narrowed eyes before saying, "Inside," and following his grandmother. Kieran contained a laugh as his size, piercing, and beard usually made him too scary for babysitting duty.

"It was lovely to meet you, Kieran," Leanne said.

"You too, Leanne."

The rest of the evening went well as they enjoyed a meal where the conversation was light, jokes flowed, and no one lost their temper. Cameron had a dozen work and softball-related questions for Naomi, which showed he wanted her to succeed and enjoy her life. He was a touch friendlier with Kieran too.

Jodie prepared plates for the boys and didn't fret when they didn't finish them. Leanne took the scene in with an enormous smile, thanking Kieran for joining them and telling him he was welcome back anytime. When she'd whispered to Naomi as they left, Kieran caught the words "wonderful young man."

While he loved that he'd impressed her family, nights like this left him mildly bitter. Everyone else grew up with normal parents while Kieran and Jake had been stuck in chaos. Naomi said her dad would be intimidating and overbearing, but he was just concerned for his daughter's safety and emotional well-being.

Kieran wasn't sure if he would ever meet another family as dysfunctional as his own. Katy's parents had taken him in with open arms. Her dad knew that past the age of ten, Kieran had never had a consistent father figure. Occasionally his mom's boyfriends had tried to act as fathers, but the nice ones never stayed with his mom (why would they?). Katy's dad would take him fishing, teach him woodcarving, and invite him to work on the family cottage. Her father corrected each of Kieran's mistakes by saying, 'It might be easier if...' instead of insulting and blaming him. The end of his relationship with them was almost as hard as losing Katy.