thirty one
It was a little bit before ten in the morning, the sun was high and bright, but Michael was sound asleep. Calum stood in the kitchen, cleaning up the pots and pans from the kids' breakfast.
Juli and Joey were sitting on the couch watching HGTV compulsively. Calum promised they could go out once Mike was up. June sat on the counter, watching her father move around the kitchen.
June didn't talk, just observed.
There was a knock on the door a few minutes later, Calum looking through the glass to see Michael's mother waiting patiently at their front porch.
He greeted her with a hug, letting her kiss his cheek. "Mike is still asleep," he informed her, "I can go wake him if—."
"No, no, I know how grumpy he gets when he's woken. I wanted to see if I could take the J's out today. There's a farmers market down the road, then I can show them the best parts of the beach and all."
Cal led her back to the kitchen, picking up June to put her on his waist. "I don't want to just drop them off with you, I feel like that's a nuisance." Calum did trust Michael's mother with his kids, Mike spoke highly of his mother and knew she was a good women. He just didn't want to dump three kids on her that she only met the previous day.
"I assure you it's not," she said with a smile. She leant against the counter, "And, besides, you two want some alone time, right?"
Calum bit down on his lip, giving her a look that pleaded exactly what she thought. He looked down at the youngest, "Do you wanna spend a day with Ms. Clifford?"
June looked over at the elderly women then back at her father. To his surprise, June nodded. "I do."
Calum notices the little things about June, the way she's been getting more and more confidence within her own voice since Michael has come around. It's as if her opening up to one person made it easier to open up to everyone.
Cal had growing hope for his youngest child.
Ms. Clifford and Calum bonded over raising children as their black tea brewed. The three Hood kids packed up bags for the day, filled with snacks and sunblock. The first thing Michael did was buy packs and packs of sunblock for his pale skin. He was prepared.
The three kids left with Ms. Clifford half an hour past ten. Calum watched them leave, proud that Juli and Joey weren't fighting over the passenger seat.
Cal started to head down the side corridor that lead to all the bedrooms. All doors were open except the master bedroom. He could hear Mike's soft snores as he breathed in and out.
His fatherly snoring woke Calum up far too often.
Michael had his arm bent over his eyes, shielding his eyelids from the morning sun. He had another hand resting on his stomach, right above where the sheets stopped.
He was laying shirtless, showing a tan line already appearing around where the collar of his tee shirt once was. Calum couldn't help but laugh at the sensitive-skinned boy.
He crawled on the bed, his legs automatically straddling Michael's waist. His hands were cold as he placed them on Mike's warm chest, he massaged the skin and pulled at the little hairs on his chest as he tried to wake up his almost-husband.
Mike whined as he moved his hand from over his eyes, letting it fall against the pillow where Calum once slept. "This bed is just," he paused, "So soft."
