A Home For Timmy (boyxboy)

Chapter 31: Let's go home

I didn't know what to call it, but suddenly it felt deeper and more lasting than it ever had before, and I didn't know how I'd managed to live my life without them before. Now I couldn't imagine not waking up to Timmy's noisy footsteps on the wooden floors. I couldn't imagine not standing in the kitchen with Jason on a warm Sunday morning watching him make us coffee.

Suddenly, nothing before I'd met them felt important. I must have been a shell of a man before, because suddenly, my boys made me whole.

Timmy pulled slightly away from Jason, and placed his hands on either side of Jason's face. I tilted my head to the side and grinned as I watched his eyes roam slowly over his father face. I found myself thinking that a kid so young shouldn't be wearing such a serious, all-knowing expression.

He blinked a few times fast and my heart ached when I realized that the tears would be coming soon.

"Daddy no haf hair Micha." Timmy suddenly wailed, and not a second later, his chin began to tremble and he was falling apart in his father's arms.

I crouched next to them, and ran a hand along Timmy's back.

"It'll grow back Timmy. You'll see.' I tried and failed to assure him.

Jason took a shaky breath and reached up to wipe at the tears streaming down his son's face.

"Let's just go home Michael." His voice was shaking as he said it. "I want everything to go back to normal now. We should just go home."

"Alright." I said. "Let's just make a quick stop to the hospital first and get your arm checked out, then we'll go home."

I hadn't failed to notice the way he had been favoring his injured arm since the rescue, and judging from the smudge of blood on his shirt, it seemed like whatever shoddy stitch job they'd performed had come undone.

Still, Timmy continued to cry. He reached up briefly to pat Jason's hair, then pressed his face into his dad's neck and sobbed as though he'd lost his best friend. I rubbed his back, while Jason patted the back of his head.

"He's just overwhelmed by everything. I think after all this time, it's finally catching up to him."

Jason bit his lip and nodded. "I just wanna go home."

"Alright. Let me just tell my parents we're leaving and then we can go."

I took the stairs two at a time, and pushed open my old room door when I reached the end of the hall. I found my mom packing up Timmy's small bag of clothes and my dad sitting in the chair by the window packing up the toys Timmy had brought over.

"Hey mom." I greeted as I entered.

She looked up with a wide smile. "Hi sweetie. I wanted to come down as soon as he came, but I knew he'd want his time with Timmy." She said. "I'm so happy he's safe sweetheart." She paused in her packing to place her hands over her heart. "I prayed every night that he'd come back to us safe."

"I know. Thanks mom." I said as I enveloped her in a hug.

She patted my side when I pulled away and handed me Timmy's bag.

"How is he? Is he okay?"

I glanced at dad who was watching us silently.

"No, I don't think he is." I said. "But, he's back now and he has his family."

"That's right sweetheart. He's got us." She patted my cheek. "Let's go down." She gestured to dad, who cleared his throat and stood.

When we got downstairs, it was to see Jason and Timmy standing in the living room. Timmy's tears had all but subsided and he stood before his father with his arms raised.