Thicker Than Ink

Forty Three

"Oh? What are you two going to do today?" Silas asks the question with a doting smile on his face, my heart feeling so impossibly warm as I tug the but of French toast, he's offering me off of the fork we're currently sharing... A small pile of raspberries sitting in our tiny pool of syrup, a hunk of my coveted white cheddar sitting on a small plate on the side table waiting for me after I find the courage to swallow my vitamins... Two of them bigger than I had expected them to be and harder to swallow than I had hoped, even with the help of the tasty herbal tea Daddy has been bringing me instead of coffee.

His question is in regards to what Quinn and I plan to get up to now that he's asked if he can come over, his offer to help Silas and I start slowly getting over our separation issues still good the last time I checked... Silas and I going to need to be able to at least move around in the house without setting off panic attacks with each other for the good of each other and the future good of our family.

"Is it okay if we make cupcakes? I thought it would be a really sweet way for us to tell Bethany we're expecting and Quinn thought so too..." So far we've managed to tell everyone else... Well... Everyone who Grammy hadn't been able to get to before us, Bethany being one of the few people we haven't managed to get a hold of yet, "And before you say it, I know she's already nervous, Daddy. It's only because she doesn't want anyone to end up in her situation and she's already apologized for her comments before."

It had taken us a couple of conversations for her to really wake up and realize that the only way Silas would ever willingly leave me is if I kicked him out and told him to go and that there is no way I could ever really consider doing that... Not with how much we love each other.

Even though it had taken a hot second she had eventually gotten on board with the fact that her son is a good man and an even better life partner than his father could ever claim to be... Another fact that we had gotten her to accept lately being that the way Mason treated her like a doormat and that it wasn't okay... My heart happier knowing that she stayed strong in her resolve in not letting him inside when he tried to come home. 

"You are so sweet, Baby... Do you know that?" The words are said with a genuine happiness that makes my heart sing as he holds me close... A syrupy kiss being stolen from my lips in between bites.

...

Silas

...

"Not as sweet as the cupcakes are going to be, Daddy... Do... You don't happen to know your Mom's favorite flavor, do you? Quinn suggested that we just do double chocolate because everyone loves chocolate... But I know not everyone understands that chocolate is the best food and I don't know if she's one of those people whose tongues don't understand..." The way Addy lets his voice drift off really is something special... And the fact that he doesn't seem to understand that no matter how much sugar he dumps into the bowl nothing he could ever bake will ever stand up to how stunningly thoughtful he is...

It's something that I know I'll never get tired of... His smile when I give him the next bite after making sure to snag a berry with this one the kind of smile that leaves me feeling more awake than a cup of coffee and happier than any man really has any business being before noon on any given weekday, "Ma likes lemon and fruity stuff I'm pretty sure, but I've never seen her turn away from chocolate either. I'm sure anything you boys cook up will be delicious though and she'll love it just fine."

The giggle my soulmate gives me over my answer speaks volumes and lights up my heart, the kiss he places on my cheek sticky from the sweet breakfast we're sharing... My need to indulge his sweet tooth just a little bit today going to be balanced out by the two of us promising that somewhere along the lines of today we'll be sharing a salad of dark leafy greens, the consumption of which had been recommended by both Doctor Paxton and the Pharmacists the other day... The kale currently sitting in the fridge about to be bought by the pound until Addy is so stuffed with it he can't take it anymore.

"If she likes fruity flavors... I wonder where you get your taste for maple and vanilla stuff from..." The pondering is a sweet one, my Princess curling into me just a bit more after he swallows, "And don't say Mason. As far as I'm concerned  he's not actually related to any of you because he's not nice."

The grumble makes me let loose a chuckle that I can't really hold back, his ill-will against my father completely understandable after the upset he caused the other night... Any good standing that they had between the two of them soured over the fact that he invited himself into our home unprompted and caused such a fucking fuss.

I can't say that I'm necessarily upset with the fact that he isn't thrilled with Pop... The man isn't personally one of my favorite people and he never has been. At least now I know I don't need to worry about Addy extending an olive branch to him anytime soon now that he's stuck his foot in the door and in his mouth.

It's kind of a relief now to know that we're on the same page over Pop and how little I'd like him to be involved in our lives... Not that Addy would have ever made me feel like I would need to prove to him that Mason is what gets scraped out of the bottom of a barrel... The man spoke up and announced he has no manners all on his own. I don't need to prove that he's just as much of an asshole as I told my sweet Bean he was, and I never did in the first place.

"I think maybe I just like sweet things Beautiful. Like maple syrup and you."