Matt, Jill and Lucas boarded the boat for the ride back to Hoonah. Lucas sat next to Matt, and Jill across from the both of them. The resemblance between the two of them was striking.
Watching them interact with each other was joyous. It wasn't just their eyes that mimicked each other but there childlike wonderment of everything they talked and laughed about. Lucas not only had Matt's DNA but much of his personality. Matt pointed out landmarks, whales and dolphins to Lucas and Mr. Bear as Jill quietly pondered how to transition Lucas into their family. What would he call them? Would he understand that Matt was his father and how would she take the place of his mother?
Midway through the ride home Lucas had fallen asleep using Mr. Bear as a pillow. Matt had covered him up with his jacket and stretched him out on the boat bench. He moved next to Jill and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"Congratulations babe! It's a boy." Matt tried to keep the mood light even though she knew he was probably scared to death. He was certainly glad to have Jill by his side as how he would have ever managed with just he and Lucas was unimaginable.
"What are we going to do?" Jill had so many questions and none of the answers. Apart from how they would tell Lucas who Matt was, their immediate worry was how small their apartment had suddenly become. It was one thing to have the temporary company of Matt's family; it was another thing to have a permanent addition now residing with them.
"He's cute, isn't he?" Matt couldn't help but smile everytime he looked at Lucas.
"He's beautiful just like his dad." Jill rested her head on Matt's shoulder and they watched Lucas sleep, his little chest rising and falling to the rhythm of the ferry motors.
Jill gently woke Lucas up once they arrived at the dock in Hoonah. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked up at Matt. "Is the Bear here?"
"No, not here kiddo." Lucas soaked in his surroundings. "We're home in Hoonah now. Bear lives in Browntown."
Jill held Lucas' hand as they crossed the street to their apartment. He surveyed their apartment and asked Matt and Jill a peculiar question. "Do you have any kids?"
Neither Jill nor Matt knew how to address the question so they quickly changed the subject. "Lucas, are you hungry?" Jill asked as she rummaged through their near empty refrigerator. He nodded his little head. "What do you like to eat?"
Lucas thought for a minute and shouted "Pizza." Jill ducked her head behind the door of the freezer and giggled.
"Yep. He's a Brown." The reference was to Matt's brothers' insatiable pizza appetites when they were in town. "Matt, do you think you could run down the street and grab a couple of pies for us while I get Lucas settled in here?"
Jill took Lucas' suitcase into the bedroom and he followed along dragging Mr. Bear. "So Lucas, how about we make you and Mr. Bear a tent on the floor?"
Lila grabbed a pillow and some extra blankets and she proceeded to fashion a tent out of the blankets, the dresser and a chair. Lucas wiggled his way into the small space and placed his pillow and another blanket inside.
Matt returned with the pizzas and found Lucas taking a bath and Jill searching for pajamas. A trip to the store would be necessary to supplement what meager belongings were in his suitcase. In the meantime, Jill chopped up one of her t-shirts into a shorter version for Lucas to wear as pajamas.
At dinner, Lucas eagerly woofed down several slices of pizza while pretending to feed Mr. Bear. They could tell sleep was beginning to overtake him once again. Jill kissed him good night as Matt tucked him into his makeshift tent with his constant companion, Mr. Bear. Just as Matt was about to leave the tent, Lucas asked again, "How come you and Jill don't have kids?"
"We'll talk about that tomorrow. Now close your eyes and let the sand man do his job." Matt left the door open slightly and turned a small lamp on to serve as a night light.
Lucas fell fast asleep giving Jill and Matt some quiet time to talk. It had been an overwhelming day for everyone. Matt settled into his corner of the couch and Jill stretched out on her side.
Matt spoke first. "He asked me the kid question again."
"I heard. We probably need to tell him who he really is tomorrow. Are you ready to do that?" She watched Matt think about their next move. He was such a caring man and they had talked about kids before they married but as usual life had a sense of humor. At least this way, she thought, they didn't have to contend with midnight feedings, diaper changes or the terrible twos.
"Ready or not, he needs some stability and maybe it will help him adjust to being here with us faster." Matt exhaled deeply. "We'll tell him tomorrow."
Jill moved closer to Matt on the couch brushing the back of her hand against his bearded cheek. "Now for the other part of this equation, how do we tell your family?"
"I don't think we should tell them. I think we should show them."
"You mean show up unannounced?" Jill asked with a perplexed look.
"We'll let them know we're coming but we won't tell them about Lucas until we get there. They won't believe it unless they meet him. And they're going to fall in love with him just like we did."