The Promise of Forever

Chapter Nine

"Dan, baby, I need you to sit still," I said to Daniel as I tried to get his little sneakers on while he rolled around on his playmat squealing happily. The minute I managed to get the second shoe on his tiny little foot, he bolted across the living room in a supersonic crawl just in time for Oliver to catch him before he disappeared down the hallway that led to our office.

"Hey, buddy! What are you doing running away from Mommy like that?" Oliver asked him with a laugh as he picked him up. 

"Mama!" Daniel announced happily as he turned to me with an adorable smile.

"He's being a little monster," I said with a laugh as I stood up. "I just about managed to get his shoes on before he crawled away. I dread the day he starts walking."

"Giving Momma a hard time, aren't you?" Oliver said to him and then kissed his cheek. 

"Honestly," I said with a playful eye roll and then asked Oliver, "Did you manage to pack his bag?"

"Yes, ma'am," He nodded. "We're ready to go."

Oliver, Daniel and I are heading up to Scarsdale for five days for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with his parents and brother.

"Okay, let's get going then. I told your mom we'd be there by four."

After checking that Oliver had packed all the essentials into Daniel's suitcase for him, the three of us and our luggage headed down to the car garage to where Oliver's Escalade SUV had been residing for the past six months since he'd moved in permanently with me and Daniel. 

Us moving in together so soon after becoming official didn't phase us or our friends because we were already so close before that and we spent tons of time at each other's places. Oliver had decided to sell his East 85th street penthouse apartment instead of simply renting it out as a sign of his commitment to our relationship and our family. 

The drive to Scarsdale took an hour as opposed to the normal thirty-ish minutes because of all of the traffic but we made it there just after four thirty and were greeted by Oliver's parents who took very little interest in us and more in Daniel whom they absolutely adored. 

"Haha, it's not like we're here too," Oliver said sarcastically to them.

"Oh, hush, Oliver," His mother said and then kissed his cheek. "Sarcasm doesn't suit you."

After I'd greeted Lucinda and Robert, the five of us headed inside to where Oliver's older brother Harry and his wife Camila were with their young daughters. Oliver's other older brother, Nick and his wife and son weren't present. Something about not conforming to society's ideas of what and when holidays should be. They're a bit of an odd couple but each to their own.

After greeting Harry, Camila and their sweet little girls, we had lunch before Oliver and I headed upstairs to unpack. 

"Aren't you just a spoiled little boy?" I cooed at Daniel as Oliver unpacked his stuff in the nursery that Lucinda had put together months ago for when we came to stay. "You've got your own room here."

"Only the best for mom's first grandson," Oliver laughed. 

"Um, Bhodie was her first," I laughed.

"Not anymore," Oliver said. "Nick and Mira decided not to use the he, him or his pronoun anymore until Bhodie decides what gender they want to identify as."

"Wow, that's...liberal," I commented. 

"Yeah, but I don't put anything past Mira anymore," He laughed. "She's always been like that and Nick loves her for it."