Shades of Gray

Chapter 9

3 years later - Christmas break from college - Junior year -

"Baby, are you packed and ready?" Ryker asks stepping into our shared bedroom in our three-bedroom apartment that we share with Wyatt and Kyler in one room, and Thomas and Melody in another.

Thomas is Ryker's best friend, and he and Melody have been dating since high school. The six of us decided to rent an apartment together when we found out all of us were accepted into NYU together as it would be cheaper and better than living in dorms with people we don't know. We have been living together since the start of college, and we will be at least until the end.

"Yeah, I'm ready, love," I reply, grabbing my duffel bag off our bed after zipping it closed.

Ryker takes the bag from me with a kiss as he takes his hand in his, as Thomas hollers from the front door; "Let's roll!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ryker hollers back with a chuckle as we walk toward the front door.

The six of us are flying home for Christmas break to spend the time with our families, who are picking us up from the airport when our flight lands four hours from now. The airport shuttle will be here in five minutes to pick us up so we don't have to leave our cars at the airport for two weeks.

"Finally!" Thomas groans with a fake glare at us with Ryker playfully flipping his best friend off.

"Come here, my little love bug," I coo as I carefully take my six month old son from Kyler, and he is Ryker's son, too.

We adopted our son on the day he was born. I had been volunteering at an orphanage last year for my classes in social work, when one of the 15-year-old girls, Abby, approached me to ask if I would adopt her baby when it was born. She had no way of providing for the baby, and she wasn't ready for a child - her words not mine, so I discussed it with Ryker, and we decided to do so since we both had jobs. We knew it was going to be hard since we worked and attended classes, but we wanted to become parents since the opportunity arrived.

The baby's full name is Rylan James Maddox - Rylan to match Ryker, James after my papa, and we decided on using Ryker's last name. He was born on June 24, 2021 at 1:23 a.m., he weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces, and was 23 inches long.

"The shuttle bus is here, so let's go," Wyatt informs us since he has been watching out of window of the door for it to arrive.

I carry Rylan, his car seat, and diaper bag while Ryker carries our bags, and everyone else grabs their bags, too. We're already dressed in our winter jackets, and Rylan is in his winter suit which is white and the hood looks like a polar bear face. We climb onto the shuttle bus, sit down, and I feed Rylan his bottle in hopes he sleeps through the flight. Once he's finshed eating, and been burped, I rock him to sleep before buckling him into his car seat with a soft smile down at my baby.

Thankfully Rylan sleeps the entire flight, and we arrive at the airport a couple of miles from home. Ryker carries our bags while I carry the diaper bag, and Rylan in his car seat as we start to disembark the plan slowly. None of us have other bags to grab, so once we're off the plane we can head outside to find our rides.

Wyatt's mom is picking him and Kyler up, Melody's brother is picking her and Thomas up, and Nanma is picking the three of us up. The three of us are spending this week with Nanma, and then next week we're staying with Ryker's family, who will bring us to the airport once we've said our goodbye to Nanma.

"Come on, my lovelies," Ryker coos softly at us as we exit the plane. "Let's find Nanma and say our goodbyes to our friends."

All of us exit the airport, and find our people after a couple of minutes of looking, thankfully. Nanma and Ryker's family have not meet Rylan in person yet, but we have facetimed with them many times over the last six months, but it isn't the same.

"My babies!" Nanma hollers when we make eye contact with her, and make our way over to her - she has had a difficult time with us living in a different state the past three years, and I have too on occassion.

"Hi Nanma!" Ryker and I call back as before we reach her and both engolf her in a one arm hug.

"Let me see my great granbaby now!" she demands sweetly once we pull away a few minutes later, and thankfully there is no snow here, but it is still cool.

Lifting the car seat up so she can have her view of Rylan, and I can't help but smile brightly at her, as she smiles and coos down at Rylan with a gasp of pure joy.

"He's beautiful!" she softly says not to startle Rylan, and that is when I notice my friends and their rides are with us, and cooing over Rylan and Nanma.

About five minutes later, we have said our goodbyes, and we are all heading off. Ryker's family is coming over for dinner tonight, so they can offically meet Rylan, and spend some time with us. When we arrive home, I can't help the fond smile of all the memories this home hold for me.

"I'm going to take Rylan to my old room to change his diaper, and take the snowsuit off," I Tell Ryker and Nanma with a grin before walking towards the bedroom I grew up in.

Ryker joins me to leave our bags by the dresser while I gently place Rylan's car seat on the bed, to take him from it, lie him on the bed, and take the snowsuit off before changing his diaper. Ryker hands me a fresh diaper and the package of wipes to change our son while he takes Rylan's snowsuit to place it on top of the dresser.

Finishing my task, I pick up a now wide awake Rylan, who is looking around the room with wide, curious blue eyes, and the three of us head back to the living room. When we enter, we notice Nanma letting in Ryker's family, and we grin at each other, and hug everyone as Rylan stares wide eyed at everyone while he rests his head on my shoulder and sucks his left thumb. Once Rylan warms up to everyone, he will let them hold him - he is a little shy which is understandable.