Dayton

Chapter 1

Hello lovely people of Earth! My name is Dayton James Valentino, and I am 20-years-old. I have been single for almost two years now after my ex-girlfriend, Holly Olson broke up with me the day she delivered our son.

Holly had drawn up through a lawyer, unknown to me, to sign off all her rights to our son to me, and when he was born, I was given the forms by a police officer in the hospital cafeteria when I had gone there to fetch Holly something to eat at her request. When I arrived back at the room Holly was in, I was informed by her doctor that I was given my own hospital room with my son.

I was not allowed to talk to her one last time, just told to wait in the room, and that a nurse would bring me my baby, which happened. I had never noticed that Holly did not want to be a part of our son's life, and she had never mentioned this to me either, so to say the least, I was shocked and angry. An hour after my son was born, it was him and me, along with my brothers.

I am bisexual, and I realized this when I was 15-years-old, and I came out to my family - my parents and three older brothers. All of them surprised me with how well they accepted this and me. I guess I should not have been surprised at their reaction since Dakota is also bisexual, Dallas is gay, and Dalton is straight. Dakota is married to a lovely woman named Arabella, and they have been for the past year, Dalton has been dating a wonderful guy named Bailey for two years, and Dallas is single.

Darien, my son, and I live with my brothers and Arabella. The reason we live with my brothers, and sister-in-law we live together for the last five years, is because our parents were killed in an automobile crash. They were driving home one night during a horrible winter storm, hit a patch of black ice, and crashed head first into a tree.

They died upon impact. I was 15-years-old when this happened, and Dakota stepped up to become my legal guardian at the age of 23-years-old. Dakota is twenty-eight, Arabella is twenty-seven, Dalton is twenty-five, Bailey is twenty-six, and Dallas is twenty-three.

I am 5'8", slim build like a dancer, short dark brown hair, and bright, sky blue eyes. Darien is almost two with pale blonde hair, chubby cheeks, and bright blue eyes. Dakota is 6'3", muscular build, short dark brown hair, and matching brown eyes. Dalton is 6', slim, muscular build, dirty blond hair, and dark blue eyes. Dallas is 5'10", slim build, light blue eyes, and dark dirty blond hair. Arabella is around 5'4". slim build, beautiful red hair, and pretty green eyes. Bailey is around 5'2", slim build, dark brown hair, and brown eyes.

"Hey Dayton, what is your class schedule for this week?" Dakota asks as I enter the kitchen with Darien on my left hip to get him a sippy cup of milk, and a snack of dry Cheerios.

"Um, I have classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.," I answer with a frown. "Why, my schedule is the same as it has been the entire semester?"

"I forgot that, sorry," he answers with a frown of his own. "This week at work has my brain in a fog. I am glad to have the next two days off to recharge. Is Darien attending daycare, or are one of us watching him?"

Shrugging my free shoulder as I finish getting Darien his snack and drink; "I was planning on taking him to daycare since Dalton and Dallas are busy during my classes."

"Dak," Darien calls out, holding out a Cheerio toward his uncle with a toothy smile at the man.

"Thanks, bub," he says with a smile as he takes the Cheerio, and gives it back to him which Darien happily takes and eats.

Smiling down at my son before focusing my attention back on my oldest brother when he speaks again; "How about I hangout with Darien tomorrow?"

"Are you sure?" I tentatively asks, not wanting to disrupt his day off

Dakota eagerly nods; "Of course I am sure! I love having quality time with my nephew! We have fun together, don't we, Darien?"

Darien widely grins back at Dakota; "Yesh!"

Fondly smiling at their interaction, and I love that my son loves my brothers as much as they love him.

"Okay, but if you change your mind, that is okay, but I need to know by nine tomorrow morning, so I can take him to daycare," I say, walking into the living room to place Darien on his feet, so he can eat and drink at will from his stuff on the coffee table where he stays to finish off his milk and Cheerios.

"Hey boys, how are we on this wonderful Sunday morning?" Dalton asks the three of us as he joins us in the living room.

"We are good, how about you?" I reply with a smile at him as Darien toddles off to play with his toys that are located in a small blue and grey colored, plastic toy bin. "How about you?"

"Wonderful!" he grins, settling himself on the floor in front of the coffee table along with Dakota and I to play with Darien, too.

"Who is watching little dude this week?" Dalton asks a few minutes later.

"Dakota is watching him tomorrow, I have him on Tuesday, Thursday, and this weekend. Um, I figured Darien would attend daycare on Wednesday and Friday while I am at school."

"I can actually watch him on Friday because I have the day off," Dalton says, much to my surprise, and Dakota seems surprised, too.

"Really? I am surprised since you normally do not take time off with your line of work," I say, voicing my shock.

Dalton shrugs with a smile; "I decided last week Friday that I wanted a three day weekend this upcoming weekend. My parolees have to check in with me on Thursday, then with two of my colleagues on Friday, and then again on Monday."

"That's good," Dakota says with a soft smile, and a shrug of his shoulders, and I agree with his statement with Dalton humming in acknowledgement.

We spend the next hour spending time playing with Darien while we talk until Dallas and Arabella arrive home with Bailey to have dinner with us.

"Hey, sweet boy," Dallas greets Darien as he picks him up when Darien holds his hands out toward his uncle while babbling happily at him.

Dallas kisses him lightly on the forehead with a smile before asking the rest of us; "Hi. What are we having for dinner? My vote is either burgers and fries, or pizza and breadsticks."

The six of us agree upon pizzas and breadsticks from the local pizza parlor that Dakota and Arabella agreed to pick up when the food is ready after the order has been placed. We decided to do a cookout for next Friday night, and I am gonna invite my two best friends - Archer and Abby, and Dakota has said he is inviting his best friend Ajax who has just moved back into town after living four hours away for the last three years.

I vaguely remember Ajax from when he lived in this city, but he is eight years older than me, and he was, well, is Dakota's bestie, and he was always kind to me from what I can remember. I am sure he probably remembers me as Dakota's annoying little brother.

"Hey Day," Dakota calls to me as he and Arabella walk toward the front door to leave to get the food. "You remember Ajax, right?"

"Yeah, why would I not remember him?" I reply with a curious expression.

"No reason, other than Ajax is looking forward to seeing all of us again, especially you though," he answers with a grin, and they are out the door, leaving me absolutely confused.

"You do realize that Ajax was always sweet on you when he was around, right?" Dalton says when he sees my confused expression, making me even more confused.

"He was just nice to me because he is Dakota's friend, and I am Dakota's little brother," I reply with a deep frown. "Why would you think that he was 'sweet on me'?"

"Just pay closer attention to him when he is here Friday night," Dalton says with a wider smile.

"Yeah, okay, Dal, whatever you say," I scoff with an eye roll as I pick Darien up to give him a bath before dinner.

I think over their cryptic words while I take care of my son, and wonder if they are right, but I seriously think they are messing with me.