I am cooking dinner with a big smile on my face as i hear Jack and Chris laughing upstairs... I had prepared the lasagna and put it in the oven... I walk upstairs and smile as nothing has been put away, but Chris and Jack are sitting on the floor playing with a racetrack Chris had picked out for him... Chris his little car goes off track and Jack falls back laughing as Chris protests pretending to be frustrated... "Dinner will be ready in about 40 minutes..." I say smiling and Chris and Jack both look up at me... I take a few of the bags with clothes and decide i want to wash them first he can sleep in one of my shirts for tonight...
"You guys play for a bit and then wash up for dinner okay..." I say and chuckle as both Chris and Jack have the biggest grins on their faces... I walk to the laundry room and put the first load in the washing machine... I then walk back downstairs and look at the wall to see which picture has to make place for the photo of Jack's mom...
Maybe people will think i am crazy for putting it up on the wall... But it was the woman who gave birth to Jack and as messed up as it sounds... Without her, he wouldn't be here... I think it is strange that i can find some sort of understanding and sympathy for her but not for my brother... Maybe it is because i didn't know her personally... The relationship between me and my brother had been strained long before he became an addict... Me and my parents were never close... I always lived under the shadow of my perfect brother...
I decide to make another copy for Jack so he can have one next to his bed to... I dont want to make him forget her... I dont want to give Jack the feeling that his feelings towards her are not valid or important... I dont want him to think we want to erase her...I still have the file from when i fixed the photo for him. I take a picture down putting it in my office... My office is the only room in the house that is not fully unpacked yet...
I grab a piece of paper and walk downstairs... I need to make a list of everything that has to be done... We could take him so quick we were not fully prepared... We need to find him a doctor, collect information about schooling and then there is Roberts party which we have to cancel on... Then there is clearing out his room and painting it and we still have to buy furniture to go along with the bed... A closet to put his toys in... And maybe it is smart to have a playroom...
Then there is Chris his family... And mine... I dont want to overwhelm Jack with the whole Evans clan at once... Let alone introduce him to my parents yet... I want to have a conversation with my parents first without Jack present... I make a mental note to talk with Chris about it after Jack had gone to bed... Then there is the fact we have to tell his family we got married already... Which i am nervous about... I am nervous in general... What if they get mad that we have gotten married so quick and without them... What if they won't accept Jack... I could handle my parents... I am low contact with them and if it came to it i would have no problem cutting them off but i dont know what i would do if Chris his family would not accept Jack... I take a deep breath and stand up shaking it off and i check on the lasagna...
I set the table and smile... Family dinner... I want to make sure to that as often as we can as it is a nice moment to reflect on the day... I smile as i hear footsteps coming down the stairs and Chris appears with Jack in tow... "We eat at the table?" Jack says surprised and i nod... "Yes... We do..." I say and Jack looks at the table again... "Where can i sit..." He asks and i smile... "You pick..." I say and i smile as he sits down at the head of the table...
I am making a salade as the timer of the oven goes off and Chris gets the lasagna out of the oven... He puts it on the table warning Jack that it is very hot... Jack nods and patiently waits for me to come to the table with the salade... I put everything down and Chris takes Jack's plate and puts food on it... After we got some dinner, we eat and i again notice how quickly Jack is eating and it is worrying me... "Jack... Sweetie... You dont have to rush dinner..." I say and he looks at me and blushes... He slows down eating again and i look at Chris who looks just as worried as me...
"Jack... You never have to rush eating... We will not take your food away..." Chris says and i think that it hit a nerve because he starts to cry a little... "Oh sweetheart come here..." I say and pull him off the chair and into my lap... I hold him tight comforting him as he starts to cry harder... Chris looks at me a little shocked and i know he is feeling guilty but i shake my head and i mouth to Chris that we will talk later... Because i think i have an idea why he eats the way he eats. I ask Jack if he can explain why he is crying but he can't all he can do is cry and all i can do is trying to calm him down...
When Jack has calmed down i take his plate and let him sit in my lap to eat..."Do you like it?" I ask and he nods smirking with food in his mouth and Chris chuckles... Chris takes out his phone and takes a photo of me and Jack and we both grin at the camera with a bite of food in our mouths... This seems to lighten Jack's mood. I put some salade on his plate and Chris chuckles as he looks at it... "You need to eat a little bit of it... It is to grow big and strong..." Chris says and i smile as he listens and takes a bite and seems to like it... "Can i have some more?" He asks a little shy and Chris smiles putting some more salade on his plate...
After dinner Jack and Chris clean up and i put the leftovers in the fridge before dealing with the laundry so that Jack has some clean and fitting clothes to wear in the morning... I walk back downstairs and smile as Chris helps Jack to wash his hands and cleans his face... "Hey Jack... Why dont you get your mothers photo so we can put it on the wall..." I say and he gets a big smile on his face and runs off... Chris looks at me and smirks before walking over wrapping me in his arms and kissing me passionately... "You are amazing... You know that... He is so lucky to have you..." Chris says and i smile wrapping my arms around his neck... "Us... He is lucky to have us..." I whisper and we kiss again...
"You two kiss a lot..." We all of a sudden hear and break apart and Jack is looking at us with a curious look on his face... "That is because we love each other a lot..." Chris says smiling and Jack smiles back... Jack holds up the picture and i take his hand and we walk up the stairs... He hands me the picture and i hang it on the wall... "Is this, okay?" I ask him and Jack nod smiling from ear to ear... After looking at it for a few minutes we walk back to the kitchen where Chris is just finishing up...
"What do you guys say to a movie night..." I say smiling and Jack's face lights up... I smile and take his hand to the living room. "Wow it is like a movie theatre..." He whispers and i smile. I put him on the couch and sit down next to him... I let Jack pick the movie. He picks a movie and i smile as Chris comes in with something to drink for all of us... "I canceled our reservation..." He says and i nod as he sits down next to me... I smile as Jack cuddles into me, and Chris grabs a blanket pulling it over me and Jack...
We start the movie but not even half an hour in Jack is asleep the stuffed dog in his arms he has been dragging it everywhere with him today... He looks so peaceful and has a smile on his face... "Let's take him to bed..." I whisper and Chris nods standing up and he lifts him off the couch... We walk up and Jack starts to groan a little... "Where are we going..." He mumbles and i smile as he looks at me his eyes barely open as i walk behind Chris carrying his stuffed dog for him... "We are putting you to bed sweetheart..." I whisper and he hums... I walk into our closet and grab a shirt of mine and help Chris to get Jack changed as he is not really working with us... We put him in the bed and i put the stuffed dog in his arms... I turn on the night light... "Good night, bud..." Chris says kissing his cheek and i smile... "Good night sweetheart..." I whisper kissing his cheek to and i smile as he mumbles a good night back.... I close the curtains and Chris holds out his hand for me to take and we carefully walk out the room and leave the door open a little.
