Unconditionally (Operation FALLS Trilogy - Book 1)

Chapter 4

Vince did indeed ride in the trunk of the SUV all the way home, just like Ty had said. Juliet sat in the very back row, with the two large dogs on either side of her, happily chatting away to her father. She graciously allowed her siblings a few words here and there, but mainly she filled her father in on everything that had happened since he left. That, of course, had led to an argument between Echo and Whiskey. Though, in all fairness, the pair could always find something to argue over, Ty figured it was just the curse of being brothers so close in age.

When they'd gotten home Vince had immediately gone into the kitchen, not even bothering to unpack. Ty had chuckled to himself over it. He'd never met someone who loved cooking as much as Vince.

"Pops! Guess what Ty burned while you were gone!" Charlie shouted at his father as he trailed behind him into the kitchen.

"Charlie," Ty groaned as he rounded the corner, smiling to himself as he saw everyone moving to sit in their 'places.' Starting with Echo and Whiskey, perched on the bar stools at the high-top counter looking into the kitchen. Then, little Juliet was coming out of the walk-in pantry with her step stool that she would move around as Vince did. Finally, Charlie was jumping up to sit on the counter right next to the large farmhouse sink.

Everything was back in sync.

"Yeah, bud? What did he burn?" Vince asked, moving from the fridge to the large kitchen island with an armful of ingredients.

"What didn't he burn..." Echo mumbled.

Ty shot him a look with narrowed eyes, which only earned a chuckle from both him and Whiskey.

"Well, like an hour after you left-"

"Charlie!"

"He melted the bottom out of a pan."

"You melted the bottom of out of a pan?" Vince stopped chopping to look over his shoulder at Ty.

Ty shrugged, "Yeah."

"He was cooking grilled cheese!" Juliet added, innocently.

The room erupted into laughter and the night continued just like that. Everyone took turns telling embarrassing stories about Ty or each other. The kitchen was filled with warmth and love as Vince made dinner.

After dinner, everyone piled into the family room to watch a movie. Juliet and Charlie fell asleep before the end of the movie, Vince carried Juliet up to bed, but based on the time it took for him to come back down he had taken the time to tuck in each of his kids. For the older ones just meant reminding them not to stay up too late gaming.

Ty watched as Vince trudged down the stairs, his eyes never leaving the man as he glided across the room and plopped onto the couch next to him. His whole body relaxed into the couch as he let out a heavy sigh, "Did they really fight the whole time I was gone?"

Ty chuckled and shrugged, "Eh, they're brothers. It's what they're supposed to do."

Ty didn't have brothers, but he assumed there was bickering in that relationship. However, he was downplaying the amount. Echo and Whiskey hadn't been able to have a conversation that didn't end in a screaming match in a very long time.

"It's Echo, isn't it?" Vince asked in a soft voice.

Ty didn't respond. It wasn't a question that Vince wanted him to answer. Ty didn't think Echo was the problem. He also didn't think Whiskey was either. They were just trying to find their way in the world.

"I don't understand why he won't just talk to me!" Vince huffed.

"He's seventeen," Ty reminded.

"So?"

"What seventeen-year-old talks to their parent?" Ty asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Whiskey talks to me."

"Does he? Or does he just tell on Echo?"

A loud sigh left Vince's lips as his shoulders sank. Ty reached out a hand and patted his shoulder. The fighting between Echo and Whiskey was newish, but no solutions had been able to stop the fighting for long.

"Don't start telling yourself you're a bad father," Ty added with a tilt of his head.

Vince's eyes widened a fraction before he started to shake his head. "I know... I just want them to be happy and I feel like they aren't."

A soft smile pulled at Ty's lips as he stared at one of the most amazing fathers' he'd ever met. "You think those kids upstairs aren't happy? Vince, they are some of the happiest kids I know, and they love you more than words."

They locked eyes for a moment, and Ty held the gaze longer than he normally would have. He needed Vince to know that what he was saying was honest. When he looked at the Gatti family, he didn't see unhappiness or a vacancy of love. What he saw was warmth and a type of love that one could get comfortable in. Even when Vince was gone it was there, but the house really came back to life the second the man walked in.

God, Ty had missed him.

That's all he could think eventually as he was staring into his best friend's eyes. He'd missed him so much. Now, that he was back, everything felt right again and clearly Ty wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"Hey, Pops?" Charlie's voice broke the silent moment and they both turned to look at the young boy sitting at the top of the stairs, peaking through the railing, rubbing at his tired eyes.

"I thought you were asleep, Bud?" Vince asked as he sat up.

"I was..."

"Oh?" Vince stood, walking toward the railing, looking up at Charlie. "What's up? What woke you?"

Ty watched as Charlie nervously began to fiddle with his hands. He glanced over Vince's shoulder and made eye contact with Ty. Ty gave him a nod of encouragement and then his eyes darted back to Vince.

"Could you...Could you maybe not leave again for a while?"

Ty watched as Vince's heart shattered into a million pieces. He could feel the sting in the open wound from where he stood.

"Um, yeah," Vince's voice broke before he cleared his throat and tried again. "Of course, I never want to leave you or your siblings. You know that, right?"

"I know," Charlie nodded, looking down at the ground. "I just miss you."

Ty suddenly felt completely out of place, like he had overstayed his welcome.

"Hey, I'm gonna head out, but you should play a round of that new videogame Charlie has. I sucked at it and have been banned from playing, maybe you can keep up Vince," Ty suggested, clapping his friend on the back as he passed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie's eyes light up in excitement at the proposition.

"Ty-" Vince called after him, but he was already opening up the door.

"I'm not hanging around to get my ass kicked again Vince," Ty called over his shoulder, hearing Charlie's giggle as the door clicked shut behind him.

As he walked toward his car his shoulders slumped. He didn't want to go back to his apartment. It was empty there. Cold. Nothing like the warmth he knew in the Gatti house. But there was nowhere in the world like the Gatti house.

As he climbed into his Jeep, he thought that maybe it was time to give up on his dream of being a part of that home.