Forever and ever 2. The adventure starts now.

Part 92.

Tom's pov~

Touching down in London a couple weeks later felt better than ever. I finally had an official week off, and I flew back home earlier just to spend more time with my son and the rest of the family. It had been a whole four months since I last saw my little man, so I was nearly in tears when I found him holding a huge sign that read 'Welcome back, Daddy,' adorned with flowers and cars in the corners of the poster. He had drawn it himself! Not just that, I think he's grown a whole 5 centimeters. My mother stood behind him, tissue in hand, dabbing her nose as she saw me.
"Dadday!" Parker screamed and ran towards me, the picture in his hand breaking completely, but he didn't care. I lifted him into my arms, spun him in the air, and pulled him close as if he were the most precious thing. He had a fresh haircut, faint freckles on his face, and was grinning from ear to ear. Sometimes reminding me of Y/N a lot, and it hurt that she couldn't be here in this moment. Parker held onto my neck as tightly as I clung to him.
"How are you superstar?" I asked my four-year-old, who didn't want to let go of me at all. My mother slowly made her way towards us from a distance as well. Incredibly happy to see her son and grandson reunited.
"I missed you so much, Dadday!" He claimed, almost crying happy tears.
"I missed you too, big boy. Did grandma treat you well?" Arriving just in time, I placed Parker on my hip so I could give my mother a tight hug. Surprisingly, I had indeed missed her a little. Her red hair was slowly getting streaks of gray, but apart from that, she hadn't changed much.
"Oh you're looking great, Darling!" She complimented me, running her eyes up and down from the fitted white shirt I wore down to the black jeans. Now that I was back home, I could probably opt for more casual attire. I bet Y/N wouldn't mind either, and if not, she was probably sick of me wearing suits all the time.
"Thanks mum. You too!" It caught her by surprise. I never gave my mother compliments, or anyone else for that matter, except for Y/N and my son. At least not in a long time, and she suddenly started grinning, realizing I had changed, if only a bit. But she really did seem to look fit, happy, and even had dressed up nicely, I could tell.
"So where are the others?" I asked as we began making our way out of the airport. My mother took the sign from Parker's hands to make it easier for him to keep up with us, while I carried my bag. She seemed hesitant answering my question, making me uneasy.
"Oh, your father is in the car waiting, and Paddy is at tennis practice." So it seemed he wasn't interested in picking up his older brother from the airport after such a long time. That was fine; he had his reasons.
"What about Sam and Harry?" Still, I questioned. Just expected a few more family members...
"Well, dear, who would have thought you'd long for your brothers like this." She laughed. I really didn't. But damn, I was back in London, and having Parker by my side made me blissfully happy in that moment.
I shrugged my shoulders, not denying anything. "Now Sam is at some cooking event. And Harry..." she trailed off. In such a peculiar moment... her gaze briefly flickered up to me, checking if my facial expressions changed upon mentioning his name, but seeing me still beaming, she continued- "He wanted to stay at home with Ciara." And suddenly it clicked. He didn't want to pick me up. It made sense; he hadn't replied to any of my messages since he flew back and I knew it had something to do with the incident that happened. I wasn't sorry, nor was I ashamed. I've never been ashamed. In my eyes, no other reaction would have been appropriate, at least not in that moment. He had stolen my phone, thus robbing me of my precious time with Y/N. I would have gone way further for her if I had to.
"Mhm." I hummed. Maybe next time...

We reached the car, and my father stood patiently by, helping me with my luggage before giving me a hug.
Sometimes, I wondered if things had changed between us since my teenage years, or even in recent years. Whether I had become a stranger to him, if our relationship no longer felt like a father-son bond and if I had become an unfamiliar member to him. I wouldn't have blamed him for thinking so. After all, he often called me Thomas nowadays, but my mother said it was because he simply liked the name better. Yet, Samuel remained Sam, and Patrick, Paddy...

The journey home stretched on, a 45-minute standstill in the traffic weighing it down. That was the drawback of London, but fortunately, we resided in a tranquil neighborhood. Tonight, we headed to my parents' place. It was nearing 1 am, and our own residence felt eerily silent. Y/N wouldn't be arriving for another three days, and truth be told, I wasn't sure if I could manage to get any sleep without her.

Fortunately, my parents weren't eager to hear everything from me right away, so we agreed to continue the conversation over dinner the next day. They had booked a table at a cozy Italian restaurant chosen by Paddy, unlike the upscale eateries I typically favored to steer clear of paparazzi.

Another text to Y/N that evening, and I was passed out in a deep winter slumber. Parker rested on my chest, having allowed him to sleep beside me for tonight.

~MERRY CHRISTMAS! And therefore a small cheeky part!~