Unbreak My Heart (18+, ManxMan)

Chapter 32 Giving Thanks

Chapter 32

Finn

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Benji yells as he opens the door, "There's my little girl!" Before I can even say hello he takes Paisley from my arms and runs back into the house leaving Nico and I standing in the entryway. I look up at Nico who's carrying a case of wine and a diaper bag over his shoulder.

"Well, I guess we know who the important person in the family is now," he says.

"We've definitely been demoted to the 'B' list," I add.

We step inside and close the door behind us. After we hang up our jackets Ajax comes out to greet us and then he and Nico take the wine to the dining room. I wander in and look around. The kitchen is full and the smells coming from it are amazing. Louisa and Rosita spent last night here since Ajax's mother was in town and the three of them probably got up at the crack of dawn to start the preparations. Jonah and Rob are in there helping since they both love to cook, as well as another woman I don't recognize, but who might be Tonya's mother since Benji told me she was coming last night with Tonya (Aiden's girlfriend), Aiden and the boys. With all those cooks I know dinner would be amazing.

I peek in the living room and Benji is sitting on the couch with Paisley in his lap, Aiden and Tonya are sitting on one side of him with animated faces as they talk to my sweet angel and Liam is on the other side leaning against Benji watching her with a fascinated smile on his face. Paisley looks completely content with all the attention as she kicks her legs and laughs at her crazy Uncle Benji. I see Garrett and Luke standing behind the couch looking over their shoulders at the scene with broad smiles on their faces. Those two seemed to hit it off well at my art opening and have been dating ever since.

Brett is sitting in a chair across from them watching with his usual impassive expression while Peter, Benji's friend and Rob's partner sits quietly taking in the whole scene. Next to Peter is Sebastien. Gregory's funeral was three days ago and he still looks shell shocked. He's staring at his hands in his lap while sitting stiffly in the chair. I look around wondering where Gregory's brother Lancaster is. He'd flown in right away and had organized the funeral. Benji had mentioned they were both coming today and that it looked like Lancaster would be looking after Sebastien for a while. I didn't know much about him and only met him briefly at the funeral. He seemed a quite a bit younger than Gregory who was in his late forties. Lancaster looked to be in his early thirties maybe. He was a businessman from Chicago who had a confident and take charge 'air' about him.

Sebastien hadn't said much at the funeral or luncheon afterwards and I was concerned about how he was holding up. I didn't know if he was staying in L.A. moving to Chicago with Lancaster, though they'd never met before this so that didn't seem likely, or maybe he was moving back to New York where he grew up. Maybe he still has family there. I don't know if he sensed my attention but he looked up at that moment, but before I could smile in greeting his eyes darted back down to his lap. I figured I'd take him aside later and speak with him in private. Let him know I was here for him if he needed anything.

I don't see Chris and Thomas yet, but I assume they're just running late like they usually do. I also notice a few others are missing until I hear deep voices from the dining room. I take a few steps in that direction and see Nico, Ajax, Eli, Phillip, Quentin and Lancaster speaking quietly. Probably talking about Sebastien so I leave them to it and walk into the living room.

"Finn! I didn't see you come in!" Lucy's high pitched voice rings through the whole room as she races out of the kitchen. "Where's that grandbaby of mine!" As she rushes over she gives me a quick hug, then makes a bee-line to Benji, stealing the baby out of his arms, causing him to pout.