The Gray Sisters: Family Matters✔️ (Wattpad version)

Fearing love

Lex

After finding out Piper was pregnant, Luna turned up pregnant. Lakin and Mia looked into adoption but had difficulty. It challenged most couples with whom they wanted to adopt their baby.

Maybe one day, they would have a family of their own.

As for Kaiden, he started seeing a therapist about what happened. His bruises were healing, but he refused to move back to his house and stayed with Uncle Nixon and Aunt Kat. He also refused to get close to anyone, including family.

I stop by with the boys to see him. Nixon and Kat took the boys, getting them some ice cream while I visited with Kaiden. I found him in his old room.

Knock, knock.

He looked up at me with furrowed brows. "What are you doing here, Lex?"

"I came to see how you were doing and let your ma and Dad visit with the boys," I shrugged as he sighed.

"I'm going to therapy, keeping myself busy," Kaiden said as he got up, straightening up his room. I looked at him as he made sure everything was perfect. Kaiden was usually neat, but this was obsessive.

"Kaiden, stop," I said to Kaiden as he kept fixing things. I walked over and gently grabbed his arm, "Kaiden, stop," I repeated myself.

He looked at me. "No one likes a slob, Lex." I looked at him with compassion.

"Kaiden, you're not a slob. That's listening to Mitch beat you down, which you didn't deserve," I reasoned.

"It doesn't matter," he whispered.

"Why not?" I questioned him.

His head snapped in my direction. "Because I'm never getting close to anyone again. All people do is hurt you when they claim to love you. I mean, Mitch claimed to love me and look at how that turned out. I'm better off alone."

That bothered me. Kaiden went from that flirty guy to someone who refuses to get close to anyone. That wasn't him. Mitch did a number on him.

Then I felt something tug on my pant leg. I looked down to see Payton. Then I noticed Parker crawl over to Kaiden. He was about ten months and was learning how to stand. He grabbed ahold of Kaiden's pant leg, pulling himself up.

Kaiden looked down as Nixon and Kat came to Kaiden's bedroom. They watched as Kaiden looked down as Parker reached up, holding his little hand up to him.

"What is he doing?" Kaiden asked me.

"He wants you to pick him up," I explained as Kaiden looked at him. Parker smiled at Kaiden as he did nothing except take him and set him away from him. Disappointment filled me when Kaiden did that.

"Come on, Kaid, he's a baby," Nixon reasoned.

Kaiden shrugged as Parker got into a crouching movement and then stood without holding onto anything. I watched as he put his hands out and started taking steps towards Kaiden. He fell on his butt.

I stood there and watched my boy get back up, taking another step towards Kaiden, falling on his butt every time. Kaiden just stood there as Parker kept trying before reaching Kaiden. He grabbed his leg, trying to steady himself.

I crouched and said, "Park, you took your first steps!" He turned and smiled at me, showing his few teeth. My boy finally took his first steps. I held out my hands to him, "Come to Daddy, Park."

He released Kaiden's leg and started walking before falling. He did it twice before landing, then getting upset and started crying. I sighed.

"Hey, you can't give up. You need to keep going," we heard someone say as I looked to see Kaiden help Parker. He got him steady, and Parker started taking steps as Kaiden let go. I held out my hands as he walked towards me until he fell into my arms.

"Good job, Park! Way to go, buddy," I exclaimed as he looked at me and smiled. I looked at Kaiden. "Sometimes, we need someone to encourage us to get back up after we fall."

He looked at me as I picked up Parker and took Payton's hand, leading them out of the house.

Nixon looked at Kaiden. "Give it time, son."

Kaiden nodded as Nixon and Kat left his bedroom. They walked us to the door.

"Thanks, Lex, having Parker walk was amazing. Thanks for letting Kaiden help," Nixon said to me, causing me confusion.

"Uncle Nixon, I didn't bring the boys over here because Parker was walking. I came to see how Kaiden was doing. That's the first time Parker took his first steps. We've been trying to get him to walk on his own," I explained as Nixon looked at me, surprised.

He looked at Parker. "Kid, you will amaze when you get older, just like me," he smirked as I chuckled. We left and went home.

When we got home, I got the boys situated as I got dinner together. They helped. Parker banged on pots while Payton helped hand me things.

I grabbed spices and ingredients as I handed them to Payton. He carried them over to the counter and stepped on his step stool. He put stuff on the kitchen counter while I chopped up vegetables and meat.

I would point to something, and he would hand it to me as Parker banged away on the pots. At some point, I would teach them to cook, and the next one we had, which reminded me, at the next doctor's appointment, we would find out what Piper was having.

"Lex, I'm home!" Piper yelled as she came into the kitchen. She picked up Parker off the floor and kissed Payton, then kissed me. "Smells delicious," she commented as I stirred the food.

"I figure a nice stew would work," I reasoned as she smiled at me.

"How did your visit with Kaiden go?" She asked me.

"He doesn't want to get close to anyone, which I understand, but at some point, he needs to understand not everyone will be like Mitch. Although Parker did something I wasn't expecting today," I said to her.

"What was that?" She asked me.

"He took his first steps," I answered, surprising her. "He fell at one point, cried, then Kaiden helped him. I think he needed that," I remarked as she looked at Parker.

"I think Park will be our most interesting child," she smiled as she looked at me.

"I know," I agreed as I went back to making dinner before we sat down and ate. I had a feeling as the boys got older; we would notice a lot of things about them, especially Parker.

Now to find out what Piper was having, except I had a feeling we were in for a surprise of our own.