“Okay, I trust you,” she told him
He grinned and got out of bed. She watched as he walked to the boys room and picked up their cups and brought them back in and over to the bed.
“Drink up;” he said firmly as he started to drink.
She sipped her milk, looking at Benjamin. “So tell more about your family.”
4
“They are your family now, too. I’m the oldest as you know. Going into labor and delivering Alexis wasn’t any easier on my mom than when she had me. Only with Alexis, she hemorrhaged during delivery.”
She gasped and Benjamin stopped and kissed her head. “It was hard on my mom and dad. I was young, but I remember running around trying to help as much as I could.”
Benjamin stopped and grinned at her. “I think that’s where my love of babies started. The years went on, and our family did well but didn’t feel complete. I was fifteen almost sixteen when I started to volunteer at an outreach center. I was placed into the big brother program and met a lot of different kids. That’s how Maisey came into our lives.”
“Maisey’s adopted?” she asked, feeling a little shocked at that news.
“Yeah, but she’s my sister,” Benjamin stopped talking and bit his lip. I may have been the oldest but I still…” he shook his head. “When I met Maisey, she was so young. Her mom had just passed away, and within a few months afterward, her dad went to prison for drugs. So I brought her home, and asked my mom and dad if we could keep her.”
“They agreed, and her father allowed us to adopt her, but she was sad and didn’t think she was a true member of the family. Alexis and I did though, so we made a blood bond with her,” Benjamin held out his hand, and she could just make out the faint, small line. “We each made a cut on our right palms and joined them.”
“That was both sweet and silly, not to mention alarming,” she told him, making him snort.
“Mom and Dad flipped out, but I was the only one who needed stitches. After Maisey came into our lives, I knew that it was meant to be–we were all Parks. Maisey didn’t have a great start in life, so she was always trying to repay our kindness by paying it forward to others. Alexis, never one to be left out, joins us in our giving. Our parents never gave us things just because we wanted them, we had limits. At birthdays, Christmas, or any holidays really, we had to work or volunteer. We knew what money meant, and that nothing in life should be free or easy. Ten years, actually almost eleven years ago, Alexis met Milton, and you know how that went. Then five years ago, Maisey started to date my best friend, Caleb.
“You two are… were friends before he married her?” she asked, interrupting him.
“Yes. We still are. He was my best friend all the way through school starting in kindergarten. That’s why I know he is good enough for Maisey.”
“I think I would’ve liked to have had a brother, or even a sister.” Her eyes flickered to the boys‘ room. “So, I’m happy they have each
other.”
“Me, too. What about the girls and Ron; how did you all meet?”
Pandora started to all the little stories about her friends. Even how she met Ron and was taken as his little sister, even though she was his girlfriend’s friend.
“It seems I owe Ron for a lot more than what I thought I did,” Benjamin stated and she placed down her empty cup.
“You don’t owe him anything,” Pandora said as she hugged herself against him.
1/2
Chapter 95
“I disagree. He was there for my wife when I couldn’t be. He protected her, saved her, and supported her.”
Pandora hummed, closing her Eyes and listening to his heartbeat as his hand started to thread through her hair.
She grabbed the last of the eggs and bread and started to make French toast for Benjamin and her.
“Something smells good,” Benjamin moaned as he walked into the kitchen.
“I’m making French toast,” she replied, looking over her shoulder at him. “We need some food from the store. I need to start a list, but I know we need diapers, bread, milk, and fruit,” she said looking back to the skillet.
“Go ahead and make a list, and I’ll run out and get the items we need! I have to drop in at the clinic; there are a few files I need to make sure are passed on to the correct people.”
She nodded and carried on with what she was doing. She placed Benjamin’s plate down and looked at the baby monitor.
“They are fine,” Benjamin assured as he clasped her hand in his.
“I know, just…” She stopped and sighed, unsure where the overwhelming need to check on them all the time was coming from.
“I feel it, too, love. It takes time to trust that they are okay. You have to remember to breathe or you’re going to burn yourself out.” He raised his brow, giving her a look to ask if she agreed.
“Breathing,” she chuckled as she took a dramatic breath in and out.
She sat with him and they ate their breakfast. After they were finished and the mess had been cleared up, she sat at the table to work on the grocery list. “Okay, what do we need?” she asked herself out loud.
Benjamin listed a few things, and she thought of other grocery items as she wrote. After the list was complete, she held it out to Benjamin. But she pulled it back, looking for her purse.
“What are you looking for?” Benjamin asked.
She turned to look at him, but she was unable to talk as he had put on his leather jacket. ‘My God, does he look hot in black leather!‘ she thought and felt herself heating up.
“Love?” Benjamin chuckled, gaining her attention.
