Uniting the Souls (Souls of Chicago #6)(58)

“I think it’s wonderful that you’ve met someone,” I told her, smiling. She held her hand up before I could go any further.

“Don’t get too excited. We’ve talked on the phone a lot and at the library, but we haven’t gone out yet. He’s asked several times and I finally agreed to go out to dinner, but it may all fall apart once that happens,” she warned.

“Or, it may be amazing,” I reminded her. “Just go and see what happens. You might end up having a great time.”

“That’s the plan,” she said, pursing her lips and blowing a breath out through them. I leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“I’m proud of you. It’s about time you start thinking about yourself for a change. Let me know whenever you need me to watch Nicholas so you can go out. I could even keep him at my place for the night,” I offered. I couldn’t hold back my laughter at the shocked look on her face. Aysha picked up the dish towel off the counter and flung it at me.

“I don’t even know how to respond to that so I’m going to just go and see what’s taking Nicholas so long,” she said, shaking her head at me as she turned to walk out. I was still laughing as she left the kitchen, but I realized she hadn’t said no.

The doorbell rang a little while later and I nearly knocked over Nicholas’s tower of blocks he was building in my rush to answer it. I ignored Aysha’s snicker from behind me as I opened the door. Isaac and Matt stood on the porch, looking nervous, but I saw them visibly relax when they saw me and I loved that. I loved that I made them feel safe and protected because that’s how I felt when I was with them too.

“Hey! Come on in,” I said, holding the door so they could come in and then shutting it behind them. Nicholas came up to me then and wrapped his arms around my leg, eyeing Matt and Isaac warily. I reached down and scooped him up into my arms and he laid his head on my shoulder.

“Nicholas, this is Isaac and Matt. Remember, I told you that they were coming over to have dinner with us and to meet you and your mommy?” I asked him. Nicholas nodded his head and Isaac and Matt said hello, smiling so he’d know they were friendly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Nicholas. Your uncle, Hudson, has told us a lot about you,” Isaac told him.

“He has?” Nicholas asked.

“Yep. He told us that you like Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Is that true?” Matt asked as if he wasn’t sure. Nicholas poked his head up off my shoulder and nodded vigorously.

“He told us you like to draw pictures too,” Isaac chimed in. I’d only mentioned those things one time, several weeks before and I felt a surge of love as I realized how much they’d paid attention to what I’d said.

“You want to see what I drawed today?” Nicholas asked, scrambling out of my arms and running off to his room before I could correct his grammar. “I’ll show you my Batman too,” he called over his shoulder. Isaac and Matt stared after him with wide grins.

“He’s adorable,” Matt said.

“He looks just like Hudson did at that age,” Aysha said, coming to stand next to me. “Hello, I’m Aysha. It’s so nice to finally meet both of you.”

She stretched her hand out towards them and shook each of their hands. They introduced themselves and thanked her for having them over. I knew I had to be wearing the goofiest grin, but I couldn’t help it, I finally had all my favorite people in one place and it made me so happy. Nicholas ran back into the room, carting his coloring book, crayons, and three Batman figures with him.

“Oh boy! You’ve done it now,” I joked.

Isaac and Matt squatted down so they’d be eye level with Nicholas and listened intently as he showed them his toys. When he started to get out his crayons and told Matt to sit on the floor with him so they could color, Aysha stepped in and suggested that they go out on the back deck so we could start cooking. I gave her a grateful smile as she helped Nicholas pick up his things and carry them out the back door, giving me a few moments alone with my men.

“Thank you, guys, for showing up and for not running away yet,” I joked.

“I think Nicholas is great,” Matt said.

“And your sister seems very nice,” Isaac added.

I smiled at them appreciatively and then took turns kissing each of them until we were all a bit breathless. They followed me into the kitchen where I handed them a case of beer for the adults and a juice box for Nicholas. I grabbed the plate stacked with hamburgers out of the fridge then headed out to the deck.

Nicholas was in the yard playing with his ball, apparently having gotten sidetracked from coloring. Aysha was sitting at the table and she motioned for Isaac and Matt to join her. I set the hamburgers down and started the grill, keeping my ears open to the conversation going on behind me. Aysha asked them about their work at the center and both men became impassioned as they described what they were doing and how far the center had come in such a short amount of time.

When the burgers were done cooking, we brought the rest of the food out and began digging in. The conversation never stopped and, eventually, Aysha began to tell embarrassing stories about me when I was a kid. Matt and Isaac protested when I covered her mouth with my hand before she could tell them about the skits I used to put on for her and Nonna.

“Oh, come on, we want to hear more,” Isaac said, sticking his tongue out at me when I called him a traitor. Aysha slapped my hand away playfully.