They were standing outside and the cars were packed.
The kids were going home.
“Chace,” he heard and turned his eyes to Miah and Becky’s paternal grandfather.
“Ezra,” Chace muttered as the man got up close and stopped.
He tipped his chin and smiled at Faye then he looked up at Chace.
Then quietly, he said, “It’s come to my attention, son, you covered Miah and Becky’s hospital bills.”
He heard Faye make a muted noise and felt her shift into him, her arm brushing his, her fingers curling around his but she said nothing.
He hadn’t told her. He also didn’t intend to.
Shit.
“Yep,” he replied casually, hoping that would end it, knowing from getting to know these people it would not.
Ezra nodded before saying, “We’ve been talkin’ and we –”
Chace cut him off, “Don’t worry about it,” and Faye’s fingers around his grew tighter.
Ezra’s eyes grew wider. “But, that had to –”
Chace shook his head. “I have a trust fund. My grandparents gave it to me. They were good people. My grandfather worked hard all his life. He was a good man. If they knew the money they worked hard to earn went to that, they’d be pleased. Trust me. If they were alive, they’d do it themselves. Now, it’s done. You got enough to see about setting right. But that’s not part of it.”
“That’s too much of a gesture,” Ezra replied softly.
“It wasn’t a gesture,” Chace returned just as softly. “What it was, if this makes it easier to accept, is me and Faye buyin’ our way into those kids’ lives. You’re leavin’ but this doesn’t end, not for them, not for us. We wanna know they’re growin’ and doin’ it strong but we also wanna know how. If you give that to us over the years then we’re even.”
Ezra stared up at him, his throat moving as he swallowed and Faye leaned into his side.
Then Ezra whispered, “We can do that.”
“Good,” Chace muttered and moved to shake the man’s hand, this necessitating Faye letting his go.
After he shook his hand, Faye moved in for a hug and more hugs commenced, farewells, heartfelt keep in touches, forced smiles that were sad but nevertheless happy.
Finally, Chace watched Faye whisper something in Becky’s ear while hugging her that made Becky giggle. It was a small one but it was a genuine one.
Then he watched her hold it together by a thread, her eyes bright, her lips quivering as she gave Miah a tight hug that lasted a very long time and was unusual in the sense that an eleven year old kid was just as reluctant to let go.
Watching it, Chace’s throat got tight.
He touched Becky’s hair in his farewell and she moved to her grandparents as Faye made a low noise in the back of her throat and let Miah go.
She straightened and ran her fingers through his hair before she whispered, “Call me. I want to know what you’re reading.”
Miah, his eyes also wet and getting red, nodded.
Faye bit her lip and stepped away.
Miah turned to him.
Chace began to lift his hand to give him a shake but stopped when Miah moved right into his space and curled his arms around Chace’s middle.
At his touch, his less thin body pressed to Chace’s, his arms, neither of them in casts or bandages, around him, Chace’s throat completely closed. He felt the wet in his own eyes and wrapped his arms around his boy, holding tight, bending his neck and closing his eyes.