Finding Home at Randy’s (Diner Days)

Chapter 23

“ D id you know that kangaroos are strong swimmers and can, and will, drown you if given the chance? Never chase a kangaroo into the water,” Callum says as he leans against the railing outside of the red kangaroo exhibit.

I glance at Graeme and he sighs. “He likes facts, and spends way too much time on the internet.” He raises his voice a little. “Cal, how about we not talk about drowning?”

Callum looks back, his blue eyes wide with innocence. “It’s just a fact. Just like how baby kangaroos, or joeys, are born after thirty-three days but then spend a year in the pouch. Or how they can jump six feet in the air.”

“Callum…”

“I’m just saying!” Callum replies, smiling wide. “You know what we should do next?” He doesn’t wait for a reply before continuing, “We should go horseback riding. It’s been forever since we did that. We’ll have to bring Da with us, though, but it’ll be a fun family outing.”

“That’s a great idea,” Denver says from where they’re leaning on the railing next to Callum.

Graeme sighs. “Don’t encourage him.”

Laughing softly, I reach for Graeme’s hand. “I think a group outing would be nice.”

Graeme’s gaze softens as he looks down at me. “You don’t have to cater to the little shit,” he says. “He doesn’t need to get everything he wants.”

I squeeze his hand. “It’s fine. I like the idea.”

Graeme leans in and kisses me softly. “We’ll talk about it. You might change your mind once you meet Rory.”

His reminder that I actually have to meet his ex-husband sends a fissure of fear through me. Graeme must see something in my face because he kisses me again, lingering for a moment. “It’ll be okay. He’ll love you, Amour.”

“Stop being embarrassing!” Callum calls out. “Let’s go look at the gorillas!”

Graeme rolls his eyes while I laugh, and we follow Callum to the next exhibit hand in hand. Denver falls back to take my other hand as we trail behind the teenager.

“You good?”

“I’m fine, Den. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Denver lifts my hand to their mouth and presses a kiss to it. “But I like worrying about you.”

I can feel the blush creeping up my throat to my face, and though I smile, I look away to prevent from embarrassing myself more.

“Give us some gorilla facts, Cal,” Graeme calls out to his son, squeezing my hand as he does.

Callum spins around, walking backwards, heedless of the people around us as he says, “The western lowland gorilla has a diet of about sixty-seven percent fruit. Three percent of it is termites and caterpillars, the rest is made up of seeds and leaves. They’re the most widespread of the gorilla species, but their numbers have dwindled by more than sixty percent in the last twenty to twenty-five years. It’d take around seventy-five years of them being threat free to come back from the brink of extinction.” He trips and almost makes a woman fall over. Graeme lets go of my hand to help his son and apologize to the poor woman who was just trying to walk like a normal person.

Graeme keeps a hand on Callum’s shoulder as we find places to stand in front of the gorilla enclosure.

“Did you know they have live cameras that you can watch online?” Callum says.

“How often do you do that?” Graeme asks.

Callum shrugs. “They have set hours, so it’s not like I can try to get a glimpse of the gorillas day and night.”

“I see you’re an animal lover.”

Callum smiles at me. “Absolutely. I’d have a menagerie if I thought Dad would let me. As it is, Jolene will be an only child until I move out.”

“I’ve already told you, you’re never moving out.”

“I could just dump you and Da into a nursing home and be done with it,” Callum says with a smile. “You know, if you and Luka keep dating Dad, you’ll eventually become my parents as well. Then I can put all four of you in a home!” He cackles evilly.

Denver looks at me with wide hazel green eyes and I’m sure the expression on my face matches their’s. My heart beats rapidly and my breath wheezes through my lungs until Graeme threads his hand through mine.

“Callum…” he says in exasperation.

The teenager shrugs and flashes an innocent smile. “It’s true, though!”

“You know,” Denver drawls, “if that happens, it’ll be four against one, so you’ll be shit outta luck, Cal.”

Callum’s eyes widen and he frowns, shaking his head. “That’s unfair.”

The three of us laugh as Callum pouts and turns back to the glass of the enclosure.

We spend a while in front of the gorillas, stopping at every viewing station to get a different perspective into the enclosure. Callum keeps up a running commentary about what he thinks the gorillas are thinking, or why they’re doing what they do. Some of what he says is laced with facts, but most of it is from his overactive imagination.

“If I were an animal,” Callum says a while later. “I would be a hippopotamus.”

Graeme side-eyes his son. “Why?”

Callum gestures to the pygmy hippopotamus in front of us. “Look at it. Short, fat, and cute. It’s also a loner, only getting with another hippo to procreate. What’s not to love? Plus, look at those ears!”

“Cal has heart eyes for hippos—noted,” Denver muses.

“Pretty sure anything with four legs gives him heart eyes,” I reply.

Graeme wraps an arm around my waist. “I hope this isn’t too boring for you. I know hanging out with my kid all day isn’t everyone’s idea of a date.”

Looking up at him, I frown. “I don’t know who would say that, but they can fuck off. Into the anaconda enclosure.” I shudder as I say it, still a bit freaked out by seeing the huge snake, made worse by Callum’s rattling facts.

Graeme laughs. “I respect people’s decision not to have children, but when you date someone with a child, I think some only have a vague idea of what it means. Cal isn’t a little kid anymore, and maybe it’d be different if he was, but while I haven’t been dating, Rory has. And I’ve seen what he’s had to deal with, and some people haven't had the best responses when Rory’s had to put Cal first.”

“I’m sorry any of you have had to deal with that,” I say sincerely.

Graeme gives me a bitter smile. “I won’t say it’s fine, because it’s not, but I think it makes finding your people, whether that be romantic prospects or just friends, all the more special.”

Denver moves into Graeme’s other side, wrapping an arm around both of us. “And are we your people? Or potential people?”

Graeme’s soft blue eyes seem to shine, even as he tightens his hold on me. “I would like you to be,” he says softly.

My breath catches in my throat as my insides twist in pleasure. Denver’s hand squeezes my side as they lean in and kiss Graeme gently. When they break away, Denver turns their head and I meet them in a sweet, slow kiss.

We’re surrounded by people, animals, and Graeme’s son, and even though I’m nervous, I don’t let any of it stop me from pulling away from Denver and kissing Graeme. I never thought I’d be brave enough to show this card, but right now, I feel safe with them, so it’s nothing for me to press my lips to Graeme’s, sharing the taste of Denver between the two of us.

This moment is one I never expected, but standing in their arms, I realize it’s everything I always wanted. The love and care pours off them both, and I will do everything in my power to hold on.