CHAPTER 184
LUCAS'S POV
The question came during breakfast on a Tuesday morning, delivered with the matter-of-fact tone that ten-year-old Addison used for everything from asking about the weather to discussing complex geopolitical situations.
"Why do I have three dads when my friends only have one?"
I nearly choked on my coffee, watching as Harry froze with his fork halfway to his mouth and Jax stopped mid-sentence in whatever story he'd been telling five-year-old Liam. Across the table, two-year-old Elena continued eating her cereal, blissfully unaware that her sister had just launched us into the conversation we'd been dreading and preparing for since the day she was born.
"That's a very good question, sweetheart," Skylar said calmly, though I could see the slight tension in her shoulders that meant she was shifting into tactical mode. "What made you think about it?"
"Jenny at gymnastics said it was weird that you're married to all three of them. She said her mom thinks our family is 'inappropriate.'" Addison pronounced the word carefully, like she wasn't entirely sure what it meant but knew it wasn't good.
"And what do you think?" I asked, setting down my coffee cup and giving her my full attention.
"I think Jenny's mom doesn't understand that different families work in different ways. But I want to understand why we're different."
The directness of her response shouldn't have surprised me. Addison had been asking probing questions since she learned to talk, approaching complex topics with the same analytical precision that characterized everything she did.
"Well," I said, glancing at the others for support, "the simple answer is that your mama and all three of us fell in love with each other at the same time, and we decided we wanted to be a family together."
"But why three dads? Why not just one?"
Jax leaned forward, his expression serious but gentle. "Because each of us brings something different to the family. Uncle Harry is really good at keeping everyone safe and building things. I'm good at taking care of people when they're hurt or scared. And Uncle Lucas is good at planning and making sure everyone has what they need."
"And Mama is good at saving people and making bad guys go away," Liam added helpfully, having absorbed more of our family dynamics than we'd realized.
"Exactly," Skylar said, smiling at our middle child. "We work better as a team than any of us would alone."
Addison considered this explanation with the focused concentration she applied to everything important. "So it's like how my soccer team has different players for different positions?"
"That's actually a perfect analogy," Harry said, looking relieved that she'd found a framework that made sense to her.
"But Jenny's mom said that kids need a regular family with one mom and one dad to be healthy and normal."
The judgment in those words hit harder than I'd expected. Not because I doubted our family structure, but because I could see Addison processing the implication that she might not be healthy or normal.
"Addison," I said carefully, "what do you think makes a family healthy?"
"Love. And making sure everyone feels safe and important."
"Do you feel loved in our family?"
"Yes. A lot. Sometimes almost too much because you all worry about everything I do."
Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I found myself smiling at her complaint. "And do you feel safe?"
"Always. Even when there are thunderstorms or when I have nightmares, there's always someone to take care of me."
"Then I think you understand what makes a family healthy better than Jenny's mom does."
"But why did you all fall in love with Mama at the same time? That seems like it would be confusing."
Skylar and I exchanged glances, both of us trying to figure out how to explain the complex circumstances that had brought us together without revealing the darker aspects of our history.
"Sometimes," Skylar said slowly, "when people go through difficult times together, they form very strong bonds. The three uncles helped me when I was in trouble, and over time, those feelings of gratitude and trust grew into love."
"What kind of trouble?"
There it was - the question that would determine how much truth we were ready to share with our children about their family's origins.
"The kind of trouble that some children face when the adults who are supposed to protect them don't do a good job," I said. "Your mama's birth family wasn't very good at keeping her safe, so she had to find a new family who would."
"Like adoption?"
"Something like that, yes."
Addison was quiet for a moment, processing this information. "Is that why you're all so protective of us? Because you know what happens when families don't protect their children?"
The perceptiveness of her question took my breath away. At ten years old, she'd identified the core motivation that drove almost every decision we made as parents.
"That's exactly right," Harry said. "We never want you or your siblings to feel unsafe or unloved the way some children do."
"And that's why we sometimes seem overprotective compared to other parents," Jax added. "We'd rather be too careful than not careful enough."
"I like being protected," Liam announced, apparently feeling left out of the conversation. "It means I can be brave because I know you'll keep me safe."
"What about when we grow up?" Addison asked. "Will you still be so protective when we're adults?"
"We'll always want to protect you," Skylar said. "But as you get older, we'll teach you how to protect yourselves and make good decisions about safety."
"Will you teach us to fight like you know how to fight?"
The question hung in the air like a challenge. All of us had sworn we wouldn't pass on the violent skills that had defined our own lives, but we also knew that our children would need some way to defend themselves if our past ever caught up with them.
"We'll teach you how to stay safe," I said diplomatically. "Which includes knowing how to defend yourself if you absolutely have to, but also includes knowing how to avoid dangerous situations in the first place."
"Good," Addison said with satisfaction. "Because I want to be able to protect people too when I grow up."
"What kind of people?" Skylar asked.
"Children who don't have families like ours to keep them safe."
The simple statement carried such profound implications that none of us knew how to respond immediately. Our daughter had just announced her intention to follow in our footsteps, to dedicate her life to protecting innocent people.
"That's a very noble goal," I said finally. "But there are lots of ways to protect people. You don't have to do.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
