Page 24 of Every Chance to Stay

“I’m sure he’s wondering what you’ll think of us. Don’t worry, okay? If he tries to be growly, I’ll growl back.” Lucky flashed one of those smiles that made him think of early mornings and calm seas.

“Alright, I’ll hold you to that.” Antonio breathed in the omega’s comforting, sugary scent.

They walked hand in hand along a stone fence broken by a wrought iron fence that stood open. In the driveway there was a blue truck surely older than he was. A path from the driveway was made from rainbow paving stones. Lucky skipped along each one, laughing brightly. The house was exactly what he would expect for a family that seemed so brilliant.

Yellow paint was worn now but once upon a time it was surely vibrant like the sun. The window frames and doors were a brilliant crimson. Large hibiscus flowers bloomed along the building in a myriad of purples, pinks, and reds. A garden patch was bursting with vegetables.

He could so easily picture Lucky running around barefoot here.

Inside was even better. At first, he thought it was wallpaper creating the florals on the walls but as he stared, he realized it was a mural that covered every inch of the living room. The unmistakable scent of sauce and browned meat and herbs filled the air. It was warm. Cozy.

“Welcome to the Wilde house. What do you think?” Lucky drew him from his staring, something shy in the way he rocked on his heels and looked up from beneath pale lashes.

“Your home is beautiful, Lucky.” He smiled softly.

“You guys made it!” Jack Wilde bounced into the room with a smile more mischievous than Lucky’s and dark eyes that glittered with an endless mirth. He was different out of uniform.

He wore layers – a yellow shirt with a sheer green robe and brown vest over that with ropes of beaded necklaces. The leggings from earlier were replaced with black wide-legged capris and he had on house slippers. Without the ponytail, the accessories in his hair were more noticeable. Butterfly clips, gold rings, and colorful beads decorated shoulder length black hair. He had tiny braids scattered randomly throughout the stands.

“As if you would let us live it down if we didn’t.” Lucky rolled his eyes.

“I would, it’s dad who would have moped around!” Jack shot back, “Speaking of, you’re on salad duty so get to it, Lulu.”

“You’re just looking for a chance to interrogate Antonio.” Lucky narrowed his eyes, swiveling his head around.

Antonio couldn’t help laughing. “I’ll be fine, you can go help your father.”

“Don’t underestimate Jack, he’s wily!” Despite Lucky’s words, the omega released his hand and kicked off his sneakers to switch into house slippers.

“I’m not gonna hurt him.” Jack grinned, getting a gentle shove as Lucky walked past. As soon as Lucky was out of sight, Jack stepped up to pull an extra pair of house slippers from beneath a bench by the door. “Here, you can put these on. Dad’s a stickler for no shoes in the house. He hates vacuuming.”

“I feel the same about vacuums.” Life near a beach made it a necessity. Changing out his shoes, he finally stepped into the living room properly. “This mural is incredible…” It went all the way up to the ceiling, spreading flowers and vines everywhere.

“Thanks! Our mom made it. They’re all flowers that only grow in Paradise.” Jack’s hands were buried in his pockets as he rocked back and forth from the balls of his feet to his heels and back again. Their mannerisms were identical even if their features were far from similar.

“She must have been quite the artist.” Antonio complimented.

“More like quite the eccentric, she loved crafting and painting almost as much as she loved swimming.” Jack was all smiles. “So, did you like your day at the aquarium?”

His cheeks burned as he nodded, “…Next time I’ll be sure to explore a bit more.”

“Next time.” Jack arched his brow. “You know, I was all ready to give you something of a shovel talk but honestly… Lucky’s been all laughs and smiles since meeting you. I can’t say I have any complaints.”

Jack couldn’t possibly know what those words meant to him.

“Jackie! Come help with the dinner rolls!” Lucky’s head popped around the corner before Antonio could think of a fitting response.

The omega rolled his eyes and patted Antonio on the arm, “Make yourself at home. If you need the bathroom, it’s through that door.” He disappeared towards the kitchen, leaving Antonio standing there alone.

He didn’t know what to do with his hands. Left alone, he decided to look around the welcoming, thoroughly decorated space.

Behind a well-worn couch, pictures lined the wall in frames of various shapes and sizes. Lucky stood out in several of the photos. His auburn hair and large blue eyes were bright points in every shot. There were pictures of him holding up shells as a little boy in his swim shorts and wide hat, others of him with various animals or building sandcastles. Many were of him and Jack playing on the beach, swimming, or standing next to tanks at the aquarium. Others contained a woman with dark brown eyes, tawny beige skin sporting tan lines from what looked like countless days in the sun, and a waterfall of brown curls.

Her arms were curled around the twins in every shot. She had a smile mirrored perfectly in Jack’s mischievous look. Antonio thought Jack looked quite a bit like Teague, until he saw him next to their mother.

“I don’t look much like her, do I?” Lucky startled him.

“No, you do, I was just…” His scramble for words made Lucky’s eyes glitter with amusement.