Page 103 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

Sam rolled to the side and crawled quickly out of bed. He was in the bathroom within seconds, his dirty boxers in his hand. Vaughn grinned and watched him go before getting up and throwing their comforter up and over the messy sheets. The gentle knock on their door sounded a second later.

“Just a sec.” Vaughn grabbed his own boxers and pulled them on before climbing back into bed. “Come in.”

Ollie wandered sleepily to his side but froze when he realized his Papa wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

“Papa?” There was a little wobble to his voice.

“He’s in the bathroom. Listen.”

Vaughn heard the shower water running, and he knew Ollie would, too, once he woke up enough to listen.

Ollie let out a sigh of relief and scampered up onto the bed with him. Vaughn grabbed the little throw they kept at the bottom of the bed with his toes and dragged it up. He wrapped Ollie in it and settled him against his chest.

“I don’t want Papa to go bye-bye today.”

Vaughn nuzzled his head gently. They went through this every time Ollie’s routine was altered. His therapist said it was completely normal, and they just had to reassure him and get him through it. The more times Sam left and came back, the more Ollie would believe he always would.

“Nana said you guys were making special treats today.”

Ollie grumbled a bit.

“She got special sprinkles.”

Ollie stuck his face in Vaughn’s neck. “I like sprinkles.”

“I know you do. Grammy’s coming to spend the morning with you, too.”

“I like Grammy.”

Vaughn grinned. He let Ollie ponder his day for a moment as he listened to Sam in the shower. He wasn’t in there long as he knew good and well what kind of mood Ollie would be in. When he came back, still a little damp from the shower, he’d pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a clean T-shirt. He curled up on the bed beside them and wrapped his arms around Ollie.

“Vaughn, you’re really lumpy today. You should have Pop-pop check that out.”

Ollie giggled and poked his head out. “It’s me, Papa.”

“Ollie! I didn’t see you there. Well, that makes me feel better. I thought Daddy had a big blanket lump on him.”

“Papa, you’re silly. Do you have to go to the homeschool store today?”

“I do.”

Sam was actually attending a seminar on homeschooling a couple hours away. There were vendors involved. Vaughn knew Sam would come home with a car-load of supplies. Giving up his full-time job as a teacher hadn’t been their original plan, but when the time came, Sam just hadn’t been able to do go back.

Vaughn had promised him that they’d find a way to make it work, but the kids weren’t ready. And neither was Sam. They’d found a routine the previous summer, and the kids were thriving. Sam hadn’t wanted to give it up when fall rolled around and it was time for him to go open up his former classroom.

“I wanna go, too,” Ollie said with a sniff.

“Nope. You’re staying with Nana and Grammy. But remember what I said…”

Ollie lifted his head and gave Sam a look. “Glue and paint.”

“Yep. That was the deal.”

Vaughn couldn’t hide his smile if he tried.

“Okay,” Ollie said. “Nana said we’re making cookies today, and she needs her best stirrer.”

“That’d be you.”