Family Part I
She was surprised to see that Gulliver was coming out of the elevator when she entered the lobby of the hotel.
“Hey, thought I’d come down and meet you,” his voice carried across the space as he had a big smile on his face. He pulled her into a hug and squeezed her. “I’m so glad you are here.”
“Are you sure? I really feel I’m intruding on your first day away from home with Kaylee.”
“I’m thrilled. I’m so happy. I mean, I’m furious your mother was being a snotty bag to you but I’m glad you’re here. Also, I get how it happened that your first movement when you were feeling sad was to gravitate to wherever Kaylee was. I want you to know, January, no matter where we are, if she is with me, if it’s here, in a house I build or we are out at a park, if you need her, then you come to her. I will never deny you a hug from her. My time or not. If you need her, come to her.”
“Thanks Gulliver,” she felt emotional at his words and hugged him back.
“Also be prepared. Thisbe is vibrating with the chance to apologize to you. She’s been pacing circles and mumbling under her breath as if she’s preparing an entire speech.” 1/6 “Oh gosh.”
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“The time she’s been forced to stay away has made her rethink her last words to you.”
“Forced away from me?” she looked at him as he draped his arm over her shoulder and escorted her to the elevator.
“I forbade her from contacting you until you were ready.”
“Why?” she asked as he punched the button for the top floor.
“Because she hurt you with her words and I wanted her to reflect on them and I also believed you’ve been overwhelmed enough with my presence that you didn’t need her adding to it. Dealing with one person who betrayed you was enough. I wanted you to have space.”
“Thank you. I wasn’t ready to see her.”
“And today?”
“I think I’m ready to be receptive to what she says.”
He dropped a kiss to the top of her head, “thank you.” They exited the elevator and the sound of yelling and squealing from the room at the end of the hall made them exchange amused glances. “That’s quiet compared to earlier.”
He pushed the door open and January’s hand immediately flew
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to her mouth to catch the bubble of laughter at the sight in
front of her.
Kaylee and a little boy she knew had to be Mitsos were being thrown in the air passing by one another with loud laughs as Ford and Glenn threw the kids to one another.
“Were you doing that?”
“Maybe?” Gulliver asked with a sideways look, “unless it means I am in trouble and then most assuredly I was not.”
She drove her hip sideways and nudged him, but she couldn’t stop the smile on her face at the loud squeals of joy coming from her daughter.
“Mom!” Kaylee gripped Glenn by the neck and then scampered down his body to run and throw herself around January’s waist. “You’re here! You’re here Mom! Come on. I want you to meet my cousin. We look like twins! Ford said we look like twins.” Kaylee started to pull her towards the little boy.
January immediately recognized the child was incredibly introverted as he shrunk behind his father’s leg. Kaylee shoved her in front of him and January squatted down to greet the boy before anyone else in the room.
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Hello Mitsos. My name is January and I am Kaylee’s mom. 27 hope we can be friends.” She stared into the eyes so much like
< Family Part 1
her daughters and then gasped when he flung himself out from behind Glenn and wrapped his ams around her neck. “Oh,” she slowly wrapped her arms around the small body and hugged him back. “It is very nice to meet you too.” She locked up at Glenn who seemed to be blinking back tears.
“Mom, we’re going to have pizza and garlic bread and soda.”
“Don’t forget the salad, kiddo, Gulliver roffled her hair as he passed her by.
“I don’t like salad.” Kaylee grunted.
“You do like salad,” January corrected and tweaked her nose surprised that Mitsos hadn’t let her go yet and had buried his face into her neck. “You like all the things in salad. You don’t like salad dressing. What about you Mitsos? Do you like salad?”
He shook his head vehemently against her shoulder and she patted his shoulder.
“Come now, Mitsos, let January stand up.”
“Kaylee said she would share.”
The quiet muffled words felt like a dagger in January’s heart, and she closed her eyes and squeezed the boy tighter 4/6
< Family Part I
“Sweet boy, you can get as many hugs from me as you wish,” she kissed his temple softly and then as she rose up she lifted him and he wrapped his legs around her waist. “Sorry Glenn. I might keep him. He’s pretty cuddly. Kaylee uses me more as a jungle gym, not a teddy bear. I kind of like this.”
“He does love a good cuddle. Can’t get him to sleep in his own bed,” Glenn smiled back. He held out his hand, “it’s good to finally meet you in person, January.”
“It’s nice to meet you in person too, Glenn.”
Ford walked behind her and tugged her hair, “good to see you again, nameless mother of the child who looks like my best friend’s kid.”
“You know I thought Gulliver was your best friend.”
“A man can have two best friends.”
Gulliver smacked Ford up the back of the head, “you made her think Mitsos was my kid, idiot.”
“It’s kind of funny. She hightailed it out of there like she was jealous as hell.”
“I wasn’t jealous.” January argued.
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“Sure, you weren’t.” Ford called her out boldly, but he was
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grinning. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. “Not even a little?”
“No.” she lied as Gulliver leaned against a wall watching her interact with his family with a smile.
“Leave her alone, Ford. You’re annoying.” Thisbe’s voice called nervously from the sofa.
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