Callum’s POV

With the twins tucked away behind the closed bedroom door I let my panic come back. My husbands crowded me the second the door was closed. Liam took my hands, Ryder tucked himself into my side, Jax had taken over front when Carter couldn’t control his anger anymore and now he hugged me from behind. 

“Do you want to talk about it,” Liam asked once my panic had slightly subsided. 

“I don’t know if I’m pissed off or scared or if it’s just panic from seeing them again.” 

“You never talked about them before,” Jax said after a while. “Did it end badly when you were arrested?”

“It was bullshit. After Patrick arrested me, he took me home and waited around until my mom came back. I had kept Patrick away from them, all of the littles went to their room while I told Lily what was probably about to happen. I gave her the run down about how I was probably going to go away for a while and how she going to have to take my place. She was only 14 but I started looking after them when I was 10 since I figured she was ready. 

“When my mom came home, Patrick gave her the deal and she shipped me off without a second thought. Patrick explained since I was a minor and this was my first time offense and I wasn’t actually in possession of drugs at the time I would probably only get a few months but she wouldn’t hear it. One less child on her plate was more than enough reason for her to take the deal. I packed my bags, said goodbye to everyone, said I was going to some private school on scholarship and made Patrick gave them the address to write me, loaded into Patrick’s car, went to camp, and waited for letters that never came.

“After the first few months of not getting letters, I sent them a few. When all of those were ignored I gave up. When we left camp I sent them a postcard with our new address just in case of emergencies I guess and I didn’t get anything back from that either so I took the hint that just maybe they didn’t want me around anymore and now two of them are sleeping on my couch. They treated me like shit when I we were little, ignored me for years, and now that they needed me they just expect me to give up my time and resources without a care?”

“They’re still young,” Liam said gently. “They don’t know any better. You’re the only person they think can help so that’s where they went. I know it’s frustrating and you probably don’t know want to think about it right now but what do you want to do? They seem pretty against foster care, worst case scenario we try to get them into camp, they did technically run away which is a crime, or we can try getting them adopted but the chances of that happening at this age is slim. If you are willing, and only if you’re willing, we can take them in.”

“Now hold on,” Carter said from behind me. His body went ridged the second he forced front and pushed Jax back. “This isn’t just Callum’s decision. I don’t do kids. We’ve had this conversation several time. When Bram first fronted, when we had our ceremony, when we talked about the future. I made it very clear that I didn’t want kids. I’ve made it very clear that having kids and messing them up is a huge insecurity of mine and Jax. We can’t do it.”

“They’re 15,” Ryder reasoned. “They’re almost grown. They’ll be out of the house in three years. All they really need is a place to sleep, food in their stomachs, and people to tell them that they matter. That’s all we got at camp and we turned out fine. Maybe also set up some appointments with Andrew just to make sure they’re mentally okay.”

“I’ve done this before,” I said with a sigh. “It’s not going to be that easy. Axel is going to fight everything we try to do. And Weylyn is going to cry. He is so tender hearted. If we were going to even entertain the thought you would all need to get in your heads right now that ir won’t be easy. They have grown up with only me and Lily as parent figures their whole life, they won’t take kindly to anyone trying to correct them especially any of you.”

“I feel very ignored right now,” Carter said as he pulled away. His hands went to grip his hair before Liam moved to grab them. “I can’t do this. I can’t be a dad to them. I can’t be a person they look up to. What kind of role model am I?”

“Breathe,” Liam soothes as he plays with Carter’s hands. “I know it’s scary but we can’t just abandon them. And it is ultimately Callum’s decision. They are the only family that decided to come back to him. If he wants them to in we have to support him.”

“I’m scared,” I determined, finally pulling my thoughts together to answer Liam’s first question. “I don’t want to mess things up again. I don’t want to make their lives worse than they already are. I don’t want to be their parent again. It was hell the first time and I really don’t want to do it again.”

“Then don’t be their parent,” Liam said, still holding Carter’s hands. “Be their brother. I can’t speak to your life because I didn’t live it. But I did live at least some small part of their’s. My parents abandon me and Jem found me. He took care of me. He wasn’t my father and I never saw him that was but he was my brother in all but blood and he raised me. He could have easily thrown me away and I could have gone to foster care and I probably would have turned out fine but he took me anyway and I wouldn’t change that for anything. If those boys came to you, they made the decision of who they want to care for them. It will be hard, and they will test boundaries, and we’re all going to go mad because that’s what teenagers do best, but abandonment is not the answer.

“And Carter,” he said as he turned back to our still panicking husband, “It’s not our job to parent. It is our job to support our husband. I know this is scary, none of us expected to have kids and suddenly two walked onto our doorstep but we can do this. We have had to deal with so much worse things than two 15 year olds. All you need to do is be civil with them. They are simply two extra roommates. You can handle that right?”

“I won’t discipline them,” Carter said firmly. “I won’t lecture them. I won’t get in the middle of fights, I won’t take sides, and I most certainly won’t answer to dad.” His face was so serious by his last demand made me laugh as I took him in my arms. 

“Noted,” I said as he kissed me on my cheek. “I want to talk to Francis before I make any decision but I am leaning towards taking them in. I don’t want to parent them, I can’t do that again. But I won’t turn my back on them. Are you okay with that?” Carter took a deep breathe before nodding. 

“As long as no one tells me ‘your kids look just like you’ when we’re shopping I think I can handle it.”

“I don’t think you’ll have that problem,” Ryder teased, they don’t exactly look that much like Jax.

“I keep forgetting I don’t have my own face. You all know who’s fronting it’s hard to remember we don’t physically change when we front. We’re going to have to explain this whole thing to them if you decide to let them stay. I won’t hold my tongue if they have comments.”

“I won’t expect you to,” I said honestly. “I don’t think they know I’m bi either. If they have any comments about that they have three chances before they’re gone. I’m not going to have homophobic people in our safe place.”

We stayed up a while longer just talking, working out our anxieties, setting boundaries and making sure we can still do this with everything laid out on the table. Money wasn’t a problem. The five of us and four jobs that paid really well at the moment and with all of us splitting the bills off of full pay checks we had money to spare thankfully. 

It was nearing three in the morning by the time we finally called it for the night and far too soon our alarm went off and the day started. 

I walked into the living room to see Axel and Weylyn still asleep on the couch. They had grown so much these past few years without me. Axel had always been a powerhouse even at 7 but now he reminded me of Jax back when he first started camp and all I could help is that it wouldn’t end up setting him back with all the progress he made. 

Weylyn was still so sweet and gentle. He was my good kid. My sister Lily was always so dramatic, everything was against her including me. Noah always had his face in a book. I loved him but getting him to help me with anything was impossible. Axel was acting out the second he learned how to walk and talk right. But Weylyn was docile, he was tender hearted, always so ready to help with anything despite the fact that he was the youngest of all of us.

“Hey get up,” I said as I shook their shoulders. “We have things to do and people to meet. A lot of things have to get done.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Axel spat as he shoved his face deeper into the pillow at the same time Weylyn got up without a word. I sighed. 

This was going to be hard.

Last updated March 17, 2024