Lofty pattered down the stairs into the kitchen, wearing his blue vertical striped pyjamas. He looked young, he looked innocent, Dylan shuddered slightly at the thought of what Julia did to him, still he was safe now. David turned around from the oven, "would you like some pancakes?" he asked, "yes please" Lofty answered, pancakes were the best!
He went and sat down on his chair opposite Dylan who got up to pour some orange juice for him. "Daddy, me and Steggie drew you a surprise" Lofty giggled and got up from his seat, running back to his bedroom, "I'll go and get it" e called, still laughing happily. David and Dylan turned to one another and smiled as Dylan set the glass down on the table and sat back down waiting with a smile on his face. Lofty was the sweetest child he'd ever come across.
Lofty emerged through the kitchen door clutching his stuffed stegosaurus and a piece of paper. "Come and sit here, my boy" said Dylan gesturing towards his lap as David began cooking the pancakes. Lofty ran over and hopped onto Dylan's lap "Its Derbla, daddy and daddy" Lofty announced beaming. "Let's see this masterpiece" David said softly coming over, "Oh yes this is wonderful, can I put it on the fridge?" "Yes daddy" said Lofty beaming and hopping off Dylan's lap to give him a big hug.
Lofty sipped over to the fridge and stuck his picture beneath the photo of them al at Disneyland; it had been taken the second time they'd been, he'd had his two daddies to look after him and no one had tried to kidnap him. He'd met mickey who had signed a book for him. He smiled and turned, making his way back to the table. "Drink some of this, my boy" Dylan said passing him some orange juice carefully, "It's good for you" he added. Lofty took the glass and turned as David called to him. "Here lofty do you want to go and get the lemon juice?"
Lofty sprung up from the table once more, this time accidentally knocking his glass off the table. It shattered on the floor with a crash.
Julia loomed over him, "Ben you little shit!" she grabbed him by the collar and threw him forwards, thumping his back as he crumpled on the ground, "You're an idiot and no one will ever love you!" She slapped him and he curled over, wishing he could die. Tears ran down his face "Please" he begged "I'll be good I promise I'll be good" he squealed as she slapped him again. "Fuck off to school you little brat" she hissed in his ear before slapping him once more and slamming out the front door.
Lofty fell to the floor covering his head as Dylan shot up from his seat "Ben, my boy, are you okay?" David ran over placing the pancakes on the table before crouching down beside him. He placed his hand on the trembling boy's back. Lofty flinched and burst into tears, wriggling away under the table. "Please, I'm sorry" he squealed
"Lofty honey" Dylan muttered, squeezing under the table beside him "We won't hurt you; it's not your fault". Lofty looked up at him and Dylan reached out tentatively, his hand brushing past Lofty's shoulder. Then Lofty did something that surprised him. He lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Dylan "I'm sorry" he whispered, still snuggling into Dylan's chest. "It's okay" Dylan whispered back as David quietly cleaned the broken glass up. "Tell me what's going on" Dylan whispered into the small boy's curls. Lofty looked up through glassy green eyes and tearstained cheeks. He cuddled back up to Dylan and told him. Gently, Dylan moved Lofty out from under the table, still holding him close and they sat on his chair together, Dylan holding him gently on his lap.
"Right", David said softly, "Shall we eat these pancakes while they're still warm and he added, I think Steggie needs some breakfast too". Lofty smiled at him and David reached forward brushing his fringe out his eyes.
"Can Steggie have jam on his pancake please?" Lofty asked, a small smile reappearing on his face "Of course" David confirmed, passing Dylan the jam to spread onto a pancake. "We all make mistakes" David said gently "but most are forgivable" he added, passing Lofty a plastic cup with juice in.
Lofty laughed "what's so funny?" Dylan asked. "It's a plastic cup" Lofty laughed. "David forgived me with a red plastic cup" Lofty slipped onto his own chair, still laughing and took a sip of his drink "A plastic cup" he burst into hysterics and Dylan swiped the cup out of the way of Lofty's flailing arms as David began to giggle aswell. Dylan laughed a little and Lofty's laughter slowed down as they all began to eat the pancakes.
"Daddy?" Lofty asked "Yes" David and Dylan answered simultaneously. Lofty thought for a second. "Do I have to forgive Julia?" "You don't have to do anything" David assured him as a tear welled in Dylan's eye as he thought of Brian. He'd never forgiven him, but why should he?
Lofty nodded, thinking for a second before "feeding" Steggie a bit of pancake. "Can we take Derbla for a walk later?" he asked. "Once we've had breakfast and got you dressed" Dylan answered, smiling down at his son. His son. The two words he never thought he'd have. His son.