Chapter Fourteen: Welcome Home
The sounds of Lila, Ben, and Brennen playing happily in the living room fill my ears the following morning as I fry sausage, bacon and pancakes on the kitchen stove. The only sound I don't hear is Wyatt joining in with them. Instead he is shut in his room, where he has been since last night when he went to bed, a full hour before Lila and Benjamin's bedtime.
Last night when we had arrived at the hospital, Wyatt had been shy with the kids at first, as was expected. Lila and Ben had even become shy, simply setting their gifts to him on the end of his bed and then running back to Ezra and I. We told Wyatt that he could wait to open the gifts until he got home, but he had just turned away and said that it wasn't his home. He quietly followed us out to the car, and when Ezra told him he could pick his favorite restaurant for us to eat at, he said he didn't have one. After we ate at the Grille we had come home, shown Wyatt around the house and his bedroom ( Ben insisted that Wyatt could move in with him any time he wanted to), and had decided to come downstairs to watch T.V, but Wyatt said he was tired and would rather go to bed, despite it only being six thirty. I had only seen him twice since then, when I had checked on him before going to bed and upon waking up this morning, he had been sound asleep each time.
Ezra had had to leave early for work this morning so I hadn't gotten a chance to talk with him yet about Wyatt's first night. I finish cooking the sausage, bacon and pancakes and dish out serving onto four plates, adding fresh fruit on the side and a cup of organic almond milk to go with it. I call Lila and Ben to the table to eat, and take Brennen with me upstairs to give Wyatt his breakfast.
Holding Brennen and the plate of food with my right arm and hand I knock three times on Wyatt's door with my left hand.
"Wyatt breakfast is ready." I call. No answer. I knock again and then gently ease the door open. Wyatt is sitting on the bed, leaning back against the headboard, a picture album spread open on his lap. He looks up when I come into the room.
"What are you looking at?" I ask warmly, smiling at him as I set Brennen down on the floor and then sit down at the end of the bed. Wyatt doesn't respond, he closes the album and sets it aside, turning his eyes upon the plate of food in my hands.
"You can eat in here if you that makes you more comfortable, but just until you get settled in. We have dinner together as family most nights." I hand Wyatt the plate and he begins eating without saying a word to me.
"Wyatt you are part of our family now. I know this is a hard adjustment but Ezra and I want to make you feel welcome and at home here. Let me know if you need anything okay? I'll be downstairs." I kneel down to scoop Brennen up, and then turn for the door.
"I want my Dad." Wyatt mumbles under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear and stop in mid-stride out the door.
I frown. "Ezra is at work right now but he will be home this afternoon. I'll let him know that you want to talk to him okay?"
Wyatt nods faintly.
I return back downstairs and get Brennen in his high chair just as my cell phone rings. The caller I.D says Honey. I press the answer button and hold it between my shoulder and ear while I prepare Brennen's food.
"Good morning." I say.
"Hey baby, how is he doing?" Ezra asks.
"Okay. He is still in his room. I had to bring him his breakfast."
"Darn, I was hoping he would be a little more comfortable by this morning."
"Me too. But he did say he wanted you. He even called you Dad."
"Hey! Well that is a good start!"
"I was surprised to hear it. I just hope he comes down soon, Lila and Ben want to play with him very badly."
"I know they do. Wyatt seemed excited that he had siblings though, so maybe you should let the twins go up alone and talk to him for a little while. They may be just what he needs to come out of his shell a little."
"That sounds like something to try. I will send them up after breakfast."
"Alright. I've got to go babe but I'll call you back on my lunch hour okay?"
"Okay."
"Love you."
"Love you too." I click End and resume feeding Brennen his breakfast, stealing bites of my own sausage and pancakes when Brennen's mouth is full.
After Lila and Ben are finished eating I send them upstairs to try and talk with Wyatt.
"Don't bug him too much, just see if he wants to play or watch a movie." I tell them before they bound up the stairs two at a time. Fifteen minutes later however they are back downstairs playing in the living room.
"He didn't want to play with us mommy." Ben says, a rejected look upon his face.
"He said he wants to be alone." Lila explains softly.
"But he did open his presents we gave him. He said he liked them." Ben adds, his lips spreading into a smile.
"You tried at least. We're just going to have to give him a few more days to settle in." I explain to the twins as my cell phone rings loudly from the kitchen counter. It's Emily, probably calling to ask about Wyatt and check to see if I need anything. I answer the phone and talk with her for several minutes, assuring her several times that I'm fine and don't need any help right now.
The rest of the day goes by in the same manner as the morning: taking care of the twins and Brennen, checking in on Wyatt often, answering endless phone calls from Ezra, Spencer, Hanna, Ella and Byron and even Holden. By the time Ezra walks in the door a few minutes past three thirty I'm ready to crawl into bed and shut the world out.
"Hey baby. Are you doing okay?" Ezra asks as he takes me into his arms tightly and kisses me.
"Barely. I'm so tired. The twins didn't nap today and Brennen has been fussy since he woke up from his afternoon nap. And your son is still up in his room."
Ezra kisses me on the forehead. "I'll go talk to him and then play with the kids and make dinner while you take a nice long hot bath okay? Does that sound good?"
I nod my head as a yawn pulls at my lips, spreading them open into an O shape.
Ezra sneaks past me and up the stairs as I amble back into the living room. I flip the T.V channel to the local news while I wait for Ezra to relieve me.
Ezra's POV
As soon as I've changed out of my work clothes I walk down the hall to Wyatt's room. I knock gently.
"Hey, Wyatt, it's me bud." I say, letting him know I'm coming in as I turn the knob. Wyatt is sitting on his bed, fingering one of his new toys that Aria and I got for him as a welcome home gift.
"Do you like that?" I ask, pointing to the top-like toy that spins into a bowl shaped arena when you pull on a plastic wand-like tool that threads through the top.
"Yeah, mom never would buy me a Bakugan, even though I wanted one."
I smile, knowing that he is happy with the toy. I sit down on the edge of the bed.
"Can I play with you while we talk?"
Slowly, Wyatt nods his head, then hands me a top and wand.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"So," I begin, lacing the wand through the top, pulling it and letting the top fall, spinning, into the bowl. "Was your day okay?"
Wyatt shrugs.
"You know you don't have to hide up here all day. I know you may not be ready to play with the kids or talk too much, but you can still come downstairs for meals, and to watch T.V, or just play by yourself in the living room."
"I just want to be alone."
"I know. You are dealing with something that no young child should have to be faced with. But just know that we are here if you need anything, okay? We both understand what it is like to be grieving for the loss of a loved one."
Wyatt's baby blue eyes fill with tears, and as he nods, they slip silently down his cheeks.
"Come here bud." I toss the toy aside and embrace Wyatt, tears now slipping down my cheeks. His body is warm against mine, as he melts against me, sobs now racking his small body.
"Why did she have to die?" Wyatt chokes out in between sobs.
"I don't know buddy. I don't know." I cry, unashamed to let my own son see his father cry. After a few minutes of comforting Wyatt, he pulls away from me, his saddened blue eyes gazing up into mine.
"Did you love her?"
"Yes I did. Just as I love you."
Wyatt's cracked lips break into a small smile and I pull him back into my arms once again, longing to gain back the nine years of his life I missed.
What did y'all think of this chapter!? I love the Wyatt/Ezra moment at the end. I hope y'all enjoyed it! The next chapter probably won't be up for a week, I've been neglecting to write so I need to get busy on it! Please don't forget to review!
Happy Holidays to y'all!
Amanda