The next morning was the day Lyon would finally see his new home and life. Although he has been here for several months, it feels like he just got here at the foster home. Though, the thought of having a new home is both nerve wrecking and comforting. He ensured that he had everything packed in his suitcase so that nothing was left behind. After that, he took one last look at his room before leaving it forever.
The wolf dog pup soon closed the door after his final moment in the room and went downstairs to the cafeteria for breakfast. He was eating oat cereal with slices of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries in a tiny bowl. He ate every bit of his breakfast to ensure he doesn't leave on an empty stomach. He soon headed to the lobby where he was sitting in one of the chairs to await his new adopted father. Dana noticed the kid being there earlier than usual and went to check on him. "My, aren't you here on time," she said.
"Just thought I can wait sooner. The earlier the better," Lyon said. "But you're not out until 10 AM. It's still 7 AM," the white terrier chuckled. "Why don't you head to the play area for a bit? I'll let you know until Mr. Heeler shows up." Lyon nodded and took his luggage with him to the play area; he decided to play with the miniature castle. He thought of playing kingdom; he had several wooden soldiers, two monarchs, and a toy dragon. Lyon was also making a pretend moat by placing blue paper sheets around the castle. Then Philip showed up to see Lyon one last time before he goes. Lyon gazed up to see the St Bernard kid.
"I heard you're leaving today," said Philip. This time, he didn't sound like his menacing old self. Lyon simply shook his head. "Must be nice being able to get out of this place. I've been here for about a year now."
"Oh," said Lyon with curiosity.
"Yeah, I don't think anyone would like to take me home."
"Maybe you can. If you learn how to be nicer to others."
"I'm still learning, you know?"
"I do. I noticed a slight change in you lately. And about what you said, I'll forgive you. This time."
Philip was glad Lyon accepted his apology for the longest time. It did seem like Lyon did think it through, and showed mercy to him for his ill behavior in the past. Lyon felt relief to know that the former bully reformed his ways. "Someday if you do end up adopted, just remember you can change," said Lyon. "And if we ever run into each other, I hope we won't end up as enemies."
"Yeah….the thought sounds nice," said Philip with a warm smile. He soon walks out of the play area, leaving Lyon to play in peace. He kept playing as the time passed by until it was 10 AM. Dana came in the room to call for Lyon. The wolf dog pup carried his luggage once again and went to the lobby.
Rad was waiting to pick up his new adopted son. "How's it going, mate," he greeted.
"Alright," said Lyon casually. He kept dragging his heavy luggage with him. "Here, I got this," said Rad picking up Lyon's suitcase. Dana approaches Lyon one more time to give him a hug. "You'll do great," she whispered in his ear. Lyon shook his head and was ready to head out. Rad and Lyon soon got on the ute, ready to head back to Rad's place. The wolf dog pup sat in the passenger's seat Lyon simply looked through the window silently. Rad took note of the kid's silence. "How are you holding up," he asks.
"Fine, thanks," Lyon said politely. Lyon didn't know what to say to the adult. "I'm…um, grateful you decided to take me in," he nervously added. Rad smiles back at him appreciating his gratitude. "So, what's your family like? You said you had brothers, and they have kids too?"
"Oh, yes. I'm the eldest. My two other brothers are called Bandit and Stripe. They both have daughters, and one of them is about your age. I'm sure you'll all get along just fine."
"What are your niece's names?"
"On Bandit's side, their names are Bluey and Bingo. Bluey is about your age, and Bingo is four years old. Stripe's girls are Muffin and Socks. Muffin is three and Socks is one. A bit younger than the first two."
"I guess that makes me the only boy cousin," he replied.
The two finally made it to Rad's house. Lyon took one glance at the home. A typical Queensland home with a green coat of color, a black slated roof, and two stories. It did remind him of his old home except his old home's exterior was blue, and the roof was white. Unlike his parent's front yard, Rad's front yard didn't have many flowers except shrubs. The two soon got off the vehicle with Rad carrying Lyon's luggage. They walked along the cement path to the front door and Rad was unlocking the door with his key. They entered through the hallway entrance. Lyon took note of his house's interior; the walls were mainly mint green. He examined some of the photos in the living room that contained the rest of the Heeler family. Some were photos of a younger version of Rad and his brothers, others were the rest of his family such as his nieces, in-laws, and parents. The most notable one was the family group photo of everyone in it. The living room had a white arm couch, along with two one-chair couches that matched the color of the arm couch and were centered towards the flat-screen TV.
"Your home seems comfy," Lyon added.
"Thanks, mate. Feel free to look around the house a bit. I'll be in your new room putting your luggage upstairs," said Rad heading upstairs with the boy's suitcase. Lyon went to the kitchen; it seems to have a long island counter with several chairs near it. Behind the counter had a large, bright wood kitchen cabinet with glass doors. Behind it were several glass cups and dishes stored. Near the cabinet was a metallic double-door fridge with a water and ice dispenser. He went outside to the verandah connected to the kitchen. Outside on the verandah had an outdoor table, an outdoor grill, and an umbrella connected to the table. Beyond the porch was the backyard. For the most part, it was spacious; it was mostly lawn grass with shrubbery surrounding the area as a fence. The garage area was near the backyard as well, most likely where Rad would part his vehicle inside the garage.
He decided to go upstairs to check up on Rad; when he entered the upper hallway of the second floor, he saw doors, presuming they led to the bedrooms and bathroom. "In here," Rad said. Lyon walks into the room across the bathroom and saw his brand new room. The interior was navy blue walls. The only piece of furniture was the twin bed, nightstand, desk, and rectangular drawer. The bedsheets matched the colors of his walls except they were in a plaid pattern. The closet was on the left side of the room, and the door to the upper verandah was outside. He then looked up at the ceiling; it had many stars painted above like in his old room.
"Wow, so this is my new room," he inquired. "Like it? I just recently added a few bits of furniture and replaced the bed with a twin-sized one. I choose the color since you told me it used to tell me your old room was like this at your parent's home. I had some help from the rest of the family with the paint," added Rad. "It's nice. Almost like my old room, excluding the verandah. My old one didn't have one at my old home."
Rad was relieved that the young one liked his work. He was glad he was able to accommodate Lyon's needs to his room. "So it's just you in this home," asked Lyon.
"Ah, well yes. I used to be away from home often since I worked overseas in the oil rig, but I was able to secure a location closer to home now to take care of you."
Lyon took note of that response, understanding that Rad, despite having a house, wasn't here as often. "Does it get lonely when you used to be there?"
"Nah, I did have some friends back at the old location. Though, I did miss spending time with family while being away. I was glad I made that decision. Closer to them, and starting a new life," Rad said with an honest response.
"I know dad didn't work in the same location as you; he was closer to home, so I think he did so to be closer to me and mum."
"Yeah, Marc did leave our location to spend more time with Audrey, and to establish a life with you guys back then."
Lyon noticed his briefcase near the bed and decided to unpack his things for now. He unzipped the zipper and took out his things. He also took out his father's jacket and mother's ring box. Rad took notice of the jacket. "That was Marc's. I see you kept it," he said.
"Ms. Dana gave it to me along with mum's ring. To remind me of them. Though the jacket seems too big on me right now," said Lyon trying it on. The sleeves were too loose since his arms were short to reach out. "You'll grow them out someday, mate," added Rad. Lyon nodded and took the jacket off. He took out some of his books and placed them on the desk's mini bookshelf compartment. Along with that, he placed his mother's ring inside the drawer to keep safe. He also put some of his clothes inside the drawer underneath the ring. "Need any help with that," asked Rad seeing the young one unpacking.
"I got this, thanks," said Lyon.
Rad understood Lyon's ability to do things himself, although he was willing to help him out at least. He thought carefully and decided to speak to him about his parents. After the wolf dog pup was done, Rad knelt to his level. "Lyon, I want you to know that it's okay to feel nervous about moving into a new place you're unfamiliar with and want to talk about your parents whenever you miss them. Just know that I'm here for you whenever you need me. That's why I decided to take you in as an adopted son," he said.
Lyon gazed at the adult heeler. He was unsure of what to respond, but he should say something at least. "Yes, of course," he added. "I um…. don't know what to refer to you as though. Rad? Mr. Heeler? Sir?"
"It's okay. Just call me Rad," he suggested. He knew it'll take time for the kid to truly see him as a paternal guardian, but he has no issue being called by his first name for now.
"Okay, Rad," said Lyon.
"So, was there anything you feel like sharing," asked the earnest adult heeler.
Lyon rubs his hair unsure of what to say. He didn't really want to talk about his parents too much, mainly because he wouldn't know where to start or if bringing them up is appropriate since they were deceased. He knew Rad means well, but he wanted to change the subject of his parents for now.
"When will we meet with the rest of the family," he asked wondering about his new family.
"We'll meet them a bit later this afternoon. I figured you take time to settle down a bit for now, and look around the house. Get yourself familiarized with the place. Are you hungry? It's almost lunchtime by now."
Lyon did feel a bit peckish after this morning's small breakfast. "Yeah, I suppose my tummy does feel empty right now," he said rubbing his stomach. Rad recalled there was leftover beef stew from yesterday so he thought it would be good for Lyon to try out. Both head downstairs to the kitchen; Rad opened the fridge and grabbed a clear container that had the beef stew. It had beef chuck steak, baby carrots, tomato paste, asparagus, and other flavors in it to add some zest. He poured it into two bowls, and cooked it in the microwave for five minutes. After that, he placed them on the island counter. Lyon smelled the strong scent of beef, tomato paste, minced garlic, and other savory smells in the meal.
The scent attracted his nose; for the first time, he saw something that tasted so good. He grabbed his spoon and took a bite. The wolf dog pup felt the mouthwatering flavor of the stew. He'd never tasted anything so good in a while and wagged his tail. "It's amazing," he said.
"Really? I made it myself. I may not look like it, but I am a pretty amazing cook," said Rad. "I used to do it a lot at the oil rig. We usually take turns on who does the cooking tonight, and I usually make pretty good dishes."
Lyon kept taking more bites from the stew. He couldn't resist the mild flavor of the stew. He couldn't help himself. "I've never had anything this good since my parents died. Mum usually made the best dishes," added Lyon. "She made good sandwiches, pavlova, chicken parmigiana, and meat pies. Oh, but dad makes good dishes as well from time to time like boeuf bourguignon. The stew reminds me of boeuf bourguignon." His expression changed from delight to sadness when he brought up his parents. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know the stew would bring up memories," said Rad sheepishly. "No, it's fine. I got too excited," added Lyon. "Still, it's delicious."
The two dogs decided to finish up their meal in silence. Rad didn't mean to bring up any memories about his parents.
Once they finished, they decided to take a quick tour around the house to make sure Lyon is familiar with the other rooms he hasn't checked out such as the third spare room, and Rad's master bedroom. After that, it was time to meet up with the rest of the family at Stripe's place. The two got on the ute and drove past more houses. They went to another neighborhood area where Stripe lived, but the houses were a bit more modern than traditional Queensland houses. The duo parked near the curbside, and Lyon saw a modernized Queensland home with a full fence surrounding it. It seems to have plenty of tropical plants on the inside of the fence.
"So this is where your brother lives?"
"Yes, Stripe to be more specific. We're all meeting up here today to introduce ourselves to everyone."
The two got off the ute, and opened the gate.
Meanwhile, the doorbell was heard on the inside. Stripe heard it and went downstairs to see who it was. He saw both Rad and Lyon. "Hey, Rad. How are you," asked Stripe.
"Been great brother. I brought our new member of the family today," he said with Lyon behind him. Stripe saw Lyon and knelt to his level. "It's nice to meet you. Rad has mentioned to me about you several times. My name is Stripe," he said reaching out his paw for a handshake. Lyon, despite his shy demeanor, shakes his paw back. "He's your Uncle Stripe," added Rad, assuring Lyon there's nothing to be afraid of. Lyon simply nods and stood behind the adult red heeler. "Come inside, we were just waiting for you and the rest of the family," said Stripe. The two went inside the living room and sat on the large couch near the glass windows. "So where's Bandit and his family," asked Rad.
"He said they should be here soon. They were just finishing with the girls' checkups at the doctor's place." Stripe noticed Lyon was still near Rad for safety purposes. Meanwhile, Trixie, Socks, and Muffin appeared in the room. "Oh, they're here," said Trixie holding Socks. "It's good to see you, Rad. And nice to meet you, young man," referring to Lyon. Lyon waves back at Trixie. Muffin saw Lyon for the first time and interacted with him. "You have bright blue eyes," said the three-year-old.
"Oh, yeah. I got them from my mother," said Lyon. Muffin was intrigued by Lyon while Lyon was still shying away from the three-year-old. "She's your cousin, remember? So is Socks. And Trixie is your aunt," said Rad.
"Shall I make some tea," asked Trixie to the two. "Yes, that'll be nice, thank you," said Rad. She went to the kitchen to prepare some while Stripe, the girls, and Lyon conversed with one another. "So how old are you, Lyon," asked Stripe.
"I'm six, and a half. I'm almost seven," said Lyon.
"Are you a heeler? You have grey and white fur like me and mum," said Muffin.
"No, I'm actually part husky, and wolf. I got the husky from my mother, and the wolf from dad."
"Oooh, interesting," said Muffin. Socks was sniffing Lyon to get a better understanding of the new member of the family. "Ah, what's she doing," asked Lyon all surprised.
"She does that sometimes when someone is new," said Muffin. Lyon took notice that, unlike Muffin, Socks is on all fours presuming she was still young to be on two feet.
"Muffy, why don't you take your new cousin to your room? You can show him your toys and games," added Stripe. "Okay, dad. Let's go new cousin," said Muffin holding Lyon's paw. While reluctant to leave Rad, he could feel the three-year-old's tugging. Socks was following them along.
"He's very quiet," said Stripe. "He's still a little shy right now. I'm sure he'll open to you guys," said Rad.
"Though, I think he's still not used to it yet. When we were eating beef stew for lunch, it reminded him of his parents. I think he still misses them," said Rad. "I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing."
"It's natural for a kid to be reminded of the past. Don't fret. As long as he has you, things will go well," said Stripe.
As the two brothers conversed, Muffin was showing off her room to Lyon. The room was pink and purple; Muffin was showing off her toys to Lyon. Lyon, however, didn't show much interest, but just shook his head to pretend he was interested.
"Did you have any other brothers or sisters," asked the three year old heeler.
"No, it was just me, mum, and dad," said Lyon. "So what's it like living here?"
"It's great. I love my house, my parents, and my sister," said Muffin earnestly. Lyon admired Muffin's lifestyle; she seems to have everything a child has always wanted. A nice home, a comfy room, and loving parents. Muffin then showed to Lyon her Cat Squad car. "So you drive in this toy car?"
"Yes, have you heard of Cat Squad before," asked Muffin. Lyon shook his head no. He wasn't really interested in watching too much TV so he was unaware of the cartoon Muffin mentioned. "What!? But it's the coolest show," said Muffin with her voice raised.
"I didn't watch too much TV back home so I wouldn't know," said Lyon. Muffin couldn't believe what this kid said. How could anyone not watch that much TV? "So, what are your cousins like," asked Lyon. "My adoptive father said there were two more."
"Yes, Bluey and Bingo. They're fun to play with. I visit them sometimes on the weekends. One time we played Horsey Wedding with them. We made both our dads married to each other," said Muffin while giggling. Lyon's eyes widened; he couldn't imagine the two dads married to each other despite the fact that it was just a game. "Um…alright," he said awkwardly. "So why did you make them married to each other?"
"My sister was chewing on Bluey's toy that one time, and we were trying to make Socks come to the wedding. It was to get Bluey's toy back from her." Then Lyon understood the reason behind the silly antics; it was a ploy to get Socks to get Bluey's toy back from Socks.
"Let's go to the backyard now. I want to show you the plants, the patio, and the pool," said Muffin while dragging Lyon's paw once again. They both head downstairs to ask Stripe's permission to go outside.
Then they saw Bandit's family arriving just now. Lyon saw the same three heeler dogs he met a while ago back at the playground: the adult blue heeler, and his two girls, the red and blue heeler. "Bluey and Bingo are here," said Muffin. She ran up to greet her cousins as well as Socks while Lyon just stood there in silence. Bandit then saw the new member of the family standing by. "How's it going mate," asked Bandit. "I'm fine, thanks," said Lyon.
"I'm your Uncle Bandit. It's nice to meet you." They both shake paws. Bluey then ran up to greet Lyon. "Hi there, we meet again," she said. Lyon saw the blue heeler girl's excitement. "Bluey, right," asked Lyon. "Yes, and this is my sister, Bingo," she said introducing Bingo to him.
"Hi there, Lyon. I'm your Aunt Chili," said the adult female red heeler. "Rad has mentioned so much about you. We were looking forward to meeting you today." Lyon gave out a weak, but modest smile to the rest of the family. "I guess the whole family is here," said Lyon.
"Well, your grandparents are on their way too," said Rad. "Then it'll be everyone in the Heeler family."
"Oh, dad, can we go to the backyard to show Lyon our pool," asked Muffin to Stripe.
"Yes, but so long as you don't open the gate to the pool without close supervision," said Stripe. The rest of the children went out to show Lyon the rest of the backyard to play in while the adults continue to converse with each other.
"How's his first day," asked Bandit to Rad.
"So far so good I hope. He's modest, but I'm sure he'll be okay," assured Rad.
"He seems like a fine young boy," said Chili.
"Yeah, pretty much I just toured the house a bit before coming here. He also likes the room we painted for him."
The girls were playing with their new cousin outside. Muffin was giving Lyon a tour of their backyard with the pool. "So, this is our backyard; our pool is the best place to swim in. Though we can't really swim right now due to the weather becoming cold now.," said Muffin. "There's also the plants here, and my playhouse."
"Lyon, you have pretty blue eyes. Blue is my favorite color," said Bingo.
"Oh, thanks Bingo. I got them from my mother, and blue is my favorite color too, but a darker shade," Lyon said. He couldn't believe he was the center of attention today. It was a little embarrassing to say the least, but it seems nice to learn more about the Heelers.
"And sorry, about last time. Me running away wasn't really cool," said Lyon to Bluey.
"It's all good. I know you were shy when we first met," said Bluey. "When Uncle Rad told us our new cousin, we couldn't believe it was actually you."
"So, what do you do for fun," asked Lyon to both Bluey and Bingo.
"Oh, we play lots of games with dad. Like Chickenrat, Come Here and Go Away, Hotels, Daddy Robot, and Raiders," said Bluey. Lyon never heard of those games before. He would imagine they played simpler games like Tag, Hide and Seek, or Ring Around The Rosie.
The doorbell rang again, and Stripe went to see who it was. It was Chris, and Bob, the parents of the three Heeler brothers. Nana was an elderly blue heeler; she bears a similar resemblance to her youngest child's fur whereas Bob was a bit greyish in blue fur while he had black, brown, and white fur all around his face. His left ear seems to be missing a piece as well.
"G'day mum, and dad," said Stripe greeting his parents
"Oh, it's good to see you Stripe," said Chris. "We were here to see Rad's new child. The one he mentioned to us about adopting."
"Yeah, it's so exciting to finally meet him," said Bob. The two elderly couples came in to see the rest of the family.
"Good to see you, Rad. And you as well Bandy," said Chris.
Both brothers greeted their mother as well as their father. "So where's the new boy," asked Bob. "The kids are outside playing. I'll go check up on them," said Bandit. He went outside to see the kids. "Hey kids, your Nana and Grandpa are here," he hollered. The girls and Lyon went back inside after their tour around the backyard to greet their grandparents. "Oh, if it isn't my favorite granddaughters," Nana said while hugging them all.
"And what about me," asked Bob.
"Oh, hi Grandpa Bob," said Bluey earnestly. The four girls also hugged their grandfather as well. Then the two elderly couple noticed the young wolf dog pup behind the girls. "And is this our new grandson? My goodness, he's so adorable," said Chris. Lyon blushed when he received the praise from Chris, who was supposedly his new Nana. "Rad was right. You seem to be a fine young lad," said Bob.
"So, I guess you are my new grandparents," asked Lyon. "That's correct," said both.
It seems like everyone in the Heeler family is finally together. Lyon, albeit very shy, did take the time to know each member of the family. Trixie had the tea ready in a tray, and brought it to the table in the living room. Then Lyon talked more about himself to the rest of the Heelers as they sip through their tea. Each family member intently listened to the young wolf dog's story about himself, his parents, and his past life.
"So that's about it," said Lyon.
"That's quite the story. I didn't know you were fluent in French," said Bandit with an impressed look.
"Your parents must be proud of you," said Bob. Despite the praise he received, Lyon smiles weakly after Bob mentioned his parents. "Bob," Chris admonished. Bob realized his insensitivity to siblings up Lyon's deceased parents. Rad gazed at his father for mentioning them. "Oh, I'm sorry mate. I didn't mean to-"
Lyon stopped Bob right after he finished his sentence. "No, it's alright. Even though they're no longer with me, I'm grateful that Rad took me in. I know I miss them a lot, but I'll be alright," he said. "And I think I'll be okay here with you guys."
"You're more than welcome here, Lyon. You are a part of our family," said Bandit. Lyon appreciated Bandit's welcoming attitude towards him. He seems to have also learned a lot from each family member during his time here. He seems to take a liking to his new uncles, aunts, and grandparents. As time passed, the girls kept playing with their new cousins. When it was night, it was time for the rest of the families to go their separate ways. Rad and Lyon said their goodbyes to everyone as they drove away from the house.
"So how did you like it? Did you enjoy meeting everyone," asked Rad.
"They were all nice."
"What did you think of your new cousins?"
"They were… a bit strange. But they seem cool."
"And your aunts, uncles, and grandparents?"
"They were kind. To be honest, I've never had any other family like that before Rad," admitted to Rad about his biological family. "Uncle Bandit's awesome. He's smart, funny, and he's an archaeologist. Aunt Chili is super kind; Uncle Stripe is amazing, and so is Aunt Trixie. The grandparents were just great as well."
"That's nice to hear, mate. I'm glad you're taking the time to learn more about us." The trip back to Rad's place was a silent drive, but the adult heeler was pleased to hear that the family gathering turned out to be successful.
Meanwhile, back at Bluey's house, Bluey was in bed talking with her parents. Bingo was already asleep.
"Mum, Dad can I ask you two a question?"
"Of course, Bluey. What's on your mind," asked Chili. "It was nice meeting Lyon, but he's still nervous around us. Why is that?"
"He's still new to the family, kiddo. It'll take some time for him to decompress himself until he's comfortable at his own pace," said Bandit.
"'Decompress'," asked Bluey with a confused face.
"It means you get comfortable with your surroundings. Think of it this way. It'll take Lyon to adjust to his new life with a new place, new family, and new life," explained Chili. "Plus, it'll take time for him to truly see you as a cousin."
"But still, you and Bingo should still try to be yourselves. I'm sure the kid will appreciate you being there for him," suggested Bandit. "Just try to keep things in the middle."
"Got it," said Bluey. She knew she wanted to make sure Lyon takes things at his own pace while still being new to the family. "Good night, Bluey," said Chili.
"Night mum, night dad," said Bluey closing her eyes.
"Good night, mate," said Bandit. Both parents left the bedroom and turned off the lights.
This turned out to be one of my longest chapters ever written. I wanted to make this a special time for Lyon to finally interact with his new family. All the same, it was the perfect moment for him to take small steps to feel comfortable being in the custody of someone who is still new to him. I'm probably going to take a break from writing for now and try to find more inspiration to keep writing more chapters. My spring break ended today, so I will go back to school as well. Thanks for the encouragement my fellow readers.
I keep thinking if Lyon should attend the same school as Bluey or if he should attend a different school. I am aware Bluey goes to a Steiner school, which are private schools and tend to be expensive. I wonder what it'll be like for her to have a cousin be in the same class as her.