Life's Struggles - 15. Growth All Around

“Jesus, can’t the contractor’s park on the road and leave the driveway for us?” Lincoln grumbled as he came through the front door carrying Noah in his car seat and bags from his shopping expedition.

“Who are you bitching at?” Levi asked, taking a few of the shopping bags from his twin, and smiling at Noah affectionately.

“At anybody that will listen and do more than blow raspberries at me,” Link huffed in response. “I know the apartment will give each of us a bit more privacy, but I’ll be glad when all of banging of the hammers is over with. Plus, Noah’s wardrobe is getting huge from all of our shopping trips for him to get his afternoon naps in peacefully.”

Levi snickered. “Then stop shopping you moron, or at least give the stuff that doesn’t fit away to one of the shelters or somethin’.” He hefted the bags onto Links bed once they reached the bedroom. “Where’s Sage?”

Link scratched his head after setting Noah’s car seat down, “Oh, he ran to pick up an application for some summer editing program.” Lincoln picked up Noah’s teddy that Val had given him and placed it in his son’s hands. “Pop even offered to give Sage a reference for the program.”

“Hm, cool,” Levi answered bending over to pick up his nephew but startled by a loud bang and disgruntled voice.

“Boys! Where the fuck is that good for nothing ex-baby daddy of yours Lincoln?” Blu spat angrily.

“Huh? Sage went to get his application for the summer program.” Lincoln stated, “And he is no ex-anything.”

Their pop threw his hand in the air holding a dirty diaper. “Wanna bet, that rat bastard put this in my Johnny Rebs and I will kill him. Hope you know what flowers he wants at his funeral.” Blu stomped off to hear the giggling of his sons. The rotten traitors, they’re supposed to be on his side.

“Do you think grampy will still give papa his recommendation for college?” Levi chuckled while talking to Noah.

Jonathan ran in after his dad left the room, “I’m sorry, Sage gave me the diaper to throw in the trash last night and the dogs wanted outside to go potty. And I um sat it on top of Pop’s boot and it must have fell down inside and I mighta’ forgot about it.” The boy shrugged his shoulders, “It’s not like I meant to do it.”

Lincoln flicked his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, little man. Pop and Sage have been having the poopy diaper fight since Noah was born. Sage will take the heat, he’ll be jealous he never thought to put it there himself.” Link smiled at this younger brother. “Did you want to help me bath Noah, and then we have to give Khan a bath he’s starting to be a little on the rank side?”

“I’ll pass, Noah hits targets too well.” Jonathan chuckled while making a funny face at the boy, “We’ll have Uncle Jonathan time later huh, little guy?” Then he made haste at a valiant retreat before his older brother tried to manipulate him into helping.

*****

Kyle and Bella came through the front door having a semi-heated debate. “I don’t understand why I couldn’t just skype for this, and I don’t wanna tell Pop about Tracy, Daddy and you can’t make me. I’m not a little girl anymore!” Bella whined and even stomped her foot.

“You can, and you will young lady. You can’t keep this a secret, Bella, you just can’t. Pop will never trust you again if you don’t tell him and finds out some other way. You understand?” Kyle said, completely exasperated with his daughter.

“But he’s gonna be all poppa-bear growly and then he’s gonna try to put down Tracy and Daddy, Tracy is big,” she held her hand above her head estimating how tall and what his proportions were. “If Pop goes all protective and tries to back Tracy into a corner I don’t know how it will turn out.”

Kyle breathed heavily through his nose trying to calm down. He put Bella’s bag down in the foyer and turned to face his daughter. “Yes, Pop will go all growly. But, if you tell him today, he has a few weeks to be all growly and come to terms with his daughter living with a man. If you surprise him with it who knows what will happen. I can’t imagine Tracy will be happy being your dirty little secret either. Do you want to risk losing him? And, if Tracy is the sort of man – I’d hope you’d choose for yourself – he’ll bear the flack of your dads until he can prove to be worthy of their only daughter.”

“Can’t I just fly back home and call him?” Bella asked sticking out her bottom lip.

“You know what, Bella. I’m really disappointed right now. Do what you want, but I won’t be on your side when this all blows up in your face. You’re being disrespectful to a man that has done nothing but love you since the moment he met you.” Kyle huffed and left a watery-eyed Bella on her own in the foyer.

Bella stomped into the kitchen grabbing a glass from the cupboard, slamming it down on the counter, and retrieving the lemonade from the refrigerator. She took her lemonade and went to sit outside by the pool to calm down. She’d been hoping her Dad would have her back, but it didn’t feel like it. She ran her dad’s words over and over in her head. The noise of the sliding door grabbed her attention, watching as Cody, Johnathan, Kasey, and Shawn run through all dressed in board shorts ready for the pool. Spotty and Khan trotting behind the boys hoping they’d be allowed a swim too.

“Hey Bella, come in the pool with us?” Jonathan called out before bombing into the pool.

“Take it easy, boys,” Lily admonished the young boys as she sat next to Bella pulling her into a bear hug. “I’ve missed you, my pretty girl.”

“Hi grandma, I’ve missed you too.” Bella hugged her back tightly with no release in sight. Her eyes stung while she was held in her loving grandmother’s arms.

“Hey, it hasn’t been that long since I’ve seen you to be this emotional honey,” Lily said lovingly, as she cupped Bella’s face in her hands searching her eyes. “Tell grandma what’s wrong, sweetie.”

“He’s gonna be all growly and then Tracy is gonna be all protective and then–”

Lily cut her grandaughter off. “Um, honey. You need to take a breath and start again. You have half a conversation in your head and sharing the other half. Slow down and start at the beginning.” She smiled warmly at Bella. “Now take that breath, baby girl, and start again.”

Cody swam up propping himself on the edge of the pool closest to his sister and grandma, “Oh, this is gonna be priceless. She’s shitting her pants over Pop finding out about her and the hockey player.”

“Zip it, zit face,” Bella said through clenched teeth.

Cody chuckled and swam off, to play with the younger kids.

“Explain,” Lily said patiently.

“Well, see I met a super-sweet guy,” Bella fidgeted twisting a lock of hair around her finger. “Tracy is Norwegian, and he is absolutely the most loving person.”

“Mhmm.” Lily pulled the hair gently from Bella’s hand taking it in her own. “Continue.”

“Well,” Bella glanced toward the ripples in the pool. “Tracy is my roommate and my boyfriend.”

Lily continued to smile softly but stayed silent forcing Bella to continue.

“Levi and Brody came to visit for springbreak, and they met Tracy. But, I made them swear to not tell Pop, although they must’ve had loose lips because somehow mister I just hit puberty found out,” she shot a glare at Cody. “And Daddy found out too and he insists I tell Pop, which will go all ‘he’s not good enough to be with my baby-girl.’” Bella done her best Blu impersonation.

“Sweetheart, firstly, does this boy treat you right?” Lily asked.

“Yes, he calls me his princess and other things that I’m still learning because sometimes he speaks Norwegian.” Bella’s eyes glazed over thinking of Tracy, “He is talking about me meeting his parents, who he says will love me.”

“Okay, then why wouldn’t you tell your dads about him. Why are you hiding him?”

“I’m not hiding him per se,” Bella chewed on her lip a moment, “maybe I am, but Grandma, you’ve seen how protective Pop can be. I don’t want him to think Tracy isn’t good enough for me. He… I love him.”

Lily smiled wide and fondly at her granddaughter. “Sweetheart, no one is ever going to be good enough for you in my son’s eyes. He adores you. You can be nineteen or thirty-five, you’re going to get the same reaction from him. He can be a hot head and a little… well you know. But, at the end of the day, this Tracy and your pop are going to have the kind of relationship they build for themselves. If this Tracy stands by you while dealing with all the hoops your pop will make him jump through, that’s what your pop will see. A man who loves his daughter and is unapologetic for it and probably just as protective of you as he is. That’s all my Blu, your pop wants, Sweetheart. Someone to love you, protect you, and treats you right. He will calm down.”

“Thanks, Grandma,” Bella smiled slightly, “I just hope Pop doesn’t pick a fight with Tracy. He plays hockey and is built like a god.”

Chuckling Lily elbowed her gently. “Lucky you. Do you have a picture?”

Bella pulled her cellphone out of her pocket opening it to a picture of Tracy after his team won the Frozen Four this year, “See how cute he is?”

“Whoa, that is, hmm, yes he’s um,” Lily stuttered fanning her face, “he’s something. So handsome.”

“He doesn’t fight often in games, but he never loses. And when we go places, he opens the car door and everything,” Bella said dreamily, “and Grandma, when all the girls flirt with him in front of me, he’s polite to them but he never flirts back, like ever. And with a few of the aggressive girls, he makes sure they know he’s mine. Oh, Grandma, I love him so much.”

“He sounds wonderful, sweetheart. Don’t mess this up because of a conversation you think is going to be a little hard to have with your dads.” Lily smiled. “Promise me you’ll do the right thing.”

“I’ll tell him today,” Bella sighed. “Do you think you could be here when I do? That way if Pop loses it, maybe you can talk to him or drop me off at the airport or I don’t know maybe do something.”

“Of course, sweetheart. I’d do just about anything for you.”

“Really? Would you tell Pop for me?” she asked hopefully.

Lily giggled. “Uh, no, you have to tell him yourself, I’m sorry to say,” she said pulling Bella in for a comforting hug.

*****

Bella sat nervously in her Dad’s office with Lily sitting by her side. Her dads both staring at her silently while she bit her lower lip anxiously. Grandma had pressured her into doing this as soon as possible to get it over with rather than stress over it, hoping nobody would spill the beans until she managed to ‘man-up’ enough to do it herself.

“So,” Bella said staring at her dads.

“So,” Blu repeated flatly.

“I uh,” Bella wiped her sweaty hands on her pants, “need to tell you something. And you gotta promise not to go all over-protective. Promise?”

“Not promising anything until I know what it is,” Blu answered glancing at Kyle to judge his reaction so far. Unfortunately, he was met with a blank expression. He took his husband’s hand and cleared his throat. “You better not be pregnant. Are you?” although he was trying to be calm and almost supportive as he could be was dreading the answer.

“What? No! Pop, how could you think that?” Bella huffed out the response.

“Oh, okay then. And as for how I could think that, have you met Noah?” he asked sarcastically.

Bella let out a long slow sigh, “I met somebody.”

“Uh-huh.” Blu’s jaw went rigid while he waited for the bomb to drop.

“It’s a he and he’s Norwegian,” Bella stated testing the waters so to speak.

“You didn’t meet him at the ‘Foxy Lair’ did you,” Blu asked warily.

“No Pop,” Bella paused for a moment looking to see if Blu was gonna become emotional. “We met at a college event.”

“Uh-huh.” Blu raised an eyebrow at his husband. “What kind of event?”

“A sporting event,” Bella smiled sweetly.

“What, like chess?” he asked just to be a smartass since Bella was dragging it out.

“No, it’s a little more physically demanding,” Bella stated following Blu down the wise-assed comments.

“Bella, I swear to god if you don’t just tell me what’s going on I’m two seconds from freaking the fuck out.”

“Blu Sky Waters, you will not use that language with your daughter,” Lily demanded.

“Babe, calm down, no need to work yourself up,” Kyle stated as he gave his husband’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Haven’t you ever had a conversation with your parents, and you sorta felt them out throughout the conversation?” His husband glared at him while chewing anxiously on his cheek. Blu looked at Bella, his mother, then Kyle.

“I won’t calm down.” Blu stood and paced the room. “Let me ask you this, my calm husband. Who I’m guessing knew about this. If this guy is so damn important why isn’t he here? The naming day for Noah and it’s a big day for this family and for Bella becoming a godmother to her nephew. Answer me that?” Blu swung his arm out aggressively.

“Pop. Stop getting mad at Daddy. He insisted I tell you I’m dating Tracy,” Bella blurted out to prevent her dads from arguing. “I love him, and there you have to deal with it.”

Blu’s face contorted into shocked surprise. “The poor guy is named, Tracy?” his voice going up at the end.

“Yes,” Bella’s voice had a tinge of defiance in it, “and I wouldn’t make fun of him over it. He plays hockey and I think he is a Norwegian god.”

“Seriously,” Blu shook his head glaring at Kyle, “I can’t believe you knew about this and didn’t tell me. He held up his hand when Kyle went to answer. “We’ll talk about this later. Right now, no one has answered my question. “Why the hell, is that kid not here to support you at this family event, Bella. He’s obviously not as important as you say he is, otherwise he’d want to be here BY.YOUR.SIDE. What kind of man lets their girlfriend do this alone?”

“Pop! I didn’t want you to know about Tracy because you get all over the top poppa-bear-protective and become all growly. And,” Bella held up her finger to slow Blu’s retort. “You can’t deny not being overly protective Pop, I love you but somebody has to tell you that you can be a bit over-bearing. If I’d asked Tracy I can guarantee he’d have come, but I didn’t want to put either of you in a position where you would both feel the need to protect me.”

Blu was fuming. “Do you need protecting from him, Bella?”

“No! And stop it please, Pop.” Bella stated looking at her dad, “I want my family and the man I love to be able to interact without having to worry about what is going to be said if I were to leave the room.”

“Yeah, well, Bella that’s a bit hard to do, since he’s not even here. Is he? I’m out, talk to your dad about whatever you need. I’d hate to put you out,” Blu said bitchily and left the room in a huff.

Bella stared at the door that her pop just slammed as he left the room. She wiped her eyes dry and looked imploringly at her dad who was shaking his head.

“Honey, I know I told you to tell him… but you just hurt him more than you can imagine.” Kyle stood shaking his head at his daughter and went to leave the room. He reached for the doorknob and stopped. “How could you Bella? You just told pop, you didn’t want him to be part of your life, an important part. I suggest you find a way to get that boy of yours here as soon as possible and find the words, the right words to articulate what you really meant. Because I don’t believe for one second you don’t want pop in your life.”

“I didn’t mean it that way, Daddy. I just want Pop to accept Tracy for who he is,” Bella stated as her voice crackled with emotion.

Kyle shook his head again as he opened the door. “You didn’t even give him the chance, Bella. I guarantee you’ve just cut him deeply. And have now dragged me into your deception. I hope you have it in your heart to do the right thing.” With that he left the room with a heavy heart and disappointment.

Bella looked throughout the house for her dad before finally walking across the street to Jared and Mason’s house. She stopped at the front door ringing the doorbell.

Mason answered the door, “Bella, why did you ring the bell instead of coming in? Oh my god,” he opened the door seeing her tear-streaked face pulling his niece into a quick hug inside the house, “you and your pop are so much alike. Get in here, he’s out on the back deck.” She walked straight through the house to the back door.

“I’m sorry, Pop.” Bella hiccuped as she wiped tears from her eyes. “I want you to meet Tracy, and I hope you both get along since you’re both so important to me.” She sat down in a chair facing Blu while finishing her apology. “I think you’d like Tracy, he treats me like a princess. Pop, you should also know Tracy lives at the house with me and Stacey.”

Blu’s angry and hurt eyes met with hers for a moment, his lips in a thin straight line. Her heart broke that she’d caused her pop any pain. She hadn’t meant to hurt him and her words had come out wrong but didn’t know how to fix it.

“Okay,” he said sadly, not really registering that last comment. His head snapped up glaring at Bella. “What do you mean he lives at the house, exactly?”

“Well, you know he resides there. He is my boyfriend,” Bella trying to be honest and not hurt her Pop more than she already had, “Pop, you know I’m an adult now. You know how relationships are, I can’t lie to you and I won’t anymore. And daddy doesn’t even know but we share our bedroom. I know you’re probably gonna lecture me about sex and we are careful and use protection.”

Her pop tipped his head back with his eyes in the heavens, he scrubbed his face with his hands. He then stood up from his chair.

“Fine, thank you for finally being honest.” Blu stood silently warring with himself what to do next. “How’s school?”

“It’s good. I still need to declare my major, Tracy wants me to pick something that I will enjoy. He said picking something just from a monetary standpoint isn’t the right decision, and to follow my heart.” Bella looked into Blu’s eyes, “I was thinking of maybe studying Sports Medicine. Tracy is probably going to play professional hockey, and I could maybe even get my doctorate eventually. The trainers are really the first line to getting athletes back on their feet after suffering an injury, think of it as a person developing a plan and implementing it from the time of injury until he recovers. It is fascinating to me if you were to think of Levi’s injury, and how he might have recovered a little more easily having somebody that studied Sports Medicine around. Some athletes suffer head injuries and yet others suffer from muscular-skeletal injuries.”

Blu nodded his head. “Just make sure you’re doing it for you, and not someone else. If that’s what you really want as a career, your daddy and I will support you one-hundred percent.”

Bella’s phone dinged multiple times indicating text messages. She pulled it out reading the multiple messages. “Oh for god-sakes, I’m gonna kill his pimple-faced little ass.” She texted a reply and got another message, “Pop, I guess you’ll get to meet Tracy in a few hours. Is Cody’s funeral prearranged by chance?”

He smiled, tilting his head. “No, why? What did he do?”

“Evidentally after our conversation ended badly the little twit got ahold of Tracy and said you demanded to meet him, no exceptions, or I wasn’t returning to California. You don’t care if Cody can’t ever have kids do you?” Bella asked trying to plot some horrific accident in a Bugs Bunny / Roadrunner sort of way.

Blu shook his head with a laugh. “I love that kid. He always has my back. And just so you know I would never threaten you with your education. I would also never stop you from living your life, whether I agree with your choices or not. But don’t think for one minute I won’t voice my opinion, I don’t care if you think it’s overbearing. Get the fuck over it. I’m your father, so tuff.”

Bella looked at her pop. “I really am sorry, pop. I didn’t mean the way it came out I felt cornered and couldn’t find the words. I never wanted to hurt you. I love you, you know that right?”

“I know,” Blu answered as Bella flew into his arms. “I love you too.” He squeezed his daughter so tightly she coughed trying to breathe until her phone dinged again and she checked the message causing her to scowl.

“We need to go over to the house, Cody needs some special love,” Bella stated, “he might even recover before Tracy’s plane lands. A permanent limp won’t hurt his college baseball career other than limiting him to playing catcher, hell both of his older brother play catch.” She chuckled at her last comment.

“Mmm, well, you kind of brought this upon yourself. So…” Blu smiled cheekily. That kid, Cody always getting himself into trouble. He’s going to be a handful in his later teens.

*****

Bella was upstairs ‘tidying up aka beautifying herself for her beau’ while Cody and his brothers continued plotting via text message with Tracy, the final piece was to include their Pop in on the prank which Bella was the centerpiece of. “Pop, come here!” Cody shouted from the living room.

“What’s up, buddy?” Blu asked from the bottom of the stairs.

“Come in here. Gotta keep it on the DL from Bella.” Cody said as Blu walked into the living room. Cody’s fingers typing a text at the speed of light. A smile spread across his face, “Tracy agreed to play along with any interrogation you can come up with. Lay it on thick.”

“Oh, I don’t know Cody, do you think that’s a good idea?”

“Come on, pop,” Levi begged. “Bella never has drama, let us have this.”

Cody pulled up a picture from the college hockey team roster online and turned his phone toward Blu, “Pop, you gotta take the opportunity to get a good wind up on Bella now.” Pointing at the picture, “His muscles even have muscles on top of them, you wouldn’t stand a chance any other way.”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you get your dad to do it. She wouldn’t be expecting that.” Blu teased.

“Dad said you deserve to pull the prank on her after her foot in mouth speech earlier,” Cody retorted.

“Feels kind of mean.” Blu thought about it. “Maybe. He definitely said he was in on it?”

“He’s giving me the keys to his car to pick up Tracy,” Brody stated giving a nod to Cody.

“Hm, should I go with you to pick him up? That way we can orchestrate something on the way back.”

Cody shrugged his shoulders, “I guess that would work. Just be convincing as you guys come in the front door.”

Levi chuckled, “Pop, Tracy is a great guy his English is just a bit rough. He grew up only speaking Norwegian and then learned English prior to heading off for college.”

Blu sighed. “Fine, lets do this.”

*****

The boys' sav Levi and Brody kept Bella sweating because Blu had gone to the airport to pick up her boyfriend. It didn’t help her any that Cody and Link teased her the whole time.

“Hey, Bella,” Link said as he came in the kitchen where Bella was eating her anxiety, “do you think pop and Tracy have killed each other yet?”

“Don’t you have a shitty diaper to change or something?” Bella asked as she dug into a slice of Kaleb’s double chocolate cake that had a super creamy milk chocolate icing on it.

“I don’t. Sage just changed his diaper.” Link smiled leaning down to kiss Sage who was sitting across from Bella just smiling at the siblings.

“Well can’t you two go like make out or something?” Bella cringed and her face scrunched up, “Ooh god no, I can’t believe I just told my little brother that,” She pointed her chocolate-covered fork at both Link and then Sage, “Don’t do that or I’ll have to hurt you both. Is Cody still limping?”

“Mmhmm, and that was mean, by the way. You really did this to yourself.” Sage weighed in. “Should have told the truth in the first place,” he sung at Bella.

“And Cody shouldn’t have been a twit. Then his baseball bat wouldn’t have accidentally struck his shin,” Bella grumbled before swallowing another bite of cake. “I didn’t even hit him hard, the big baby.”

The sound of the front door opening grabbed everyone’s attention. All of them smiling like Cheshire cats except Bella who swallowed audibly and grimaced. And then the raised voices came.

“What the…” she said moving at the speed of light to the foyer where her pop and boyfriend were staring angrily glaring at each other.

“Bella! We must leave your father is…” Tracy stopped for a moment, “what they call unreasonable.”

“I’m not. You will not be staying in this house. You are staying across the road with Jared and Mason.” Blu shouted. “And, you should have come when Bella did not hide like some kind of, of–”

“Pop,” Bella pleaded, “please stop.”

“My dad would refer to your Pop as an old wind-bag,” Tracy said glaring at him, “American’s are so strange.”

“Listen up, pretty boy,” Blu said menacingly taking a step closer to Tracy who was at least six inches taller than him but still stepped backward as the father advanced on him. Blu looked up into the kids face. Bella went to step between them almost crying. Blu gave Bella a fleeting glance and then back up to the giant man-boy. “You’re a big fucker, huh?”

Tracy grinned.

“Beer?” Blu asked him.

“Please,” Tracy nodded, “And nice touch with ‘pretty boy’ I liked that.”

Laughing Blu motioned for Tracy to follow him into the kitchen with all the kids in tow while Bella stood dumbstruck in the foyer.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Kyle asked as he came down the stairs.

“He. They.” Bella pointed to the kitchen, “Huh?” She scratched her head contemplating what she missed because it must have been one hell of a lot.

“I’m thinking you may have been punked, baby girl. A little payback from your pop and brothers.” Kyle smiled tucking her into his side while they followed to the kitchen.

Tracy was smiles from ear-to-ear as he spoke to Bella’s family. “You’re family are wonderful.” He said as he pulled Cody into a headlock, “this one is quite cheeky?”

They all laughed as Cody fought to get out of the man’s hold. When he released the boy he reached across stealing Bella from her dad hugging the crap out of her. He whispered, “I missed you, Elskede.” Then tucked her under his arm holding his hand out to Kyle. “Hi, Tracy Kristiansen. Pleasure to meet you, Sir.”

“Kyle Waters, Bella’s dad. I see you’ve already met her pop. Have they introduced all the gremlins yet?”

“Oh yes we laughed lots and boys were funny,” Tracy smiled at the group before him. “I never have large family, so it be different here.”

“I imagine it would.” Kyle smiled. “Are you hungry? You’ve got about an hour before we leave for the restaurant. Did you want a snack?”

“Thank you, I wait and eat with family?” Tracy stated hoping his English was enough for a man who studied and teaches English.

Kyle clapped his hands together once. “Excellent. No doubt you’d like to freshen up after your long travel. You and Bella are in her old room, she can show where everything is. Boys let Tracy shower first, then you can.” He pointed at Link, do you want some help bathing Noah?” Kyle asked as everyone moved out of the kitchen.

*****

The naming of the new godparents made Bella and Levi’s ties to Noah even stronger. Tracy watched Bella as she proudly held Noah as the ceremony finished. The little boy had fussed until Bella held him where he’d settled in and fallen asleep in her arms. The two men, the baby's fathers were beaming happily at their baby while his girlfriend held him protectively. It made his heart beat hard and his stomach did flip flops at the sight. He could imagine her holding their baby. Although he knew they were nowhere near ready for that, the sight had made him breathless. Their relationship may be relatively new, barely eight months in the making, but he had no doubt she was the one for him. No matter where their lives lead they’d be doing it together.

Bella grinned over at Tracy, he held his hand over his heart for her. All of her body relaxed as she then softened and smiled affectionately back at him as he winked at her. She was a vision of beauty to him, soft and curvy in all the right places. Her family had accepted him, and even after all the warnings and griping his Elskede had given him, they’d been more welcoming than he could have imagined.

“Stop ogling my daughter,” Blu said chuckling as he sidled up next to Tracy.

“I not yodel, that’s Scandanavian.” Tracy smiled elbowing Blu.

“Oh,” Blu waved over two men, “let me introduce you to some people. This is Jared,” Blu pointed at him seeing the confused look on Tracy’s face. “Kyle’s twin brother,” seeing it register as Tracy chuckled, “and this is husband Mason.”

Tracy shook both men’s hand and introduced himself. Blu made his excuses leaving them to get to know each other. Until Bella reached his side.

“You looked beautiful up there today, sweetheart,” Jared said to Bella kissing her cheek, then Mason gave him a hug.

“I see you met my Tracy,” she said to her uncles.

“We did, he’s very impressive.” Jared smiled, then turned to the man himself. “Blu said you won the Frozen Four this year. You must be proud, do you think you’ll go into the draft?” He asked his nieces boyfriend.

“Yes, but not for until I get my degree. My mama would kill me.” Tracy laughed.

Kaleb ran past chasing Kassidy who was dragging Kole by his little tie, “Kassidy let your brother go you’re strangling him.”

Kayden walked up standing beside his oldest cousin’s boyfriend, “Girls I don’t like them.” The boy sighed pushing up his little glasses he recently got and opened the book he was carrying. He shoved the book at the tall unknown man. “Please.”

The man smiled at the young boy, taking the book he held out his hand to Kayden. “Come, we sit.”