Love Is Everything - 10. Chapter 10

"I don't, even...," Keith started to say. Tears filled his eyes as he reread the final entry. The emotional redhead was thankful for the comfort of his brother's and mate's protective embrace.

"Wow! Talk about having unconditional love," Joey softly offered before he laid his head on his older brother's shoulder.

Keith took a deep breath as he closed the journal and gently placed it on the floor.

“What are ya gonna do with this new information, babe?" James asked as he reached over and wiped Keith's tear-stained cheeks.

"I'm not sure yet," the redhead responded as he smiled at his mate and kissed the slightly older man's chin. "Maybe I should see what Dad suggests before I do anything."

Joey kissed his brothers and stood up. "Tell ya what. I'll take Ty to the ice skating rink, then we'll get lunch," he paused and boyishly grinned. "Maybe Emily's free and will want to come along."

"Are ya sure, Joey?" Keith asked as he and James stood up and embraced their giddy brother.

"Bro, we don't want you to feel like you've got to always be the one to fill the space if we're dealing with something that Ty might not be ready for," James said. "I mean, it's not as if the boy hasn't got things to occupy himself with on his own."

"Hey, I told ya that I was gonna be the best uncle in Ty's world, and I'm making good on my word," Joey firmly responded. "I already love that boy more than my car and bike," the brunet said with a smirk and a chuckle.

The room filled with Joey's laughter and screeches when James put him in a headlock and gave him a noogie. The stunt man/actor's body instantly became animated, and his legs stomped the floor as he tried to escape. Keith added to the playful attack by tickling the wriggling male's sides and blowing raspberries on his taut, muscular stomach. James giggled as his mate squealed and squirmed when the youngest of the three wrapped his arms around the shorter man's waist from behind and hoisted him in the air as soon as the pair's tickles and noogie ended.

Once he was back on his feet, Keith smiled and kissed Joey's pink cheek. "Thank you, you're an amazing brother."

"No more amazing than both my big bros are," Joey said with a cheesy grin. He giggled, yelped, jumped, and playfully growled after James smacked his ass and ruffled his hair as he and Keith left him to get dressed.

"Okay, Ty. What did I tell you last night?" Art asked as he stood beside his grandson in the backyard, with his .9mm pistol holstered under his jacket.

The blonde youth looked up at the older man and smiled. "Before I leave the house, take a couple of minutes to pay close attention to everything happening and everyone around me. That's the first defense against a possible kidnapping. Also, never point a gun that's not a toy at someone if I don't intend to shoot it."

Art smiled proudly and said, "Good boy! Now, what do you do if someone does grab you in public?"

"I need to make a lot of noise, cause as big a scene as possible, and yell out you're not my family or dad."

"Perfect. Tomorrow, I'll teach you about cleaning a firearm and how to properly hold and shoot a pistol." He chuckled when Tyler jumped up and down with his fist in the air.

"Will you let me shoot?" Tyler asked with excitement shining in his eyes.

"We'll have to ask your dads if that'll be okay, baby boy. However, you'll be shooting a BB gun suitable for someone your age. My pistol's too powerful for you to handle." Art said as he unholstered his piece, carefully took aim, and fired five rounds at a paper target. All the blanks hit where the heart would be, dead center.

"You haven't lost your touch, Dad," James said as he and Keith approached the duo.

"We've got no problems if you let Ty shoot a BB gun," Keith said after he and James hugged Art and Tyler. "We planned on teaching him after the New Year."

"Ty, Uncle Joey's gonna take you ice skating and then to lunch," James said. He chuckled when their boy whooped and hollered on his way to the house after he jumped into his and Keith's arms for another hug and kiss.

Art smiled and shook his head. "That kid's amazing. I love being a Grandpa," he paused and wagged his eyebrows. "When can I expect more of them?"

"Talk to Joey, Dad. It's his turn," Keith said. Once the laughing fit ended, he asked, "Hey, Dad, let me buy ya a cup of coffee?"

"Sure thing, kiddo." Art replied.

James giggled and squealed when his dad grabbed him around his waist and hefted him over his shoulder. "Hey, Daddy, put me down," the brunet hollered as he squirmed and kicked his legs against his assailant. "I'm too big for this." James yelped and giggled when his mate smacked his ass as his dad tickled his side.

Art chuckled and said, "apparently not, baby boy."

Keith started fixing three cups of coffee while James and Art got comfortable on the sofa. A few minutes later, Joey and Tyler bounded down the stairs.

"Hey, be careful, guys. We'd love to have a house left to live in, ya know," James said with a smirk.

The giggling uncle/nephew duo's mature response was two raspberries being blown in sync. The pair gave the three men a hug and kiss goodbye, put their shoes on, and walked out the door.

"So, what's on your minds, boys?" Art asked after sipping his java.

Keith sighed, opened the journal to the marked page, then handed the book to his dad.

Art put on his reading glasses and scanned the entry. A light whistle escaped his lips when he was done. He took a moment to digest the writer's thoughts, placed the earpiece of his glasses between his lips, and gazed at his sons. "Keith, I had no idea about this. I'm not sure if even Pat knows," he said as he embraced his emotional red-haired son.

"What do you think I should do, Dad?" Keith asked as the love flowed from the older man into him.

"Well, that's entirely up to you, son," Art said after releasing Keith. "I think the first thing you should do is give the journal to your aunt. After all, it did belong to her sister. That might be the icebreaker needed to start what is probably going to be an emotional exchange for the two of you."

"Would you, Mom, and James be with me when I give it to her?" Keith softly asked as he sat in Jame's lap with his head on the brunet's shoulder.

"Of course, baby, if you feel like you'd need us. However, this might be something that you and Auntie Pam should talk about, just the two of you," James said with his dad's head nodding in agreement.

The sound of the front door opening caught the trio's attention.

"Hey, we're home," Pat called out.

"Just wait till you boys see the outfits we bought," Pam said as she entered with her arms stretched out in her usual flare and flourish. It only took a second for her to notice a familiar journal sitting near Art. "Is that?"

Keith stood and brought the book to his aunt. "It's Mom's journal, Auntie. James, Joey, and I found it today, hidden under the floor of his room."

Tears welled in the pair's eyes as their fingertips touched when the book was handed over.

"Did you read...anything?" Pam asked.

Keith nodded as he gazed into his aunt's glistening eyes and asked, "Is what Mom wrote true?"

Pam silently opened the journal to the marked page and read what her sister had written. When she finished, her cheeks were wet from the trail of tears. Without thinking, the woman wrapped her arms around her nephew and lovingly embraced him. "Yes, Keith, I did give birth to you," she paused. "Despite that, my sister was always your Mom." Pam gently led Keith to the sofa and sat beside him.

"Guys, we should give them some privacy," Pat said.

"You don't have to unless you're uncomfortable," Pam stated after wiping her and Keith's tears.

Keith smiled and held his hand out toward James. The brunet moved over and sat beside his mate.

Pam took a breath. "Travis's birth was too hard on your Mom to risk having another child. However, your parents wanted another kid so much that they were willing to take that chance. That's why I offered to be a surrogate. They agreed and allowed me the time I needed to fulfill my professional obligations, so I could take a year off for the pregnancy. I was impregnated with your father's sperm. You, my beautiful nephew, are the product of your family's love and sacrifice."

When Pam finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Keith leaned over, embraced his aunt, and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Auntie, and thank you," he whispered.

"No thanks needed, baby. I love you so very much," Pam responded.

Despite @BoyLove and his awesome threat, I was too excited to wait on getting this posted.  
Since starting this story, I've been going out of my mind trying to figure out how to incorporate a light, and uplifting mystery into the plot. That's when the idea of the journal and Pam's giving birth to Keith came to me. 
Love y'all