“Already on it,” he yells back from the living room.
Eli blinks at me, clearly nervous. “You ready?” I ask.
He nods. “I think so. You’re sure they’ll—”
“Where is my newest grandkid, Roman?” Mom asks.
Dad laughs. “She’s losing her mind. She woke me up at 5:00 a.m. Can you imagine?”
Eli’s eyes widen. “Whoa.”
I wink at him. “Told you.”
“Oh my goodness! Hi!” Mom comes barreling into the room. Eli turns in his chair. Mom makes it almost to him and stops abruptly. “Oh. Not very demure of me.”
I roll my eyes. “You’ve been around Holden too long.”
She laughs, but doesn’t take her eyes off Eli. Roman walks back into the room with Dad right beside him, at a much more acceptable pace, I might add. “Hi. I’m Lydia. I’m your grandma.”
Eli’s eyes widen even further, his jaw dropping open. “Hi. I’m Eli.”
She grins. “Yes, doll. I’m so happy to meet you finally.”
Eli laughs a little, relaxing. “I’ve only been here for two days.”
Mom tuts, turning a disapproving look on me. “Two days too many.”
“Mom, let’s not freak him out.”
Eli shakes his head. “No. She’s okay.”
“See. I’m fine. I’m just excited, Beck.”
Well, at least she didn’t call me Beckett. I swear Holden has corrupted even my parents. It’s liketheyforgot what they named me.
Dad walks into the room and stands behind the chair across from Eli. “Mind if I sit?”
Eli turns his attention to my dad, looking him up and down. I’d bet he sees the same thing Roman did all those years ago. A giant of a man, but just like my brave man, he nods. “Yeah.”
Dad grins and sits down. “I’m Daniel. My friends call me Danny, though. My wife can be a bit… overzealous. We’re thrilled to have you in the family, but Danny and Lydia are just fine. Don’t let her peer pressure you into calling us something you’re not comfortable with.”
Eli giggles. “Okay, sir.”
Oof. Dad cringes. “Okay. Not sir. Literally anything but that. Makes me feel old. As you can see, I’m still spritely.”
And despite the gray peppering his beard and the hair around his temples, he is. Eli laughs. “Okay, Danny.” There’s a slight hesitation and then, “But if I were to call you something other than Danny and Lydia…”
Mom sits down between them, almost falling over herself. “Well, Holden and Julian’s babies call us Gigi and Papaw. But you can call us whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Okay,” Eli says with a nod.
Roman comes to stand beside me, and I wrap my arm around his waist, pulling him into me. “Do you guys want to go to the living room? I think we’ll be more comfortable in there.”
Eli’s phone buzzes and he picks it up quickly, his cheeks flushing as a huge smile lights up his face. It melts away in seconds, and he sets it down, his once-pink face suddenly devoid of color. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “That was so rude.”
Mom’s face falls. “Not at all, doll. Who are you texting? Someone special?”
Eli shakes his head, but then kind of nods. Mom laughs softly. “It’s Holden,” Eli whispers.
