Their conversation catches Holden’s attention and he gasps. Loudly. He’s so dramatic. I think right now, Elineeds that, though. “Ohhhh! We didn’t try this combo in the store. It’s amazing.”
Eli raises his gaze instantly, locking eyes with Holden, as a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “You think so?”
“I definitely think so. The winged liner is cute, and your mascara looks amazing. I’m so jealous of your eyelashes.”
Eli grins, relaxing a little more, his arms dropping from where he was clutching his shirt to hang loosely at his sides. “I watched like a million videos on YouTube.”
“Went through half a bottle of micellar water trying to take off the mess-ups too,” Roman adds, chuckling a little.
Holden smacks Roman’s arm. “It’s a learning process, Roman. Thank God they have that now. When I was first learning to apply eyeliner, it was almost impossible to find anything to take it off.”
Ouch. “Okay, darlin’. You’re making me feel old. Please stop.”
Roman scoffs. “How do you think I feel? I’m thirty-one. Three one.Thirty-one. I don’t want to hear anything from either of you until your age starts with a three.”
“Hey, I’m almost there.”
Wren sighs. “Let’s go see the animals now, Dad.”
Yes, let’s. “Good idea.”
I slide Warren into the stroller, grabbing the diaper bag from the back seat of the car, and shove it underneath before handing him his juice sippy cup.
Holden grabs the stroller and starts walking toward the front, with Roman beside him and Wren holding on to the stroller. Eli hesitates for only a second before taking off with them, sticking close to Holden.
I hang back, noticing that Beck is standing beside the car, looking a little worse for wear. “Are you okay?”
He nods. “Yeah, I just had, like… a flashback or something to my teen years with Roman. Eli flinched away from me.”
It’s easy to see the distress in his eyes, and it sucks. I won’t lie. “Yeah, it’ll take time. You already know that, though.”
Beck smiles sadly, then starts walking. “Yeah, I just wish he wasn’t afraid of me.”
“Hmm. I don’t think he’s afraid of you. He already seems more comfortable than he did the first night we met him.”
“Yeah,” Beck sighs. “That’s true. I don’t know. I hate it, you know? And it doesn’t help anything that I’m hardly sleeping. Eli keeps waking up screaming, and then Roman’s waking up screaming too.”
Fuck. “It’s hard on him. Doing what he does.” I already knew this, of course. I also know he wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Yeah, it is. But it’s his calling. I’ve never seen him more confident and proud of who he is than when he’s working with those kids.”
I don’t have time to answer because Holden’s stopping and turning back to us. “Y’all coming? Slowpokes.”
Beck laughs. “Mind your own business, CT.”
Holden glares. “Julianismy business, Beckett.”
“We’re coming, darlin’. Hold your horses,” I interject before the two of them can start in on each other.
Beck nudges my side. “He should just be happy I haven’t mentioned the lack of charges on my credit card.”
I move a little quicker, working to catch up to everyone. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”
By the time we made it into the zoo, I was ready to turn around and go back home. Not really, but my lord, it’s a whole mess trying to do anything. Warren threw his sippy cup down and busted the lid. Apple juice went everywhere. He started screaming. Wren thought it was hilarious, and Eli looked like he was questioning every choice in his life that led him into this wild family we have.
But now, things have calmed. Wren has all but attached herself to Eli, and has been holding his hand and dragginghim from exhibit to exhibit, gushing about all the animals and dumping facts on him about her favorite ones.
He seems like he’s loving it, truthfully. Sometimes I can’t believe that this is the same little girl who would barely talk to anyone. Most of that was due to her not really having anyone around her, though, I’m sure. I would almost feel bad about it if I wasn’t still so fucking happy that it’s not the case anymore.
