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Before I could say anything, Haas lowering hi A part ofently into his arms I noticed that he was careful not to put too ainst the place where the central line was located Hahispered so into Matty’s ear and then carefully lifted him into his arms He held Matty with one arh escaped his lips and his whole body seemed to relax as he held Matty and ure the rest out

Together

“Is he asleep?” I asked when Hawke entered the bedroo near thethat overlooked the open fields that surrounded the house, but it was so dark that I couldn’t see a thing There wasn’t even a single light fro property

“Yeah,” Hawke said as he closed the door behind him I couldn’t explain why I was suddenly so nervous Probably because Hawke and I hadn’t had a chance to talk after he’d kissed me in the driveway It had been close to dinner time e’d arrived at Hawke’s place and since he hadn’t had enough food to feed everyone, we’d driven into town and eaten at a family style restaurant Hawke had sat between me and Matty and while he’d held my hand beneath the table the entire ti to Matty Or listening, rather Matty had talked al that had happened to him while he’d been in the hospital and had proudly showed off his little bald head and his central line Then the discussion had turned to Matty’s newest obsession with the X-Men superheroes that Ronan and Seth had introduced hihout it all, Hawke had done more than just listened He’d asked Matty endless questions and heaped so much praise on my little boy for how brave he was, that I’d feltI wouldn’t have even thought possible

It had been late by the tione to the motel they’d booked, there’d been no question about where Matty and I would be staying Matty hadn’t even put upwith Seth and Ronan Once we’d arrived back at Hawke’s place, I’d given Matty a bath while Hawke had prepared the bedroom next to his for Matty The pink walls had led me to suspect it was his wife’s childhood rooh to ask Hawke He’d opened ato get the roo the nearly hour Matty spent in the tub There hadn’t been even a speck of dust that I could see when I’d finally led Matty into the room Hawke had joined us, Spider hilossed over Matty’s questions about whether he’d caught the bad guys and had sat on the bed to watch as I’d given Matty hison his central line He’d ended up asking several questions as I’d worked And when Matty had insisted that Haas the one to read hireed and I’d been dismissed

“He told ,” Hawke said as he came up to me and stood at ainst the pulse point at my neck “I told him I’d talk to you about it”

“It’s your decision,” I said with a laugh

Hawke turned me in his arms “It’s our decision, Tate,” he said firmly “I want us to be a family”

I sed hard asbecause Hawke dropped his arms “You don’t want that, do you? This was just a visit-”

I grabbed Hawke and kissed hi intoon to me when I released him and I whispered, “I want it God, I want that so badly”

Hawke let out a rush of air and then he rapping his arms around me “I missed you so much”

“Me too”

He pulled back enough so that he could look atyou-”

I shook ers over his lips “I know you do,” I said “You never have to hide her from us, Hawke You never have to hurt by yourself when you think of her or your little boy You can share them with us as much or as little as you want”