The Male Luna (MxM) (Complete)

Chapter 19

Brayden

It took a while, but the kids were finally loaded into the van and we were all ready to head to the Radcliffes. Both Kelsey and I had tried to drill into the younger kids' brains to be respectful, and calm. In all actuality, the kids were a pretty well-behaved bunch considering their ages and the strain they've all endured. But my kids were full of energy and rambunctious to the core and that accelerated my anxiety. The fear, that if they did become a handful people wouldn't understand, or that they would think that I'm a bad parent because they weren't sitting meekly with their hands folded in their laps.

This fear was specifically coming from the fact that I didn't know much about Lou's husband. Lou had been adamant that her husband loved kids, but it was hard to believe that when Damien had to get his horrid behavior towards children from somewhere...

...and it was obvious that he didn't get it from his mother.

Therefore, I was a little nervous that maybe Mr. Radcliffe senior was one of those people that just didn't get along with children. And that would be fine, nothing said he had to like my kids, but that nagging anxiety just added to the fear of the evening.

It had taken almost twenty minutes to drive to Lou's. Even though the town wasn't that big, the Radcliffe's house was on the other side of the small city, deep in the woods. While the scenery was pretty, both Kels and I had given each other wary looks as our old mini-van bumped along the dirt road of their driveway. The entire frame of the old vehicle shook with the unevenness of the road, and I could do nothing but hope that the engine wouldn't shake loose from the frame.

When we finally arrived, I was a little shocked to see a large wood cabin. It wasn't a mansion, but the house was very impressive in its size and quality. The old wood looked to be freshly sealed so that the siding of the cabin had a rich, shiny finish to it that stood out among the trees. It was two stories tall with a very high gable, and several dormers built along the roofline. There was also an impressive amount of tall windows lining the front side of the house that led out to a massive wrap-around porch.

The kids had immediately been in awe of the house and Kelsey had even quirked an eyebrow at the structure. My reaction wasn't so positive.

Fuck, I bet there's a lot of expensive, breakable shit inside.

Upon arriving, it was a quick whirlwind of activity. Lou instantly ran out to greet us and ushered the kids to the backyard where a lot of outdoor games and toys were set up for them. I had immediately reminded her that she wasn't supposed to go out of her way to accommodate us or the kids for the evening, but she had just smiled and said that she hadn't...

...her husband, Al, had.

Al was tall, and it was easy to see where Damien had gotten his build and bulk from. Although Al was no longer as hard-bodied as his son, he was still in decent shape given his softening form. His hair was a bright shade of white, and his face held deep lines on his forehead and around his mouth. Surprisingly, he also had some glasses that framed his blue eyes, but they seemed to match the aesthetic of his old wool sweater and pleated pants.

Upon arriving, the older man's enthusiasm was so vivid it was almost contagious. A wide smile had stretched across his face, and he had eagerly shown the kids the different setups in the backyard. Although Al was in his early sixties, he was able to keep up with the kids' roughhousing. Even little Evie had taken a liking to the energetic giant as she toddled next to him, laughing with the other children.

While Al kept the four youngest busy, Kels, Lou, and I were on the back deck as Lou grilled our dinner. Every once in a while Lou would shout to Al to not wear himself out, but the large man would simply grin and continue his running while wiping a wrinkled hand along his sweating forehead.