Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Today is the day.

The day Jason finally comes to stay with us. Tobias and I have had numerous visits with him, taking him on little days out every weekend. Six weeks later and we're finally walking hand in hand towards Tobias' car with a suitcase of his things. He doesn't have much, a few clothing bits, drawings and his beloved cowboy that he's never separated from.

The relationship between Jason and Tobias and I is growing from strength to strength. Even the manager of the boys home was surprised at how comfortable Jason is becoming. I've definitely seen a difference in his on edge behaviour the past few weeks.

"Are you excited honey?" I ask him, holding his hand. Tobias is walking on his other side, his large hand holding Jason's small one.

"Yes." Jason says, his voice shaking slightly with nerves. Tobias and I look at one another knowingly before pausing and bending down to his level. His brown eyes flicker between both of us and I know he's beginning to grow nervous.

"If at any point you want to come back here, you let us know. Okay?" I tell him. He nods his head, dark blonde hair falling over into his eyes. Tobias reaches forward and pushes the strands back, away from his face. At one point, Jason would have flinched but the bond between the two boys is indescribable. Jason has a strong trust with Tobias that clearly became evident after the first few interactions with him.

"You're going to be brave, right Jason? Just like Woody." Tobias murmurs quietly.

"Woody is brave." Jason whispers, releasing my hand and pulling the doll out from his backpack. He grasps hold of it tightly before taking a deep breath.

"I can be brave too?" Jason asks me, looking directly up and into my eyes. I nod my head, feeling the emotion building up inside of me.

"Yes honey, you're brave too."

He pauses for a moment, digesting the information before surprising me and wrapping his arms around my neck. I blink in shock but quickly wrap my arms around his small frame, squeezing lightly. When he lets go, he turns around and does the same to Tobias.

"Thank you buddy, that was a nice cuddle." Tobias says, pulling back. Jason smiles uneasily, his little teeth on display. He puts his arms out at Tobias, wanting to be picked up. Tobias chuckles and scoops him up in his arms before spinning him around and resting him on his shoulders.

"Hold tight cowboy!" Tobias says, keeping hold of his arms. Jason's little laughter fills the air as they play the game he loves and adores —

Horses and cowboys.

"Go horsey, go!" Jason screeches, his little giggles filling the air as Tobias zooms around the streets. I laugh at the pair of them before pulling my phone out and quickly snapping a picture.

*****

"Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Don't forget to wash up." Tobias says, popping his head round the living room door. I smile gratefully at him, the smell of roast chicken and vegetables floating through the air. He smiles back before disappearing again and I turn my attention back to Jason who's sat cross legged on the floor. He's surrounded by numerous toys, some of them his own and others brand new ones that Tobias and I chose out for him.

"Are you hungry honey? Dinner will be ready in a minute."

Jason shakes his head furiously, grabbing hold of his cowboy doll and hugging it close to his chest. I frown and shuffle closer to him, careful not to invade his personal space.

"No." Jason mutters, staring up at me warily from under his dark lashes.

"What's wrong?" I ask him, reaching forward to take hold of one of his hands. He seems rigid at the slight contact at first but after a few seconds, his hand relaxes.

"I don't want to go Trish. Want to play." He whispers, his bottom lip quivering. His large eyes begin to fill up with tears and I gently pull him towards me until he's sitting in my lap.

"Once we're done eating, we can play for a little while longer." I say carefully, giving him lots of reassurance. Jason shakes his head furiously again, his hair strands tickling my chin.

"No! I don't want to go! I want to stay here." He begins to cry, tears rolling down his cheeks. It suddenly dawns on me that he's worried about leaving us and not just his toys. I wrap my arms around him, using my free hand to comb through his hair. The affection causes him to relax further and he grows silent.

"Jason, listen to me. You can stay with me and Tobias for however long you like, okay? You don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to."

"I can play and stay with you?" He asks quietly. Before I get the chance to respond, he speaks again, his words urgent. "And Toby?"

I smile because he isn't quite able to say Tobias' name correctly yet. It's a work in progress.

"Yes, you can play with me and Toby and stay with us too."

"I like that Trish." Jason whispers, nestling his head into my chest. I can feel tears building up inside my eyes and I quickly blink them back. My heart swells with love for him and I know I've made the right decision. I feel like I've been given a second chance to do something good and worthwhile in this world and it's damn rewarding too.

Jason and I remain in that position for a few minutes, both of us enjoying the silence and being close to one another. He didn't have much affection or love from his parents and because of that, he's grateful for every small loving action. In that moment I feel lucky and excited to be able to be part of Jason's life, hopefully forever.

"Come on buddy, let's go wash up for dinner." I mumble, my voice thick with emotion. I stand up and Jason copies me, slipping his hand into mine. We both head to the kitchen to wash our hands and settle down as a family of three.

I wouldn't have it any other way.