Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 113741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
“It smells wonderful and green beans are my favorite,” Gage added, and after a minute, he smiled as Em pushed the fourth green bean back with her others on her plate. Trent put a chicken breast on each plate and started with Hunter as he began cutting them up in small bites for the kids to eat. Gage watched him for a minute, then took Em’s plate and followed Trent’s lead, cutting the pieces for Em. Dinner stayed pretty much like that through the course of the meal.
It surprised him at how easily Gage fit into his family. After last night, he’d tried to push Gage mentally away as best as he could. Making Gage something fun to play with until the socialite got tired of playing with the regular folk, but Gage transitioned between the worlds easily. There was no awkwardness as they sat in his small, outdated kitchen, and conversation flowed easily. The kids settled down with their excitement of having someone over and fell into their normal, comfortable conversation, as well. The whole thing pleased Trent, and he pretty much thought his kids were about the most well-mannered, easy to be around children in the world.
“Do you like my daddy?” Hunter asked Gage.
“I do, very much,” Gage replied, looking up at Trent, giving him a wink.
“Why?” Hunter asked.
“Hunter,” Trent began, but Gage cut him off.
“No, it’s a fair question. I like him because he’s smart, funny, handsome, and very strong. He can lift…” Gage said, and Hunter cut him off.
“He’s the strongest dad in my class and he has the biggest muscles. He can beat up all the other dads. I know it,” Hunter said, looking straight at Gage. Hunter’s face remained serious as he spoke.
“Hunter,” Trent said again, completely reevaluating the whole perfect kid theory from a few seconds ago.
“I’m sure he could. I watched him working today and he can lift very heavy things,” Gage said. Hunter started to speak, but Em turned to Trent, a huge smile on her face.
“I told my teacher at school that my daddy’s in love and gonna get married. Daddy, did you decide if Gage can come to my birthday party?” Em asked. Trent stared at her for the briefest of seconds just blinking, having no idea how to respond to the first part, so he chose to ignore it and concentrated on the second part of what Em said.
“Em, baby, you’re supposed to ask me in private, with no one around. But I don’t think he can come this time. He has to go out of town this weekend, right after the grand opening we’re all going to,” Trent said. Em’s excited face fell with disappointment in her eyes as she looked back at Gage.
“Sweetheart, my plans might change. I might be able to be back early Sunday. If you can get me invited, I’ll try to come, but please don’t be upset if I can’t be here,” Gage said, tossing a green bean in his mouth.
“Daddy, please! In private, please say yes!” Trent kept his eyes on Gage, surprised. This was completely different than what he and Gage talked about last night. “Of course, you’re welcome to spend the day with us, but be warned, it’s an all-day deal. Em has us going to lunch, a movie, skating, and ending at Chuck E. Cheese,” Trent said.
“I’d be honored to be there. Just please promise me not to be disappointed if I can’t come. My flights might not work out right. Promise me and if I’m not here, we can all go out for the day when I get back,” Gage said.
“Yay! Gage is coming to my birthday, Hunter!” Em yelled across the small table and did the happy dance in her booster seat.
“Em, he said maybe,” Hunter said from across the table.
“Em, settle down and eat, your dinner’s getting cold,” Trent said, tapping the side of her plate with his fork. She did and managed to get all four of the green beans down, showing Gage every time she ate one.
****
The television played quietly in the background as Gage sat on the oversized, slightly outdated sofa waiting for Trent to get the kids to sleep. He reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the remote control, muting the volume in order to hear better as the children tried to talk Trent into letting them stay up a little while longer. Hunter was the negotiator and Em the closer. They double-teamed Trent with such success, he wondered if he should bring the Chicago Police Department out to learn their negotiation skills.
Hunter successfully bargained for both he and Em into Trent’s bigger bed, with the bigger, better television, and got a full fifteen minutes more of cartoons before the television turned off for bedtime. Trent tried to get them down, but they were wound up. Gage could tell his presence added to the problem tonight. The kids wanted to stay up, be with the company in the house and Trent was determined they were to stay in bed and go to sleep. Gage laughed because it seemed the three of them shared a common goal. They all wanted back in here until Gage left for the night.
After a minute more of listening to the bedtime exchange, Gage got up and went back into the small kitchen to begin washing the dishes from their dinner. Apparently the Cooper family ate dinner together at the kitchen table every night. Hunter wasn’t so keen on that plan; he explained how his friends got to eat dinner watching television, but Trent made them sit together as a family and share their day.
It seemed dinner time also came with cleanup time because the kids celebrated not having to clean the kitchen tonight. This little family ate together every night, and then cleaned the kitchen together afterward before getting ready for bed. They did it all like a little team, which made this scenario another on the long list of reasons endearing Trent to him, driving him deeper inside his heart.