Page 120 of Except You
“Um. Hi,” I say with a wobbly voice. “I’m your uncle, Max.”
“Max,” she says and then grins at me, grabbing at my nose. “Untle Max.”
A small sob escapes me as I grin, making Lucy giggle at the noise. I’d laugh too, but for some reason, I can’t stop crying.
“Oh baby,” Beau says gently, wrapping an arm around me and squeezing. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“I have a niece,” I tell him, almost bewildered. I can’t believe I’m holding her in my arms. She smells like watermelon.
“And a nephew,” Kieran says loudly, glancing up at me. Sem’s brought him over, his giant hand engulfing Kieran’s, and I smile at him.
“Yeah, and a nephew,” I correct and Kieran grins at me, looking a little timid. I don’t want him shy around me, so I lower myself onto the floor and set Lucy on my lap. Kieran stares at me a moment before running away, only to return a second later, dragging a basket of toys along with him.
“I also have a Jeep,” he says, pointing to a custom Jeep that I’m sure Sem built himself. It’s quite impressive.
“Daddy made that for me,” he says, confirming my suspicions, and I look up at Sem, who is watching us carefully from his place in the kitchen. Magnus is beside him, a glass of wine in his hand. “Looks awesome. I can’t wait for you to show me how it works.”
Kieran nods as Lucy scrambles out of my lap and grabs a musical toy, holding it out to me. I take it while Kieran dumps out some toy cars and ramps, showing me how to build them.
Beau lowers himself next to me and gets to work, the two of us playing with the kids while Magnus and Sem get to work in the kitchen. A few minutes later, they hand us our drinks and we sip on them as we help build an epic Hot Wheels course. And the entire time, listening to Lucy babble and Kieran chatter my ear off, I can’t help but think that I’m an uncle.
This is my family.
And I’ve finally found home.
By the time we sit down for dinner, Kieran insisting he sit next to me and Beau, my nerves are gone. The entire time, Magnus watches us with a teary smile, and I grin back, my heart so goddamn happy. After dinner, I insist on doing the dishes, and Beau tags along, helping me dry.
“Want to stay for some dessert?” Magnus asks. “I was thinking s’mores.”
Sem grins and Magnus shakes his head. “You are not using the flamethrower to start the fire.”
“Maggie, c’mon. The kids love it.”
Magnus sighs and then turns toward us. “See what I have to put up with?”
Without another word, Sem scoops my brother up, settling him on his hip.
“Spoiled rotten, this one,” Sem says and then runs a hand through his hair and kisses him gently.
I squirm as I watch them, but then glance down at Beau and see him grinning happily at the two of them.
“Okay, fine. The flamethrower, but only if you put me down this instant. And the kids are not allowed near it.”
Sem nods and then sets Magnus down, walking toward the back of the house.
“Come on, Max. Gonna show you how to light a fire like a real man.”
“Do not burn him to bits,” Beau calls after us, and I throw him a smile.
“I’ll be fine, Bow-tie. I’m a real man. I can handle a little fire.”
Magnus and Beau let out laughs, and I roll my eyes as I follow Sem outside. He grabs something tucked away on a high shelf from the shed, and hands it to me.
“Let’s go light some shit on fire.”
“That’s a good fire, Max,” Beau says, sitting on my lap. The kids have gone to bed, worn out from playing so hard earlier and from making s’mores by the fire. I got to read them both a book before they were tucked into bed, and I nearly died from happiness.
I wrap my arms around Beau’s middle and bury my face into his neck. I can see Sem and Magnus watching us from across the firepit, but it’s not judgmental, just curious more than anything. Probably wondering how I ended up with a guy when I was so homophobic years ago.