CHAPTER 209: CHADWICK’S HOMECOMING

Zack held his hands out and Chadwick took them within his and closed his eyes. "I feel kindness, tenderness and affection, with a strong protective nature yet loving. These hands are the first ones that came in contact with me when I was born, you delivered me."

Zack took Chadwick within his arms and hugged him tightly. "Yes, I did. At 11 pounds and 3 ounces you were a little bit large for your dad and he struggled. I cleaned you up, tied off the record and wrapped you in a swaddling blanket. I kissed your forehead and told you that you were beautiful. I attempted to hand you off to your dad so that he could at least see, but after the photo was taken your father grabbed you and left our delivery area. To this day nobody here at the Z1 has ever laid eyes upon you."

"You have turned into a wonderful young man; your dad can be proud. We had to be careful—he’s only three weeks along and he doesn’t need any big shocks, and you’ll be a big one."

"Sir, since I was born here on the ranch, do I still have rights to reside here?" Chadwick asked.

"Young man, if you don’t have the right to be here, no one does. Your family has been here for a very long time, generations in fact. You have a few cousins scattered here and there on the ranch, but it’s just you and your dad—your grandparents have since passed on."

The three heard the door handle rattling. Jeremiah knew it was the guys coming back from the vegetable houses. Chadwick made the book down on the coffee table along with his copy of his transition card and he stood back in the kitchen area, out of the way as instructed by Mr. Zach.

It was the first thing that Eddie saw when he walked into the room—his book. He dropped all the vegetables on the floor. "What the hell is my memory book doing in here on the table? It doesn’t come out of the reading nook. It is not for anyone to see unless I show it to them." He gave Jeremiah the most scalding look anybody could have received.

Then he realized there was an envelope also by the book, the contents already spilling out. "I keep these things in their special place. Every time I send him one, I put a copy here in this book so that I will never forget." He took a seat on the sofa, grabbed the book and the letter and went to the back. He realized that his copy was still in his memory book. He looked at Mr. Zach and Jeremiah with a questionable look upon his face, his mouth moving but no words coming out.

A young man came out of the kitchen and took a seat beside him. Eddie was afraid to look at him because he felt that he wasn’t real.

"Yes dad, I was looking at your memory book so that I could make my own memories, and I brought your card back to show you that no one could ever forget about you."

It was a touching moment as Eddie held his firstborn for the first time. The tears were flowing, and he asked, "What do I call you? I don’t even know your name."

"Dad, my name is Chadwick. Three weeks ago today I transitioned and something inside of me tore loose and all I wanted to do was find you. Three days ago, this letter came from the Genman Council representative. I intercepted it because it was actually mine. After a little back-and-forth I picked up my bags and I walked out of the house, headed to the only address I knew—this envelope."

Chadwick continued, "I had an okay life. He didn’t abuse me, he didn’t beat me, but he still didn’t treat me like a son should be treated. I don’t blame him because he is not capable of love, but now that I’m back home I’m staying here where I was born and where my family lives. I hear congratulations are due to you and Jeremiah for my baby brothers that will be here when they are born. I can’t tell you how much I wanted someone else in my life growing up, and now I’m going to have two baby brothers to start out with."

Zack looked around. "It’s a little tight in here until we can get an addition built on to the cottage. There’s plenty of room to add on and I’ll get with Ben to see how soon they can start. It’s going to be a little tight on the scheduling with everything else we’ve got going on and with Benjamin due any second—Ben is waiting on that grandbaby."

"Mr. Zach, we’re in no big hurry," Jeremiah spoke up. "We’ve got the pull-out sofa bed if Chadwick doesn’t mind sleeping on it, and we can make do until things slow down for you."

"As long as I’m home I don’t care where I sleep," Chadwick replied. "I can sleep in my dad’s house—I’ve been denied far too long."

Vincent came bopping into the house whistling. He saw the guys all standing together. He looked over at Chadwick and said, "I see you found the place all right. See, my directions weren’t hard to follow and you were afraid you’d get lost."

Willie looked at him. "You mean you sent this young man over here and didn’t bring him to his dad’s house? What in the hell were you thinking—a young man searching for his dad who has never seen his dad, and you act like it is no big deal, just send him to the house and put him on the front porch?"

Vincent, with his good Sicilian charm, walked up to Willie and grabbed him in his arms. "One look and that’s all it took—I knew exactly who his dad was. I don’t know why you’re getting all worked up. Must be the hormones. Is that what happens at almost 4 months along? Genman get grouchy and irritable, but damn, that makes you even sexier to me."

Willie blushed a bright red. "Vincent, my grandfather’s right there, tone it down. Plus the boy’s there—what do you think you’re doing? We need to set a good example for him."

Vincent kissed Willie and patted him on the butt as he headed toward their room to shower. "I’ll be right back. I’m cleaning up because I smell and I don’t want to stink everybody else out."

Willie stood there flabbergasted. "Can you believe that? Vincent knew all the time he was here, didn’t tell no one, didn’t know what, just sent him to the house."

Jake started to laugh at his grandson. "You’ve definitely got the hormone thing going, don’t you boy? Why don’t you take it down a few notches, go get you some cool water and cool your jets. All that stress ain’t doing that baby no good." Then he gave his grandson a stern look. Willie walked into the kitchen.

Jeremiah motioned for Chadwick to have a seat beside him on the sofa, then invited Eddie to have a seat on his other side. The three of them slowly went through the memory book, Eddie explaining to his son what every entry into the book meant to him.

Zack walked in the kitchen and set the table, then told his grandson to do the same. "Willie, your hormones are out of control and there was no need to snap at Vincent the way that you did. I suggest you get your ass up from this table and you ease into that bedroom and you apologize. He was supportive of the situation that was in front of him. He helped the young man find his dad without getting involved into a situation that he did not know how it was to turn out."

Willie sat there with his mouth open. Grandfather Zack took Vincent’s side in this situation—he wasn’t out of line, he didn’t get irate, he didn’t know what the problem was with everybody. He slowly got up and went to the bedroom for the showdown with Vincent, knowing he would have to eat crow, just not how much.

Willie found Vincent sitting on the bed drying his feet and he took a seat beside him. Before he could say anything, Vincent spoke up. "It’s not your fault and I’m not going to blame you. Your hormones are causing you to be irritable without your knowledge. I’ve seen it many a time in my sister-in-laws—a simple thing will make them explode and they don’t know they’re doing it. It just goes along with being pregnant, so don’t worry about it. I still love you. You’re just not human, but hormones are hormones no matter what or who. So, let’s make nice and go out. I’ll help you start on supper while the three of them catch up on several years."

Vincent and Willie snuck into the kitchen and started to prepare the evening meal. Mr. Zack was asked if he would like to attend supper as a guest, but he told Vincent maybe next time. He hugged his grandson goodbye and eased out the back door.