“We prayed for her, Isaac. None of us knew what else to do,” Nikki said when I asked what she and Natalie said to Kate at the New Year’s Eve party.
“I’m glad you did. I think that God might be the only one that can help Zac, now.”
“I’m afraid that’s how Kate feels, too. I think she feels like she is some sort of failure as a wife, but Natalie and I explained to her that the stubbornness in Hanson men runs deep and that no woman stands a chance against it.”
“Is that so?” I asked.
“Um hmmm,” she said.
“In that case,” I wrapped my arms around and pulled her into my lap.
“What is it exactly you think you are doing?” She asked, a smile playing on her lips.
“You fell asleep before I could get my good night kiss. I’m just trying to make up for lost time. Don’t you want me to have good luck this year?”
“Well, as much as I would like to ensure that you get lucky next year, we are going to have to postpone this session. I promised Kate that I would call your mom and fill her in on what happened last night.”
“Alright. I suppose I’ll let you take care of business. I’ll go check on the boys.”
“Now that is a good idea,” she said.
I walked down the hall to the boy’s room. Everette was playing with his new toy truck set and Monroe was sleeping peacefully. Everette looked up at me when I came in and held a dump truck out to me.
I sat on the floor with him and we played until his eyes were only about half open.
“Tired little man?”
He yawned and then shook his head.
“Why don’t you take a break for a few minutes, and then you can play some more if you feel like it?” I asked
He nodded and I patted the floor next to me. He toddled over, but then sat in my lap, resting his head against my chest. He was asleep in a few minutes. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I sat soaking in the memories of my boys, the way they looked like angels when they slept, the way their room looked, the way I could already see their personalities. Nothing was out of place on Everette’s bed, while Monroe took up as much space in his crib as possible, blanket all askew, even though I knew Nikki carefully tucked him in.
“Where are my men?” I heard Nikki ask as she came down the hallway. She stopped and smiled when she peaked her head in.
“Don’t move,” she said. She went back down the hallway and came back with her camera. “That’s a picture to show his first girlfriend,” she said, snapping a picture.
She sat down beside me and rested her head on my shoulder.
“How did telling mom go?” I asked
“Well, speaking of girlfriends,” she started. “Apparently our suspicions were right. Avery has one. She blurted it out last night at your mom’s party. Your mom is upset and embarrassed because a lot of people from her church were there. In fact, she kicked Avery out. She’s packing now. I think she is going to stay with Taylor and Natalie for a bit.”
“What’s that look for?” she asked me after several minutes.
“I just don’t know what to do. Is my loyalty to my sister or my parents?”
“Maybe it’s not about loyalty. Maybe it’s about doing what you feel is right in your heart and making a decision you can stand by.”
“I can’t imagine us ever kicking the boys out, no matter what. I think that if it ever got to the point we considered it, that would be a point where they would actually need more help from us to deal with whatever they are going through.”
“I agree. Do you think that Avery needs help?”
“I think she is still a teenager and shouldn’t be out on her own. I know that my parent’s think that homosexuality is a sin, but can you really help who you love? And I think that we need to be involved in her life to help her. Tulsa is still a pretty conservative city and my parents aren’t going to be the only ones that have a problem when they see her kissing another girl. Those other girls are also a concern. I want to make sure that she dates someone that treats her the way she deserves to be treated.”
“Then I think you need to call your mom and explain that to her.”
“What if she doesn’t listen? She’s still my mom and deserving of my respect.”
“That’s true. I know you wouldn’t pay this card on your own, but you might have to remind her of the fact that your dad is employed because of you. If Taylor is letting Avery stay, then I’m sure he would back you up.”
“And Zac and Avery have always been close, so I’m sure he would be on board. I just hate to do that to my own father.” I thought about how hard my brothers and I still had to fight for our career, and the ability to support our families was a huge part of why we did.
“They are doing worse to your sister. If you let this go, they could do the same thing to Mac and Zoe when they get to be teenagers.”
“Zoe is mini-mom, I’m sure her teenage years will be as mild as they come.”
“You think that now, but you never know if she is going to meet a boy, or girl, that will influence her.”
My teenage years came back to me, especially the ones that happened after our first record. My behavior changed a lot then once my circle of influences expanded past our church groups.
I just nodded. “Ok, I’ll call mom.” I looked down at my son still sleeping my lap. “Later.”