by S. E. Brown
“Uncle Declan!!” the kids cheered.
“It’s the J’s! You ready for the zoo?” He loved to call them by the nickname he gave them when the youngest was born.
“Yeh!!”
Declan laughed and looked to his brother who had a smirk on his face.
“Yeh, you guys have fun. Make sure they’re completely warn out before you bring them back,” Aidan commented.
“No problem. I’ve been looking forward to this all week.” He picked up the little boy who looked to be the younger of the two and ruffled his hair. “You ready to see the tigers?”
“Raaaaaaaaar!” he growled, making a mean face.
Madison laughed at just how cute the little boy was being which caused the older girl to look up at her. “Who are you?”
“Juliana,” Aidan reprimanded gently and her eyes quickly turned to her father. “Manners, please.”
“Sorry.” She turned back to Madison and extended her hand. “I’m Juliana. What’s your name?”
Madison was flabbergasted by the formality of the young girl. It was cute, and she was extremely impressed.
“I’m Madison. You must be Declan’s niece, Juliana,” she answered, shaking the girl’s hand lightly. She turned to the little boy. “And you must be Jack.”
Jack, becoming bashful, hid his face in Declan’s chest.
“How do you know my uncle?” Juliana inquired.
Madison looked to Declan for help.
How am I supposed to define our relationship to your niece and nephew … and your brother?
“Aidan, Juliana, Jack, this is Madison, my girlfriend,” he said confidently, never breaking eye contact with her.
Madison felt her cheeks go warm. She wasn’t one to be bashful or get embarrassed, but she hadn’t been called someone’s girlfriend in a very long time.
Aidan extended his hand to her. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Aidan.”
“Madison. Nice to meet you as well,” she responded with a smile, accepting his hand.
Juliana tugged gently on Declan’s shirt to get his attention. “Is Madison coming to the zoo with us?”
“Would you like her to?” he asked her and looked to Jack to gauge his response as well. Once Jack saw Juliana agree, they were both nodding their heads.
“Me, too,” he smiled at them then turned back to Madison. “What do you think? Want to join me and the J’s at the zoo today?”
“I, umm…” she looked down at her clothing and then at Aidan. Standing there in drenched workout clothes was definitely not how she would have liked to first meet Declan’s family. She looked back to Declan. “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude on your time with the kids.”
“It’s not a problem. Plus, they want you to come,” Declan smiled and the kids nodded their heads again.
“Well, okay then. Yes, I would love to. Can I have about twenty minutes?”
“What do you guys think? Can you find something to play with around here while Madison gets changed?”
They both shook their heads excitedly.
“I have a spare set of clothes in my bag, just in case,” she grinned at Declan. “Let me go take a quick shower and change. I’ll be right back.”
Declan nodded.
Madison turned to Aidan on her way out of the office. “It was really nice to meet you, Aidan.”
“You, too. Have fun today,” he responded warmly.
“Thanks,” she smiled.
Once Madison was out of earshot, Declan pulled out a couple of toys he and Erin kept for the kids in the office, closing them inside while he and Aidan remained in the hallway.
“So … your girlfriend? When were you going to share that bit of information?” Aidan asked quietly with a grin.
“Cut me some slack. It’s pretty new.”
Aidan nodded. “Good for you. She box?”
Declan laughed. “Not sure she’s ever been in the ring before, but we partnered up the other day during a class and she’s got some fight in her punches.”
“Good to know,” Aidan grinned.
“Alright, get outta here. Go see your wife. We’ll drop the kids off some time after dinner. Will that work?”
“That would be perfect. Thank you.”
“No problem. Like I said, I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”
“That’s only because you get to be the fun, cool uncle instead of dealing with all the everyday bullshit.”
“Exactly!” Declan grinned. “Enjoy the day with Rebecca. Give her a kiss for me.”
“I will. Thanks again,” Aidan said as he gave Declan a hug. He opened the door to the office and gave the kids each a hug goodbye. “Behave for Uncle Declan, okay?”
The kids nodded and then he headed to the front door.
Chapter 10
Madison: Looks like things are back on track with Declan. At the zoo with him and his niece and nephew.
Jessa: How domesticated of you! Your own little insta-family.
Madison: Shut it, Jess. It’s already weird enough. Don’t start freaking me out.
Jessa: LOL. You’ll be fine. Just enjoy the day.
Madison smiled with a sigh of relief. She and Declan had talked things out, she’d met his brother, niece and nephew, and now they were enjoying the day at the zoo. So far the day had done a complete one-eighty.
Jack had insisted during the entire drive that they head straight to the tigers. However, to get there meant they had to walk past many other animals, and he seemed to get distracted by each and every one.
They started with the prairie dogs and it made both Madison and Declan smile to see Juliana take Jack’s hand and lead him to the small viewing areas that were big enough for a couple kids to pop their heads up from below and be just inches away from where the dogs lived and played. A popular place, the exhibit was swarming with kids, parents and strollers.
Declan let them have their fun for a few minutes and called them back. “We need to let the other kids take a peak, bud. And we have the tigers we need to go see,” he explained when Jack started to complain about having to leave the dogs.
“Oh, yeh. Tigers!” And just like that, the prairie dogs were easily forgotten.
They stopped to see several other animals before they encountered brown bears that looked like they were play fighting.
Declan picked Jack up so he could see better and Madison smiled. He was so good with the kids. In just the short time the four of them had been together, she could tell when the kids were with him, they were his first priority. And he did everything he could to make their time together special.
Not having a great deal of experience with kids, Madison started to worry when they came to a fork in the path. One direction led to Jack’s favorite, the tigers, and the other to Juliana’s, the polar bears. She had learned what both of their favorites were during the car ride and expected a big meltdown when they had to make a decision.
“Well, which way should we go?” Declan asked. “This way to the tigers,” he pointed, “or this way to the polar bears.”
“We can go to the tigers first,” Juliana said before Jack had a chance to respond.
Madison watched in disbelief.
No meltdown? Thank God!
“That’s really nice of you, Juliana. We’ll see the polar bears next, okay?”
“Okay!” She grabbed Declan’s hand and started pulling him toward the tigers.
Growing up, Madison had never experienced anything like this. Her parents had let her know she wasn’t planned and they continued to remind her of that fact as she got older. There were no trips to the zoo, the park, concerts, fireworks … all the things families often did with young children. Instead, she was told to stay quiet and out of sight. And since she had no other family in the area, special day trips with an aunt, uncle or cousins weren’t even an option.
Watching the way Declan was with Jack and Juliana made her smile.
This is how it’s supposed to be.
She hoped,
when she had a family of her own, this is how it would be. They would spend time together as a family enjoying animals at the zoo, going to the beach and playing in the snow in the mountains. They would sit around the dining room table eating dinner and sharing stories about their day. Game nights. Trips to amusement parks. And when the kids got older, she hoped her home would be the hub where everyone would gather. She wanted to be the cool mom. The one her kids’ friends could turn to when they needed someone. Never did she want any child of hers, or her children’s friends, to feel alone or unwanted.
As they walked toward the tiger exhibit, Jack grabbed her hand and started telling Madison all about the animals – that they were orange in color and had really big teeth. That a lot of them lived in Africa and he hoped to someday visit the tigers there. For a four-year old, he knew quite a bit.
When they reached the exhibit, Jack tugged on Madison’s hand and asked to be picked up so he could see better. Smiling to herself, she raised him to her hip and held him as he quietly watched the two tigers in front of him lazily walk from their resting place to the pond built into the exhibit.
This is exactly how it’s supposed to be.
“What do you think, bud?” Declan asked.
Jack’s eyes never left the animals but they lit up like Christmas morning. He never did say anything. Instead, he wiggled in Madison’s arm to be let down. Once his feet touched the ground, he made his way to the front of the exhibit and stood against the barrier and just simply watched them.
Several minutes later, Declan walked up to his nephew. “Hey Jack, think we can go see the polar bears now? It looks like the tigers are about to lay down for a nap.”
Jack nodded his head. “They’re Juliana’s favorite.”
Declan chuckled and responded with a smile, “Yes, they are. Let’s go see them for a bit.”
Juliana smiled and took Jack’s hand, leading them back down the path they had come from.
Declan mimicked his niece and interlaced his fingers with Madison’s.
“These guys are so great together. I can’t believe how they look out for each other and never argue,” she said in disbelief.
“Oh, they have their moments,” Declan laughed, “but they’ve been like this ever since Jack was born. They really watch out for each other.”
“That’s pretty awesome.”
“They remind me of Aidan and I watching out for Erin. The age gap between Juliana and Jack is the same as between Aidan and Erin. They actually remind me a lot of each other.”
“I never knew siblings could be like this.”
“Sometimes. Not always,” he smiled. “I remember Erin and I yelling and fighting with each other, but ten minutes later she’d knock on my door and we’d sit and talk or listen to music together. It’s a whole different feeling fighting with someone you know loves you, that they’ll always have your back, no matter what.”
Madison had no idea what that would be like. It was a concept she couldn’t event fathom.
“You guys have a pretty special relationship, that’s for sure.”
“We do. We all do,” he nodded and smiled again. “And I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”
They walked silently for a bit, keeping an eye on the kids who were walking a few paces in front of them. Jack hadn’t been paying attention and nearly walked straight into a beautiful peacock that was meandering through the zoo. Thankfully Juliana pulled him out of the way.
“You okay there, bud?” Declan called out to him.
Jack didn’t even turn around, he just nodded his head and kept walking, making Declan chuckle.
“Who were you close to when you were young? Before you lived with Ellie?” Declan asked, curious how Madison’s younger years differed from his.
“I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, really,” she shrugged. “I met Jessa when I was fourteen but we hated each other right away.”
“You did? Why?”
“I thought she was after my boyfriend,” she answered simply. “Once I realized she really wasn’t after him, something snapped and we became instant friends.”
“That’s an odd start to a relationship.”
“Yeh, we laugh about it now.”
“A boyfriend at fourteen? How old were you when you had your first kiss?” Declan inquired.
Madison looked at him, trying to read his expression. All she saw was curiosity. “Fourteen. His name was Shawn. You?”
“Fifteen. Jenny. We were playing Seven Minutes in Heaven.”
Madison laughed. “I’ve heard about that game but have never actually played it. What’s the point?”
“Somehow or another, you get paired up with another person. For some reason we always used a bottle,” he shrugged. “But two people go into a closet or dark room for seven minutes. Whatever happens, happens.”
“And at fifteen you just started groping each other?”
Declan laughed. “No, not quite. I was pretty timid and shy, and so was she. I don’t think we kissed until just before the doors opened.”
“I can’t even imagine,” Madison said with a chuckle.
“Well, I tell you what. Someday I’ll drag you into a closet for seven minutes and kiss you, and then you can say you’ve played the game.”
Madison laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”
“I see one!” they heard Juliana exclaim. She was a few paces in front of them, but they could easily see her and where she was looking. Just to their right, one of the polar bears was swimming in the water.
“Can we go downstairs and watch them there?” she asked.
“Sure thing. Lead the way,” Declan answered.
They had timed their arrival just right. As they wound their way beneath the pool, they saw the zookeepers appear with buckets of fish for the bears.
It was cute seeing how enthralled Juliana became watching them swim. For as large as they were, they seemed to just glide through the ice cold water like it was nothing.
When Jack started to get antsy, they decided it was time for a bathroom and snack break. Heading back toward the food court in the middle of the zoo, they stopped at the restrooms.
“I’m just glad Jack is finally out of diapers,” Declan commented to Madison with a grin as he took Jack’s hand and led him into the men’s bathroom.
“I would pay money to see that!” Madison threw at him as she and Juliana walked into the women’s bathroom.
Madison took the brief moment in the solitude to think about the day. She smiled as she thought of Declan and the way he was with the kids. Somehow he managed to make each of them, and her, his top priority throughout the day. Madison hadn’t wanted to intrude on his time with the kids, but like Jessa had said, it was quite nearly like having an insta-family being here with all of them. She was glad she had gone to the gym and ultimately accepted the invitation to the zoo.
The rest of the afternoon went much the same. They visited the giraffe exhibit and were able to feed the animals straight from their hands. Jack was nervous at first, but once he saw Juliana do it, he checked his nerves and stuck his hand right out. The giraffe didn’t hesitate to take the food.
Declan’s favorite part was seeing the monkeys. The way the exhibit was built, visitors could be up close and personal, just on the other side of the clear barrier. They watched them swing from tree to tree and nibble on bananas. And with microphones hidden in the habitat, they could hear them, too. Declan even started to dance around, making a complete fool of himself, trying to entertain the kids, not that they needed it. His goofy side fit right in, and Madison enjoyed seeing it.
For Madison, she liked the penguin exhibit best. She loved watching them flop and dive into the water, circling the habitat. The kids, however, weren’t too keen on the horrible smell that came with seeing the chilly creatures.
As the sun started making its way toward the horizon and everyone was getting tired from a long day of walking and exploring, they came upon their final event.
“
Uncle Declan?” Juliana asked quietly.
“Yeh, sweetheart?”
Hearing that made Madison’s heart melt again, if that was even possible. She was certain all that was inside her ribcage was a big pile of goo.
“Do you think we could take a carriage ride before we leave?”
Not far in front of them was the stand where visitors could pay for a carriage ride that would take them around the zoo. The kids had been so good all day, Declan didn’t have the heart to deny her.
“I think we can do that,” he smiled at her.
They didn’t have to stand in line long before they climbed into the carriage. Wanting to put their feet up, they all sat on one side – Declan and Madison were next to each other with Juliana next to Madison and Jack on Declan’s lap. The little guy was so tired, Declan was sure he’d be asleep before the ride was over.
There was a bit of chill in the air, so Madison reached across to the other side and grabbed the blanket, spreading it over the four of them.
Juliana snuggled into her side and Madison wrapped an arm around her.
That was a day she would never forget.
She leaned her head back against the carriage and inhaled a deep breath. When she felt Declan slide his hand to hers, she turned her head and looked into his soft blue eyes.
Somehow, in an extremely short amount of time, she had come to care for him a great deal. He had shown part of his heart that day, the way he cared for his sibling’s children like they were his own. She appreciated that he had made his own way in the world. He had built a business from scratch and taken over the second, something he hadn’t planned to do. Perhaps most importantly, she liked the family man he seemed to be. If she truly wanted the kind of family she thought she did, she was going to need some help, someone to show her the way. She couldn’t imagine anyone better for the task than the man sitting next to her. Declan Healy was quickly securing a place in her heart.
The thought also scared her. She had been on her own for so long, fending for herself, living a fairly solitary life. She wasn’t sure how to handle the feelings she was having.
Taking a deep breath and smiling to herself, she reconciled that for tonight she would let the worrying be. Just like when they were at dinner, she hadn’t known what would happen that evening or the next. She didn’t presume to have any inkling of what their future held. For that night, she would let things happen as they happened. She could wrestle with her feelings another day.
