Matters of the Heart

Bonus: Growing Graham

|| Calum ||

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" I asked my youngest son, Graham, as the two of us drove home after a long day of work and school.

"Whatever you and mom feel like having," He shrugged. "I'm not too fussed."

"You never are," I chuckled. And that much was true, because of all three of mine and Madison's biological children, Graham was the least fussy about what was put on his plate. 

When Graham and I had arrived home, we weren't too surprised to find Madison and my youngest godson, Liam, hanging out in the kitchen. 

"Hey, you two," I greeted them as I ruffled the top of Liam's head and then greeted my wife with a kiss to her cheek. 

"Hey, lief," Mads smiled at me. "Liam and I were just about to decide on dinner. We were thinking of ordering in?"

"Sounds good to me," I agreed and then looked at Graham who nodded. 

"Can we go down to the den until dinner's here?" Graham asked Mads and me. 

"Yeah sure. I'll call you when the foods here. The normal Tex Mex from El Tejano's?" Madison asked the boys. 

"Definitely," Liam agreed, his eyes lighting up in excitement and causing me to laugh. While Liam's stomach is a black hole that will consume any type of food, Mexican food is definitely his favourite. 

Once the boys had disappeared off down to the den, I took the opportunity to pull my wife into my arms. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hi, lief," She giggled as I pressed soft kisses against her neck.

My body was lit on fire as it always was when Madison's hands ran gently over my arms and chest while I left a trail of kisses down her neck. 

"Behave yourself, Calum Ryder!" She playfully chided me when I gently began to suck on the soft skin between her neck and shoulder, her certified sweet spot. "The sun hasn't even set yet!"

"Like that's ever stopped us before," I teased. 

She let out a playful sigh. "You are such a nuisance, you know that?"

I let out a laugh and then kissed the top of her head before switching the kettle on and grabbing two mugs out of the cabinet. 

"I facetimed with Tenley this afternoon. She, Logan and Declan are going to fly home next Friday," Mads told me with a smile. 

"Oh really?" I asked. "I thought they were only coming on the Sunday?"

"They managed to wrap their assignments up earlier than expected and they don't have any more classes until January," She told me.

Tenley, our daughter, and Logan, our eldest godson, along with Declan, Logan's boyfriend, all lived in New York and were all currently in their first year of university at NYU and Columbia.

"I can't wait to have all my babies under one roof again," Mads said with a nostalgic smile. "It's been way too long."

"It has," I agreed as I pulled her into my arms again and let her rest her head on my chest while her arms wrapped around my torso.

With our eldest son, Ethan, spending more time throwing himself into his studies for his senior year of college and Tenley away in New York, the almost empty nest syndrome was starting to hit Mads hard. Even though we'd have Graham at home for another two and a half years, I knew that the idea of our children no longer being at home was a depressing one for my wife, and admittedly, for myself too.