Chapter 33: I will never call you dad

After an hour and a half, the adults went and checked up on the children. Jake was sitting down, Hugo in his arms, as Andrew was telling them a story. Jake's eyes were wide, as his brother spoke, and the baby didn't fuss at all.

"Children, it is time to go," Arthur said, and he heard two groans from his sons.

"Big brother Andrew was just telling us how the piggies were running out of the wooden house," Jake told him, and both boys looked at their father pleadingly.

"He can finish the story at home. Come now, Andrew, Jake, say your goodbyes," Arthur told them, and the two sighed.

"Bye Hugo," Jake kissed the baby on the nose, to which the little boy giggled.

"Bye Hugo," Andrew went, and petted the baby. "You were really sweet."

The two turned around, and finally noticed that Greta was holding a box in her hands.

"Cookies, for the road," she told the two, as she handed Andrew the box.

"Thank you, ma'am," Andrew said, smiling, with his dimples showing.

"Thanks, can we come again?" Jake asked.

"Sure, you can," Greta told the two, and then took Hugo from Jake's arms. She placed her son in the crib, and tucked him in the blanket.

When they arrived at Audrey's house, Audrey and Sam were sitting by the table on the lawn. They had their dinner outside, and there were extra plates for Andrew and Jake. Andrew hugged Arthur then, and didn't let go for a while.

"Dad, why can't you live with mom?" The toddler asked. Arthur sighed, and knelt down, so they were at an eye level.

"Both of us did bad things, Andrew. When you are older, you will understand," Arthur told him, as he patted the boy's head.

"I don't want to live with only one parent," Andrew insisted. "Don't you love me, dad? Is that why you let me live with just mom?"

"No, I love you to bits," Arthur kissed the boy on the forehead. "But your mother needs you. She will be devastated, if you were to come and live with me. You love your mother, don't you, Andrew?"

"I love you both," the boy said. "Mom will cry, if I come and live with you?"

"She will," Arthur assured him.

"Do you cry, when you drop us off?" Andrew asked, and Arthur sighed.

"I am a man, Andrew. Men don't cry as easily as women," Arthur wondered if that came off as unfeeling. But Andrew puffed up his chest, and smiled.

"I am a man too, I will be strong," the boy said, and then hugged his father again.

"You do that," Arthur said, and then pushed him towards the table. It hurt the farmer to see Sam taking his place at the head of the table. Yet, Audrey seemed happier now, the nightmare of a missing child behind her.

"I'll still miss you," Andrew spoke, and then let go of his father. The toddler took Jake's hand in his, and then went to the table.

"Did you have fun playing with the baby?" Sam asked, as he took Andrew and placed him in his chair.

"Hugo didn't fuss a lot. He giggles a lot too," Andrew told him, and then blinked up at Sam.

"Uncle Sam, why do you spend so much time at home with mom?" Andrew asked. Sam grinned at him.

"Your mother and I are dating. I have a very important question for her that I have been putting off. You will help me ask it, when the time is right? Right, buddy?" Sam looked hopeful at that, and Audrey's eyes were shining.

"I will never call you dad," Andrew's nose was scrunched up, and Sam's face fell.

"Andrew, don't speak like that," Audrey chastised, but Andrew was unrepentant.

"That is my dad," he pointed at Arthur, who was waving at Jake. "He loves me. So do uncle Tagas and uncle Harry. Uncle Sam, you will only be an uncle."

Sam turned to stare at the retreating backs of the three. Perhaps he deserved this. He was a homewrecker. Someone who had stolen his best friend's family.

"You know, uncle is not a bad position," Sam said, and then petted Andrew. "But you have to know, I love you like a son."

"You are still an uncle, right Jake?" Andrew turned to his brother, who nodded.

"Just like how uncle Tagas can never be called mom, Uncle Sam can never be called dad," the three-year-old said, and then went back to staring at his father. Arthur got in the car, and the car pulled away from the driveway.

"Mom, when are we going to be visiting dad again?" Andrew asked. Audrey worried her lower lip.

"When do you want to go and see him?" She asked, and Andrew gave it a thought.

"Maybe Wednesday? We can spend one day with you, and then one day with dad," Andrew suggested, and Audrey smiled. It warmed her inside to know that her boys wanted to spend the day with her.

"How about I take you both to the park, and we play catch?" Sam suggested.

"We don't have baseball gloves," Andrew told him, but Sam just smiled.

"I can give you some of my old pairs. I have plenty. My father took me to play catch since I was around Jake's age," Sam told them, and then turned to Audrey. "And you, dear? Will you come, or are you busy with lessons?"

Audrey had a couple of classes to take care of, but they were in the evening.

"We can go in the morning," Audrey said, and then looked to the boys. "How does that sound? A morning of playing in the park? We can go to the swings, once you tire of the catch game?"

"And the slides?" Jake asked. The slides were his favorite.

"Sure, and the slides," Audrey agreed, and then took her spoon. "Now, eat your dinner before it gets cold."

Sam looked on at the family, as they ate. He couldn't have children, had been diagnosed as such. It was a bitter thing, to steal Arthur's family, but this was his chance at having children. He was not going to miss up on it.