He jerked back and banged his elbow to the cabinet when he noticed Wyatt standing in the kitchen doorway, staring at him silently.
“Oh man…ouch…buddy, we need to put a bell on you,” Del said calmly, rubbing his elbow that smarted like hell.
“Why?” Wyatt came closer and looked at him quizzically.
“It’s a saying. It means that someone moves very quietly. We don’t actually need to put a bell on you,” he explained as he pulled the chair from the island and gestured for Wyatt to come sit. “Are you hungry?”
Wyatt nodded. He reached up to put his doll on the island and then climbed onto the chair.
Del got the food out of the drawer and made Wyatt a plate. He then gave the boy a glass—plastic one he’d found in the pantry, thank you Nanna for thinking about children—of milk.
“There will be really good bread soon,” he promised Wyatt, who nodded, grinning as he clumsily stabbed some eggs with a fork.
While Wyatt ate and Del supervised the buns, the rest of the O’Dwyers woke up and migrated downstairs. They were all in different stages of waking up and looking sleep-rumpled.
“Sit at the table, I’ll move Wyatt there, too,” Del instructed. He scooped the giggling boy and his doll up and deposited him on the chair at the dining table.
He took the rest of Wyatt’s drink and bun to him, and began to make sure everyone had breakfast in front of them.
When they all did, Del made himself a plate too, and went to take a seat. Justin smiled at him and started to gradually look a bit more awake.
“Did you sleep well?” Del asked, despite knowing the answer already.
“Oh yeah, haven’t slept that deep in ages.” After eating another slice of bacon, he added, “Thank you. For…you know, everything.”
“No problem.” They hadn’t actually talked about what Justin was going to do with the new job starting on Monday, but right then, they had to make sure the kids got fed and were clean enough to go play with the new old toys.
Once the kids were settled, with the TV on again because it seemed to fascinate them and it kept them happier for the time being, Justin followed Del into the kitchen.
They cleared the table together and Justin insisted on filling the dishwasher and making sure everything was neat.
“You cooked, so…you know.” He pointed at the French press. “If you’re making more coffee, I could use a cup, too.”
The way he said it suggested that maybe he didn’t know how to use a French press himself. Without missing a beat, Del went to make the coffee, because he didn’t want to make Justin feel inadequate.
Del took his own coffee and went to sit at the table where he could have an eyeline to the kids in the living room. Justin eventually joined him with his mug and sighed contently.
“So, what do we do about the kiddos when you have to work?” Del asked, sipping at his caffeine.
Justin looked startled for a split second, then scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “I dunno. I mean, if you’re still up to watching them…”
“Of course. I’m not making much progress with the cookbook,” Del admitted, grimacing. “I think cooking for the kids is sparking my brain a bit, though. I had a lot of fun last night, cooking with them.”
“But it’s three days a week, that’s half of your week gone, Del. You don’t have to—”
He held a hand up to pause Justin. “I know, and that’s the point. I don’t have to, but I want to. This way you don’t have to figure out daycare and they don’t have to be in some place they don’t know. They’ve had enough changes lately already, right?”
Just sighed and nodded solemnly. “You’re not wrong there.”
Before Del could say anything, Harper yelled, “Del, your phone is ringing!”
“Can you bring it here?” Del called back, because he’d put the phone down on the coffee table right next to the kids.
“Okay!” Harper ran to the kitchen, gingerly holding the phone. “Here!”
“Thank you, well done!” Del took the phone, and she ran right back to the toys. Del glanced at the screen. “It’s my sister.”
“Oh, do you want me to…?” Justin gestured behind himself to the living room.
“Oh no, just sit here.” Del swiped the screen and lifted the phone to his ear. “Hey, Bernie, what’s up?”
“Morning, Del. I was going through the garage yesterday and will continue doing it today. I found a shit ton of the kids’ old clothes I’ve saved because I’m an idiot.” She snorted. “Do you think Justin would like some of the correctly sized ones for the kids?”
For a few seconds, Del felt stunned. “I…uh, I can ask?”
Justin frowned, trying to figure out what was going on.