“I think you’re taking the uncle thing a little too far.”
“Of course I am. This is my one and only nephew. I’m going to be the best uncle ever,” Hansel said, glancing over at the baby.
Boaz looked down at him too. Quietly, he made a promise of his own to be the best father he could be.
Chapter 35
Boaz
Five months later.
“Where is my baby?” Hansel called as he walked through the house, his boots thudding against the wooden floor.
Michael let out a delighted giggle, his head tilting slightly as if he could already recognize the voice. There were moments, even now, when Boaz wondered what exactly he was becoming.
“There he is,” Hansel said, more of a growl of relief than anything, as he pushed the door open. Michael squealed immediately, his toothless grin stretching wide as his whole body lit up with joy.
Boaz couldn’t help but smile at the sound.
Hansel picked Michael up and tossed him gently into the air, making him laugh harder.
Boaz turned away and pulled a luggage case from his closet. He placed it on the bed, unzipped it, and began carefully folding the clothes from the bed and packing them inside.
“Are you going somewhere?” Hansel asked.
“Yes,” Boaz said.
“Where?” he asked.
Boaz took a deep breath, bracing himself for the argument he knew was coming. “I’m taking Michael to the north. He needs to meet his other family. They don’t even know he exists.”
“You can change that with a simple phone call. You don’t have to take him all the way there,” Hansel said, holding Michael a little more protectively against his chest. “He’s still so young. It’s cold over there. What if something goes wrong? The roads aren’t even properly passable.”
“I’ve packed warm clothes for him, and I can hike the rest of the way if I have to. I’ll be fine,” Boaz said. “Besides, his dad is from there. I’m sure the cold won’t affect him the same way.”
You don’t know that,” Hansel said.
Boaz lowered himself onto the bed, his shoulders heavy, gaze fixed on his hands as if they held answers he couldn’t find anywhere else.
“I need to see where they buried him,” Boaz said quietly. “I think I’m ready to let him go now. And I want Michael to see it too. He needs to know where his father is.”
“Fuck,” Hansel sighed, sitting down beside him. “I’ll come with you.”
“No. I need to do this myself,” Boaz said.
He stood and went back to packing, moving with quiet focus. When he finished, he took Michael and carefully dressed him in warm clothes, adjusting every layer with practiced hands.
Hansel held the baby close against his chest as they walked out of the room together, while Boaz wheeled the luggage towardthe car. The air outside felt colder, heavier, like it already knew where they were going.
“No. I need to do this myself,” Boaz said.
He stood and went back to packing, moving with quiet focus. When he finished, he took Michael and carefully dressed him in warm clothes, adjusting every layer with practiced hands.
Hansel held the baby close against his chest as they walked out of the room together, while Boaz wheeled the luggage toward the car. The air outside felt colder, heavier, like it already knew where they were going.
Hansel secured Michael into his car seat while Boaz loaded the bags into the boot.
To put Alexander behind him. It hadn’t been easy getting to this point, and going to Alexander’s home to see where he was buried felt like the final step.