Page 25 of Protecting Addison
Addison nodded. “Yeah. He didn’t have to take in Artem, Borysko, and Yana. But he did. And you should see him with them. He’s…it’s as if he’s known them his whole life. He knows when to be strict and when to let them be kids. He loves them for who they are, even when they make mistakes, or pee in the bed, or leave their stuff everywhere.”
“I take it Ellory’s bio-dad wasn’t like that?” Remi asked. But as soon as the question was out, she shook her head and said, “Sorry, no, ignore that. It’s none of my business.”
“It’s okay,” Addison said. “And no, he wasn’t. He was annoyed by her crying, he never once changed a diaper. It was more a relief than anything else when he broke things off shortly after her birth. At least then, I could stop trying to rely on him to do things, only to be disappointed every time he let me down.”
“I’m sorry,” Remi said.
“Don’t be,” Addison said with a shrug. “I think we’ve done all right.”
“You’ve done more than all right,” Wren said quietly as they watched Ellory play with Yana in the yard. They were playing Ring Around the Rosie over and over and over, and Yana screamed with laughter every time they “fell down” at the end of the rhyme.
They continued to watch the kids play for a beat before Remi said, “So…Vincent told me that MacGyver asked if they’d all come to Ellory’s school for Career Day next week.”
Addison nodded. “Yeah.”
“He also said something about DILFs?”
Everyone roared with laughter. Addison couldn’t help but remember the look on Ricky’s face when she’d told him what that meant.
“Ellory is thrilled that she’ll have some hot Navy SEALs thatsheknows there. She’s been having an issue with bullies. Because of her hair and her size…because she’s not hit puberty yet, and of course because of the Crohn’s. Kids are cruel, especially twelve-year-olds.”
Cheyenne happened to come outside right when Addison was talking and said, “I can’t stand bullies. Career Day, huh? Any chance Faulkner and the others can come too? I mean, if Ellory is excited about showing off one team of SEALs, maybe having two will be even better?”
“Really? That would be great. Ricky mentioned something about talking to your husband’s team about it. Although I’ll have to contact the school and see if it’s okay,” Addison said.
“I mean, I know our guys are older, and maybe they’ll seem like old farts to the kids,” Cheyenne mused.
“Old farts? Have you seen your husband lately?” Wren asked with wide eyes.
“Uh…yeah. Last night. When he stripped me naked and tied me to the bed and did all sorts of?—”
“Right. TMI, Cheyenne,” Remi said with a laugh.
Cheyenne didn’t seem embarrassed at all. Addison thought it was refreshing and awesome that she and her husband still had what sounded like a very active sex life.
“Let me know what the school says. I’m sure Faulkner and the guys can do something like challenge your younger men to some sort of competition. That way, they’llallget to show off.”
“You think that will make the bullies back off Ellory?” Maggie asked.
“I have no idea. Maybe? I don’t know what else to do though,” Addison said with a frown.
“I guess MacGyver can’t go to school and be all big and bad and threaten the mean girls, huh?” Remi said.
Addison couldn’t help but chuckle. “No, but he wants to. He wasn’t happy when he heard about what Ellory’s been going through. I have no idea why kids are so damn mean.”
“If my kid is a mean girl or boy, I’ll yank them out of school so fast, their head will spin!” Maggie exclaimed. “No kid of mine is going to be the reason someone else’s child is hurting.”
“Though, it’s really no wonder the girl who’s mostly responsible for the bullying is the way she is,” Addison mused.
“Why?” Wren asked.
“Because her name is Chrysanthemum.”
“No, it’s not!”
“You’re kidding!”
“Holy crap, seriously?”
