The Touch Volume 1
"The Void"
By: Myke D
Part 2: Connections
Chapter 9: Together Again...
My mother was hesitant about the idea of Kyan staying the night with me, but once my father pointed out that both of us needed this, she relented. She didn't even like the fact that my Social Worker had told her that it would be at least a week before I could go home with them. Greg and my father both had to explain to her the judicial process and the different inspections that needed to take place.
"It's been ten years, Lauren." My father said finally. "What's a few more days? We'll still get to see him. Plus, Zyan will get to see the house tomorrow when Natalie and Greg bring Kyan home."
"What about clothes for Kyan?" She asked in a last-ditch effort. She chuckled as soon as she finished her question. "Go ahead and scold me now, Kyan."
Instead, of saying anything, Kyan just hugged our mom tightly.
"I love you too, mom." He said. "Besides, do you really think Zyan is going to be able to handle all of us tomorrow on our own turf if I don't warn him first?"
My mother laughed and hugged him back before she motioned me over to join them.
"I've got ten years of cuddles to make up for with you, baby boy." She said as she hugged me tightly. "Don't even think for a second that I'm going to let you slip past me without a hug – ever."
"I love you, mom." I whispered.
She kissed my cheek before she stood back up. Sarah and my father both hugged me tightly before Greg walked everyone to the front door. Geoff had taken Toby home with him for another night, so it would just be the four of us without any distractions. Greg pushed the two of us towards the stairs.
"Go ahead and get ready for bed boys," he said with a smile. "If you want to shower tonight, go ahead. Zac..." He stopped and chuckled. "That's going to take some getting used to. Sorry, Zyan. Kyan, your brother knows where the towels and stuff are."
"Thank you, Mr. Harris." Kyan said with a slight smile.
"Please, call me Greg, Kyan."
"Yes, sir." Kyan blushed slightly.
"I'll have Nat set out a snack for you guys for when you come back down." He said with a smile. "Okay?"
We both nodded eagerly before I pulled Kyan along behind me towards the stairs. Kyan giggled lightly.
"What?" I asked curiously.
"It's nothing, baby brother." He said with a smile. "I'm excited, too."
I shrugged off his comment and motioned towards the bathroom.
"That's the bathroom," I informed Kyan before I went into my own room. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts for Kyan. "You can shower fir..." I turned around to see him just smiling at me. "What?"
The next thing I knew, Kyan had his arms wrapped around me and was sobbing uncontrollably. All I could do was hold my brother until he stopped. The entire time I rubbed his back softly just like Natalie always did for me when my emotions got the best of me. It only took ten minutes for Kyan to gain control of himself and he blushed deeply as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Sorry, Zyan." He mumbled quietly.
"You've been dealing with my emotional roller coaster all day, Kyan." I said with a shrug. "I'm sure I can handle supporting you for a minute."
"We're going to be supporting each other the rest of our lives, Zyan."
"I can get used to that," I whispered softly.
We took turns taking a quick shower before we went back downstairs to find Greg and Natalie talking quietly in the kitchen. Kyan was only wearing a pair of shorts, and I had on my usual shorts and t-shirt. I pulled Kyan along to the bar and made him sit on one of the stools beside me. Natalie had a plate of cookies sitting on the counter with two glasses of milk for us.
"Are you guys okay?" Natalie asked with a hint of worry in her voice as we started to lay waste to the cookies she had made.
"Just look at how fast they're eating," Greg said with a chuckle. "I think it's going to be Toby that we'll be worrying about the most."
I froze midbite of a cookie and placed it on the edge of the plate, the comment leaving a sour feeling in my stomach. Greg noticed Natalie's reaction before he noticed mine.
"What?" Greg asked in confusion before he turned to see Natalie looking at me. "Oh, shit. Me and my big mouth."
"What's wrong?" Kyan asked in confusion.
"Toby and Zyan are as much brothers as the both of you are," Natalie explained softly while Greg came to sit beside me. "They may not be related by blood, but they have come to love each other like family, Kyan."
I was going to be leaving Toby behind. My hand began to shake as I realized that I was breaking a promise to Toby. I had promised him that I would be there for him. Now, there was no way for me to keep up with that if I was living with my mom and dad. I didn't even realize that I had started crying again until Kyan touched my arm and his hand was blur.
"Its going to be okay, Zyan." Greg said as he pulled me into his side. "That's what Nat and I were talking about before you guys joined us. My firm has been looking for an office in Lakeland, and they chose a site recently. So, Natalie, Toby, and I are going to be buying a house in the area and moving in a month or two."
"Really?" I asked with a sniffle.
"Yes, Zyan." Greg reassured me. "There's something else we need to run by you, too."
"What is it, Greg?" I asked curiously. They rarely asked my opinion on anything, but this seemed more serious than what they wanted for dinner.
Greg looked at Natalie who smiled and nodded.
"Natalie and I want to know how you feel about us adopting Toby and making him our son?"
"You mean, he would have a real mom and dad again?"
"Yes, Zyan." He would.
"I don't think anything would ever make him happier," I said with a smile. "It would help take his mind off of me, too."
"I told you he was a sharp kid, Nat." Greg teased the woman with a chuckle. Natalie rolled her eyes at him.
"You're lucky I love you," Natalie told the man as she slapped him playfully on the shoulder.
"Remember what I said, Zyan?" Greg asked in mock disbelief. I giggled as Natalie smacked him again.
Kyan and I stared at each other as we cuddled in my bed together. The light from the television cast an eerie glow across his skin as we just basked in each other's company. We needed this. Kyan smiled and kissed me on my nose.
"I've missed you, baby brother." He said softly.
I smiled and cuddled into Kyan's arms.
"I can't wait to introduce you to all of my friends, either." He said with a hint of excitement to his soft voice. "Casey's especially going to be relieved that she doesn't have to hear about me talk about you anymore."
"You talk about me?"
"I've told everyone I've ever met about you, Zyan." Kyan said with a nervous chuckle. "I did whatever it took to keep the search going for you."
"Thank you for not giving up, Kyan." I whispered.
My brother kissed my cheek.
"We're together again, Zyan." Kyan stated happily. "That's all that matters. That's all that ever mattered to me. I could feel that you were still out there somewhere. I just didn't know where to look."
My dreams were filled with bright colors that night, and visions of Kyan and I standing side by side as we gazed over a dark abyss. The sky above seemed to be ablaze with streaks of light as the stars themselves seemed to be rejoicing in our reunion. The air was filled with a strange music like sound, but neither of us could see where it was coming from. We held each other's hand and watched as the world around us shimmered with activity. I caught faint glimpses of people dancing arm in arm and children laughing as they played all around us. There was also a man with gray hair and a short beard of the same color. His eyes looked tired as he smiled at the both of us.
Kyan bowed and I followed his example.
"We found him, great-grandfather." Kyan said with his head bowed. "Just like you said we would."
"Excellent, my child." The old man said with a pleased tone in his deep voice. "The Universe celebrates with joy at the reunion of the Twins."
I glanced up when I felt the man's eyes land on me.
"Rejoice, Zyan." The man told me with a smile. "Our family is together again, child."
*********Thanks again for reading "The Touch". If you wish to be notified of this or any of my other stories, please feel free to email me and make sure that you let me know which story you want to know about. – storymyke@outlook.com
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