Touching the Heart of Ace

Maybe I should call Jason and let him handle his niece and her relationships.

"Call me DJ... short for David Junior. If you can handle the jokes of you being my dad." He snickered at his lame attempt to cover my awkwardness that he was helping me to hide.

Such a good boy.

"Okay... DJ..."

"No... I was kidding... kidding... you looked hurt over that... It is nothing... call me Fellow David." He cringed. "If you want to... is okay... "

"You are a nice kid, DJ. You are stuck with this name."

"Oh."

Awkward silence filled up the space, if we left out Lia and Danny Boy screaming at each other before running of again laughing.

"I sometimes don't get my kid. She is... she is..." I waved my hands around helplessly.

"Mine too... I thought they hated each other..."

We both sighed when they started screaming at each other again.

"Lia is so used to getting her way at home and I think, your brother is not abiding to her uhh 'rules'."

"... and my brother is a cry-baby... not entirely her fault..."

"So, you think some of it is hers."

"I don't want to offend you."

"You won't, DJ."

We ended up having a very serious talk on our kids.

All the way home Little Lia kept her head down and stomped in front of me feeling my glare on her back.

Good!

I had to keep on glaring or I would end up laughing. I had to hold it in until I reach home and hide myself before taking a well-deserved break to laugh.

Little Lia could not meet my eyes all through our regimen and I let her. Sometimes, my silence was enough to let her know that I was really not happy with her behaviour.

Well, Little and Danny Boy had a fight; more severe than their previous ones, apparently. Lia was not one to flaunt her cool toys or shiny clothes. She would play with anything she got her hands own, so they initially got along just fine until one day Danny Boy refused to let her play with his 'feefball'.

So, she brought even more pretty 'feefball' next day and started a competition.

It was going without much problem until one day Danny Boy came to know that Lia had a bafren named 'Davey'... and he claimed that 'Davey' was his.

If you want Lia to hold on a lifelong grudge with you, make a grab at me. I was not even kidding.

Things escalated way too serious.

They got into fist fights and hair pulling until Flip had to break it off. Danny Boy lost the competition by crying first even though the claimed his 'David' was bigger and better and he was his real brother, not just best friend.

I thought for a moment, she believed Danny Boy was talking about me and was staking a claim because I was the only 'Davey' she knew.

Yeah my Little Lia was smart like that; got it from her dad.

Definitely not me!

No, the time when I cried because I had thought Aunt Marie was Jesus's mother Marie did not count. It was a one-time thing. What, it was okay to cry thinking she would leave to heaven without me.

Sure, Ace, sure!

Well, I was young... really young.

But older than Lia though, Ace.

Uggh!

I hated my conscience sometimes.

Lia stormed off from the playground calling Danny Boy a cry baby and then cried all the way back to me, yesterday.

So, this was her petty show off of me as bigger, better and whatever claims she threw around.

Lia won...

... at the cost of breaking another baby's heart.

DJ did not mind. He only hoped I was not too offended because he knew Lia was rich and did not want any trouble with us.

Well, that was how I made a new friend who was much younger than me.

I had already filled in Robbie about the kiddie drama and I told him if he laughed in front of Lia for this we were going to fight.

Anyways, Robbie played along with me during dinner where I had asked Lia to explain it to daddy which she did, a bit ashamed and a bit teary.

And he suggested to invite Danny Boy's family to our weekly cook out, as I had coached him.

Lia was not happy but did not fight to get back into my good side.

DJ and Danny Boy came for our cook out holding a small pack of fruit box which we gladly accepted though we told them that they didn't have to bring anything.

We let Danny Boy distribute his fruit juices among the kids and let the kids out to play.

"Dear God, you could lose people in this home. Can you even hear it upstairs if I hollered from here?" DJ was too mature for his age, already taking care of his younger brother and over working mom, but comments like this reminded me that how young he was.

His dad had taken off when Danny was born and he was the man of his family.

"Do you play video games? My brother is hooking something up... We can check if I can hear from upstairs if you hollered after our kids are calmed down after lunch."

"Okay cool... wait is that a robot? Wow! It is Optis Maxim, right?"

"Interested?"

"No, not really... I like to look at them. They always look so cool."

And he did a robotic dance move to impress me.

"Watch this."

I did a much more sophisticated one with a perfect head swirl and drop, and his jaws dropped.

"Oh thank god Danny Boy is not here. I will not live another day if he catches me fail at another thing with you. But, bro, that was way too cool... too cool. Will you teach me? Just one move. Please... please... please... I will mow your lawn for free."

"Deal." I laughed. "This Friday evening you mow my backyard and Saturday morning; I will teach you. Fair warning, you will look like an earthworm the first few times. So don't come in if you think you are going to be MJ after the first lesson."

"I will mow your lawn every week if you teach me all the cool dance moves."

"You got it."

Could not meddle with one's self-respect. Winnie would let him hang around and do some 'jobs' in the backyard.

"Now find my bother and play some games. I am sorry there are no people around your age."

"Naaa! I am chill. You are not like other old people."

"Hey! I am not that old!" I had every right to take offence.

"Oops!"

Right as we walked to the porch, we saw Little Lia and Danny Boy already in a heated debate.

"We should really hang out without our kids around." DJ whined and I sighed. "He is such a cry baby. In three, two, on..."

Danny Boy threw his head back and whined loud with his mouth open.

Lia was panicking and tried to shut his mouth up.

"Ugh! I don't know what I will tell my mom if we both end up being gays. She is already talking about grandbabies and I was rooting for him to be straight." DJ looked really heart broken.

"DJ, I am gay and I do have a daughter."

"Do you think mom will be okay if both of us are gays? I don't want her to be so disappointed. After dad took off, mom is already..." He trailed off.

"She should feel like what she might feel if she had two straight kids, I guess." What else could I say? People still found it odd if they saw too many gay people at once. And if they found out all kids of a family were gay their mind would be blown off, even though they would not bat an eye seeing all the straight kids in one home.

"You are right. But you are the only gay I know with a kid. I was thinking I will sit my chance out of having kids myself." He was way too young to think about kids, yet damn too mature to analyse his options. "Mom says I would make an excellent father, every day and I have no heart if I break her dreams because dad did exactly that..."

"Well, you can have kids even if you are gay. Kids have nothing to do with..."

We heard another wail of Danny Boy. DJ scowled before sighing. "Why do I want kids, if this is what I am getting. God, he has no chill. Nope, no kids." He grumbled before storming off to his brother.

"Lia say I no daddy." Danny Boy cried and looked at us.

"Lia!" I gasped out. That was way too hurtful to throw around.

"Denny say I no mommy. I say no need mommy. Lia has Davey... and Daddy." Lia was not backing off. Moms were kind of a sore and confusing topic to her.

I could not help but to kneel down and hug her to side.

Okay what was the protocol here?

"You stupee..." Lia spat.

"Lia, what did Davey tell you about calling other people stupid?" I had to keep my cool here. "Lia no." I pulled away from her hug and her bottom lip trembled.

"I no stupee... You stupee coz you gal... stupee gal... with ugly feefball." Danny Boy had to take it from there.

Lia did not answer back, instead glared at Danny Boy and we quickly figured he actually cried when he had no comeback or Lia did not partake in the fights.

We all watched Danny Boy rolling around on the ground wailing and I had no idea what to do with him.

Lia sighed before crouching down and patting his back. "You stupee boy coz you cwy for stupee stuff. Now, I stupee coz I say you stupee... Oh, Davey, whadda do! Stupee boys mayk Lia stupee. Up! Lia give Denny, Davey cookie... UP!!!"

She gave quite some forceful pats on the crying baby's back until he stood up and they both ran off to the snack stand.

"Senior David..."

"Yes, DJ."

it would be better if we just

"Agreed."

dance classes until DJ's mom got a promotion under Robbie's recommendation. She was an ER nurse and they had to move away from

happy to get rid of that boy who

DJ a laptop, a mobile phone and

still kept our contact through the Facebook. I was happy to see him finally

Like I had.

deserved a happy

day he will too... his own man, his own

EPILOGUE

my eyes and saw Robbie leaning over

leaned up to him

until Daddy came to the other side to open

So spoiled.

to stand up because

"So pretty, My Angel."

seeing

never

not home this weekend and of course Daddy took break from his work only

Levi's

Salvatore. Remember Ace

Initially, the name was different and was intended to share cooking recipes and maintaining

shared a picture of him wearing a dirty cop uniform and had shared a bit of steamy events in his

Janice publically had sex with. Gross, but everyone stood with Ace and Robbie.

were

became a

it on my waist, I used a golden ring to

eye shadow, a bit of golden glittery lip balm on my lips and of course too much highlighter

I was popping sexy.

chain to make Daddy

thought I would let my hair fly around but then wetted my

my body suffered

was... was... a total Daddy if you know

Giggle!

who lost my control and I

equipment for Lia and... sweaty, muscular, glowing under the sun Robbie was just...

ended up at the living

accidently saw his opened chat box and saw

when he

could not believe the idea

do you want the firewood in

Exactly! Try it.

was less embarrassing than the time when Levi dared me to send Robbie a dirty text

lived next town might have

had texted him that 'I wanted to bounce on his muscular thighs and see

too embarrassed and they mercilessly teased me whenever they

was not too

I jumped in his hands and noticed I had started nibbling on

are here for my daughter." I pushed him away before

hadn't seen her in three days; video calls

"Relax."

was the one who woke up at four in the morning, glaring at the clock

Architect Digest guests away, so

here, soon." I dropped my head on

"I know."

we heard a very loud but a mispronounced song, sung loudly by a group of

lot of 'America' in the midst. Then end of the song was a 'Hooray'. All the parents

to run through the gate. We saw a caretaker opening a small gate by the side

anxious, I had

Daddy's hand and hugged him close. "Where

then he was calm and cool, like he

to get her camp jacket removed. She had a blue one. Her group was King Fisher,

"DAVEYYYYY!!!"

to me and hugged me tight. Her head on my stomach took away every bit of heaviness in my heart. I kissed her

kissed her cheeks and she kissed me

"Had fun?"

All this time in the car I was

Lia was not too

was

her again

matron before we go.

matron. She was not

I did not punch the

my kid was telling the truth. She was looking into my eyes and

Good!

should not punch anyone even if you are

the

She whined.

patted her head. Lia loved rough housing. I would blame Flip and Daddy for that

my

Waited...

Waited again...

Lia asked me

eyebrow was going to be permanently fixed

"Oh. Uh... Hello

bit from his bored state. "Oh,

Camp is

I

"Thanks..."

looked at me for further

What the hell!

beckoned Daddy for a

see you well,

You

Daddy two strong pats on his

you

not

I saw Daddy's smirk and heard Lia's

"Really, guys? Really?"

giggled. "That

and daughter

idea of fun?

face." Daddy whispered

Brantley." I glared. "... and my

hey, I forgot. This is Collins." Lia introduced us to a baby

nice to

very huge glasses filling up his face and his eyes were a bit crossed; with his chubby cheeks and

then at Robert

hugged my waist. I awkwardly patted his head and then

so awkward and cringey to

as uncomfortable as he felt and the baby was shaking in

But they hugged... kinda...

It was short.

glaring at Collin's head and crossed her

pulled her

are my baby's friend, right,

mmm... I am

It was getting awkward.

cleared my throat and looked at Lia.

introducing us to him. "Collins, this is 'my' Davey and this is

Oh!

the fact that you are friends... not the other

Lia shook her head.

She pouted and rubbed her head on my side; buttering

on her hand

your best friend

Davey. He is my best

turned my face away and looked at Robbie because lord help me, I could not handle another awkward

he is

is my best friend and he knows how

Are you sure that he is your best friend?" Collins looked at me for a

so intimidating these

'sure' that

my daughter was far too sassy for

Amy... he is so

Collins he

wanted

Amy... are

Lia sighed.

looked at me and then

She nibbled her lips.

about my hearing her just fine

from spinning for

is actually my dad. That

already was. I turned away

did I

I thought... Robert was your dad. Yes, yes... you

questions. Collins, Robert is my dad... but Davey is also my dad. I have two dads. But... he doesn't know

up like a

time... But

have

"Yup."

don't. It is sad when he goes to work and I have to wait till he comes home but... you can play

a mommy. I

"Yeah."

my hand and I

the small on my back. "Close your mouth,