Free Breaking the Ice by Shayne McClendon

absorbing this new information. 
He could practically see the connections happening in his bright blue eyes.
    He may look like me, but he
considers things just like his mama. 
    Then Dalton took two steps
forward and slowly wrapped his arms around his neck.  Before that moment, the
first hug from his son, Diesel had never felt as if he would burst into tears. 
His arms crushed the little boy to him, sitting back and lifting him into his
lap. 
    At his ear, Dalton said, “I tink
you will be a good daddy and my bestest friend like Mommy says.”  There was a
pause.  “Maybe you can take me to hockey sometimes so Mommy can sleep?”
    He nodded to buy time, to swallow
the unfamiliar lump in his throat.  “I would love to take you to
hockey.  Your mom is going to have things a lot easier now, I promise.  We’re
going to take care of her together.” 
    Dalton nodded and curled up in
Diesel’s arms.  “I won’t be any trouble.”  
    “You aren’t even a little bit of
trouble.  You’re like a Christmas present I really, really wanted but didn’t
get to open until the summer.”  He got a huge smile in response and they sat
that way for a long moment, just looking at each other.
    “Can I call you Daddy?”  Dalton’s
voice was barely a whisper.
    “I would like that very much, Dalton. 
So much.” He hugged him, inhaling the scent of little boy, baby powder shampoo,
and…crayons?  The tears he was fighting were getting harder to hold back.
    “Will you carry me sometimes?” 
He nodded.  “I’m too big for Mommy.  I hurt her where her scar is.  Uncle Thad
had to carry her upstairs.  I was cryin’ and cryin’ and Mommy wasn’t mad at
all.”  Dalton held his face firmly.  “She is a very good Mommy.”
    “I know she is.”  Diesel ached at
the mental picture of Kenzie in pain.
    Dalton sat up and stared fully
into Diesel’s face.  “You better be nice to my Mommy.  ’Kay, we should
go play.  Mommy uses de bat’room to cry when she’s sad or tired or not feelin’
good.  She don’ like me to know so I don’ tell her I do.” 
    Diesel’s eyes went to the
bathroom door. 
    Dalton jumped off his lap and
pulled him out of the room by his hand.  They sat on the floor and played with
Legos, colored, then sat reading until Diesel fell asleep against the beanbag
chair with Dalton crashed diagonally across his body. 
     
    MacKenzie made sure she was
completely back together before she emerged from the bathroom.  The apartment was
so quiet and she went looking for Diesel.  She found him, asleep with their
son, in Dalton’s room and took about thirty pictures. 
    She knew Diesel hadn’t slept all
night so she left them in peace and went to prepare meals for the next couple
of days.  Her mind raced over what had happened and what could happen.
    Several hours later, Thad came
home from school and gave her a hug.  “It’s all fine, Kenzie.  Take one thing
at a time.  Everything smells delicious.”
    He went to change and checked on
his nephew.  When he saw Diesel and Dalton sleeping soundly, he took several
pics with his phone and texted them to their sisters. 
    As she took a large tray of baked
macaroni and cheese from the oven almost an hour later, Kenzie heard what had
to be Diesel’s cell phone.  It sounded like he was getting dozens of text
messages. 
     
    Diesel startled awake but managed
to catch Dalton before he rolled to the floor.  He laid him on his bed and covered
him up, leaning down to give him a careful kiss on the forehead. 
    Leaving the room, he checked the
text messages that had woken him up.
    “Who’s the kid?  Looks just like
you…?” from Digger.
    “Bro, is that your KID?” from
Damien.
    “Why didn’t you tell me I had a
nephew?” from Dean.
    “Heck yeah, finally someone
younger than us!” from Justin for him and his twin.
    “Diesel, call your mother THIS
minute!!!!!” from Mom.
    The voicemails were similar. 
Good looking kid, is he yours,