Warning: This story does not contain any sex. None of the characters are based on real people nor are they meant to resemble any living or dead people.

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Copyright © 2018, 2019

Characters in This Chapter

Andrew Brock – age 25 – Ex to Ethan, Future B/F to Cody Gaines

Cody Gaines – 29 – Ex to Emma Reed, Dad to Chase Gaines, the main character

Chase Gaines – 4 – Cody Gaines' son

Jennifer Cross – 40 – Nurse at the clinic

Susan Bridges – 30 – Office Manager at the clinic

Jason Perez – 26 – Friend of Andrews

Ethan – Andrew's Ex –

Mia (Gaines ) Montoya – 26 – Sister to Cody and Aunt to Chase

Life Anew

Chapter 1

A New Life Begins

Andrew Brock is enjoying his new life in Lake View. He's close to his family, which he loves. He's basically living the life that he never thought he would. He has the house and job that he dreamed of having. No longer is he working the hospital's long shifts; instead, he is working in a doctor's office with somewhat regular hours. The staff in the clinic seem friendly based on what he saw during the interview process. He hopes that his old life stays in the past. Now he just needs to stay focused not only at work but at home as well. Today as he walks out the door, he knows he's truly starting his life fresh and clean.

***

Today is his first day on the new job. He's nervous but in a good way. Doctor Gaines, the doctor who interviewed him, is the one he'll be working with at the clinic. The doctor is warm and easy to talk too. Andrew has been lucky to have had great doctors to work with in his medical career. Since leaving Ethan behind, Andrew hasn't really wanted to date. He has trust issue which some might say is crazy, but he does. The hot doctor could make work rough or exciting. Hopefully, he can work with Cody and not get mixed up in anything that causes more trouble in his life. Three miles later and he's at work ready for whatever the day brings.

***

Andrew enters through the employee's entrance in the back and makes his way into staff breakroom, where he meets one of the ladies who was there the day of his interview.

`What's her name? It's Jennifer, yeah that's right.'

"Jennifer, right? I was told there was a staff meeting this morning, where do we hold them?"

"You are the new nurse, Andrew, right? Doctor Gaines said that he was really impressed with you. I've never known him to be wrong about an employee, so welcome to the crew."

She reaches out her hand to shake Andrew's hand, which he gladly accepts. Motioning for him to follow her, she leads him to a large room. There is no one in the room yet except for the two of them. Andrew sits down while Jennifer grabs two clipboards off the wall in front of them.

"I don't know if Doctor Gaines told you, but every day, there will be a clipboard under your name, and it will have the patient's charts that you'll be seeing that day. Anything you need to know about the appointment will be found in the charts. Just make sure before you leave for lunch and before you go home, that the clipboard is returned to the hook under your name. Doctor Gaines likes to have a meeting to cover any patients that might be problems or to make sure that we are aware of any ongoing health concerns."

Jennifer notices right away that Andrew is a cutie, but she keeps it to herself.

"Thanks, Jennifer, I really appreciate it."

As Jennifer sits down, another lady enters the room and walks right up to him.

"Hi, are you Nurse Andrew? I'm Susan, Doctor Gaines, Office manager, so feel free to ask me about where any charts are or how to handle anything. Jennifer and I have been here since Doctor Gaines started here at the clinic. We don't bite much so don't worry about us being rude. We are always willing to listen."

The lady says with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm Andrew Brock. Super excited to be working here with the two of you and Doctor Gaines. He seems really nice."

Andrew wants to get some idea of his boss's personality from his fellow workers.

"What you saw during your interview is exactly what you'll get from him while you are on the job. In other words, he is funny, sweet, and kind. He is also our boss, but he's open to new ideas and your opinions, so don't be afraid to voice them."

Susan explains to Andrew and when she is done another person enters the room.

***

Doctor Gaines enters the room and grabs his ring binder which contains all the charts for today inside individual plastic sleeves. He sits down at the table and then smiles.

"Good morning everyone, how was your night?"

"It was good thanks for asking, Cody. What did you and Chase do last night?"

Jennifer asks as Cody's blue eyes sparkle.

"Well, we had our taco bar night and had a blast watching a movie that he's seen twenty times already, but if it makes him happy to watch it the twenty-first time then so be it. Then it was time for him to go to bed, and I got a chance to play some video games."

Susan laughs when Doctor Gaines mentions watching a movie the twenty-first time. It seems to Andrew that she can relate to what he just said. Andrew is left wondering who Chase is, but he assumes that Chase must be a child, so maybe Doctor Gaines' son.

"Susan, how was your night?"

"It was wonderful. I got treated to a beautiful dinner made by the most handsome guy, that I know and then we were able to have some quiet time."

"That does sound great, I wouldn't know what quiet time is unless Chase is sleeping, maybe you can teach me some tricks. So, Andrew are you ready for today?"

Andrew is immediately taken by Cody's body even though it's hidden behind his doctor's uniform. He admits to himself that Doctor Gaines is without a doubt the hottest guy ever. Sure, Ethan was hot, but this doctor is so hot he's on fire. Andrew's voice almost makes a stutter, but he catches it and can respond without making a foul out of himself.

"I think, I'm ready for whatever the day has to bring."

Cody looks at everyone and then smiles.

"Well, I think with that, we need to get this day moving."

Doctor Gaines begins to go through the charts one by one so that his nurses know what his concerns are as well as what's going on with each patient. A total of twenty patients will be seen before Andrew's lunch, but he won't have to see all twenty patients. Andrew cannot take his eyes off his boss, something which doesn't go unnoticed by his co-workers. They wrap up the staff meeting, and then the first patient arrives, and Andrew gets to sit that one out due to a flip of the coin.

***

After the meeting, Andrew and Jennifer become busy. It's pretty much one patient after another. Andrew has already seen quite a few interactions between the doctor and his patients, and he's very impressed. Jennifer, the oldest member of Doctor's Gaines' staff, is very open-minded but also very aware of what's going on around her. She has already noticed the way that her boss looks at the new nurse, and likewise, she has noticed the way that the new nurse has looked at the boss. More importantly, she is watching to make sure that he's handling the patients well. She didn't know what to expect from the new staff member when he first came in the door, but so far, he's been doing great. Taking a small second, she stops Andrew in the hallway, and to give a bit of encouragement.

"Andrew, I just wanted to tell you that you're doing a great job. I've already heard a couple mothers say that you're great with their kids. Even Doctor Gaines is impressed with how you were able to calm down a few patients. Not to mention that you've skills are on awesome. Thank you, you make my job easier."

He is speechless for a second and then smiles at her.

"Thanks, Jennifer, I guess I picked up some things from the hospital."

She smiles.

"You're welcome. Now we had better get back to our patients."

Now, she just needs to sit down with Cody and find out what is going on with this nurse, then again maybe she needs to talk to her new co-worker too.

***

Cody is busy with the patients for a good part of the day, but every pause in the action leads to thoughts. Cody's mind keeps bringing up his new hire. The guy is hot, but there is also something else that makes him sexy. It might just be the way that he carries himself. Maybe, it's the way he handles scared kids, whatever it is he's finding it hard to keep his head on straight around the young man. Maybe, this wasn't a good idea, he's apt to make a mistake, and yet out of all the candidates that he saw, Andrew was the best fit. He just needs to fight back against whatever thoughts are popping up inside his mind. Andrew and his patients deserve that much.

***

In passing, Cody smiles as Andrew walks by him and Jennifer sees it. Now, she isn't upset by it, but she does know that her boss needs to keep things professional. Still, it's been a long time since Cody has fallen for someone, and the office doesn't have a no dating clause. If they did, then Susan and Robert would have never gotten together, though her husband now works for a hospital now. In her usual manner, she keeps it quiet until she knows what's really going on between the two men. Though if her suspicions are correct, Cody is trying to flirt with Andrew, and Andrew is trying his best to just get through the day.

***

One child that came in was terrified of the doctor's office because she equates the office with shots. Even though, this visit has nothing to do with syringes she is crying. Instead of rushing through the appointment, Andrew helps the mom calm down the young patient. Cody didn't miss the situation even, Jennifer paid attention to it. After the visit, Cody pulled Andrew to the side.

"Andrew, I wanted to say thank you for the way you handled that last patient. She is very anxious whenever she steps through the clinic's doors. We can't begin an examination until the mother can calm her down, but you managed to do it in under two minutes. I still don't believe it. Thanks, Andrew."

Doctor Gaines says as he extends a hand to his male nurse. Andrew reaches out his hand the two men shake hands. Instantly, Andrew feels a spark jump from Doctor Gaines into his flesh. He's felt that spark before, and now he just wants to open without getting in trouble.

`Does Doctor Gaines know what he's doing to me?'

Clearly, Andrew is now aware of Cody, and he's beginning to worry that maybe this might be a bad idea. He'll have to figure this out and figure it out quickly.

***

It's lunchtime and Andrew has found a great Chinese buffet not far from the office that has excellent food and plenty of options. He spends a half hour of his lunch eating and then, he walks out to his car and calls the one guy who has never let him down, and that is Jason Perez. Jason is 26 years old. He's been a friend since 7^th grade. Jason doesn't tell what you want to hear, he's honest and sincere in what he says, but he's also funny, sexy, and sometimes he has a dirty mind.

"Andrew, I didn't expect to hear from you until after your shift. Is everything okay?"

"Jason, my mind is not being nice to me. My boss is causing all kinds of thoughts and feelings. He's without a doubt the hottest guy I have ever met. We shook hands earlier, and I swear, I felt a zap of electricity. He's funny, friendly, sexy and by sexy, I mean smoking hot. Doctor Gaines has this charisma that I swear is electric. If you are in a room with him, you are drawn to him like a moth would be to a flame. He has muscles that pop out as he walks. I think women come to the office with their kids just to see him. I also get the feeling that he likes me."

Now, Andrew has Jason's attention because Andrew is good for finding a hot guy and then within days, he's in bed with the guy without ever engaging his brain and figuring out if it's real or not. This behavior is only going to lead to more heartache for his friend, than anything.

"Andrew, this doctor is your boss. Now, I am not saying that you can't date him or whatever, but do me a favor okay?"

This is where Andrew gets set right by his friend.

"What do you want me to do?"

"It's easy dude, don't fall head over heels for this guy tonight. Give it time. I want a picture of him. Even better, I want to meet him. Look, call me if you need to talk later. I need to get work. Love you, bro."

With that, the call is over, and Andrew agrees with Jason, he needs to take this slow and not get caught up in Doctor Gaines' sexiness.

***

When Andrew is out for lunch, Cody has a spare moment that he wants to use to touch base with his new nurse to see how his day is going. Course, it would also be nice to spend a few minutes with him. After checking the break room, he heads up to the office area where he finds Susan busily typing at the computer. Looking at her boss, she can tell that he's lost something, and she is the one who can usually find it. Cody walks over the schedule posted on the wall and sees that who is looking is out on lunch.

"Susan, did Andrew go out for lunch?"

He asks as he looks over the schedule. Susan smirks a little because she knows that her boss has been taking glances at the new guy. She holds back her sarcastic tone and answers him.

"Yeah, he should be back in the next five minutes though. Do you need to see him?"

Susan always professional when behind the desk, but that part of her can drop at the drop of a dime if the occasion requires it. She would love to say something to him right now but the waiting room is full of patients, and it's not appropriate right now, so she'll wait for a better time.

"I do, but it's not important. I'll catch Andrew before his shift ends."

"Okay Doctor Gaines, I think Jennifer is ready to call the next patient into the back, and then she'll finish off that patient and then she'll go to lunch. You have lunch after this patient as well. You have two calls and 3 pharmacy calls to handle when you get a second."

"Thanks, Susan. I'll handle the calls in a few minutes."

Doctor Gaines goes back to the next exam room and deals with a kid who has ringworm, and then he goes back to the staff break room and has his lunch. He's joined by Susan and Jennifer, who manage to not mention anything about his apparent interest in Andrew. Andrew comes back and checks in with everyone else to see what he needs to do. Susan tells him to check his clipboard and see what's been added to it. She tries to update the clipboards just before she goes to lunch.

***

Cody is glowing as he watches the new guy checking his schedule for the rest of his shift. Cody spends half his lunch eating and the other half taking care of phone calls. At the end of the calls, Cody emerges from his office intent on grabbing Andrew for a chat. Andrew is between patients now, and really doesn't have time to chat, but what do you say to the boss. Andrew takes the clipboard with him and walks into the doctor's office for a chat. Andrew expected the door to be shut, but it's left open.

"Andrew, how is your first day going?"

Andrew is worried he'll say the wrong thing and then Doctor's Gaines will let him go, and losing his job is not an option.

"I didn't know what to think at first, it started off kind of slow, but then it really picked up the later it got. I'm kind of glad that I spent time in the hospital as a nurse before coming here. They kept me super busy over there, and so I'm physically able to handle this, but trust me I won't want to go anywhere after work other than home."

Cody is glad that Susan didn't pile on too many patients on the new guy. Knowing her, she split the work between the two of nurses. She tends to not play favorites.

`In time, Andrew is going to fit in around here with no problem. Hopefully, the ladies are nice to him.'

Cody knows because, if he wasn't cut out for this job, Susan would have already had complaints and Jennifer would have taken the new guy aside for a talk. Doctor Gaines is confident that no of this has happened so far, and that is good.

"I suppose the real question is are you coming back tomorrow?"

Doctor Gaines smiles at the nurse. Andrew's heart melts just a little when he sees the grin on his boss' face.

"Yeah. I'm coming back for sure."

He's trying not to let the boss know exactly what this job means to him. It gives him a chance to have a new life; to strike out on his own and make it in the world. A steady hand reaches out for Andrew's arm, and in the end, it's accepted into the nurse's hand, and the guys shake hands.

"I suppose, we should get back to work before Susan and Jennifer come looking for us."

"I don't want them coming for me, so I'll grab my next patient."

Andrew does precisely that, and truth be told, Susan and Jennifer won't bother him, because they both knew that Cody was going to pull him in for a quick chat.

***

It's almost time for Jennifer and Andrew to call it quits for the day, but she is having a hard time not speaking up to the boss. She doesn't totally agree with the way his eyes have been behaving today, then again Andrew's eyes have been caught more than once wandering to Doctor's Gaines' backside a couple time too. She doesn't really see a problem as the day hasn't had any malfunctions because of their wondering eyes. You had better believe that she would pull her boss into his office if there had been any problems with their flirting. She usually isn't known to keep quiet, but today she'll let it slide. She isn't about to gossip with anyone else about it. Until there is a problem or until someone approaches her on the subject, she'll zip her lips on their attractions.

***

It's finally the end of the day and Cody makes it a point to thank everyone in the office for their hard work. He says goodbye to Jennifer and then heads down to the break room to see if Andrew is in there. Sure enough, he's grabbing his stuff before heading for the employee's exit. Suddenly, Andrew has goosebumps, and he's hoping that the boss doesn't notice.

"Thanks, Andrew, I really appreciate your work today. I truly couldn't do it without you. You did a great job. I looked over the charts you worked on today, and you did a great job. Susan made it a point to write down anything that the patients or their parents said about you, and I'm pleased to say that nothing was bad. You did a great job. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."

Andrew is literally soaking all of this in and loving it. His first day at the hospital wasn't even this good. He made a couple mistakes mostly because, he was extremely nervous, and even with his nervousness today was a good day. Hearing it from his boss makes that much more incredible.

"Thank you, Doctor Gaines, I really need to get home, but I look forward to tomorrow."

For the third time today, the guys shake hands and then walk away from each other. The whole way out to this car, Andrew keeps repeating what Doctor Gaines said to him. Then something weird happens, as he nears home, a wave of doubt crashes over him. It could be his self-confidence crashing now that he is away from the office's positive energy.

***

Remembering that he promised to call Jason back, he gets out his phone and calls his best friend.

"Hey Andrew, how was your day?"

Andrew is quiet as he thinks about the day and what Doctor Gaines said to him as they ended their day. He thinks about how he felt around the good doctor.

"It was amazing. I am not sure about this job though."

Jason has seen his friend's self-confidence take a significant fall since the whole Ethan mess fell apart. He helped Andrew pick up the pieces after that scum cheated on him. His friend's new life is exactly what he needs to rebuild his self-esteem and confidence.

"Andrew, does this have anything to do with the doctor?"

"Yeah, it does. All day long, my eyes were on him when he wasn't looking. By the end of the day, I was getting goosebumps every time he looked at me or spoke to me."

His friend knows that deep down inside, Andrew doesn't want to walk away from this job. Now, he just needs to remind him of that fact.

"Andrew, you don't want to quit. You just got the new house, you basically were praying for this job, and now that you have it you want to walk away. What are you going to do if you do quit? I know there are plenty of nursing jobs out there, but they won't be as perfect as this one."

Letting his friend's words sink in, Andrew admits that the new job fits into his new life perfectly.

"Yeah, I know it feels great. My co-workers are seriously some of the best that I've ever worked with, and even my boss is great. He took me aside today after my lunch to ask me how my day went, and then at the end of the day he was telling me that patients had given me compliments."

What it boils down too is that he has a hot boss that has a crush on Andrew, but Andrew has his own crush on the doctor.

"Andrew, if it wasn't for your crush-worthy boss would you feel any different about your job.

Honesty time, he has to tell the truth, or his best friend will know it, and he'll never hear the end of it.

"Yeah, I don't know if I keep working there with this guy. He's literally going to get me in trouble one of these days. I already want to drag him into his office or one of the empty exam rooms and kiss him. You know just to see how his lips feel."

Honesty is fine, but maybe Andrew was too honest. Again, it boils down to Andrew wanting someone but afraid of being hurt. Jason doesn't want him to feel like he has to stay on the job, but he also doesn't want him leaving the job.

"Honestly, I think you should stay. Who knows, maybe this guy is really the man of your dreams, and if you walk away from him, you'll miss out on something truly magical."

Andrew believes that his friend might be right. The words are true, there is no doubt about it.

"I know, what you're saying is true, but I also know that Doctor Gaines is my boss, and it's not ethical to date one's boss. Yeah, I don't know what to do. Jason, you're right, I can't just walk away from him or from the job. I'll have to figure this out huh?"

It's the only way that he'll be able to do what needs to be done. He'll have to face the ethical issue eventually, but maybe first he'll make dinner and relax.

***

An hour after eating, Andrew is feeling a little anxious, and he has a lot of energy, so he goes into the garage and gets his bike out. His thoughts are doing laps in his head. As he pedals around town, he thinks about the subject of the phone call and focuses on it. In a different role, Andrew might have welcomed the glances from Cody, but as an employee, it seems wrong to want to embrace any advances, but like Jason said, Doctor Gaines could be his future. Why can't he talk this over with someone other than his best friend? You know, he may not be that bad. If Cody is okay with him, then so be it. By the time he gets back home, Andrew is tired, and so he lays down for the night.

***

Hours earlier, at Cody's house, he is getting ready to call his sister, Mia. He pushes the call button on the phone, and instantly the call is started. A few seconds later, Mia answers the phone.

"What is going on bro?"

Cody is suddenly unsure that he should tell her. Even though, there are almost no secrets between the two of them. He can imagine his sister telling him that the very idea of dating an employee is foolish on some many different levels.

"Cody, are you going to tell me why you called?"

"Uh, yeah sorry about that, I think, no I mean, I have a crush on one of my nurses."

She chuckles.

"I thought you were gay."

She forgets that guys can be nurses too.

"Umm...this nurse is a guy; a cute guy. This nurse isn't just a nurse, he's my nurse. I just get these warm fuzzy feelings whenever I am around him. I think he feels them too. I'm just unsure of what I'm doing with these feelings."

She doesn't want him to not be with someone, but this guy may not be the best choice. There is something in his voice that sounds like a mix of lust and wanting to love.

"Cody, is this guy sweet?"

He thinks back to when Andrew got down to his knees to talk with the little girl who was afraid of the exam room. A smile was on his face the entire time that they talked, not once did his eyes leave her sad face. Heck, even the doctor was comforted by his voice and his smile.

"Yeah, he is sweet. He calmed a little girl down who was so afraid of shots that she wouldn't come into the exam room today. I would say that makes super sweet."

There is room for concern on both their minds. Andrew could be bad news when it comes to Cody and his son. Cody is careful about, who he exposes to his son. If something does happen between the two men, it would be Chase right in the middle of the relationship and innocent bystander in the case of a breakup. She wants to make sure that her nephew isn't going to be hurt.

"What about Chase?"

A simple question meant to snap Cody back into reality. If anything will make her brother face the truth of a situation it's his son, the most important person in his life is that little boy.

"Mia comes on; you know I won't allow this guy to get close to Chase unless I know that he's okay."

Chase comes first always and forever. Mia has achieved her goal of trying to bring her brother back to earth. Then again, she knew that he wouldn't do anything to hurt his son. Cody is pretty sure that Andrew would be a safe bet as far as guys go. He went out of his way for the little patients today in the office. He even had suckers in his pocket for kids who needed a little bit of distraction when they required shots.

"I guess, then the only thing left to do would be to try and talk to this guy right."

"Right."

Cody wants to talk Andrew about whatever their feelings are at the moment. He doesn't like not having to hold his emotions inside of him.

"So, you do think that I need to talk with him about my feeling?"

Cody's hoping that Mia says "Yes" because he wants to talk to Andrew about something other than patients and pus.

"I do because you deserve to be happy, and if you're going to worry about this, then you had better do the right thing."

Cody agrees with her and then they say goodbye for the night.

***

Chase is playing in his bedroom when his dad walks into the room. The young guy looks up at his father with a smile on his face. Cody can't help but wonder how Chase will feel about daddy having a boyfriend. He also wonders what Andrew will think about dating a father.

"Chase, I'm making hamburgers. Do you want a cheeseburger?"

His son's eyes got big at the mention of a cheeseburger. Chase loves anything with cheese on it or in it.

"Yeah, I want a cheeseburger. Do we have French fries?"

French fries are not on the menu, but there is still time to add them into the menu. Chase's dad heads downstairs to get dinner going. Dinner tonight is hamburger/cheeseburger, French fries, a tossed salad, and fresh fruit for dessert. Cody tries to make meals as healthy as possible. When dinner is done, he calls Chase down to eat.

"Did you wash your hands?"

Chase smiles at his dad and nods his head in affirmative. They sit down and enjoy dinner together. After dinner, Cody cleans up the meal and then it's time to watch some television, and he lets Chase pick what they watch. It's decided that the perfect thing to watch cartoons featuring Chase's favorite animated superhero. Cody sits there with his son enjoying the time with him. Having someone to cuddle with would be awesome. It won't be long till it's time to put his son to sleep and then he'll finish up the dishes, straighten up the house, and it's time to relax. He sits down on the couch and thinks about the way that his son has blessed his life.

***

It's Chase's bedtime, and Cody loves this time of the day. Not because, it's lights out for his little guy, but because sometimes the best conversations happen at night. Chase hasn't really been one for aggravating his father.

"Okay, buddy time for bed. Can you turn off the television?"

The kid turns off the television and heads to the bathroom. Cody watches as his son brushes his teeth.

"Good job brushing your teeth."

"Thanks, Dad."

Chase tells his dad as he goes back to brushing his teeth. After he finishes his teeth, Chase fills a cup with water and takes a small drink and then swishes it around before spitting it back out.

"Daddy, my teeth are brushed. Can I get my book now?"

"No, no book yet buddy, you have to get dressed for bed first. Go to your room and change into your pajamas."

Chase takes off for his room and opens the drawer in his dresser that holds his pajamas and underwear. He gets out the pajamas that he's going to wear tonight and then takes off his clothes and puts on the pajamas. Cody stands outside the door, so he can give his son privacy while he dresses. If it's important for Chase to give his dad privacy while he dresses, then it's vital for Cody to provide him with the same exact privacy.

"Are you ready to get into bed?"

"Yes, Dad."

Cody walks into the room as Chase crawls into bed. His dad tucks him into bed and then takes the book that they've been reading and reads to him. Cody tries to remember what voices he used for which characters, as he comes across parts of the dialogue. Chase has always loved that about his daddy's reading talent. Cody reads a couple pages each night, and then he closes the book. Looking at his son, he'll usually ask a question about his day or something that might have been on the news.

"Chase, how your day?"

"It was okay, but I missed you a lot today. Daddy, are you going to get married?"

Cody just stared at his son for a second a little taken back by the comment, but not surprised. It comes up occasionally, usually after seeing someone get married on television or when he's around certain family members, who will discuss it around him just so he'll ask questions later. Cody hates when they do it because there have been times when the answer has hurt Chase's feelings. It's not that Cody meant to hurt him, but it happened none the less.

"Do you want me to get married?"

Chase looks up at his dad whose sitting on the edge of the bed with a nervous expression on his face.

"I don't know, I want you to be happy."

"Thanks, Chase, you know I love you right?"

Chase shakes his head and smiles.

"You tell me that you love me, all the time Daddy."

He says just as matter of factly as he can.

"Daddy will get married when I find someone who will love you just as much as I love you."

Cody knows that someone loving Chase that much will take time, but it's true, he won't marry someone if they don't love Chase too.

"Okay, buddy. Time for lights out. I love you."

Cody leans down and kisses his son on the forehead.

"Love you too Daddy."

Chase kisses his Daddy on the cheek then closes his eyes. This acts as a signal for Cody to get up and turn off the lights so that his son can fall asleep. Occasionally, Chase might get up in the middle of the night, but it's rare. Even rarer are the nights when Chase ends up in bed with his dad. Cody is grateful for that not being a part of their routine anymore. Cody retreats to his bedroom, where he spends part of the evening filling out tomorrow's planner and then drawing his sketchbook. Tonight's sketch is Andrew's first name done in bubble letters with a multitude of hearts drawn into the individual letters. When he's done sketching, he gets himself ready for bed and then the day is done, and he can dream the night away.

***

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