Chapter Six

Wood

TOMORROW IS THE big day. The day when all the boys and Hope move to Pine View and I'm not sure if I'm ready for it to happen or not. I'm sure we all say the same thing as parents, but all of our boys are moving from Benton Falls to be with Vault and Valor. None of us are gonna have our sons home and not all of us have daughters who are willing to stay home. Everyone wants to move out on their own and start their lives at college, in Pine View, or one of the girls is even talking about following in Caleb's footsteps and joining the military. That's a hard pill to swallow because we all want to protect our daughters and keep them home with us until they meet their person and get married before starting families of their own. Now, Rayven is talking about joining the military to make a difference in the world. I don't think Slim and Shy even know that's what her plans include. It's not up to me to tell either one of them though. Rayven will figure out what she wants to do with her life in time and talk to her parents about her decision.

Jennifer, Boy Scout, and I are losing both of our boys. Wade and Colton are both moving to Pine View and will be starting their lives there. We've all seen how hard it is with the Wild Kings as they have sent their kids to Cedar Bay to help the town grow and become who they're meant to be. They've made good progress in the town by buying up so many buildings that have sat empty for years after a hurricane and then being taken advantage of by shady fucks who moved in on the town and took over. The club will keep them all out and I know our boys will have their backs when it's needed. That's one of the reasons we're all remotely happy for them to move and be close to the Wild Kings chapter in Cedar Bay. We've always had a great relationship with the Wild Kings and I hope this next generation continues that moving forward.

Our wife isn't happy that we're losing both of our sons at the same time. She's cried herself to sleep more times than I can count since they all made the collective decision to join Vault and Valor. Boy Scout and I are there for her every night and help her get through each day the best we can. This is something we all have to work on though. I mean, we can only guide them so much and have taught them what they need to know to live on their own and determine what they want out of life. There's nothing more we can do to help them unless they choose to come to us and ask for assistance. At least that's how I feel. At some point, we all have to let go so our kids can spread their wings and fly on their own.

Today, the ol' ladies and girls are helping Hope pack up her room. Or finish packing up her room so everything can be loaded into the U-Haul with the boys' things. We're all surprised as fuck Killer is letting one of his daughters move so far from home, but I guess there was a huge fight and Hope said her truth about how her life was so far. Personally, I thought she'd snap sooner than she did. Hope is adventurous and has always needed a semblance of freedom as she grew up. Killer didn't give her much of that and it stifled her growth. We've all seen it. Even Gwen refused to say anything because she didn't know how to approach her husband about his overprotectiveness.

On top of leaving Benton Falls and heading to Pine View, there's something going on with Wade. I have no clue what the fuck it is, but Jennifer has asked me to talk to him about things before we make the trip back to Pine View tomorrow. So, I've been searching all over for our son for hours and he's nowhere to be found. No one's seen him for a long time now and I'm getting kind of worried. Especially since his bike is still here and that means I know he's not out riding somewhere. Walking through the backyard of the clubhouse, I listen for any signs of my son to figure out where he's hiding from the world today. It's not often Wade disappears, but today is one of them and there's a reason for it.

I'd go ask Dylan what's going on with Wade, but I haven't been able to find him either. I'm sure he's spending time with his family before the move. If I can't find Wade soon, I might have to go in search of Dylan though. Dylan is Wade's best friend and they've been inseparable for as long as any of us can remember. There's a slight age difference between the two with Wade being older, but it doesn't bother them so who are we to question their friendship? That's not how we've raised our kids. Wade and Dylan have been sharing girls for a very long time now and I've caught them in more compromising positions than I'll ever admit to. I quickly learned to knock on bedroom doors before entering and making noise when I'm outside. These boys aren't shy and will find a place no matter where it is when they want to have sex.

Making my way to the field of wildflowers, I squint my eyes and look out across the expanse to find Wade sitting in the middle with his back to me. His head is tipped up toward the sky as he watches the clouds pass him by. I carefully make my way over to him and wait for my son to figure out I'm standing next to him. It takes several minutes as I look down at Wade and notice the look of despair, confusion, and pain filling his eyes.

"What's up, Dada?" Wade finally asks, acknowledging me but not looking in my direction.

"You tell me, Son. You've been actin' different for a while now and we've all noticed it. I thought you knew you could come talk to us about anythin' goin' on in your life," I state, sitting down next to him in the middle of the wildflowers all the girls in our lives love to enjoy walking through and having us pick some for them.

"I know I can talk to you about anythin', Dada. All of you have made that more than clear over the years. I'm just not sure what to say or how to broach this topic yet. It's somethin' I've been thinkin' about over the last few months, but there's not really much I can do about it," he says, finally looking over at me with pain filling his eyes so much it breaks my heart to see my son hurting this badly.

"Wade, talk to me. Is it movin' to Pine View? Do you not want to go there with everyone?" I ask him, not sure what else could be wrong besides that unless he chooses to open up and talk to me.

"I do want to move to Pine View. I think it's somethin' I need to do, Dada. Yeah, I'm gonna miss you, Mom, and Dad, but it's time for us to move on and start our lives. Colton and I have talked about this a lot and we feel deep in our hearts that it's the right move for us to make. Benton Falls will always be home for us, but it's time to find our place in the world. If that means movin' to Pine View, then that's where we need to be," he tells me, his voice so sad in a way I've never heard before.

"So, you've talked to your brother about things? That's good. I hope you both remain close when you move. That's somethin' we've always tried to instill in you boys," I say, not sure how to figure out what I can do or say to get my son to open up to me in a way that helps him figure out whatever is plaguing his mind.

"We know, Dada. All three of you are the best parents we could ever hope to have. You've set the best examples of how a man should be and taught us what it means to truly love another person and make sure they know that they're the center of our world. You never let us fall down for very long and it's a time for us to put all of our lessons to use. Colton and I have all the tools we'll ever need to be on our own and it's time for us to move on," he says looking back up at the sky and not at me. "Colton and I talk all the time and we really don't have many secrets from one another. I think the only ones who know more about us than one another are Dylan and Kaden. Because of you guys, you made us see that it's not wrong to want to have a relationship with the same woman and our best friend."

"Of course we did. We don't have a conventional relationship with your mom and we never have. But, you've seen that from more than just the three of us, Wade. Skylar, Cage, and Joker were among the first who gave the relationship aspect of this a try and we all saw how they made it work. Then, Crash, Trojan, and Darcy did the same thing. If anyone needs more than one man to be in her life, it's Darcy. That woman has caused me so much pain over the years and I've had my ass handed to me by Crash and Trojan so many times because of her. But, they made their relationship work and it looks easy. I will tell you that it's anythin' but easy. Sharin' a woman with your best friend is an experience not many will choose to take and that's okay for them. If you and Dylan want to share an ol' lady, you'll figure it out like the rest of us have. Or does Dylan really not want to move to Pine View?" I question Wade, not sure if Dylan is part of what's making him so upset right now.

"Dylan wants to move. Playboy already sat down and talked to him about everythin'. Wanted to make sure he was makin' the move for him and not because I was movin'. I think all of you have done the same thing over the last few days that it's become a reality and we'll be hours away. We're all feelin' the change and are tryin' to deal with it the best we absolutely can. It might be hittin' us harder than we want to admit. If that's what was botherin' me, I'd tell you, Dada. I promise you that we'll be okay in Pine View. Vault and Valor aren't gonna let any of us fail or anythin' else. If they think we need you, then they'll make sure you come to Pine View to kick our asses dependin' on what's goin' on," my son says, his voice full of laughter because he knows none of us will hesitate to go there and beat their asses to get them back on the right path.

"We know that to be true. They won't let you fail for any reason. I think if anyone is on your side, Vault and Valor would be the two who are gonna be your biggest cheerleaders. They'll do everythin' in their power to make sure you thrive and find what you're truly lookin' for. In ways, they'll both take over guidin' you boys when you need it so you don't follow the same hard road they took when we lost Hound," I say, thinking of one of the best men we've all ever known in our lives.

"Yeah. We all remember those dark days, Dada. That's what we call them if anythin' is ever mentioned. It's good to know that Vault pulled himself back before it was too late and he did somethin' he couldn't come back from," Wade states, laying back in the wildflowers so no one can see him if they aren't right next to him. "What are you guys gonna do with our dirt bikes? We're not takin' those with us."

"We'll probably leave them in the barn and make sure to do the maintenance on them regularly so if you ever come home and want to fuck around on them, they'll be ready to go. I'm sure we'll find a use for them," I say, a smirk on my face because the guys and I will more than likely race our boys' dirt bikes like we used to.

Wade and I sit in silence for a while. Neither one of us feels the need to say anything in this moment because we're both comfortable sitting in silence more than talking about everything and anything on our minds. It gives us time to think and make sure we're doing what's right for our chosen path.

"Dada, what would you do if you were keepin' a huge secret for someone? And it was somethin' they didn't want to get out for their own reasons," Wade suddenly asks me, his voice almost a whisper as he finally starts talking about what's been bothering him.

"Well, I guess it would depend on the secret, Wade. I mean if it's somethin' that can potentially hurt the person, then you need to tell the right people so they get the help they need before it's too late. If it's somethin' someone is goin' through, I would just make sure I'm there for them and they know they can talk to me about anythin' goin' on in their life. We all have secrets and we all have that one person we can tell anythin' to. Keepin' a secret takes a certain amount of trust from that person if they're willin' to share somethin' huge with you and no one else. Only you can make the decision about if you're willin' to keep the secret or if you want to hurt them and betray their trust to tell someone what's goin' on with them," I tell him, not sure what he's truly talking about right now but knowing this is something that's been weighing on his mind for a long time. "Is someone in trouble, Wade?"

"No. No one's in trouble. They just have a secret and I understand their reason for not wantin' it to get out before they're ready to talk. But, at the same time, I don't think they truly understand how much they're hurtin' the other person involved. It's a tricky situation and I don't think others will react the way they believe they will. I'm just not sure how I can convince them of that fact," he says, looking at me so I can see the truth of his words as he looks so troubled and hurt.

For the first time in my life, I don't know how to help one of my children. I've always been there for them and tried to give them the best advice I can. Now, I don't know who this secret is about or what they're going through. I want my son to confide in me and share what he knows, but I have to trust in him to use his best judgement and make a decision based on what he feels needs to happen. There's really nothing I can do other than let Wade know I'm there for him and that if this situation changes, I'll help him talk to whoever needs to be told what's going on.

"If that ever changes, I want you to come to me immediately, Wade. It takes a split second for life alterin' decisions to be made and if you can do somethin' to stop it from happenin', then I want you to step up no matter how angry the other person will be because of your decision," I tell him, looking at my son as I lay back in the flowers with him.

I can hear people in the backyard. If Wade doesn't want anyone to know where he is right now, I'm not about to let anyone know where he's hiding. My son doesn't need to have this weighing on him and making him hurt the way it has been for a long time now. If I can take that burden from his shoulders, then I'll do everything in my power to do so. I don't know if Wade will ever convince this person to share what's going on, but we'll make sure everyone comes out of this at the end of the day. We're all family and we help one another out when it's needed the most.

"I will always come to you when I can, Dada. If this were my secret to share, I'd have already told you about it. I just can't betray this person when it comes to this. No matter how much I want to talk about it, it's not my thing to share. That's what makes it so fuckin' hard because I know this person is kind and lovin', but they're pushin' everyone so close to them away and it sucks to see them start to isolate themselves even more than before," Wade says, as he looks at me and closes his eyes as a lone tear rolls down his face that he quickly brushes away as if it didn't happen.

"None of that shit, Wade. If this is upsettin' you that much, then you let out whatever you got goin' on inside. I've never once taught you to hide your emotions or told you that you'd be weak if you cried or got upset about somethin'. I just want to make sure that you're okay and will be able to move on from whatever this secret you're keepin' is," I tell him, sitting up and pulling my son up with me.

I hug Wade and don't let him go as he breaks down in my arms. We're still mostly hiding in the field of flowers so no one will bother us. The last thing Wade needs is someone walking up on us and making him embarrassed for this meltdown. I reassure him the best I can with soothing words and telling him that I've got his back no matter what.

When Wade is done crying, he pulls back from me and wipes the tears from his face. Looking up at me, he tries to give me a smile, but it falls flat. And that's okay. We sit in silence again for a few minutes before making our way back to the backyard of the clubhouse. Everyone is gathering around for an impromptu cookout as we look around and start helping. Well, I start helping. Wade rushes inside and heads for the bathroom so he can splash some cold water on his face while I make my way over to Jennifer and Boy Scout.

"Is he okay?" my ol' lady asks me, worry filling her face as she keeps her attention locked on the door our son disappeared through.

"He's gonna be okay, baby. Just got some shit weighin' on him. Wade will figure out how to get this shit off his shoulders and help the person without losin' more of himself. It's just gonna take him a little bit to find a good balance between stayin' true to this person and not losin' himself the way he has been," I assure my woman, pulling her into my arms and holding her tight as Boy Scout comes up to her back and crowds her in while pressing a kiss against Jennifer's neck.

"Okay, Wood. He'll tell us if things change?" she asks me, her voice wavering with the emotions she's trying to hold back.

"He'll come to us when he needs to. I promise you of that," I state as Wade makes his way back out of the clubhouse to help everyone.

The rest of the day flies by as we surround ourselves with our extended family and enjoy having everyone together for one of the last times before leaving here tomorrow. We don't ever need a reason to party or have a cookout, but today is bittersweet because it does remind us all that our kids are moving away and won't be here much longer. That's why we spend as much time together as possible before everyone starts to head to each of their homes to spend some time with their kids. Honestly, it's one of the best days I've had in a long time and I hope that this doesn't end just because our kids are gone. It's still important for the rest of us to spend time together and bring in the new additions to the club as they come for their own reasons. If I've learned one thing over the years in this club, it's that we accept everyone flaws and all. As long as they don't fuck us over, a person will join and be part of our family. Even if they aren't blood and have no relation to any of us here.