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***Alexei's POV***

"You broke your wrist? Punching your father?" Mak laughs while Gavin rolls his eyes.

"I'm not proud of myself." Gavin explains as he sets a box down before sitting down in our living room.

"He also punched me, repeatedly might I add. I have bruises." Martin laughs.

"What the fuck did I miss?" Mak whines while falling back onto the carpet.

"It wasn't a fun expedition." Gavin complains.

"I don't know. I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy the show. Gavin can fight." Grey ruffles Gavin's hair as he walks past him with another box in his hands. I laugh when Gavin giggles proudly.

"Alright. Let's just start this shit show. This is the last of my time as an orphan." Gavin sweeps his hand across all of the boxes that were retrieved from the storage unit. It isn't much but it's important to go through.

"How do you want to do this?" I ask as I set a trash can beside the couch.

"I'm just going to start somewhere. Everyone plunder through this shit. If you find something interesting, put it to the side or show me. I will decide to keep it or trash it." Gavin shrugs his shoulders without enthusiasm.

I grab my box and take the plastic lid off. Immediately, I know that I am going to have a long road ahead of me. Mine has Gavin's baby stuff in it. I begin to sort it as I come across something we are keeping no matter what.

"Baby?" I alert Gavin as I hold up a handmade quilt.

"Oh. Let me see that!" Gavin reaches over, taking the small blanket from me. His hasty movements are the first real show of excitement I have seen throughout this debacle.

"This was my first blanket. I slept with this until I was ten. I wondered what happened to it." Gavin places the quilt in his lap. A smile plays on his lips as he stares at the grey and blue patchwork quilt. The nostalgia in his eyes is instant, causing a wave of calm to wash over me.

Somewhere inside of my love there is still hope. He hasn't been completely jaded by this shit stain on the pages of his life. We will get through this. Somehow, we will pick up the pieces and move forward.

"Pictures of your father?" Martin asks. I can hear the way he swears out the last word.

"Toss." Gavin calls out over his shoulder.

"Your mom?" Grey asks.

"Keep." I usher. I'm not letting him erase everything.

"Toys?" Mak asks.

"Trash. But if you find a fire engine let me see it. I had one in particular that I loved." Gavin says wistfully.

We work through the boxes diligently until we have a fourth of what we started with.

"Lunch break. Then we will get through the rest of this." I instruct.

"I'm starving." Gavin grumbles.

"I bet. And it's time for your pain medicine." I remind him. He didn't eat at all yesterday thanks to the bullshit with his donor. Narcotics on an empty stomach is a recipe for nausea or even ulcers. He needs to eat.

"Can we get pizza?" Gavin chimes in.

"We can." I agree. I will get whatever he wants as long as he eats. He thinks I haven't noticed how much weight he has lost. I am trying to practice patience, but I do see what this has done to him.

After ordering from the pizzeria down the road, Martin heads out to grab it. I get Gavin to take his meds while I attempt to clean under his cast. Grey and Mak set the table.

"Daddy?" Gavin asks as I pull him from the bathroom counter.

"Yes, my heart?" I ask softly.

"Can we go through my letters real quick? I prefer to do it in private." Gavin admits. He pulls them out of the bathroom drawer where I saw him stash them away yesterday.

"Of course." I close the door and lock it.

Gavin removes the first one. He studies the words for a moment before placing it down. I don't ask him about it, giving him a moment to digest whatever he has found.

"My mom was writing to me during her first few treatments. They don't make much sense. It's nice to know she tried though." Gavin moves all but one to the side.

I watch him pull the last one out of the envelope. He holds the letter for a long while before moving on to the next page. After a bit, he goes to the next. I notice the tears as he hands the letter over to me.

My Dearest Son,

I love you, my heart. I am so proud to call you mine. I hope one day, when you find this, you are safe. I pray that you have found a way to move past everything we have been through. I am so sorry for all you have had to endure. Life isn't fair. I never meant to put you through this. I thought I could control it. If love was enough to make me better, I would be the best mother in the world. We don't always get dealt the best hand.

By the time you finally get this, you may hate me. I would understand. I would never hold that against you. I just hope you know that everything I had to do, I did it for you. We were never going to be okay if you had stayed. I was never going to be able to take care of you. I couldn't even take care of myself. You shouldn't have had to take care of both of us.

You, my dear, are so perfect. Don't ever doubt that. You are everything I ever wanted in a child. I couldn't wish for anything more. Your heart is bigger than the entire sky and your love shines brighter than the stars that occupy it. I pray you find someone that cherishes you the way you have always deserved. I am not even sure that is possible. You are worthy of so much more than you could imagine. I just pray you find someone that comes close.

As I write this, I feel myself slipping back again. I wish I could stay. I won't. I never do. Before I go, I want you to know that this is not your fault. You did more than you should have had to. Forever my heart, you were always my gift. I will miss you more than anything. Every day without you will be the worst day of my life.

If this finds you, please know, I have never stopped thinking of you. I have and will always love you my sweet angel. There is a gift waiting on you for your wedding day. I may not be there with you physically, but I promise I will be cheering you on as I always have and always will.

With all the love I have to give.

Your Mom,

Eloise

This whole ordeal with Gavin's mom keeps my emotions teetering. I try to clear my throat. It's hard to keep the tears at bay when your love has lost someone who is so worthy of being a part of his life.

"I'm so sorry, my heart." I pull him into my arms. I don't know what I can do to make all of this better.

"I'm okay. I was an orphan before. Now, at least I am a loved orphan." Gavin shrugs his shoulders.

"You may have been an orphan for a period. However, you are surrounded by so many people who adore you. I will never be able to replace your mom but, I will always try to be worthy of your love." I promise.

"That's more than I can ask for." Gavin pulls me close to him as I scoop him into my arms. I love him irrationally. It's all I can do. It will have to be enough.

"Let's go eat." I set Gavin on his feet before unlocking the door and walking us through.

"Are you okay?" Mak runs to Gavin. Without an answer, he has his arms around Gavin. He is hugging the life out of my love. That makes me smile.

"I will be." Gavin promises. He takes Mak's hand and walks towards the table. I let the two of them sit together and eat while I prop against the counter to watch.

"He's having a rough go." Martin walks up to me. He hands me a plate. I take it although I am not hungry.

"How do I make it better?" I finally ask.

"You love him. That is all any of us can do. We all love him. Each one of us has to do our part to pour into him until all the empty parts are as full as they can be. Eventually, the love repairs the damage." Martin wraps his arms around me. It makes me feel better. I think I may have been starting to feel broken as well.

"Daddy!" Gavin shouts across the table.

"Yes, my joy?" I ask as I give him my attention.

"Come eat. We are talking about the wedding!" Gavin claps his hand and waves me over.

Martin claps his hand on my shoulder with a smile as he pushes me towards the table. We take a seat while Gavin starts chattering. Grey happily absorbs the energy as if he is actually interested in our wedding.

"Alex, what color tuxes are we wearing?" Grey asks.

"I haven't thought about it." I admit sheepishly.

"I suggest you do. This very well may be the distraction we need." Grey whispers over to me.

"Love, what color would work best for you?" I ask my fiancé.

"I don't know. It depends what season we marry during." Gavin gives me a look as if I have made a plan. I haven't. I thought this was his rodeo.

"The sooner, the better." I mumble under my breath.

"What was that?" Martin asks. He has mischief in his eyes.

"I said, whenever Gavin is ready." I lie through my teeth. Martin laughs as he rolls his eyes.

"Who is walking you down the aisle?" Mak asks Gavin.

"I don't know. Maybe I will walk by myself. That's acceptable now." Gavin pushes the pizza on the plate instead of eating it.

"That would be me." Martin states clearly. There isn't a question in his statement. He has made a declaration.

"You don't have to do that." Gavin shakes his head.

"Yes, I do. It's traditional. The father always walks the bride down the aisle." Martin winks at Gavin. I could just kiss the silver haired gem.

"I'm an orphan." Gavin argues. I think he wants a spanking.

"Were." I remind my love. He has to let it go.

"Do I need to draw up fucking papers, Gavin? I will change your name today. Don't test me." Martin gives a stern look to my fiancé. I appreciate it.

"No, Sir." Gavin relinquishes.

"I still might. I'm thinking about it." Martin shrugs his shoulders.

"I always wanted a brother." Grey high-fives his dad.

"I can't lust after my dad." Gavin shakes his body as he makes a gagging face.

"You have a point." I laugh out. That would be gross.

"My point stands. I'm walking you down the aisle. Case closed." Martin picks up two slices of pizza and places one on Gavin's plate before putting one on my own. I don't bother to argue. I will eat the damn pizza.

"Well, we still have to go through this shit. So, let's finish eating." Gavin instructs as he picks at the food on his plate.

"Why don't you go through the lock box, now?" Martin doesn't wait for an answer to his question. He stands up, walking to the coffee table before bringing the box to Gavin and placing it in front of him.

Gavin stares at the box like it is offensive.

"You might as well get it over with, Love." I encourage him. There is no use dragging this out.

Gavin opens the box. He pulls the pictures out first. He spreads them out in a pile so that we can all see them. I grab the first one I see. It is a picture of Gavin and Eloise when he was a newborn. She looks so happy. It's hard to believe that things take a turn for the worse.

Gavin stares at the photos without picking any of them up. I watch as he glances over them repeatedly. It worries me that he seems uninterested in everything that we have collected. He doesn't appear to be processing his emotions.

Instead of focusing on the pictures, Gavin grabs the prescription bottle from the lock box. He rolls it back and forth in his hand. I can hear something rattling around the edges against the plastic. He doesn't say anything as he opens the bottle and spills its contents on the dining room table. A necklace pools into a tiny pile beside Gavin's hand as he stares at it.

"Do you recognize it?" I ask, urging him to react at all.

"Yep." Gavin smacks his lips together softly.

"What is it?" Mak takes my next question from my lips before I can voice it out loud.

"A broken promise." Gavin whispers. He slides his hand across the table, sending the jewelry sailing across the dining room. It clatters to the ground after bouncing off the wall.

"Baby?" I question gently. His behavior is scaring me.

"I don't want it." Gavin covers his face with his hands. He drops his head to the table, scooting his chair back. I see the way his shoulders move, and I know that he is crying, again.

I stand up and walk over to him. Crouching down, I place my hand on his back to rub the area between his shoulder blades. He turns as he falls into my arms. I let him wrap himself around my body. Life is not supposed to be this fucking emotional. It is supposed to even out.

"Let it out." I whisper. I don't move while I allow him to cry.

"She promised." Gavin whimpers as he buries his head into my neck.

"What did she promise?" I ask softly.

Gavin lifts up from my shoulder. He stares at me with tears that won't let up. He looks as if he can't handle much more. I really don't blame him. His entire life has been heavy.

"She told me." Gavin starts to speak. He pushes his palms into his eyes, rubbing his sockets roughly before trying again. "She said it would protect me."

I can only assume that whatever he catapulted across the room is the object of protection. I turn to see exactly where it landed.

"Do you mind?" I ask Grey.

Grey nods before standing up to retrieve the object off the floor. When he brings it to me, I hold it up to analyze it. Understanding envelopes me instantly. It is not a necklace at all but a talisman. I admit, I do not know much about it. However, I am sure I have seen something like it in a few of the historical museums I have visited. I know I have seen replicas sold on the streets of Portugal during one of Sebastain's modeling gigs.

"Can I see that?" Mak jumps from his seat. He doesn't give me time to think as he takes the talisman from my fingers. I watch as he inspects the small charm, flipping it over and over. He eyes the small figure for what feels like minutes as he goes over all the details.

"She isn't wrong." Mak states as he holds the tiny fist up to show it to us.

"Is your mother Latin?" Martin questions as he bends over Mak to look at the charm.

"She is. From Brazill, specifically" Gavin admits. He doesn't seem interested in their questions.

"When did she give you this?" Martin questions. He holds the jewelry up as if to remind Gavin of the object.

"She didn't. She showed it to me when I was six or seven. My mom told me that one day it would be mine. But I don't want it. That thing is obviously bad luck." Gavin slides down my body, separating us before walking away.

"What is it?" I ask Martin curiously.

"A Figa. It is a Portuguese Amulet. The Figa is a symbol of not only protection but good luck and resilience. There are very strong ties between The Figa and its possessor. One would have to respect its power and believe in its purpose." Martin looks at me thoughtfully while divulging the information.

My mind begins to unravel the intricacies of the amulet. Eloise may have intended to give it to Gavin at his wedding. My speculation would align with her words from the letter we had just read earlier in the bathroom. Gavin may not believe the charm had worked; however, it did not fail him either. He is resilient. He has managed to survive every bad day so far. He has also mentioned, many times, how lucky he is. That would testify to the amulet's power as well.

"We should get back to it." I encourage as I tuck away the new information for further inspection at a later time. I pocket the amulet to hide from my devastated partner. I do not think he needs to be reminded of it again at the moment.

Gavin is sitting amongst the wreckage of his past. He slowly picks things up, moving them into piles of different importance. He has filed the majority of the things into the trash can as I make my way back towards him.

"Are you doing alright, Love?" I ask out of concern before sitting down beside the large tub of baby stuff I still need to sort.

"I'm fine. I just want to finish this chapter." Gavin expresses with a look of exasperation.

"This can be a lot to process. Take your time." Martin encourages while changing the trash bag out for a clean one.

"I was happier when I didn't know about any of this shit." Gavin grounds out as he chunks another item into the trash can.

"While I believe you, I think that it is important to unpack all of the parts of your past. This way, you don't have so much to carry into your future." Grey chimes in. I agree wholeheartedly with his assessment.

"I'm trying. I really am. It's fucking heavy and I am taking this one minute at a time. I promise." Gavin pulls at the strands of his hair. I want so badly to make everything better. I can't. We have to navigate all of these roads so we can get to our own path of happiness.

"Did you open the envelope from your father?" Grey asks with an apologetic tone.

"That is one thing I refuse to open right now. I will go through all of this shit. I will rip open every single wound. I will even lick them when I am finished. However, what I will not do is let that man's pain leak into the pain I feel for the loss of my mother. They are two separate wounds, and I do not want there to be any confusion about which one I am crying over. I still hate him." Gavin angrily tosses another item into the trash. I can easily decipher that this item was Joshua's. It is way too big to have been Gavin's. Eloise had no need for men's clothing.

While we unpack and sort each of the boxes, I find myself constantly looking at Gavin. It seems unfathomable that one person should have so much to bear. Beside him, Mak sits helping to file away all the memorabilia of my love's past. I know that Mak was once an orphan as well. It's unimaginable to think that fate would intertwine their lives with one another. Yet here we are. I just pray that my little kitten finds a healthy way to deal with all of this, so I don't end up taking a page out of Grey's handbook. Lord knows what I would do with a case of a runaway groom.