Kaiden got his act together and walked out into the dining, putting every lingering conversation to a stop.
He walked towards an empty chair and sat beside Tolliver.
"Hey cuz," he smiled kindly at the sandy-haired boy, lookíng at him, "I am sorry for keeping you hungry for so long."
"No, it's fine. It is nice to have you come down to dine with us."
For a moment, Marian stayed quiet than she normally would. She looked at her husband and Derek looked straight at her.
Kaiden saw the look of surprise on their face but he chose not to pay any attention to it. Instead, he considered how cute Tolliver was, and snuggled him fondly in a boyish embrace.
"No, please...not my hair."
Tolliver cackled loudly in sheer abandon. He was certainly already getting on good terms with his new older brother, Kai.
