Thanks to Killerarmyguy and Taco for the edits.
******
Two and a half weeks later...
"You promise you'll call the first moment you land?" Helen spoke in a worried motherly tone as she, Shawna, Will, and George stood in the lobby of PHL Philadelphia International Airport. She so didn't want Denis to go. She didn't want to be separated from her baby by over six hundred miles. However, she had seen how close they had gotten over the past two and a half weeks. Helen would never admit it aloud, yet Coraline was a nice, decent person. Still, she wasn't about to give up her baby to her. She never wanted Denis to be away from her side unless she knew where he was staying and within driving distance from her house ever since they had adopted him. This would be the longest her son would be away from home, and she was going to hate every moment of it. Nonetheless, Denis was determined to go, and she couldn't deny her baby. No matter how much she would miss and worry about him the whole time he was gone for his spring break. It was why she and George were letting him leave in the middle of the week and return the Sunday after next week.
"Yes, Mom, I promise I'll call the moment I'm off the plane," Denis nodded. "And I'll call every day," he said, reassuring her that he would be okay.
"You better," Helen said in a trembling voice as she hugged her son hard, causing her 38D breasts to pancake out as she did. "I'm going to miss you so much. You better be prepared for the best fucking of your life when you get back because mama's going to be horny," she whispered into her son's ear as she felt him hugging her back.
George pulled his son down into him, hugging him hard, knowing this would be hard on his son given his issues with trusting strangers. "You call if you need anything. If it doesn't feel right, or something happens, you come home. No one will fault you for that," he whispered in a fatherly voice, feeling his son nodding against his shoulder. "If we have to, it's only a ten-hour car ride to Knoxville," George said, making it known to Denis they would move Heaven and Earth to get him home.
"You better be sending me photos of everything," Shawna said, snuggling up to Denis as he lightly rubbed her back. "I want to know what you did and how your day was. I don't want to miss anything," she whispered, knowing Denis needed to meet this woman. She knew if he didn't, it would just eat at him. She didn't want him to have any regrets in his life once they were married, not that Denis had any idea that was what was going to happen to them in the future. Kissing her brother passionately, she didn't care if anyone saw; she wanted him to remember what was waiting for him when he got home. "You be safe down there, you here?" Shawna intoned in a caring voice, seeing his smile reaching his eyes as he nodded.
"You know you can call me anytime you need to," Will said, hugging Denis in a firm brotherly hug.
"I know why you're a good brother," Denis responded, matching his hug. To outsiders, they might appear the oddest of families. Yet, to Denis, it was the only place he ever wanted to belong. "You watch out for Dad for me," he said, pulling away.
"You got it," Will nodded firmly. "I'll make sure he isn't terrorizing the half-pipe in his rocket-powered wheelchair," he joked, getting a laugh out of his father and brother.
"I love you guys," Denis said, walking towards the TSA agent. Waving to them as he peered back at them. "I'll be home soon!"
"We love you too, Denis!" Helen shouted, not caring if she garnered looks from those around them. "You be safe and stay out of trouble!"
"Yes, Mom, no terrorizing Knoxville," Denis uttered, smiling as he was let through the gate. Knowing he had to meet this woman that the test they had run proved was indeed his biological mother. It was just something in him that drove him to meet her. What that was, he couldn't say. Nothing in his life has prepared him for dealing with that feeling, at least not the first ten years of it. Holding out his arms as the woman waved a wand along his body before he was let through the checkpoint. Wondering if there was a boxing gym close to his birth mother's place just so he could keep in shape. The title match was a knockout, literally. Given how Denis delivered an uppercut to his opponent's jaw in the middle of the first round, winning it by a technical knockout. He would have felt bad about it if his opponent hadn't ran his mouth about whipping him and doing things to Shawna after the match. He was already exiting the ring when his opponent finally began to stir.
His trainer had even begun to hint at seeing him go pro, given the number of wins under his belt. He might go that route, yet he knew his parents wanted him to go to college. Denis had to admit being in the same school as Shawna and Will once again would be awesome in his view. It would feel like all the other times they have been together. He loved being with them even if he couldn't understand half of what the two of them spoke about; they never once made him feel stupid when he knew he didn't have their smarts.
"Hello?" Denis answered when he brought his phone up to his ear as he walked towards his gate terminal.
"
Hi, baby, I was just calling to see if you're on your way yet
?" While Denis had to admit Coraline was a nice person over the phone, however, from his experience, he had to see if her actions matched her kindness.
"Walking to the terminal as we speak," Denis replied, knowing it was only a two-hour flight to Knoxville, TN.
"
Okay, so you're really coming
?!"
"Huh?" Denis uttered in confusion.
"
Nothing, nothing, I just had this fear you would back out at the last minute
."
"Ah, nope, I'll be in the air in a few minutes," Denis stated, seeing the sign for his terminal as he drew near. Arching an eyebrow hearing his birth mother sniffling.
"
Sorry, Denis, you probably don't want to hear your mother cry. I promised myself I wouldn't, yet I've been waiting for this day since I first talked to you
."
"Then cry if you want to," Denis said, knowing his mother would say this was one of those times it was okay to cry.
"