Well, it could be worse, Julian thought as he helped his son out of the backseat. The four-year-old wore the deep scowl that had been plastered to his face for the past few days straight. At one time Julian had thought his son was too young to have such grown up expressions, but a four-day drive cross country was enough to convince him otherwise. Joey had barely spoken to him in all that time. But for Joey that was normal. He was always quiet, but he became more so when they moved. This was the last time though, as he had told himself and Joey repeatedly over the past few days. In the last three years, there was barely a state that he hadn’t dragged his son to. But this was the last time. Moving back to Colorado, back to where he was born and had grown up, would be good for the both of them. Joey was in need of stability now, and as much as he was loathed to admit it, his parents could provide them with that. So that was how Julian James decided to move back in with his parents.

Joey looked at the house, his dark eyes taking in the large windows, the warm cream colored siding, the high roof, and the large front yard, all things he had never had in a house before. Julian saw it with him, loving the house he had grown up in even more since he got to share it with him. This was a far cry from the tiny studio apartments they had been living in before. Julian silently vowed that his son would never live like that again. And his parents, bless them both, were more than happy to invite them to stay for a while until Julian could get his feet on the ground and make this place their home. They had been adamant about that, saying that it was the least they could do for their only child after that unfortunate time with his husband. Ex-husband, Julian forcefully reminded himself. And he had the scars, the long faded bruises, and papers to prove that it would remain that way for as long as he lived. Julian sighed and brushed those thoughts from his mind. He was safe now. And more importantly, Joe
y was safe now too. He knelt down next to him in the gravel driveway and gave him a soft smile. That deep scowl faltered ever so slightly as Joey turned toward him.

"Do you promise?" he asked quietly. They did this every time he moved them to a new place.

"Yes," Julian answered without hesitation.

Joey barely blinked. "You say that every time."

Julian sighed and nodded. It was the truth. Ever since Joey had been old enough to understand what was going on, they had gone over this. And every time that he had told him it would be the last time they would ever move, he had been forced to go back on his promise. But not this time. This time would be different.