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“I understand it’s not a call you could have expected. With no biological family to contact, placing him into foster care is typically the next step, but we were given this phone number and your name, as he specifically requested that we contact you first.”
Phil ran a hand through his hair, trying to process everything that he was being told. No, he wasn’t used to getting calls from social workers, not when he’d never had to speak to a social worker before. There had never been a need in the past, and he hadn’t been seeking this one out, either.
“Yeah, I… Can I call you back? I need to talk to my wife about this. I want to say yes, and if I wasn’t married I would say yes without a doubt, but I just… Let me talk to my wife. I doubt she’ll say no, but she needs to know before…” Phil struggled to find the words, mind still racing.
He needed to talk with his wife before bringing any more children into their lives. It wasn’t fair to just spring anything on her.
Kristin, who’d been typing on her laptop at the kitchen table up until Phil said the words “let me speak with my wife,” looked concerned. Her eyebrows were pinched together, dark eyes focusing on him instead of the work she’d been finishing up. His words hadn’t really given away the situation that had just been dropped on him, had they?
“Thank you, Mr. Craft. Please give me a call back as soon as you have an answer, because right now, he’s staying at a group home. He can stay there for now, as he has been for a few weeks now, but if you aren’t interested in taking him, then I’d like to get him placed in a foster family as soon as possible.” While Ms. Foster’s voice held an impatience to it, Phil could also hear the stress, and he couldn’t imagine how demanding her job was.
After all, she was dealing with children who’d seen some of the worst humanity had to offer, and trying to help them as best as she was able to.
“Ask your wife about what?” Kristin spoke up when Phil didn’t immediately say something after hanging up the phone.
Phil sighed, hating how exhausted he felt even though the morning had just started. Hearing about court cases, prison sentences, and abandoned children could do that to a man.
“Before I met you… I had a relationship with someone, and she, well, she just got arrested, and will be in prison for a minimum of a decade before she’s allowed parole,” Phil said, explaining everything that Ms. Foster had told him about. That had been a shock, as she hadn’t seemed capable of something like that back when he’d been dating her.
“Oh,” Kristin said, standing from her chair. She wandered over to him, and Phil smiled softly as she curled her arms around him. “Okay. Is that… a bad thing? Did she hurt you, or…? Why would you be alerted about this? Did she threaten you?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” Phil shook his head. No, this wasn’t a bad call, not necessarily. It was unfortunate, as he hoped that she would have gotten her life together, but there was nothing he’d been able to do about it back then.
There was something he’d be able to do now, though.
Ten years ago, Phil’s relationship with a woman named Maryann ended very poorly, with horrible disagreements and learning of her infidelity. He’d loved her—at least, he thought he had initially. It wasn’t until everything fell apart when he realized that he wasn’t sure he’d ever truly loved her.
There was one person that he’d loved ten years ago, but he’d lost that person when his relationship with Maryann fell apart, as much as Phil had fought to not let everything fall apart. He would have stayed with Maryann, even with everything that happened between them, if it would have made any kind of difference…
“I was going to marry her,” Phil said, hoping his wife didn’t take that the wrong way. Kristin just hummed, waiting for him to continue. “I was going to marry her not because I loved her, because I’m not sure I ever did. But I did love her son, and if I’d married her… if I’d been able to adopt him, then I wouldn’t have lost him when our relationship fell apart. I tried to fight for custody of him, but we’d only been dating, and I wasn’t even a step-father, let alone an adoptive one.”
“Oh Phil, I’m so sorry,” Kristin murmured sympathetically. “How old is he now?”
“Sixteen, he’d… he’d be sixteen now. He and Wil were twins for the three years that Maryann and I were together, because their birthdays were so close together anyway. He’s sixteen, and his mother is going to be in prison for at least the next decade,” Phil said.
Which meant he was all alone, without a parent, at the whims of the foster system.
“When’s he going to get here?” Kristin asked, and Phil blinked, startled by the bluntness of her question. Rolling her eyes, Kristin added, “There’s no way you thought I’d say no to bringing your bonus son home, right? He’s your family, and any family of yours is family of mine.”
What she was saying was everything he hoped she’d say, but Phil hadn’t been sure. After all, bringing home a teenager was a big ask, and it wasn’t something to take lightly. It had been ten years since he’d seen him, after all.
The fact that he still remembered Phil’s phone number, even after a whole decade, and thought to call him.
“I promise, whenever you need me,” Phil had said all those years ago, hugging the six-year-old for what he’d hoped wouldn’t be the final time, “all you need to do is call. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”
“Thank you.” Phil hugged his wife tightly, hating the feeling of tears building in the corners of his eyes. “I-I never thought I’d see him again, and it’s been so long, I didn’t think he’d even remember me. I was going to search for him when he turned eighteen, but… Thank you.”
“My love, there’s no need for thanks,” Kristin laughed, grinning when Phil kissed her neck, then her cheek. She leaned in, capturing his lips. “Why don’t we tell the boys? He’ll be considered a foster child, right? I doubt they’ll really allow you to petition to adopt him right away.”
“You haven’t even met him and you’re ready to adopt him?” Phil couldn’t help but chuckle. That was something he loved about Kristin, how willing she was to open her heart to anyone, especially those who were important to him. “I’d love that, but I’m sure that’s not even going to be possible at first, if ever. We may have to do classes to be considered foster parents.”
“Then we’ll complete them,” Kristin said. “Call the social worker back, then we’ll go let the boys know what’s going on.”
“Right,” Phil said. This was happening, this was really happening. “I’ll let her know that we’ll be taking Technoblade.”
It took three days before everything was settled. Ms. Foster came out to meet Phil and his family, so that she could explain the process to them and make sure that the house was well-suited for having a teenage foster child come stay with them. Wilbur had cried upon hearing that his “twin brother” was going to be living with them again, and while Tommy had never met him, given that he hadn’t even been born until two years after Phil’s relationship with Maryann fell apart, he was thrilled at the prospect of a new brother.
The boys helped get the room set up, wanting to pick everything out and make it as “cool as possible,” in Tommy’s words. Phil just wanted to make sure that it was good enough for a teenager, and the plan was to let him change it however he wanted.
After getting signed up for all kinds of classes, and after getting approved by the social workers they had to speak with, Phil and Kristin were ready to just bring their new son home already.
“It’s just not fair that I have to wait,” Wilbur complained, though there wasn’t any real heat behind the glare that he’d been giving Phil all morning. Patience never really was a virtue that Wil had figured out just yet. “He’s my twin, there’s no way that he doesn’t remember me.”
“I’m sure he remembers you,” Phil tried to pacify, “but I don’t want to overwhelm him when he first gets here. Let me talk with him and warn him first before the lot of you goes nuts, alright? I don’t even know if he was told that I’m married, or that I have two sons now.”
It was strange seeing Tommy being more patient than Wilbur, but the eight-year-old was keeping himself busy with trying to decorate cupcakes that Kristin had helped him make. Tommy had wanted to have something prepared for his new brother so he knew just how much they wanted him to stay, though Phil just hoped it wasn’t going to be too overwhelming for Techno.
After all, back when he was young, Technoblade had always been somewhat of a shy kid, easily overwhelmed by loud situations and chaos. Wilbur had been helping get him out of his shell, but that was a decade ago. Who knew how he’d be now?
Phil took a seat on the porch, ready to wait for the social worker to bring Techno home. The fact that he’d remembered Phil’s phone number all those years, and then still trusted him enough to give that number to his social worker in hopes of staying with someone familiar over a stranger, was incredible.
After all the years that had passed, Phil was, essentially, a stranger, but he hoped he was familiar enough that it would comfort Techno. Poor kid had already had a hard enough time the past few months, the last thing he needed was being handed over to a stranger. Phil was going to do everything he could to not be a stranger.
As much as he was teasing Wilbur about not having any patience, Phil was finding his own patience lacking as he waited for Ms. Foster to bring Technoblade home. They had to have told him that they did contact Phil, and that he definitely wanted to bring him home, right?
By the time the shiny white car showed up in his driveway, the excitement had built up inside to the point where Phil had to stop himself from running over to greet Technoblade as soon as the car turned off.
Give him space, Phil reminded himself. He’d been through a lot, so anyone would want space after that.
The teenager that got out of the car was so different from the six-year-old boy that Phil had been forced to leave a decade ago. That was to be expected, of course, as ten whole years had passed since he’d seen Techno, so he hadn’t exactly been able to see the boy grow up, but that didn’t change the fact that it was a little startling.
No matter how shy of a kid Technoblade had been, he’d always had the brightest, happiest eyes, and that wide smile that seemed to glow whenever he saw Phil. That was what was most shocking to see, as the teenager’s eyes were dark, missing that spark of joy that had been so prevalent, and the mask of indifference that marred his face made Phil question if Ms. Foster had brought the right kid.
When he was little, Techno had a mess of blond hair that he was always trying to grow out, even when his mother kept cutting it short. The kid hated scissors anywhere near his head, to the point where he’d pitch a fit anytime his mother did force him to get a haircut. Wilbur used to get his hair cut to match Techno’s, just so that it wouldn’t “be as bad for him” because they’d still be matching twins, and he could hold Techno’s hand the entire time.
The teenager getting out of the car had long hair, but it wasn’t blond, and it hadn’t darkened to brown over the years, either. Well, it may have, but Phil wouldn’t be able to tell, because the teen’s hair was bright pink of all colors. That was definitely new.
While Phil was used to being shorter than Wilbur, who’d somehow managed to grow so very tall even at only sixteen years old, there was a part of him that hadn’t expected Techno to grow quite so tall, yet here he was, nearly the same height as Wilbur. He just looked taller, based on his stronger frame and broader shoulders.
His clothes had seen better days, something Phil was hoping to get replaced as soon as possible.
For just a moment, the teenager met his eyes, but then his focus returned back down to the ground as he stayed near the social worker’s car. That wasn’t the reaction that Technoblade used to have when seeing him, that was for sure.
Leaving his porch, Phil figured that if Techno wasn’t going to approach the house, then he’d be the one to go see his son—foster son, stepson, bonus son? It didn’t really matter, he wanted to just view the boy as his son.
“Technoblade,” Phil greeted, trying to see if he could get the teen to look up at him again. “It’s so good to see you, mate. Look how tall you’ve gotten!” Phil said, stopping a few feet away from the teen. It was obvious that he wasn’t comfortable, and the last thing he’d want to do was crowd him and make him feel even worse.
When Techno finally looked up at him again, Phil could see those same eyes as ten years ago, the eyes that had looked up into his and asked Phil if they’d ever see one another again, if he really had to leave. Shy, scared, and so hopelessly out of place.
“I, uh… I remembered your number, and when they asked…” Techno just shrugged as he looked away again. “Sorry, Phil.”
Ouch, that hurt more than he’d expected it to. When he stepped closer, he kept careful eye on Techno’s body language, wanting to make sure that he wasn’t freaking the teenager out too much by approaching.
“Mate, I told you, I’ll always be here whenever you call me. I couldn’t take you with me back then, no matter how much I so desperately wanted to, but I am so thankful that you remembered my number, and that I was given the chance to bring you home today,” Phil reassured, and when he reached a hand out to Techno, it was so nice to see Techno approach him, leaning into his touch and letting Phil pull him into a hug. Despite initially being still and stressed, it only took a few seconds for Techno to relax against him, to cling to him tightly, and for tears to start dripping down onto Phil’s shoulder. “It’s alright, I’ve got you. You’re home now, and if I’ve got any say in everything, you’re never leaving again. I know it’s early, and you haven’t even made it inside yet, but for as long as you want to be here, I will fight any battle to keep you here.”
That was probably all that Techno needed to hear at the moment, because he broke down, crying on Phil’s shoulder. “I-I didn’t even know if you’d remember me, or if you’d want me back in your life, or…”
“Never doubt that,” Phil said firmly, pulling out of the hug only enough so that he could look Techno in the eye. “I wanted you here so badly, and if I had my way back then, you never would have left.”
Phil gave Techno a few minutes as he tried to dry his eyes while Ms. Foster went over the remaining information they needed—that she’d be doing weekly check-ins to make sure Techno was doing well, that she had information for Phil in case Techno wanted to visit his mother at all despite the teen’s protests that he didn’t want to, and everything needed to get him enrolled into the same school Wilbur was attending.
The whole time, Phil kept close to Techno. It wasn’t difficult to see that the trust issues he’d had as a child, ones that Phil had struggled to get past even when he met the boy at three years old, had only compounded and grown worse over time. He trusted Phil enough to give his phone number to the social worker, and he trusted him enough to temporarily break down his walls for a minute, but that seemed to be the extent that the trust went. Now that the moment was over, those walls were back up, and it was going to be hell to get them all the way down again.
That was okay. Phil planned on earning any of the trust that Techno was willing to give him.
Once his tears dried, the impassive, almost bored look returned to Techno’s face, a mask that he no doubt put up in the face of all the earlier emotion.
“You know, Wilbur’s dying inside, waiting to come out and see you again,” Phil said, and it was a little victory to see the way Techno’s lips twitched upward. “Are you interested in heading inside? It won’t be just Wilbur, though.” At Techno’s raised eyebrow, Phil added, “I’ve gotten married, and we had another son, so I’m really excited to introduce you to Kristin and Tommy, too. They’re thrilled to meet you, if you’re ready for that.”
It was clear that Techno wasn’t ready, but it also needed to happen eventually, so the teen nodded.
“You know, Wil still calls you guys twins,” Phil said as he led Techno up the stairs and over to the front door. “He was so happy to hear that his twin was coming home, finally.”
That got another small smile out of Technoblade. “And your other son, he… he’s fine with me being here? And your wife?”
“Tommy is positively delighted at the idea of having another big brother,” Phil said. His youngest wouldn’t shut up about it, in fact, though Phil found it endearing. “Fair warning, he’s probably going to call you his brother from day one. And Kristin is so happy to meet you. You’re family, Tech. I’m sorry if they’re a bit overwhelming, but I promise, they’re worth it.”
As Phil opened the door, he wasn’t given any more time to warn Techno, because Wilbur was right there, looking anxious as he paced back and forth, eyes fixed firmly on the ground. When he looked up and saw Techno standing there in the doorway, though, any self-control that he’d had immediately disappeared.
“Technoblade!” Wilbur gasped, across the hall in just a second before barreling into Techno’s side, hugging him tightly. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”
Maybe it was because Phil had already warned him, or maybe it was because Techno had missed Wilbur just as much as Wilbur had missed him, but he seemed far more relaxed about being attack-hugged by his self-declared twin.
Whatever patience Tommy had earlier was gone as the eight-year-old ran over, a hand-drawn sign clutched tightly in his hands.
“Welcome home,” Tommy said, holding up the sign. “I’m Tommy, I’m your new brother. We made cupcakes!”
Before Phil could corral Tommy away, to give Wilbur a chance to see Techno after not having had the chance to for a decade, he saw the way Techno’s lips twitched up into a small smile, and even Wilbur, who could sometimes get a bit possessive over anything he considered his, like his moment with Techno, seemed happy to introduce his twin to their “baby brother.”
If anything, Wilbur’s teasing and Tommy’s complaints about “not being a baby” seemed to make Techno relax more and more, so Phil didn’t bother interfering. No, not when everything was going so well.
Instead, he wandered over to his wife’s side, putting an arm around her waist as she leaned against him.
“While I’d never wish anything bad would have happened,” Kristin said, and Phil agreed as no matter what he never would have wanted Techno to have to deal with so much more than any child should have to, “I am glad that your son was able to come home. This was definitely the right decision.”
Watching the three of them laughing and joking around, with Wil’s arm around Techno’s shoulders, and a small but fond smile on his newest son’s face, Phil knew this was the right thing to do. It was like the twins had never been separated, it was like his boys had all known one another for years, it was like he and Kristin had always had three children.
His family had never felt more complete.