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"I love you, Grunkle Ford!" Mabel exclaims with delight as the bus peels away, "It's so good to see you again!"
"I love you too!" Dipper joins in before the words sink in properly, "We're both happy to be back to see you and Stan!"
On first glance, it shouldn't be that surprising after weekly calls with Dipper and Mabel every step of their boat journey, for the twins to love him like they apparently do, but they hadn't singled him out for an 'i love you' without Stan inherently in their line of love as well. It... makes it somewhat easy to distance himself from them loving him individually, if Stan's included.
As if they only say I love you when Stan's around, that they don't actually love him and just say they love them both out of obligation, though Ford knows that's probably not right. He and Stan were always together when they called the twins after all.
But they specifically called him out this time, even though Stan is right beside him. They're hugging him now, looking up at him with so much love in their eyes, and he can only return it and try not to cry. Ford doesn't know why they felt the need to tell him like this, used to being lumped in with Stan, but he's more grateful than he's ever felt before that they have.
"I love you too, kids," Ford murmurs in their ears, valiantly hiding his emotions as he hugs them tight, "You're the best things that's happened to me."
The kids melt in his arms at the words, before one of them points out something Ford missed in his efforts to keep his emotions discreet.
"Grunkle Ford, are you okay?" Mabel asks, her voice precious as she looks up at him with those deep brown eyes that are full of concern he's not quite grasping, "You look like you're about to cry."
The words make his eyes pinprick, though he wishes he didn't have to be so weak about feeling their love.
"Grunkle Ford?" Dipper asks soon after, his voice as gentle as ever, "What's going on? Did we upset you?"
Ford shakes his head almost immediately, he can't be having these kids believing that they did anything wrong. The opposite, actually.
So Ford just holds them at arm's length and smiles from ear to ear, even as thin tears find their way down his cheeks. The kids smile back at him as he finds the right words to explain.
"No, kids, you didn't upset me. Far from it," Ford sniffles a little, trying to keep his voice as steady as he can make it, "I'm just so... happy... that I have two wonderful twins like you in my life that love me."
Dipper and Mabel beam at him, their eyes glittering as emotions spread to them, before Ford feels the inevitable vacuum in his heart as they move on sharing their love with Stan.
But it's a vacuum he knows will be filled again and again and again over the coming summer and the rest of the year, so he doesn't mind just watching them hug Stan as much as he initially expects he might. He still feels their love, even from here, and that's all he cares about.
The twins soon run to Stan's waiting car with all their luggage and Ford feels himself hanging back with his mind all wrapped up in thoughts he can't possibly unravel.
At least not without help.
For Stan has a hand on his shoulder and a question in his eyes and Ford can only wait to hear it in his mouth with an expectant smile.
"You're finally feeling all of their love for ya, aren't ya?" Stan asks, a grin on his face as Ford feels confused that he knew something about that, "Don't be so surprised I know that, Six. That look on your face is like a traffic light, heh."
Ford can only chuckle in return, he knows he's not very subtle with his facial expressions after spending the last 10 months with Stan and his easy and accurate judgements of his feelings while adventuring on their boat.
"Yeah, you hit the nail on the head with that one," Ford comments good-naturedly, before feeling another wave of emotion nearly strangle him, "I guess I just didn't know if they were only loving you when they said they loved us. That I was only being included out of obligation through being in the same call..."
Stan gives him a quick noogie, before patting him on the back.
"You and your little overthinking problem is gonna give me a heart attack one of these days," Stan jokes, but sobers up a little as Ford's face grows worried, "I'm kidding, but seriously, those kids love ya to pieces. Don't you go forgetting that."
"I'll try not to," Ford smiles and hugs Stan a moment before they get ready to head back to the Shack, "And thank you, Stan. I needed the perspective."
Stan nods and gets in the car, waiting for Ford to do the same. The kids excitedly start relating their entire school year that they hadn't already told them over calls as Ford sits in the passenger seat, filling his heart up with joy as they drive home.
For Ford doesn't want to forget how much they love him.