The Return Home

Greyson felt a sharp pain and heard a loud thud as his body hit the floor. He had just gotten comfortable after drifting off to sleep. I guess I did too much tossing. He was anticipating meeting his cousin. His whole body felt on edge. Colin was coming by himself and Shayne would come out to Texas later. The family agreed it would probably be better to meet one cousin at a time. This was monumental for everyone involved.

"What are you doing on the floor?" His wife, Kendall, woke up when she heard the boom. Her big brown eyes were watching him peculiarly with an arched brow.

"Don't you know I love sleeping on the floor?" He put his hands behind his neck and started whistling, with his eyes toward the ceiling.

"Yeah, right." She chuckled as she extended her hand to help him up. Little did she know, he was in pain. He attempted to go back to sleep. Kendall snuggled close and drifted off into slumberland.

"Great, she's sleeping and I'm counting sheep." She didn't stir as he complained out loud. He kissed Kendall's forehead and eased out of bed. He made his way over to the window.

He marveled at the starry sky while he pondered how life would change after tomorrow. How would Colin fit in? Grey had such a close relationship with his brother and cousin, Brody. Would Colin feel like an outsider? What job would suit him at Carrington Enterprises? That all remained to be seen. His brother, Colton, was less receptive to the idea of Colin and Shayne joining the family.

He'd been stubborn and they hadn't seen eye to eye on this reunion. He didn't like the idea of sharing their inheritance with strangers. Grey bit his thumbnail as he walked away from the window. It was a nervous habit his mother hated since he was a little boy. "Your teeth are not fingernail clippers." He heard his mother's voice in his head. She would've snatched his hand away from his mouth. He quickly dropped his hand.

"I know what Dad said. I was there, Grey." He ran his hand through his hair and blew out a sharp breath. "We don't know these cousins from a can of paint. I know they are family, but they are strangers to us. You are ready to accept them because we share the same last name. Shouldn't there be a probation period?" Colton expressed his misgivings.

"This is not a job. I get what you're saying, but they are family. I will not go back on my word to our father. This was important to him. So it's important to me. It's not their fault that their father was estranged from the family. We had everything, they had little. I won't make him the CEO of the company, but he won't have to work in the mail room either." Grey meant every word he spoke. And Colton let the subject drop. He respected Grey.

Grey remembered how determined he was to find Nicholas's family for his father. An investigator found them living in San Diego, California. Only the two brothers remained. His father changed his will to ensure that they would receive an inheritance. Colin and Shayne would be recognized as members of the Carrington family alongside Colton, Greyson, and Brody.

All three original sons will be represented for the first time. Grey felt moisture on his cheeks and swiped under his eyes with his finger. A tear snuck from each eye while thinking of his father's recent loss. He knew how important this legacy was to him. He was looking forward to meeting both cousins and restoring this piece of their family that was missing for over fifty years.

Grey felt somber and cheerful at the same time on the drive to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Most kids have had moments growing up when they've wondered what it would be like if they had grown up in a different family. Especially if their parents put them on punishment or they had an annoying sibling. He never imagined it happening in real life. And definitely not to his family. He whistled softly and exited the car. At first he stood grounded with his hands at his side. He opened and closed his hands, wiggling his fingers. Brody observed his frozen state and pulled him along. "I know you're nervous, but no more than Colin must be. Let's go inside to welcome him home."