Chapter 70: good boy reward

Tyler, feeling more at ease now, reached for his bottle, expecting the familiar taste of his special prune juice. Without a second thought, he took a big sip—only to freeze mid-swallow. His eyes widened as a completely different, unfamiliar flavor hit his tongue.

He quickly pulled the bottle away and looked at it suspiciously. Something was off. This wasn’t his prune juice.

Jordan, noticing his reaction, smirked. “What’s wrong, Tyler? Not what you were expecting?”

Tyler swallowed hard, his nose scrunching up. “What is this?” he asked, his voice laced with confusion.

Miss Harper hid a knowing smile as she casually took a bite of her mac and cheese. “Oh, I may have switched it out.

Tyler hesitantly took another sip, this time recognizing the sweet, familiar taste of grape juice. He let out a quiet breath of relief—it wasn’t prune juice after all.

Mrs. Faulkner watched him with a small smile. “Your apology really did surprise me, Tyler,” she said, her voice kind but firm. “So, I’m allowing you to skip your special juice for tonight. As for tomorrow… well, we’ll see how you do.”

Tyler looked up at her, eyes flickering with surprise. He had expected more punishment, but instead, she was giving him a chance to prove himself. He nodded slowly, realizing that tonight had turned out a lot better than he thought it would.

Jordan chuckled and nudged him. “Looks like you dodged a bullet, bud.”

Tyler smirked, taking another sip of his grape juice. “Yeah, for now.”

Jake laughed. “Better behave tomorrow, or it’s back to prune city.”

The table filled with laughter once again, and for the first time in a while, Tyler felt like things might just be okay.

Miss Harper chimed in with a teasing but warning tone, “Jake, remember, Tyler is in diapers and everything because he made fun of you and Alex. Don’t make me start giving you special juice for being mean.”

Jake’s laughter immediately cut off as his eyes widened. “Wait—what? No way! I didn’t mean it like that!” he protested, holding up his hands as if surrendering.

Alex smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, Jake, you better watch yourself. Miss Harper doesn’t play around.”

Tyler, for the first time in a long while, grinned mischievously. “Yeah, Jake,” he echoed, taking an exaggerated sip of his grape juice. “You wouldn’t want to end up like me, would you?”

Jake groaned, shaking his head. “Okay, okay, I get it! No more teasing. Let’s just eat.”

Miss Harper gave him a satisfied smile. “That’s what I thought.”

Mrs. Faulkner chuckled softly, shaking her head as she took another bite of her food. “I think we can all agree that tonight has been… educational.”

The mood at the table lightened again, and as they continued eating, there was an unspoken understanding—lessons had been learned, and tomorrow would be a fresh start.

As everyone finished their dinner, Jordan pushed back his chair and stood up, stretching slightly before heading into the kitchen.

“You know,” he called out over his shoulder, “I had actually brought a special treat for Jake and Alex yesterday, but with everything that happened, I completely forgot about it.” He opened the fridge and pulled out a carefully wrapped container. “So how about we all have it for dessert?”

The moment he turned around and revealed what was inside, Jake’s eyes lit up. Tres Leches cake.

“No way!” Alex grinned. “Dude, that’s the best cake.”

Jordan laughed as he set it on the table. “Figured you guys deserved something sweet.”

Miss Harper smiled approvingly. “Now that is a proper dessert.”

Even Tyler, still reeling from the rollercoaster of emotions that evening, couldn’t help but feel a little excited. He hadn’t had Tres Leches cake in ages.

Mrs. Faulkner nodded. “That was very thoughtful of you, Jordan.”

Jordan shrugged. “Hey, after the night we’ve had, I think we could all use a little something to end on a good note.”

Miss Harper cut generous slices for everyone, and soon the room was filled with the sound of spoons clinking against plates and satisfied hums as they enjoyed the soft, sweet, milk-soaked cake.

Tyler took a bite, letting the flavors melt in his mouth. He glanced at Jordan and, in a quiet moment of sincerity, muttered, “Thanks… for everything.”

Jordan smiled. “Anytime, bud.”

As the last bites were eaten and the plates were cleared, the night finally felt normal again. It wasn’t perfect, and there were still lessons to be learned, but for now, they were just a group of people, sharing dessert, and moving forward together.

Miss Harper took another bite of the Tres Leches cake and let out a satisfied sigh. “Jordan, this is incredible. Where did you get it? It’s the best I’ve ever had.”

Jordan smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Oh, I made it from scratch.”

Miss Harper’s eyes widened in surprise. “You made this?”

Jake nearly choked on his last bite. “Wait, wait—you baked this? Like, from scratch?”

Jordan chuckled. “Yeah. I only use farm-fresh ingredients from the farmers market near my house. Makes a big difference.”

Mrs. Faulkner nodded approvingly. “That explains the richness of the flavors. Fresh dairy, I assume?”

Jordan grinned. “Yep. Fresh milk, cream, and eggs. Even the vanilla is pure—none of that artificial stuff.”

Alex whistled. “Man, I thought you were cool before, but this just put you on a whole new level.”

Miss Harper shook her head in amazement. “I never knew you were such a talented baker. You might just have to share that recipe with me.”

Jordan shrugged with a playful grin. “Maybe… or maybe I’ll just have to make it again sometime.”

Tyler, still savoring his last bite, muttered, “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind that.”

Laughter filled the room again, and as the evening wound down, everyone felt a little closer—bonded not just by lessons learned, but by the simple joy of good food and good company.

Jordan waited as Jake and Alex finished brushing their teeth and came back into their room, looking drowsy from the long evening. He smiled at them, grabbing what he needed to get them into fresh diapers for the night.

“Alright, let’s get this done quick so you guys can get some sleep,” Jordan said as he worked efficiently, helping them both change. Jake and Alex, already used to the routine, didn’t fuss, just eager to be tucked in.

Once they were set, Jordan pulled the blankets over them and patted their shoulders. “There. All set. Sleep tight, guys.”

Jake yawned and mumbled, “Thanks, Jordan.”

Alex gave a small smile. “Yeah, thanks.”

Jordan chuckled. “Anytime. Now get some rest.” He turned off their light, leaving the nightlight on, and quietly stepped out.

Next, he made his way to Tyler’s room, where he stood waiting, clearly still thinking about the day’s events. Jordan knelt down and spoke softly, “Let’s get you changed, bud.”

Tyler didn’t argue, letting Jordan help him into a fresh diaper. As much as he didn’t love the situation, he had accepted by now that fighting it wouldn’t change anything.

Once he was settled, Jordan lifted him into his crib and pulled a blanket over him. “There. Now get some sleep, alright? Tomorrow’s a new day.”

Tyler hesitated before mumbling, “Thanks, Jordan.”

Jordan smiled. “No problem, buddy. Goodnight.”

With that, he turned off the main light, leaving only the soft glow of the nightlight, and quietly stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Jordan walked downstairs, rubbing his neck as he entered the living room. The sight of a pillow and a neatly folded blanket on the couch caught his attention.

Mrs. Faulkner, who was tidying up the last few things in the kitchen, glanced over at him. “I saw you holding your back this morning,” she said with a small smile. “Figured I’d make up the couch for you tonight so you can rest better.”

Jordan looked at her, touched by the gesture. “Thank you, Mrs. Faulkner. That’s really nice of you.”

She gave him a nod before stepping closer, her expression turning thoughtful. “Before I head to bed, I wanted to ask you something.”

Jordan raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

Mrs. Faulkner hesitated for a moment, then said, “How do you feel about… well, changing the diapers of your friends? I mean, you’re only fifteen. It’s not exactly a normal thing for a teenager to do.”

Jordan let out a small chuckle, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, it felt weird at first, not gonna lie. But Jake and Alex… they’re going through a lot. I know they need support, and I’m just glad I can be here for them.”

Mrs. Faulkner gave him an approving look but stayed silent, letting him continue.

“As for Tyler,” Jordan smirked slightly, “teaching him some humility is just the cherry on top.”

Mrs. Faulkner chuckled softly. “I had a feeling you’d say something like that.” She gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “You’re a good kid, Jordan. Get some rest. You’ve earned it.”

Jordan nodded. “Goodnight, Mrs. Faulkner.”

“Goodnight, dear.”

As she headed upstairs, Jordan settled onto the couch, pulling the blanket over himself. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, thinking about everything that had happened that day. It had been exhausting, sure—but he didn’t regret any of it.

With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, letting sleep take over, knowing tomorrow would bring a whole new set of challenges… and maybe even a few more lessons.