“So your dad has said that he’s keen to be a part of your life, Ev, and we’re in the process of working that out. You know…” I sighed. Evie knew about alphas and omegas, just like every other kid did, so there was no pussyfooting around this. “You know that Dad’s brothers see you as their child as well?”
She went still and quiet for a second, obviously processing that.
“Because they’re alphas, like me.”
It wasn’t something we’d talked about a lot. Adults might use labels as a means to try and decode the world quickly, but putting that on a young child was something else again.
“Yeah,” I replied, feeling like my words had way more weight than they did. “That’s right.”
“So…” Her fingers spidered across the coffee table top, following the carvings etched into the teak. “Do they want to meet me, too?”
“Yeah, I think they do. We’ll do it slowly, and I’m still working out the details with Aunty Sophie. I’m going in there tomorrow to work it out for you, Evie. If you don’t want to meet them—”
“No, I do.” She looked up at me then and I saw all of my daughter’s fire there, right before her hand clawed at her chest. “When I’m with Dad, I feel something here. It’s like it was empty and now it’s not.”
I just stared then, watching her hand scratch absently at the space below her breastbone.
“You never told me that.”
“I didn’t know what it was until I saw him,” she said with a shrug. “Now I know. Are my other dads as nice as Dad?”
“I… I don’t know, darling. I met Jasper today when you were playing and he seems nice. I’ll find out for you, OK? I’ll meet each one of them and make sure they are good guys.” Logan’s angry face rose in my mind then. “If they aren’t, they won’t get anywhere near you.”
She nodded at that, seeming satisfied.
“Should we make lemon pudding for Dad as well as spag bol? You make it taste so good, even better than Nana’s.”
I chuckled as she fluttered her eyes dramatically, knowing her wheedling would result in a positive answer at least half the time.
That night,I slept like a log, undeterred by dreams. My lack of sleep and strenuous activity the previous night was probably the reason why. But I woke up early, ready to give the house a once over in the way people seemed impelled to do before guests were expected.
Why should Ben give a shit if I haven’t vacuumed the carpet?I thought grumpily as I went into the kitchen, turning on the kettle.Why would it matter to him if the windows need a good clean?But I walked into the lounge room, peering at the glass, that’s when I saw it. The bunch of flowers was both huge and bright against the weathered jarrah timber of our outdoor setting and beside it? A thermos that was hot to the touch when I went to take a look, filled with lovely smelling coffee.
A flat white in a bucket…I remembered my words to Jasper the other day and smiled as I picked both items up, putting the flowers in a vase as I poured myself a cup.
“Where did those flowers come from?” Evie asked when she stumbled out, still rubbing her eyes. “They are so pretty. Did Daddy bring them?”
“One of your dads did, I think,” I replied. “Jasper.”
“Jasper.” She seemed to toss that name around in her mind, then quickly set it aside. “I’m going to have cereal for breakfast and then I need to organise all my action figures for when Dad gets here.”
“You need to help me clean the house, is what you’ll be doing,” I replied.
“But, Mum…”
“You don’t want your dad blundering into a pigsty, do you?” I snorted then for dramatic effect, and her scowl became a smile almost immediately. “Don’t want him going ‘pe-ew, what’s with all these stinky girls and their pig pen?’”
I dug my fingers into her ribs and tickled her, hearing her cackle in response.
“OK, I’ll help.”
But by thetime we’d given the floors a clean and done the bathroom, tidied up Evie’s bedroom so there was actual space on her floor and I had a load of washing going, she wandered off to prioritise what she wanted to show Ben, and I was left to wait. A text message broke the stillness.
B: Damon beat off the others and is coming to meet you today. Taylor can come and supervise me, and Damon can take you out for coffee.
I was going on a date, organised by my ex-lover. I knew why and that this made sense to him, but hey, I was still a beta. This situation was still weird.
Me: I can meet him up the road at Franny’s