"Yeah. I remember that too." I clasp my hands together and squeeze, thinking about when I held Elowen in the kitchen. Her eyes were glassy and her voice was so small. “I simply asked her how she was doing, and she immediately started to cry.” I look up at Cliff. “It’s like she hasn’t had any meaningful contact in years.”
Cliff nods slowly.
"Take care of her tonight," he says. "However she needs. If that's only sleeping, then sleep. If it's more—" He meets my eyes. "Use your judgment."
"And you trust my judgment?" I smile, trying to make a joke.
"I trust you with everything," he says so firmly I can’t help but love him a little more.
"And Adam?" I ask.
"I've got our sweet beta." The sharp line of Cliff's shoulders relaxes slightly. "Cookies and the Caddy, and a night in the big bed with the two of us. I think it's what he needs right now. He’ll have to adjust to Elowen in our bed soon, but not tonight.”
"You know.” I rub the back of my neck. “I thought he'd be excited about adding an omega into our pack. Perrin is."
"Perrin is a pretty traditional beta." Cliff's voice stays quiet but something firms underneath it. "And Adam already has a full-time job managing his health. He doesn't have the privilege of getting to focus on someone else.” He crosses his arms, the muscles in his forearms shifting. “It’s important he's not made to feel like he's falling short of some ideal of a perfect beta.”
"I completely agree," I say. "Besides, there probably won't be much left for Adam to do with Perrin around.” I stand up. “I give it a week before Perrin is home every day, following Elowen around like a goddamn golden retriever. I'm pretty sure I'm losing a damn good mechanic."
Cliff laughs, then he places one hand on my shoulder. He squeezes, pulling me in and kissing me on the lips.
"I'm going to lock up," he says. "Be good."
“Tell Ma I said hi.”
Cliff promises, and then he's gone.
I wait until I hear the front door close, then I move, making my way through the house and up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Elowen is still in the bath. I can hear the soft slosh of water through the bathroom door as I pass.
Then I push into my room and take a fast inventory of the mess.
The floor is covered in clothes, weights, and shoes. The bed is made, at least, but the nightstand has three empty water bottles on it, a small stack of books, and enough loose bandages and blister packs that it looks like a pharmacy exploded.
On the dresser are a pile of two half-dismantled carburetors and a socket wrench set.
I pick up a pair of my running shoes when I hear the low gurgle of water draining from the tub.
Shit.
I move fast, grabbing everything within arm's reach.
The clothes, car parts, tools, and every single thing on my nightstand gets scooped up in one armload and dumped onto the closet floor. Then I push the door shut without a second thought.
Once the floor is clean, I turn on the small dresser lamp, then crack the window an inch to let the room breathe.
“Blankets,” I say as I scan the room. All I have is one thin comforter and two very flat pillows. “Omegas need blankets.”
My eyes drift down the hall toward Adam's room.
He has that pile in the corner. The reading nook with the chunky knit throw and the velvet cushion and the weighted blanket. Soft things stacked on soft things, exactly what an omega would want.
I think about it for approximately two seconds.
Then I shut that thought down completely, because stripping Adam's room to make Elowen comfortable would be genuinely cruel, and I am not that kind of asshole.
Instead, I go straight for Perrin's room.
