“Not Ked?”
“No. Denni wasn’t able to chest-feed Ked. He was tongue-tied, and then it was a whole ordeal with not being able to pump enough either. We switched to formula early on.”
“Sounds like you found what worked. I hate when omegas get shamed for not chest-feeding.”
“Luckily, Denni didn’t put much stock in other people’s judgements. He had an uncanny ability to sayfuck ’emwhen warranted.”
“Every time you tell me stuff like that, I’m more bummed I never met him.”
Calder huffed out a laugh. “He would have loved you.”
“I’m just glad you talk about him more now.”
“You gave him back to me, sunshine.” Calder pulled Zinn to his chest. “Once you woke me up to the half-life I’d been living, I wanted all of it back. The love to come. The love I’d lost. Not just the parts that were easy to talk about.”
Zinn looped his arms around Calder’s waist. “Speaking of things that aren’t easy to talk about…”
Calder raised an eyebrow. “Are you finally going to tell me what’s been bothering you all night?”
“You knew?”
“That something was off? Uh-huh. You seemed okay, so I decided not to push it. But I recognize your fake smile. You wore it every day at Felton’s the first year you worked there.”
“You know me so well.” Zinn tugged Calder to their bedroom. The baby might be asleep, but he could hear Ked and Jordie moving around in their rooms.
“I like to think so.”
“Then I bet you can guess what’s bothering me.”
Calder sat on the bed and propped his back against the headboard. He motioned for Zinn to sit in his lap. Zinn straddled the alpha’s thick thighs, rising on his knees until they were eye-to-eye.
Calder tucked an errant curl behind Zinn’s ear. “I assume you’re bothered by Valentin being so distant with Lachie.”
“Yeah.”
“Just give it time. He’s working it through in his head, but he’s a good man. He’ll come to the correct conclusion in the end.”
“I know you’re right, but I just don’t understand. Before Lachie was born, we discussed it. I thought we were good.”
“Well, I suppose there’s only so much a person can do to prepare himself for a harsh reality, even when it’s something you spent a lot of time thinking about when it was theoretical.”
“But why is it harsh? I’m sure he doesn’t begrudge me having a baby. Or being with you. Wetalkedabout it.” Zinn thought back to his conversation with Valentin eight months ago. After that, he never would have guessed Valentin would be so aloof with Lachie.
“C’mon, sunshine. This was bound to dredge up some stuff, even with how much Valentin wants this for you, and how happy he is with Wes and Assa. The way the five of us have decided to be in each other’s lives is going to invite some messiness. Trust me, Valentin will get there.”
Zinn exhaled heavily. “I know.”
“Do you?” Calder cupped his cheek. “I feel like I need to keep reminding you that we still haven’t gotten to the end of this. We don’t know how it all turns out yet.”
Zinn eyed him quizzically. “I think we’re nearing end game, cap. Their house. Our house. Ryde. Lachie. Secrets out in the open. Me talking to Asher again. We’ve come through the fire.”
“Perhaps.” Calder lifted his shoulders. “But I’m pretty sureend gameincludes Valentin being close with Lachie.”
***
EIGHT MONTHS AGO
Zinn sat on the couch in his and Calder’sliving room, trying to keep the jolt in his gut from showing up on his face. Assa, Wes, and Valentin had just told them they were moving in together… They would exchange rings in a commitment ceremony… Valentin was changing his last name to Pashuk.
