“I want to learn more about you. Tell us more.”
“Like what?”
“Like everything!”
Sonnet blushed and nursed her drink carefully. “I’m not good at talking about myself. Especially when I’m put on the spot. But if you ask me a question, I’ll try my best to answer it.”
Jude leaned back in his chair and thought carefully for a few seconds. “How about you tell us what you were up to before you met us?”
She definitely kept busy. Living on her own without a college degree didn’t make for an upward climb in a career like her sister's.
“I kept busy working. Alot. I did dog walking, worked as a substitute para educator, sometimes worked as a waitress during events my mom was a part of, and a few other things.”
Dog walking was her favorite. She had grown a very reliable clientele, and she told all of them that someday she’d open her own doggy day-care, and they’d all be welcomed. She’d been talking about that forever now, though, and wasn’t even close to doing it.
“What did you do for fun, though?” Jude asked.
“Mostly everything I did, I did with my girls, Summer and Scarlet. I would see at least one of them every day, and we’d do everything together. Crafts, like the ones we all made together a few nights ago, or dinner dates, cafe hopping, thrift shopping, concerts.” Her heart panged a little. “I miss them a lot,” she admitted. “It’s weird not seeing them.”
“Summer still scares me,” Jude whispered.
Sonnet laughed and nodded her head. “She can be pretty intimidating. She’s always been like that, too. I don’t know how I would have gotten through high school without her. SheandScarlett saved me from a lot of bullies.”
Felix placed his arm on the back of her chair, his face serious. “You were bullied?”
She shrugged it off and smiled like it wasn’t a core memory of her childhood, but it was. It wasn’t hard for the kids at her private school to learn she was an affair baby. No one liked gossiping and judging more than stuck-up rich people. She hoped Middle School would be the worst of it, but High School proved her wrong. At least she had Scarlett, who rescued her when she most needed it.
“Do any of you have siblings?” She asked, trying to change the topic.
Felix and Kai shook their heads no, but Jude grinned. “I havelots. Five! Three sisters, two brothers, and I’m the middle child.”
“So am I,” Zayden said slowly. “I have an older brother and a younger one. I’m close to neither.” Zayden smiled sadly as he tapped his finger on the table. “My family is a bit complicated. I came from very high standards and expectations, and when I didn’t meet them, they cut ties.”
“Really?” Sonnet couldn’t imagine not being close to her sister or being disowned. Even everything they’ve been through, Summer was half her soul. She’d be lonely without her.
But that’s why Zayden had Felix, Kai, and Jude. And her, too.
Zayden shrugged his shoulders. “I accepted it a long time ago.”
The conversation died down as their meals were brought to the table and they all indulged. The mood was so much lighter and welcoming than she could have imagined, especially given how the boys came home from their appointment. They didn’t let whatever happened hold them down. Even Kai kept his grumpy, rude comments to a minimum, and Zayden tried his best to smile instead of sulking.
With their bellies full and the sun just a small glow above the waves, Sonnet felt comfortable enough to wrap one of her legs around Felix’s and squeeze Jude’s hand, which was still on her lap. As the server passed around some desserts and a closing glass of wine, Sonnet tried to capture this moment to keep forever as a reminder of what happiness looked like.
Oh, Mother. How could you ever think being an omega with a pack could be so terrible?
Her omega winced and then fluttered when her alphas kept pestering her with questions. She tried to cover it all, like her favorite movie being Ever After, long rants about wanting to open her own doggy day dare, her love for granny hobbies and the need to live a happy, whimsical life. The more they talked, the deeper they got, and soon even the boys were revealing things such as Jude’s struggle in school and being unable to focus, which Kai attested to, and Felix spoke more about his grandma being sick, and everyone was relieved to hear she was perfectly healthy now.
Felix nursed his remaining glass of wine and twirled a strand of her hair. “I have a question. Why do you dye your hair?”
Sonnet hummed softly, biting on her bottom lip and stared into the pit of her glass. “My birth mother used to dye her hair all the time, and even when it all started to fall out, she’d wear these beautiful wigs. The pink one was my favorite. She’d let me wear it sometimes, and dress in her clothes, wear her jewelry, her makeup, stumble around in her high heels.” When she looked up, everyone looked sad and like they were trying to hold in a secret but failing. She stifled a little laugh and set down her wine glass. “Don’t be silly. IknowFelix told you all that I’m an affair baby.”
Felix had admitted he had told Zayden because he was worried about her after their little afternoon of excitement, and from there, Sonnet quickly realized the beans had been spilled to Kai and Jude, too. And the funny thing was, she wasn’t even mad about it. She was glad they had told each other, so she didn’t have to repeat her little sob story four different times.
Sonnet squeezed Felix’s hand to reassure him and smiled. “My mother is, well, mymother.But Mom is the one you're all going to meet when we get back. I guess she’s my stepmom, but I’ve never referred to her as that. I promised her she’d get to meet you all, so I hope when that dinner comes, you’ll all behave yourselves like you have tonight.”
Everyone agreed, but Kai still seemed a little lost in his world. He leaned forward, hands grasped together, his expression serious. “Do you dye your hair to remember her? Your birth mother?”
“Yes. Scarlett and Summer dye their hair, too. But they do it for me. They’re my solidarity sisters.”
