Page 96 of Shifter Omegaverse AU

They played so many hands of rummy that Milo lost track, but Rowan sat tall and steady by Milo’s side through it all. He didn’t bat an eye when several of the staff came over to express their condolences. He even let Dee talk him into coming back for one of their game nights. Milo was pretty sure they’d seen a chess set at both his cabin and apartment, so maybe they’d try to bring him back for the weekly chess nights.

The most impressive feat of the evening, though, was when he laughed at every one of Howard’s dad jokes.

“I know you probably miss her something fierce,” Howard said, patting Milo’s arm for the tenth time before shakily rising to his feet. “But it looks like you still have a wonderful family here to support you.”

Milo looked between Ethel and Rowan, with an inbox full of funny cat pictures and supportive texts from not just Ray but Ruben and Courtney as well, and thought maybe good old Howard was right.

19

Author’s note:

I don’t know about you, but I could use a break after how intense that last chapter was. How about some nice, relaxing, familial strife?

Just kidding, I promise, they’re going to get their happy ending, Rowan just has a teeny, tiny bit more work to do to get there.

Rowan

“That’s about all the time we have left for today. What is one thing you want to take from this session?” Emma asked.

Rowan stared down at the peeling logo on the edge of his laptop in an attempt to look anywhere but at the screen. He finally understood why so many cartoons depicted patients reclining on a couch, facing away from their therapists during a session. Even over video call, he found it difficult to make eye contact while dissecting the inner workings of his head.

“I’m feeling pretty good about things with Milo,” Rowan said.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Emma nodding enthusiastically in her video box. “It sounds like you made phenomenal progress last weekend and are taking a great step in introducing them to your family today.”

Rowan glanced at the clock for probably the hundredth time. He had left work early so he could do his second therapy session at home and pick Milo up from work with enough time to beat the weekend traffic out of the city.

“And I think you’re as prepared as you can be to see Ruben there,” Emma prompted.

Rowan’s hawk hopped around, fluttering his wings and clacking his beak. Rowan wasn’t the only one who was anxious about today. His hawk hated fighting with Ruben. Anytime they would argue as kids, his hawk would be out of sorts for hours, if not days, afterward. The past week spent avoiding Ruben’s texts hadn’t helped the matter, but Rowan simply couldn’t bring himself to respond.

“I know I’m going to have to speak with him,” Rowan said, attempting to smooth down the logo but only succeeding in pulling it up more. He ran his pointer finger over the rough edge, hating the feeling only slightly more than he hated the prospect of this upcoming conversation. “I still don’t really know what to say, but I guess I’ll figure it out in the moment.”

The sound of a pen scratching across paper made the back of Rowan’s head prickle.

“I know it feels daunting,” Emma said, “but this won’t be your only chance to talk to him. If things don’t go the way you’d like this weekend, we can regroup next week, and you can try again.”

Intuitively, he knew that she was right. There was probably no way to get through the weekend without having at least a brief chat, but it didn’t have to be the end all, be all conversation. He could focus on Milo, and Ruben could focus on Ray, and they could talk when he got back from his recruiting trip or after the next one…or maybe the one after that.

What was another year or five or ten?

Rowan’s hawk shrieked, and Rowan remembered the devastation in Milo’s voice when they’d said: “She’s gone.” He bet Milo would give anything to have just one more talk with Anabelle, even if it was hard.

Rowan had spent so much time alone in his teens and early twenties. At the time, he would have given anything to talk to his brother, but texts often went unanswered for days, and when Ruben would try to call back, Rowan was often asleep or at work. Then he’d moved back and things had been good, if a little… Ah, yes. There it was again.

“I’m just so tired of this distance between me and everyone else,” Rowan said, and Emma’s pen scratched even faster. “You’re right. It doesn’t have to all be solved today, but maybe I can start.”

Rowan knew it wasn’t possible to win at therapy, but the way Emma smiled at him felt close enough.

“Troy, in all of his infinite wisdom, should be there as well, right? And of course, Milo will be by your side. You have a support network. You just need to give them the chance to show up for you.”

Emma had been very impressed with Troy’s “distant” observation, even if in the days since, Troy had sworn he was merely channeling Raina. Either way, he’d been nothing but supportive leading up to this weekend, going so far as to offer to come up before his original Saturday arrival time.

“It’s fine,” Rowan had told him. “If anything, it will hopefully mean that by the time you get there, things will be all settled. You need to be at the fundraiser on Friday night, let me handle this on my own.”

Troy had let it drop and Rowan conveniently didn’t mention this to Emma as he confirmed his next appointment for the following Thursday. He didn’t need to bother Troy, but he would try to take to heart what both he and Emma had said about Milo. They really were in his corner, and he was excited to introduce them to everyone.

Apparently, Milo was excited, too. They didn’t bounce in their seat like they had on the way to pick strawberries, but they did rock back and forth while singing wonderfully out of key to the radio.