“What was that all about?” he asked.
“Oh, when I was younger I worked at my Aunt Shirley’s salon after school for a while. But, that was years ago. Once I left Newtown I never went back.”
“Is that something you want to do? Work at a salon?”
“Yeah … sometimes … I guess,” I said sheepishly. “I mean, it’s not very manly, so I’ve never told anyone outside my family, but styling hair is something I’ve always loved to do. Go ahead and laugh.”
“I’m not going to laugh,” Alex said. “There’s nothing wrong with being a hair stylist. If it’s something you want to do you should do it. And it sounds like she’d love to have you.”
“Yeah, we’ll see,” I said, putting my arms around Alex. “I don’t want to think about any of that until we have our house set up in the baby is born. I can’t believe how lucky we are,” I said, wrapping my hands around the back of Alex’s neck. “We’re gonna have a whole house.”
“I know. It’s amazing,” Alex said, kissing me on the lips, then pulling back and looking into my eyes. “Right now I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”
After the shower things really started to move ahead quickly. There were cousins and aunts and uncles working seven days a week on our new house while Alex continued to help my dads with the trees. His brother and alpha pop even came over a few times to help out, and my dads were actually able to pay them, which made me feel so much better.
I spent most of my time practicing cooking and making decorations. We didn’t have a lot of money to spend on silly things, but I really wanted to get the house decorated for our little girl’s first Christmas. I found some second-hand light strings and made some paper ornaments, and when the living room was ready I put up a tree.
I made cookies and candy and other really homey foods, but the closer it came to my due date the more I started to crave things from when I was a kid, like the hamburgers, crinkle cut French fries, and milkshakes from Lew’s. So one Saturday I talked Alex into taking a drive into Portville to grab a burger and he was more than happy to do it. His truck was out in the field where he was using the winch to pull some stumps out of the ground, so we hopped into my truck and Alex drove us into town.
Well, Alex hopped, I had to be hoisted up and pushed in. If we still had the back hoe at the house that probably would have helped a lot, but it was just the two of us, so Alex had to do all the work himself. He got me going in the right direction, then used his hands, his shoulder, his back, and his legs to get me up into the passenger seat. He looked like he was about to pass out afterword, but after we got to the burger joint and ate, I could tell he was happy he’d put in all the effort.
“Those are some of the best fries I’ve ever had,” Alex said as he walked me back out to the passenger side of my truck. He opened the door and looked at me for a long time before he got me in position. “This is ridiculous,” he said as he pushed my ass with both hands. “You can’t even get in and out of this truck on your own anymore.”
“Yeah, I should probably think about selling it once the baby is born.”
“Thank God,” Alex said as he slammed the door shut.
I laughed as I watched Alex walked around the truck, but stopped short when I felt a weird pain in my belly. At first I thought maybe I head eaten too much, which wouldn’t have been far from the truth. But by the time Alex climbed in behind the steering wheel I realized what was going on. I was going into full-blown contractions. “Holy shit,” I said, gripping my belly. “I think the baby’s coming.”
“You’re kidding, right? You’re, like, a week early. That can’t be good.”
“From what I’ve read a week really isn’t that big of a deal … and no, I’m not kidding. I’ve never had anything like this happen before. It feels like I’m being sawed in half.” I pressed one hand onto my stomach and the other into my lower back but nothing helped. Another contraction came that took my breath away. “We need to get to the clinic, Alex.”
“Well, I guess it’s good we came into town today,” Alex said as he called the clinic to make sure they were ready for us. Then he started up the truck, hit the gas, and hightailed it into town, but as soon as we got on the S.E. side we hit standstill traffic.
“What’s going on?” I asked, gritting my teeth through another contraction.
“I think it’s the Christmas parade, and if it is, we are so screwed. Dusty Boulevard will be completely shut down for hours and that street cuts diagonally right through town. We need to figure out a way to get over to the Sunnyside neighborhood. Look on your phone and see if there’s a route we can take.” Alex got away from the crowded intersection and wove back and forth on some back streets.
When I looked up from my phone I realized we were just blocks away from our old neighborhood. “What are we doing over here?” I asked. I had no interest in seeing my old friend Joe, even if it was through the window of my truck.
“I haven’t been able to find a place to cross over to the other side of town yet. I can’t believe none of the major intersections are open. This is insane.”
“I guess they figured people wouldn’t be going anywhere on Saturday,” I said. Just then the truck started to lurch. “What’s wrong?” I watched Alex shift gears and pump the clutch and gas petal, but no matter what he did, the truck kept lurching. I was really starting to get worried. If we didn’t get to the clinic soon I knew I’d be having my baby in this truck.
“There’s something wrong! I think it’s with the gas line,” Alex said as he turned onto our old street. “I’m gonna see if Brian’s home.”
“No way! I don’t want to stop here!”
“We don’t have a choice, Jeremy. The truck is dying and we have to get you to the clinic.”
My poor truck limped along, sputtering and lurching and backfiring like crazy, then, right as we pulled up to Alex’s old house, it came to a pathetic, whining stop. Alex turned the key and tried to start it up a couple of times, but it was no use. My truck was dead.
Alex opened his door and grabbed the keys.
“What are you gonna do?” I asked.
“We’re gonna see if Brian is home. I’ll come around and help you down,” Alex said as he jumped out of the truck and ran around to my side.
The door flew open and Alex stood there with his hands out, waiting for me to slide down into them.
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. You got out just fine at the hamburger place. Just go slow and I’ll catch you.”
“I don’t want him to see me like this.”
“Who?” Alex asked. “Brian won’t care. He’s a really cool guy.”
“No, not him. My friend, Joe.”
“The one who called you the other day?”
“Yeah, him. He lives in that house right over there. He was the guy I used to stay with back when I worked in Portville. I would usually crash out on his couch a few nights a week.”
“Why don’t you want him to see you?” Alex asked, still waiting for me to jump down into his arms.
“Well, he’s … he’s kind of a dick … and I don’t want him to see me like this. And I really don’t want him to see you helping me out of my own truck. It would be humiliating.”
“I don’t give a shit about anyone who would judge you. If he shows up I’ll kick his ass. Now get out of there. We need to go.”
Of course, just as I slid out of my truck into Alex’s arms my worst nightmare came true. Joe’s pickup truck pulled up to the curb right behind mine.
“Oh, fuck,” I said under my breath to Alex. “It’s him.”
“Well, well, well, what the hell do we have here!” Joe said as he slammed his truck door shut and walked up to us. “You have got to be kidding me, Holtz. Tell me this is some kind of sick joke. That had better be a keg of beer under there.”
“You better watch your mouth,” Alex said as he moved toward Joe. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but if you say one more word, I swear t
o God—”
I grabbed Alex’s arm, which was pulled back in a fist, and got him to drop it to his side. “I’ll handle this.” I turned back at Joe, and when my eyes met his I almost started laughing. I wasn’t as scared as I thought I would be. In fact, I wasn’t scared of him at all. He looked like a pathetic coward that was only as threatening as his insults.
“So, what? You’re an omega now? And you’re pregnant? And you’re with this Mexican dude? What the hell happened to you, man?”
“He’s not Mexican,” I said calmly. “He’s Puerto Rican and he’s the father of my baby, so show a little respect.”
“Ooh, sorry, Jeremy. When the hell did you become so politically correct? Mexican, Puerto Rican, whatever. It’s all the same.”
I could feel Alex tense up next to me again and I almost punched that jackass myself. It’s entirely possible that if I hadn’t been in labor right then I would have. But I knew I didn’t have time for his bullshit. “It’s not all the same, but an ignorant ass like you wouldn’t know the difference. And you know what? You’re not even worth the breath it would take to explain it to you. You’re just a loudmouthed loser and I couldn’t care less what you think. Get the hell outta my sight,” I said as I grabbed Alex’s arm and headed up to his old house.
“Oh yeah? Well, fuck you!” was all I heard Joe yell, but I didn’t respond or look back or give him any more of my energy. He definitely wasn’t worth it.
“That was awesome,” Alex said as he helped me up the stairs. “You’re my hero.”
“But I didn’t do anything.”
“Yeah, you did. You stood up to your friend and you didn’t even resort to violence. In my book, that makes you a super hero.”
“Well, I sure wish one of my superhero powers was flying so I could get to the goddamn clinic. I swear to God, I’m about to have this baby any second.”
“Yeah, shit, I hope Brian’s home.”
When the door opened and I saw the look on Alex’s friend’s face my heart sank. This guy knew who I was, and he did not look thrilled to see me at all. He let us inside and he and Alex talked while I made my way over to the couch. I could barely stand, and sitting down didn’t feel much better. What I really needed was to lay down and the hard, wooden floor looked so comfortable, so I slid right off the couch and lowered my ass onto the floor.
“What are you doing down there?” Alex asked.
“Look, my back is killing me. This is the most comfortable I’ve been in the last fifteen minutes, so just let me lie down here for a while.”
“Okay, but we’re gonna have a hell of a time getting you back up off the floor,” Alex said, kneeling down next to me and rubbing my belly.
“Oh, man. I didn’t even think about that,” I said as I stared, wide-eyed at the ceiling. I tried rolling to one side and that didn’t work, so I tried rolling to the other. “I can’t even move from side to side. I can’t move Alex! I can’t get up! How the hell am I gonna get up?”
“Don’t worry, honey. We’ll get you up. I promise.”
“But how? Look at me! My belly is so huge now I can’t roll over!” I yelled as I tried futilely to roll from one side to the other. When I looked back up at Alex’s face he was stifling a smile. “I’m trapped down here and you’re laughing at me? I’m like a bug on the side of one of those extermination trucks! I’m gonna be stuck like this forever! I’m gonna die here on this floor like a crumpled-up bug!”
“Oh, my God, Jeremy,” Alex said, busting into laughter. “You’re not gonna die. You’re having a baby. And we are gonna get you up.”
Just then Brian and another pregnant dude walked into the living room and I lost it. I had no idea what was going on and I was terrified I was going to be stuck like this forever. “Please, help me. I don’t want to have my baby down here,” I sobbed, tears streaming down my face.
Chapter 14
Alex
It took both me and Brian at least five minutes to get Jeremy up off the living room floor, but we eventually got him out the door and into the neighbor’s car, who took all four of us to The Sunnyside Clinic.
The hilarious thing was, on the way to the clinic I got a call from Shane. He and his alpha, as well as our other roommate, Holden and his mate, were all on their way to The Sunnyside Clinic as well. No one planned it, of course, but somehow all four of us spent the summer hiding a pregnancy from each other. And now all four of us, along with our partners, were rushing to the clinic delivery room at the exact same time.
Brian’s partner Nate and Shane both gave birth that Saturday evening, and Jeremy and Holden’s partners gave birth the next day, but we all stayed there at the clinic until the last baby was born.
The clinic even put up cots for all four alphas and let us eat for free in the cafeteria. The doctors and nurses there were all so awesome. I know they were used to seeing pregnant couples in and out of there all day every day, but the staff treated all of us like we were the only ones there.
Dr. Livingston, the doctor who ran Jeremy’s omega group, came in and talked to us for a while. It was nice to finally get to meet him and tell him how grateful I was that Jeremy had the group. Having people who’d gone through the same thing really made things easier for him.
“So why didn’t you tell me?” Brian asked as he sipped a cup of coffee in the cafeteria. It was Sunday morning and Jeremy had given birth a couple hours ago, and after a whole night of labor he was completely exhausted. So I let him and our baby girl sleep while I grabbed something to eat.
“About the baby? Or about Jeremy?” I asked, staring at my own cup of coffee.
“Both. I know I’ve been busy the last few months, but I was kinda bummed to find out that you were expecting your first baby this way. I mean, if that guy’s monster truck hadn’t broken down in front of our house I might never have known.”
“I’m sorry, man. I guess I just didn’t know if you would be pissed or what. I mean, none of us could stand Jeremy when he lived across the street and drove around in that loud truck. And after what he did to Hank and Jason, blocking their driveway when Hank went into labor, I guess I figured he wouldn’t be very welcome.”
“Well, I have to admit I was shocked to see the two of you together at the door, but you know I trust your judgment, don’t you? If you told me someone was cool I would believe you.”
“Yeah, I should’ve thought it through. I know you’re a good guy, Brian. I’ve really missed hanging out with all of you.”
“Yeah, me too. We’re gonna have to plan a get-together. Maybe at that rich guy’s house. I’d love to see where Shane’s been hiding all summer.”
“Oh yeah, you mean Shane’s professor?” I asked. “Yeah, man I had no idea who that guy even was. I mean, Shane told me about being pregnant a few months ago. He was scared about anyone finding out and I brought him here to the clinic so he could get checked out. But things have been so crazy these last few months, between working part-time for my dad, and part-time for Jeremy’s family, not to mention meeting them all at the shower, I haven’t talked to him at all. ”
“Jesus, that shower sounds like it was hilarious.”
“Oh, my God, Brian, you have no idea. Jeremy’s family really knows how to party.”
“Well, just don’t forget to tell us about the next one. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Jeremy spent the next week in bed with our daughter while I took care of them. Everyone worked overtime and got our new house finished while we were at the clinic, so by the time we got home we had everything we needed. They’d even gone all out and put up lights and more decorations inside and outside the house, and put a massive pile of presents under the tree.
That whole week leading up to Christmas I cooked and cleaned and helped Jeremy in an out of bed and the shower while he recuperated. Both of our parents insisted we just relax and spend time as a family until January, and the break was so welcome. I loved working hard and feeling my muscles burn at the end of the day, but more than t
hat, I loved seeing my baby girl’s bright, shining smile when she looked up at me.
But in all that time, while we watched Christmas movies and snuggled together on the couch, we still hadn’t decided on a name for our little angel. Every time I came up with a name I thought was perfect Jeremy would veto it for one reason or another, and just about every name that Jeremy came up with didn’t feel right to me. I couldn’t blame him, though. This was our little girl and we had to make sure she had the perfect name.
On Christmas morning while I sat in the bathroom with our sweet little dumpling in my arms, I looked into her eyes and it came to me.
“Felicia,” I said out loud.
“What?” Jeremy called from inside the glass-walled shower.
“I think that would be a perfect name for her.”
“What?” Jeremy yelled again. “I can’t hear you!”
I stood up and opened the shower door just as Jeremy turned the water off. “Felicia,” I said, feeling a grin spread across my face. “Your great-grandmother’s name.”
Jeremy grabbed a towel and glanced up with the cutest look in his eyes. Eyes that immediately told me how touched he was by my suggestion. “That’s perfect. I can’t believe I didn’t come up with it myself. Grammy will absolutely love it,” he said as he lowered his lips to our daughter’s forehead. “She even as the same eyes.”
“They’re your eyes,” I said. “The most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen in my life.”
The three of us moved into the living room and snuggled together in a big pile of blankets on the couch. We had twinkling lights on and soft Christmas music playing in the background while Jeremy and I had breakfast—a french toast casserole I’d put in the oven earlier that morning.
After we ate we took our time opening the presents our families had put under the tree. They had all been so generous. There were clothes and toys and diapers—more than we even needed—and if some of it was second-hand, neither of us noticed or cared.
Portville Summer Series: The Complete Collection Books 1-4: (MM Nonshifter Omegaverse) Page 20