The Omegas’ Destiny

1

Zeke

“Oh. No, you don’t.” I put out my arm and stop Josie from running inside after her brother. “You’re not squirting that thing inside the house.”

“But Daddy…” she whines, like she doesn’t know the rules. “Oliver did it first.”

“Not inside the house.” Really. I just dried the floor inside after Evan spilled his bowl of water for his play table in the middle of the room. “You know the rules.”

“But Daddy…” She makes those sad eyes at me and I shake my head.

“No, young lady. Just wait for him until he’s back outside.” Which may take a while.

These two have been really bored since it’s summer break and all, even though it’s just the first weekend. But that doesn’t mean that they can break the rules, because there is no way I’m cleaning up water from the floor again today, especially not when they got it there by running after each other with those squirt guns.

No f-ing way.

Wes slides his hand on my shoulder, squeezing a little. “How are you feeling?”

I shrug. I’ve been sitting outside, in the shadow, with my feet in a bowl of, by now lukewarm, water almost the whole morning. I woke up with some heavier cramps than normal this morning, we thought it may have been contractions, but they seem to have gone away a little after I had breakfast.

“I guess it’s not too bad.” Apart from the heat, which is seriously not nice.

“Good.” He leans closer, giving me a quick kiss. “Let us know if you need anything, yeah?”

“A foot rub?” I grin at him.

“You can ask Nathan for that.” Wes gives me another kiss, smiling sweetly. “I’m going to check in on Sterling, okay? Nathan is finishing up the nursery.”

“Okay.” I pout a little at him. “Give Sterling my best.” Sterling’s little boy is just over two months old today, but between the kids and the company, Wilder has had a hard time getting him to take time off to relax.

“Will do. I’ll be back in an hour or two.” He looks up. “Should I take Oliver and Josie with me?”

“Yes, please. If you don’t mind.”

Their break just started but, somehow, they’re already out of ideas on what to do with all their free time. It’s not like they don’t have the world in toys, or a lot of friends living around here. But, no. They have to keep going after each other…

At least at Sterling’s they can run around the garden without too many opportunities of making problems and breaking stuff.

“Will do.” He puts his fingers under my chin, making me look at him, his eyes a little more serious. “Tell me if the contractions get worse again, yeah? Just text me, call me. Anything. Yeah?”

I nod, feeling a little like I’m a kid and Wes is the parent, but he’s been through this enough times that I take the things he says pretty seriously. “Will do.”

“Good.” He smiles, leaning in. “And you look radiant.” His eyes sparkle.

“You’re teasing me, I look like a beached whale.”

“A very radiant beached whale,” he murmurs, closing the distance between our lips.

His kisses are soft, careful, but also filled with so much love. I can never get enough of them.

When he pulls back, much too soon for my taste, my lips still tingle a little, and other parts of my body have also sprung to attention.

“Unfair,” I groan. “You know what that does to me.”

“I promise to take care of that when I get back.” He winks. “Promise.” There is something in the way that he says it that makes me believe him. What has he got planned?

Then he steps back, looking around for the kids. “Oliver, Josie, get your shoes and hats, we’re off to Sterling’s.”

Josie comes up behind him. “Can I take my squirt gun with me?” She already looks excited.

“Sure. Though, don’t come to me if you forget it there.” He steps inside, looking for his eldest.

I would be devastated if they forgot them over there, devastated I tell you… Kinda. Nah. Not really.

Oliver pops up at my side, carrying a glass with water and ice cubes. “Dad asked me to bring this over.”

“Thank you. Are you going with Daddy and Josie?”

He nods, though he looks at me for a moment, his eyes serious.

“I’m not popping him out in the time it takes you to go there and have some ice cream and come back.” I reach out to him and he takes my hand.

“I know.” His voice is still serious. “But Evan and Mia can’t bring you drinks.”

“But Nathan can. And he will.” I squeeze his hand a little.

Oliver has turned into a real worrier these last couple of weeks, way too much for his mere seven years old. But I think it may have to do with me being pregnant and that bringing up memories for him. Luckily, he’s got adults around who he trusts.

“You go. I think Josie brought her squirt gun with her, you may want to be able to defend yourself.”

“Oh!” He’s suddenly moving again, looking around before rushing into the living room, and then he’s back. He leans over and gives me a kiss on my cheek.

“See you later, Daddy.” Then he presses a kiss to my belly. “And you too, little brother. Stay inside a little longer, just long enough for me to come back.”

“He will.” I smile.

“Okay.” Oliver nods. “See you later.” And he’s off.

I close my eyes, leaning back, trying to enjoy the suffocating heat, which isn’t easy, but I can try as much as possible, right?

Oliver can talk about the baby staying inside me until it’s convenient for him all he wants, but I’m actually due this weekend, so it’s not like I can really promise anything.

A tightness goes through my body and I put my hand on my belly. “You’re welcome to come at any time now, little man, just try to make it fast.” I rub at a sore spot, trying to make it ease up.

Really, he’s welcome at any moment.

Summer break has started, and I’m about to give birth. I guess there are some advantages to that…

But the kids being home full-time definitely isn’t one of them.

***

I puff out again, the contraction harsher this time, making me groan out as I lean back on the couch. It’s been like this for the last hour and I really wish things would progress already…

It’s after dinner, though I didn’t really eat anything, I just couldn’t. And now we’re ‘relaxing’ for the evening, though there isn’t much relaxing going on for me.

“Ten minutes.” Wes looks up from his phone and squeezes my hand. “You’re doing great.”

“Doesn’t feel like it much.” I shake my head.

When Wes visited Sterling this morning, Felix came back with him. The guy really seems to want to be there for all of us, though I don’t want to complain about it.

The kids love Felix and it’s good to have someone in the house with them when we need to go to the hospital later.

I’m just grumpy right now, really grumpy. It’s too hot, I’m uncomfortable and those contractions won’t hurry up.

When Wes came back, he did make good on his promise to help me with my boner, but it was just a hand job in the shower, as it’s too hot and sticky to really do much else and we’re both exhausted.

It felt good, taking that shower, being with Wes, it felt good. And I guess it helped the contractions along some, they did get more intense after, but I almost feel like it’s been stalling since.

I don’t care if Wes’ timing of the contractions tells me that they’re slowly getting closer and closer together, it just doesn’t feel like it. It’s seriously taking too long.

I groan again, trying not to curse with the little ones around, even though it’s not that easy. It’s just too… Ugh. It hurts and I’m so done with this all, the being pregnant, the giving birth.

All of it.

Nathan sits on the armrest of the couch, his hand on my shoulder, squeezing a little. “You’re doing great. Do you want something to drink?”

“Ice water?” That way I can throw it in his lap, hopefully that will make him think twice before he knocks me up again.

Nathan eyes me, a little worried, and I wonder if he can read my mind now. It wouldn’t surprise me…

Then he stands up. “I’ll be right back.”

I watch the TV again, not really paying attention to what is showing on the screen. Why would I? It’s not like I can focus right now.

“Daddy.” Evan climbs up onto the spot Nathan just left. He hands me his comfort blanky. “For you.”

I take the blanky, smiling. “Thank you.”

Then he shakes his head. “No, for you for the baby!” He points at my belly and I put the blanky over my belly, which seems to calm Evan down, even tough it makes my belly even more hot.

“Thank you. Don’t you need it to sleep?” If he’s getting any sleep tonight, that is.

Evan shakes his head. “The baby needs it. I’m a big boy now.”

I nod, trying not to laugh. Yeah, I’m not convinced I can take the blanky with me when I leave.

Evan still definitely needs it, but I’m letting him have this big brother moment. He’s going to need it when the baby is here and he gets frustrated by all the crying at night, or during the day.

“I’ll remember that. The baby really appreciates you giving him your blanky.”

Evan beams, and then very carefully puts his ear on my belly. “You go be born soon. I want to see you.”

Of course, right at that moment a contraction rushes through me and I groan, wrapping an arm around my belly.

Yeah, I can’t wait to see my baby boy either.

Really soon, I hope…

***

Nathan is pushing me through the hallways at the hospital. It’s getting late at night and the contractions got really close together in the last hour, close enough for me to finally get to the next stage of this all.

Wes is walking next to me, my bag slung over his shoulder as he keeps holding my hand.

I wrap my arms around my belly at the next contraction. We’re on our way to my room now, the room where I’ll probably spend the next hours waiting even longer for all of this to finally get a real move on and for the baby to finally be here.

Wes opens the door to my room and waits for us to come inside. He puts the bag down in a chair and comes right over, reaching out to me, helping me out of the wheelchair.

“Way nicer room than I’ve ever given birth in.” He sounds so upbeat, even though I can also see the tension in his eyes, the exhaustion.

“Well, that’s what you get when you’re a famous author’s mate.” I wink at him and Wes grins, his eyes shining some.

“Definitely.” He helps me onto the bed. Then he starts digging through the bag.

“What are you looking for?” I try to reach out to him, but I crumple together at another contraction, not able to focus for a while.

“I thought I…” He keeps looking but then shakes his head and stands back up. “Never mind.”

“What is it?” Nathan also comes over, putting his hand on Wes’ back.

“Nothing.” Wes smiles, then he sits on the edge of the bed. “I thought I’d packed something, but it’s not important.”

I let out a groan as I move a little. I so want this to be over. I’m so done with it. How can this be so painful? Why does it have to be?

Well, squeezing out a whole baby probably won’t ever be painless, but still…

Wes puts his hand on my leg, squeezing a little. “You’ll get through it.”

“I’d better do.” I groan. There just isn’t enough energy in this world to make this go over fast enough. I don’t want to have to do this.

Luckily, right then, Stephen comes in, smiling. “How are you doing?”

“Can this go faster?” I shake my head. There’s someone who can actually make that happen.

“Let’s see.” He doesn’t seem fazed by my reaction at all. “Let’s go check on how far you are. Did your waters break yet?”

I shake my head, and right then, a very strong contraction comes through me and I can’t help the curses that slip out.

This hurts.

This hurts so much.

I don’t like pain. I’ve never liked pain.

I feel Wes and Nathan’s hands on me, on my shoulders, on my back, trying to comfort me.

It doesn’t help, but I guess it makes them feel less useless or something.

Fuck this.

Can my boy be born yet?