I stared at her for several seconds, then started. “One: no showing up unannounced. Not now, and definitely not after the baby or babies are born. We’re going to have our own routine, and we can’t have you disrupting that just because you think you need to see the babies. We will make time for visits, but on our schedule.”
She frowned but remained silent.
“Two: You will not call more than twice a week—me or my mates. I already call you more than that, so you know I’ll keep you informed. But I won’t have the men I love glancing nervously at the caller ID every time the phone rings.”
“But how will I know…”
I shook my head again. “I’ll tell you if you need to know something. Or one of them will. This isn’t to keep you in the dark about anything. It’s so that you don’t try to replace unannounced visits with phone calls.”
“Can I text?”
“That’ll count as a phone call for now. If you behave, then we might consider letting you text in the future.”
“What if it’s an emergency?”
I narrowed my eyes. “If it’s an actual emergency, then we can make exceptions. But we’re talking about needing to call the police, the fire department, or an ambulance—not declaring a minor inconvenience an emergency.”
She harrumphed.
“Three: Hands off Micah. He’s already said he’s uncomfortable with the idea of everybody having their hands on his belly once he starts to show. You may ask, once, in a visit. If he says no, then that’s final. If he does agree, it’s not blanket permission for you to touch him repeatedly.”
“But baby bumps are meant to…”
“I said no. The only time you touch his bump, is when he tells you it’s ok. If you can’t respect that, then we know you won’t respect our wishes when it comes to the babies either. Understood?”
She was silent for several seconds, then nodded.
“Good. Four: If we tell you we’re doing something our own way, or different than you think is right, then trust us. Don’t spend every visit arguing about the right way to do whatever it is. If we want your opinion or advice, we’ll ask.”
“But these will be your first babies, and…”
“No. Parenting has changed a lot since I was little. What was right when I was young, might not be anymore. We’re going to do what’s right for our family. Besides…” I paused. “You don’t want to waste your visits insisting on your way of doing something when you could be enjoying the babies instead.”
She sighed.
“Five,” I continued. “No showing preference for Micah just because he’s pregnant. I have four mates, and three of them are alphas. I love all of them, and they are my family. You will show them all equal respect.”
A disgruntled nod, but I’d take it. I knew that would be the easiest of my conditions for her.
“And six: You will not treat Jace and Ryan as replacements for me. In fact, you need to chill with them as well. We’re all grown men, and it’s time you treated us like it.”
“Is that all?” she snapped after several seconds of silence.
“For now, but if I think we need more boundaries, then I’ll put them in place.”
“You know you’re being ridiculous.”
I sighed. “Nothing I’ve stated is unreasonable, Mama. Most people wouldn’t need to be told this at all, because as far as boundaries go, they are quite sensible. They only seem extreme to you because you’ve gotten used to being able to barge into people’s lives without repercussions.”
I reached across the table and rested my hand atop hers. “Make your life about more than me and babies. You’re still young. Join a women’s club, maybe find something to do at the rec center. Make friends. Hell, date! I want you to be happy, but I won’t sacrifice the happiness of my mates for yours. And if I have to choose, I’ll choose them.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“I love you, Mama, but I would. That’s why we’re having this discussion. I needed to be upfront with you, now, before you meet them. I need to make it clear that things will have to change. You can still be a part of our lives, but on our terms. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to accept it. Do you understand?”
She crossed her arms, then nodded.
“Good,” I stated. “I’m going to give them a call and they should be here in a few minutes.”
