Jerry’s smile was quick and blinding, before he could wrestle it into something a little more suave. “Sounds perfect. Dinner’s at six, if you’re hungry.”
“A man’s gotta eat,” I replied, aiming to play it cool, while I was sure I was grinning like a fool.
Jerry grabbed the notepad from my desk and wrote his address and phone number on it. “Great, then I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Great,” I echoed, fumbling with the doorknob and backing out the door. I practically floated out of that exam room, andstraight through the rest of the day. Maybe I was wrong, but… I was pretty sure I had a date.
5
Jeremiah
Returninghomeafterthedoctor’s appointment, I felt so much better. I was still worried about Ladybug’s omega parent, but knowing this sweet girl was going to be okay now took a huge load off my shoulders.
I brought the bucket seat into the house and set it on the floor in front of the couch. She was still asleep, so I figured I might as well catch a few Zs too. I was flagging hard after only getting three hours of sleep and then draining my adrenaline stores. I was running on empty. I sat back on the couch and put my feet up, closing my eyes for a few minutes.
My mind was still lingering on Dr. Zappek—Lazlo. I’d never met anyone quite like him before, and I had to admit, I was smitten. He had been so relaxed, even as my own composure had begun to crack, and being around him had put me instantly at ease. There was always a lot of pressure on alphas to be constantly in control, but this morning I had felt anything but. His smile, though, his gentle voice, had instilled me with all theconfidence that he would take care of me for a change. I’d never had that feeling before, and I didn’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t suggested coming over tonight with the excuse of checking on Ladybug.
At least I was pretty sure it was an excuse… Gods, what if that was all it really was? Dammit, I should’ve made sure.
As tired as I was, I opened my eyes and blinked up at the ceiling. I needed to figure out what to do for dinner. I felt this overwhelming urge to impress him, but my hands were kinda full with Ladybug at the moment. I felt like he would understand if I ordered pizza instead.
I must’ve drifted off at some point, because I startled awake when Ladybug started crying. Hungry again, no doubt. “I’m coming, don’t you fret,” I said, pushing myself upright with a groan. Fuck, I was tired. I was struggling to get my head on straight, but this sweet girl needed me at my best. Unfortunately, she would have to settle for having me at 50% for today, but I would still show her the tender care she deserved.
Once I got her fed, I gave her a warm bath, cleaning off the afterbirth, then popped her into a clean diaper and wrapped her in a tight swaddle like the world’s most adorable burrito. “There, that’s better, isn’t it, Ladybug,” I said, dropping a soft kiss on her fuzzy head. Her eyelids were already drooping again. Coming into the world was hard work.
I got the nursery set up, and the crib made with fresh sheets so she could take a proper nap this time, instead of in her car seat. The room was pretty basic, just a crib, a change table, a dresser, and a rocking chair, all made by a friend of mine. Bron used to work as a bartender at Mickey’s, before he found the two loves of his life, Nathan and Wesley. Now he was a stay-at-home dad who built furniture in his spare time. He was truly skilled at woodwork and sold his pieces at a family-run furniture shopdowntown. He’d donated these for free, though. He knew how important fostering was to me, and he’d wanted to help.
Bron was a lucky man. I would be happy to find one soul mate, let alone two. Growing up in foster care, my future goals had centered on being a husband and father one day. It was the only thing I’d ever really wanted. I longed to fill my house with love and laughter, whatever that looked like. So far, fostering had filled that need in me for children, but I hadn’t met the right man to walk through life with yet.
My brain immediately called forth an image of Lazlo, his shy smile, his relaxed nature. He was good with kids, obviously, but could he be as good with me?
I heard the rumble of the bus coming down the road and glanced at my watch. It was already four o’clock. Setting the baby monitor to listen for Ladybug, I carried the receiver outside to meet Sam. He hopped off the bus, skipping the last two steps, and landed with a puff of dirt in the gravel. His friend Jacob hopped down next, and the two of them chatted as the bus pulled away. I heard Sammy say bye, and then he jogged up the driveway, smiling when he saw me waiting.
“Hey, Jer. I thought for sure you’d be passed out on the couch, snoring,” he teased.
“I will have you know, it’s been a pretty eventful day while you were gone.” I held up the receiver and waved it back and forth. “I’ll give you one guess…”
Sam’s eyes went wide, his face split with a massive smile. “A new baby?!” He was always excited when we had a baby show up, no matter how temporary. He was such a great big brother to them all, and every time we had to pass the baby on, it broke his poor heart. It was no wonder he was haunted by the thought of me leaving.
“She’s sleeping, but if you promise to be quiet, I’ll introduce you to her,” I said.
Sam pursed his lips and mimed zipping them up. When we went inside, he set his bag down ever so quietly, instead of dumping it like usual, and toed his shoes off, then tiptoed toward the nursery. I followed behind him, trying to contain my laugh at his exaggerated quiet.
He slipped into the nursery and peeked into the crib, and I watched him absolutely melt. “She’s so tiny,” he whispered, his face scrunched up in concern. “Is she okay?” The babies we got weren’t always healthy, and sometimes they needed extra care.
“She’s okay,” I assured him, setting a hand on his shoulder. “She has what’s called a cleft palate, which makes feeding her a little more complicated, but I took her to the doctor this morning, and he helped. He’s going to come over later to check on her, so I thought we’d get pizza for dinner. Sound good?”
“Yeah!” he whisper-yelled, adding an itty-bitty fist bump, making the silent gesture somehow even quieter.
I turned to leave the room, but Sammy didn’t look like he was going anywhere. “I always wanted a baby sister,” he said sadly, staring down at her, and I knew he was thinking about his parents and the family he’d lost. He glanced over his shoulder at me, eyes a little glassy. “Can we keep her?”
I wanted to say yes, but I wasn’t in the habit of making promises I didn’t know for sure I could keep. “I don’t know, buddy. It’ll depend on who will take the best care of her.”
“Well, that’s you, obviously. You’re already the best at taking care of me.” He said it so matter-of-factly that I couldn’t help but beam with pride.
“Thanks, bud.” I dropped a kiss on the top of his head, ruffling his hair. “Come on, let’s let her sleep. She’ll be up soon, and then you can help with the next diaper change.”
“Ewww,” he whined in disgust, but he followed me out of the nursery, and we closed the door.
