Monty:Good for you Frey. She deserves someone like you in her corner after how her life started. Toby… he asked you for help and you’re giving it to his daughter, that counts.
Frey:Thank you. That’s not my biggest worry anyway, to be honest. It’s moving into Booker’s parents' home with all the other alphas. What was I thinking when I said yes?
Isley:You weren’t ‘cause how would anyone agree to do that? Eight alphas all in one place!
Hollis:Taylin lives with me, so that’s seven.
Lennon:No Isley was right, eight, with Derick Starling.
Hollis:Oh heck yes, I forgot about him.
Monty:I don’t know how. A silver fox like that, who could ever forget him?
Hollis:Lane can see the chat Monty!
Monty:Oops… it was a compliment, Lane.
Lane:He is a silver fox and hot in the sack. Frey, you’ll be fine, just be you and they’ll all fall in line.
Hollis:Please… nooooo he’s going to be my father-in-law, Lane.
Lane:That doesn’t change anything, he is hot and great in the sack. LOLOLOLOLOL
Hollis:Noooooooooooo
Frey:Let’s hope so, or else you might feel like you’ve come back to work when they all start bickering.
Lane:I can handle those boys, don’t you worry. The reason I popped in as I have a family meeting planned tomorrow night and I would like you all to come. I’d like to create a rota to assist Frey and Booker with Emmy, if you’re interested?
Frey:Oh Lane, you’re making me cry.
Bowie:Hormones… can you get that from adopting a baby?
Lane:Absolutely.
Bowie heard movement coming from Kari’s room and placed his phone down, blinking hard as he tried to not think about Frey and Booker not working out and what would happen to Emmy. He knew better than anyone what it was like to be rejected. He didn’t think Frey would reject the little girl, because Frey wasn’t like that.But wasn’t it hard to care for a baby on your own?
He had heard one secretary talk about her no-good husband running out on her and leaving her with a small child. She’d moaned a lot about the child, and Bowie had felt sorry for the boy. He wondered if she might talk the same way in front of him without thinking of the harm she was doing. Then Bowie sometimes wondered if it might be a good thing to do that, because then there was little surprise when they got cast out.
“What’s with the big sigh, Babycakes?”
Kari stood wearing his outdoor coat, a bag clutched in his hand and his hair brushed back off his face. Bowie’s attention was drawn to the deep blue of his eyes. He knew that the concern he noticed was for him.
He sniffed loudly. “I messaged in the group chat and Frey mentioned he was only figuring stuff out with Booker.”
Kari came and crouched in front of him. “And this worries you, why?”
“What happens to the little girl if they don’t figure it out? I know what it’s like to be rejected. It’s not nice, and it hurts… a lot.” He wiped the back of his hand over the end of his runny nose. He didn’t mention how many times he’d been cast out, Kari didn’t need to know how much of a reject he was. “But this is about Frey,” he added quickly when Kari wore that expression that said they were going to talk about what was upsetting Bowie.
Kari searched his expression, and the bridge of his nose wrinkled. “I’m sensing you don’t want to talk about this right now, is that right?”
“We’re going to Ty’s… I want to do that.” He was nervous about it, but it was a better option than tearfully rehashing things that could not be changed. A part of him didn’t want to tell Kari just how unlovable he was. No, that was not what he wanted to talk about.
The hesitation was noticeable before Kari rose and held out his empty hand. “Alright, but this conversation is just on hold, for now.”
He glanced over at the small work area. They’d moved the chair so they could sit next to each other and Bowie’s coat was still over the back of one of them. “Will that coat be long enough for you to feel comfortable walking to the club from here? It’s only two blocks over.”
“I think so.” Bowie let go of Kari and went to retrieve it.
