Page 66 of Petals & Promises

“Come, come, the others will want to greet you all,” Mother urged, herding us further into the backyard.

There was a flurry of hugs from Crew, Eli, Daddy Rawr, and Lysse’s parents.

“Oh, I just knew you two were meant for each other. I’ve always felt like you were a daughter to me.” Lysse’s mother sobbed as she dabbed at her eyes. “I just can’t believe this moment has finally come for you both.”

Wrapping my arms around her for another hug, I squeezed her tightly. “Thank you for raising such an amazing son.”

That set her off, and Mr. Ford had to pry the clinging woman from me, giving an apologetic look. Then a trio of serious-looking men I hadn’t met before stepped up and bowed instead of offering a handshake or a hug. Yun-Sun stepped up next to me and returned their bow, yet no one spoke a word. They parted, and a stunning Asian woman stepped forward, offering a sweet smile as she also bowed.

“It is a delight to finally meet you, Bailey-Rose. I am So-Ri, Yun-Sun’s mother,” she greeted. “We were honored to be invited by your mother to this party to celebrate the bonding of your pack.” So-Ri looked to one of her Alphas, who handed over a white envelope with a beautifully written word on it in another language. “It is tradition in my culture to offer a gift and a blessing to the new pack. Please take this as a sign of the prosperity and happiness we wish for your family.”

Unable to be anything but authentically me, I stepped forward, took the envelope, and hugged my mother-in-law. “Thank you so much for taking the time to come, and I hope we will see more of each other.”

So-Ri stiffened initially but relaxed at my words and returned my hug. “My son is lucky to find an Omega with such a pure soul and sweet spirit. Many happy blessings upon you, Bailey-Rose.”

With that, we parted and moved on to mingle, meeting a few other family friends. Dr. Arbour and his pack came, which meant the world to me. We exchanged stories of the adventures we’d been on, and I showed him the tattoo I’d gotten at the temple.

“See, these are the experiences I look forward to having,” Dr. Arbour said, hugging me to his side. “Learn from an old man, kiddo. Don’t believe the lie the world tells you about having all the time in the world. You’ll blink, and the next thing you know, you’re old like me.”

“Stop, you’re spry as a fox,” Phil, Dr. Arbour’s Omega, said, playfully smacking his arm. “Although I have to say, it’s been wonderful to have you home more.”

It was clear to see the love between them, and I hoped things would be the same way for my guys and me. With all that we’ve been through, I don’t see it being a problem. We’ve defied all the odds from the start, so I don’t see why we can’t finish that way.

I was sad that Warrick’s family didn’t make it to the party. Instead, they sent a gift with a letter of apology. It was simply too short notice for them to fit it into their busy schedules.

“Shh, don’t be upset, Care Bear,” Warrick murmured as he cuddled me close. “This is who my family is and has always been. If they showed up, I would have probably passed out because of how shocked I was. Trust me, they would have absolutely brought down the energy level here… they don’t know how to have a good time. Besides, the only family I need is you and the guys.”

Mollified by this answer, he coaxed me into a better move by grabbing the painting for Deanna. I took a clean napkin and blindfolded her until the guys got it set up on one of my spare easels.

“Are you ready?” I asked, trying not to bounce in excitement.

“Sweetie, I am more excited than a bag of jumping beans,” Deanna shared, her accent a little thicker from the wine she’d been enjoying with Lysse’s mother.

Pulling the bow free, the cloth fell from Deanna’s eyes to reveal the masterpiece. We’d managed to make a brief stop at the hill before the rain started again on our way back to the house. It had given me the real setting to base this moment on, but I took a few liberties and put the Bailey-Rose spin on it.

Gareth stood at the top of the hill observing them, as Deanna and Callie lay at the bottom, watching the dandelion seeds float through the air. Only I had the little white puffs shifting into butterflies, adding even more emotion to the moment. One blue butterfly sat on Deanna’s nose to represent Callie’s spirit still being with her even now.

“Sweet baby Jesus, I feel faint.” Deanna gasped.

Gareth rushed forward to catch his mother, and Lysse hurried over with a chair. Deanna sank onto the chair, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Reaching out, she took my hand and held it tightly like she was worried I would disappear.

“You, my dear girl, have a gift,” Deanna said once she’d composed herself. She pulled me to stand in front of her, holding my hands and locking her gaze on mine. “Promise me you will never stop painting. Everyone needs to see the world through your eyes, Bailey-Rose, and the only way that can happen is if you show it to us. Words cannot express my gratitude for seeing this memory brought to life. I will treasure it always, and no matter what, it will be hung in a place where everyone can see it.”

Deanna and I clung to each other for a moment before she shooed me away. “Don’t let a weepy old woman steal the show. Today is about celebrating you and your Alphas. So go… enjoy yourself.”

I kissed Deanna on the cheek before heading over to the drinks table. As I poured myself a glass of raspberry lemonade, I spotted my mother and Eli talking off to the side. The stunned expression on his face had me concerned. Heading over, I noticed Eli was looking at something, and when I got closer, I realized it was a photograph.

“Elee, what’s wrong?” I questioned, resting a hand on his forearm. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Without saying a word, he handed me the picture of four smiling men. Three were older, attractive, and gave off Alpha energy the way they cuddled around the man in the middle. The fourth was slender, had a youthful-looking face, and wore thigh-high socks, short shorts, and a baggy sweater that fell off one shoulder. While not all Omegas were easy to pick out, this man screamed Omega to the max. He also struck me as someone I wanted to meet, and his unique sense of fashion reminded me a little of Zelly.

“I don’t understand. Should I know who these people are?” I asked, looking between Eli and my mother.

Eli rubbed his brow, something he typically did when he was upset or overwhelmed. “According to our mother… these men are my pack.”

“What?” I squeaked. “I don’t understand?”

“Join the club,” Eli muttered.