Chapter 27Gavin
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
GAVIN
After watching two partners go through pregnancy a total of what will be four times, I can safely say if alphas were the birthing parent, there would be a whole lot less babies born. Birth control would be handed out like free candy at the corner store and abortions would be half price around the holidays.
Terminating his pregnancy was never an option for Jules. He didn’t even take a moment to consider it when I presented it as a possibility, before we even knew for certain he was pregnant. I doubt that has changed, not with the way he cradles his round belly, but with a little over a week until he’s due to give birth, he looks fucking miserable.
Beautiful too with his ever-growing belly, plump breasts, widening hips and a healthy glow to his skin. But still like he won’t mind if the earth cracks open under his swollen feet and swallows him whole.
I run my hand down his back as I help him towards Strange Brew. It’s Sunday and I have plans to feed my family. Once the babies are born, Sundays will have to take a backseat for a while as Jules and I settle into being new parents.
“We could’ve made the boys come to us,” I tell Jules gently, the same thing I told him before we left the house. “They’d have understood.”
So what if we usually have breakfast at Strange Brew on Sundays. And everyone is looking forward to today because it might be one of the last Sundays we have together like this for a while. Jules is tired. He needs all the rest he can get before he goes into labor because that’s going to be exhausting, even if Doctor Dulany says it won’t be too much of a process.
He shakes his head, a frown pulling at his mouth. “It’s tradition. And—” He blows out a breath and casts a sideways glance my way. “I needed to get out of the house.”
“Alright.” I drop a kiss on his head as I pull open the door to Strange Brew. There’s a soft pop and a shower of pink and blue confetti falls around us.
“Surprise!”
I open my mouth but shut it and swallow around the sudden lump in my throat. The boys are standing in front of a pink and blue banner that says congratulations.
“What’s this?” I ask as I brush tiny monochrome cutouts of cocks and sperm from Jules’ shoulders. Where in the hell did they even find cock confetti? And why did they think it was appropriate for a Sunday breakfast?
“A baby shower—duh,” Baz grins as he gestures around the crowded diner. There’s more of his mother, who’s standing beside him wearing a sundress and hiding a grin behind her hands, in his self-satisfied smile than there is of me.
“You guys did this for us?” Jules sniffs and blinks back tears. One spills down his cheek anyway and I brush it away with my thumb.
Callum shrugs. “Mostly you. He’s had three before.” He dismisses me with a wave before turning and holding his arms out to a long table as if he’s presenting a prize. “We got lemon cake!”
“Can I hug you?” Jules moves towards the boys, wobbling just a bit. They crowd around him, pulling him into a group hug but being careful not to squish or squeeze him too hard.
“They turned out alright, you think?” Iolani wraps her arm around mine and locks our elbows together, like she has since we were children off to find adventure or trouble. Really, whatever found us first.
“So far.” I bump my hip against hers. “For the most part. They’ve still got time to disappoint us.”
My two oldest are doing things with one another that I don’t want to think about them doing together because they are literal brothers. My youngest is sixteen and already mated which is... a choice. But otherwise, I suppose we did alright with them. They aren’t bad people making one bad choice on top of another. Just stupid from time to time, like all young people.
She releases me and pats my back. “I’ll stick around for a few more weeks after the babies are here to help Jules out, but then I’m off. Things to see. People to do. You know the drill.”
I laugh and toss my arm over her slim shoulders, tugging on a short curl that hangs next to her chin. “We really appreciate all the help. I know it means a lot to Jules.”
Just having another omega who has experienced pregnancy in the house to help him with all the awkward parts of growing not one, but two babies, has been a gift. It’s also been nice to have a voice of reason to talk to Jules about what is and isn’t normal as his body changed. Though, I’m pretty sure Iolani hasn’t enjoyed a few of the more personal conversations.
“Yes, pregnancy makes you super fucking horny. Sex is fine, just not in the womb.”
“I mean . . . if you want to swallow, you can, but . . . do you really want to swallow considering . . . ?”
“It’s perfectly normal to leak that much. You’ll want to wear a pad if it gets too bad.”
“I like him. He’s good for you, and you’re good for him,” Iolani says.
I glance at Jules. Someone pulled a chair over to the table and gave him a piece of cake he’s happily eating. Callum and Silo are sitting at his feet, opening gifts as he points to them. Altair seems to be rating each gift with a thumbs up or a thumbs down as Baz watches the shenanigans. Regulars at Strange Brew who have gotten to know Jules are scattered around eating and talking amongst themselves.
It does something nice to my heart to see all of my favorite people gathered together, to celebrate my mate and our soon-to-be children.
Thane approaches with a plate full of food. “Try not to run this one off. You’re getting kind of old to chase toddlers alone.”
I snort. “Who invited you again?”
He blows out a breath. “My son-in-law.”
For once, he doesn’t say it with any malice. Maybe he’s finally coming to terms with the fact that Silo and Callum are mated and there isn’t anything anyone can do about it. Even if we could somehow dissolve the bond they share, I’m not sure they would let us without one hell of a fight. They live in one another’s pocket—always hopping between mine or Thane’s house so they’re never apart.
Iolani leans around me with a naughty grin. “At least you’re not attending your son’s baby shower.”
Thane chokes on the forkful of salad he just shoved between his lips. I pat his back until he catches his breath and glares at my ex-wife. “Do not curse us like that. Can you imagine?”
We all look at Silo and Callum before, as a collective, we shiver.
“Never mind,” Iolani says, her voice faint as she rubs at her chest.
Those two as parents. It’s the last thing I want to imagine. At least, not anytime soon. Both have big plans to attend college and do something great with their lives. Whatever they do, I hope it brings them home eventually. I like the idea of having my family close at hand, watching it grow and expand through the years.
“You did have the safe sex talk with Callum, right?” Thane arches an eyebrow as he rips into a piece of chicken. I’m pretty sure he’s imagining a totally different kind of bird as he chews and swallows.
“Gavin? You’re talking to Gavin? This Gavin? Gavin Strange? About safe sex. Hilarious.” Iolani laughs, loud enough to draw Jules’ attention.
I grin and shake my head so he knows everything is okay, then shove Iolani’s shoulder when he looks away. Does she have to be so loud? She shoves me back and continues to chuckle under her breath.
“I know what safe sex is,” I hiss under my breath.
She snorts and rocks back on her heels. “Since when? And can you prove it?”
“He can one hundred percent prove he doesn’t have a clue what safe sex is.” Thane laughs, and nods to Jules who is... well, not a mark in my favor, but still!
I open my mouth, shut it and glare at the pair of them.
This is supposed to be mine and Jules’ baby shower and my two best friends are giving me a hard way to go. What happened to just saying congratulations?