Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Clay
“Here’s some water,” I said as I handed Duncan a cup.
“Thank you.”
The doorbell rang, and I didn’t even have to answer to know it was someone from the family.
They’d all been kept updated while Duncan was sick, and news of his visit to the hospital of course made it into the family group chat.
I actually wasn’t expecting to see my parents on the other side of the door when I answered though.
“Ma? Dad? I thought you two were leaving for your cruise.” I hugged Ma, and after letting her go, Dad gave me a tight hug as well.
“We are. We need to leave within a couple of hours,” Ma said. “But I wanted to stop by and check on Duncan.”
I smiled. “He’s on the couch, trying not to be bored. He’s feeling better though.” I moved farther back to let Dad in. “Come in and visit for a bit.”
Ma took off, and Dad and I followed at a slower pace. “How is he really doing?” Dad asked quietly. Ever perceptive, he was.
“Good, but he’s struggling with not working.
He’s had to work hard since his eighteenth birthday, when he was suddenly on the streets, and he’s struggled just about every day since.
All of this is still setting in, and even I admit that everything was a whole lot of changes all at once.
But hopefully, he’ll get there soon enough. ”
We made it to the living room and found Ma with Duncan. She was giving him a tight hug. One that reminded me of the hugs she used to give us when we were little and had been fighting with our brothers. They were the best hugs and always made all of us feel so much better about things.
“Let’s go make tea,” Dad said.
I nodded, following Dad into the kitchen. Without a thought, I pulled down a paper plate and placed several crackers on it.
“Is his pregnancy sickness still bothering him?”
“A little. He has a prescription that helps with the nausea. He takes it twice a day, and it’s honestly helped a lot.
He still has to be careful with what he eats.
Nothing too acidic or heavy.” I opened the fridge and pulled out the bowl of fruit.
It was his absolute favorite, but he had to limit himself to eating just a few pieces at a time because too much at once and his stomach would say nope.
Dad looked toward Ma and Duncan. “Your mother has been incredibly worried about him. Especially after we heard about him being admitted to the hospital.”
I nodded absently. “I understand. I wasn’t exactly in a good mood then.
Thankfully, he was only there overnight.
I’ve already told Duncan that I will absolutely overrule him if there is a next time.
I wasn’t too worried because he was still eating a bit and drinking.
When I realized he was drinking less and getting sick more, I called Dr. Birch. ”
“I’m glad you did.” Dad placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Your mother is quite taken with both him and Charlie. She’s excited about the newest little ones as well.
” Immediately, I was hesitant about what Dad might say next.
He seemed to catch on because he laughed.
“The reason for all of the cruises and vacations is to not only finally get out there and enjoy other places again, but also to keep your mother a bit more preoccupied. When she’s away, she can’t bother you boys and your mates so much. ”
I stared at Dad for several moments before shaking my head. “You can’t keep her away just so she doesn’t bother us. That’s not how things are dealt with, Dad.”
Dad smiled at me. “I know that, son. I’m helping her deal with the desire to interfere all of the time. We’re working on things still though.”
I shook my head. “It’s not that difficult, Dad. She just has to respect boundaries. That means no asking intrusive questions, not expecting to be the first to know things, the first to be invited to things. It’s that simple.”
I picked up the plate and started toward my mate. I heard him and Ma talking as I approached. When he heard me, he turned and offered a huge smile. I held out the snack, and Duncan happily accepted it. “Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome.” I smiled and sat on the coffee table near Duncan.
“Your mom was just telling me about what it was like when she and your dad first mated. How they were super excited to learn that she was pregnant with Silver.”
I smiled over at my mother.
“It’s hard to believe that was over forty years ago now,” Ma said. She smiled, then looked right at me. “And now he and Charlie are about to become parents themselves. And you and Duncan not far behind. The family is growing again, finally.”
“Ma…”
“What? I’m allowed to be excited about having three new grandbabies by the end of the year.
I understand everyone’s boundaries. If you have an issue with a woman being happy that her boys are finding love and starting families of their own, well, then I guess the issue is in you more than me,” Ma said.
She moved closer to Duncan. “It’s good to know you’re feeling a bit better, sweetheart.
Please let me know if you’re feeling up to a day of lunch and shopping when we get back.
If not, I do understand.” Ma gave Duncan another hug and then stood.
“I will, Joyce. And I hope you enjoy your cruise. I can’t imagine spending so much time out on the ocean, but I know everyone has different things they love,” Duncan said.
I looked between my mate and my mother, a bit surprised at how comfortable Duncan seemed to be with her.
Not that I didn’t want that. I desired nothing more than for Duncan to feel comfortable with my family.
“Are you leaving already?” I asked. “You’ve only been here five minutes.”
“Duncan is tired, he needs his snack and a nap, and your father and I have a few more things to do before we leave for our cruise.” Ma gave me a quick hug, then walked over to where Dad was waiting. “That’s it? Just like that, you’re leaving already?”
My parents looked confused. “Yes,” Dad said. “Your mother wanted to see Duncan and wish him well before we left. That’s it. We didn’t wish to intrude more than that.”
I watched, completely dumbfounded, while my parents walked toward the door. It took entirely too long for me to spring into action. I was up and chasing after them, only catching up when they were already at the door.
“Uh, have a nice trip,” I said.
Ma turned and smiled at me. “We will. We enjoy spending time with others our age on these cruises. We don’t always have that here anymore. A lot of our friends have moved away. Some are joining us on the cruise. Others are new.”
Oh. I hadn’t realized that. “That sounds nice. I do hope the two of you enjoy your trip.”
My parents smiled at me. “We always do,” Dad said. “It’s nice to have a change of scenery every so often.”
Ma and Dad waved as they walked away from the front door toward Dad’s SUV. I watched until they pulled away from the curb and closed the door quietly. I locked it, a habit I’d always had, and then went back to Duncan.
I found him with an almost empty plate. Gone were the crackers and all of the fruit except for the grapes. “I thought you liked grapes.”
Duncan smiled up at me. “I do. They can be a bit much for my stomach right now though, so I just don’t eat them.”
I felt terrible for my mate. His pregnancy had been nothing but one thing after another for him.
He was starting to feel better though, and that was reassuring.
I picked up the plate and ate the grapes left on it as I took it to the kitchen and tossed it.
I grabbed a cup of water for myself, realizing that Dad had managed to distract me from my mate by mentioning making tea—something we didn’t do.
“Sweetie? How are you feeling?” I asked as I walked back to the living room.
“Better. I hate to admit it, but I think the stay in the hospital with all of the fluids and meds has really helped me get ahead on things when it comes to my stomach. I never really knew that being dehydrated could make you so nauseous.”
I reached out and ran my fingers through his messy hair. I loved it when it looked like it did now. I know that the only reason was because he’d been sleeping and hadn’t brushed it. It didn’t truly matter because we weren’t leaving the house today.
“I’m happy to hear you’re feeling better, sweetheart. I don’t like that being pregnant is so rough on you though.”
Duncan placed his hand on my arm and smiled. “It’s okay. Just think about it this way. In the end, we get an incredible little one.”
He wasn’t wrong. “Very true,” I said, agreeing with him. “I’m glad that you and Ma seem to be getting along. I don’t want her to get to the point that she’s overstepping.”
Duncan shook his head. “Would you sit?” he asked, pointing to the other end of the couch.
He pulled his feet up, and after I sat somewhat close to him, he placed his legs across my lap.
I started gently rubbing them up and down.
“I’ve talked to Charlie. I know what happened with Joyce with everything.
I understand that she overstepped majorly. ”
I nodded. “She signed Silver up for Mate Match without telling him and was just going to leave Silver to deal with the outcome of all of that. She did.”
“Yes, I know. And she’s paid for that,” Duncan said. “I like your mom. A lot. She’s sweet. She’s excited about grandbabies. About your brothers finding mates and starting families.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “No, hear me out.”
“I am,” I told him.
“Yes, but you’ve already decided that things will be a certain way. Without even asking me if I’m okay with it. I’m the one who is pregnant. I’m the one throwing up every few hours. Sometimes several times an hour. This is my baby too.”
“I know that,” I told him. “I never said you didn’t have a say in things, sweetie.”