Epilogue
Bowen
I was nursing Cara when Remi came in one cold night in late November. He hung up his jacket and scarf and left his boots by the door. The nursery was always open, although this time of year, his work was more about getting ready for the following spring, and it was slow-paced.
My timing in having the baby couldn’t have been better, or so my boss said.
She called it genius that I’d chosen to be on paternity leave just when the tourist season was ending and before we had too much to do in the native plant nursery for spring.
The difference between my former ranger station and this one never failed to amaze me.
We’d been the victim of bad management, and Sylvia, my state lead, showed me just how great the right management could be.
I hadn’t been sure about going back, not because I didn’t love the work but because I worried about sending our little one to a day care full of germs. Shifters had better resistance than human children but more vulnerable than adult shifters.
And I didn’t love the idea of little Cara spending more time with strangers than family.
“Omega, you look so lost in thought,” he said, coming to sit next to me. “Are you having a deep conversation with Daddy, Miss Cara?” He tickled her chin, rewarded with a sleepy, milky grin. “That’s Papa’s girl.”
“Actually I need to talk to you about something. I think I’m going to take a year off and just stay home.”
“Really? All right if that’s what you want, I’m all for it. Want to tell me why, though, because I was under the impression you were getting excited about going back next week.”
“Mainly it’s the daycare thing.” I shifted Cara onto my shoulder to burp her. “I think she’s too little for it.”
“Agreed.” He reached for the baby and took over rubbing her back. “But I have an idea I think might work. But before I present it to you, if you want to stay home, I’m behind you, right?”
I nodded.
“I think Cara would do well at the nursery during the day. We could set up a cozy corner for her, and I think I’m getting pretty good at the baby-wearing thing. Noel is excited to try it too. I know it’s not as easy for you working for someone else to do this.”
“Impossible for me,” I put in.
“Right. But what’s the point of having a family business if you can’t have your family there when you want?”
“Could you do that? Really do it?”
“Oh, I think so. If…you like the idea.”
“I love it. More than love it. Our daughter would be with family all day, and I could continue working on the native plant restoration project so as she gets older, she’ll have a beautiful natural environment to enjoy. You’re sure?”
“More than sure, omega. You’ve already done a lot of hard work, carrying her and giving birth. And feeding her. Let me take some responsibility for once.”
As if he didn’t! He got up in the night and brought our crying baby to me to feed, changed her diaper and soothed her back to sleep.
Worked all day then came home and cooked dinner, insisting that he loved cooking but also to make me rest for a while.
Drove us everywhere and took every chore off me he could.
There was no better, more loving alpha and papa.
“Okay, we can try, but you have to promise if it gets to be too much, you’ll tell me.”
Deal. He gave Cara a little squeeze. “We’re going to have so much fun. I can’t wait.”
Watching them together, our daughter looking at her papa with adoration that the panther alpha returned, I couldn’t believe I had gotten so lucky. Again. Still.