Chapter 20 - Craig
~November~
Randy was like a spring leaf unfurling before my eyes.
His bud first cracked with the storm of Jessie's arrival, but a hint of green shone before the end of the day.
Then the dinner with his parents—still green and curled for protection.
Finally, Kerry's gender reveal, where he started to seek the light.
It was beautiful. Rather than withdraw and harden his shell, he was allowing himself to grow into our relationship.
My thoughts were interrupted by my phone. I blinked and walked over to where it sat on my kitchen counter.
“Hey, Papa,” I said as I answered and started toward the living room.
“Hey, kiddo,” he replied. “How are you doing?”
I flopped onto the couch. “I’m good. How are you and Dad?”
“We’re good—wondering when you plan to come out for Thanksgiving. That way, we can schedule time off to pick you up.”
“Oh… um…” I fell silent.
“Craig?”
I licked my lips. “Papa?”
“Hmm?”
“I… I might not come.”
He chuckled. “Your dad had a feeling you might say that.”
“Really?”
“He said that your behavior recently reminded him of when he and I were just getting together. It’s your first major holiday with your new omega. And I know you’ve done Friendsgiving with Joey and everybody else before.”
A soft smile crossed my face. “You don’t mind?”
“No,” he said fondly. “You’ve found a man you want to hold onto. It’s not surprising that you don’t want to leave him behind to come visit.”
“I probably won’t come for Christmas either,” I admitted.
He laughed. “I’m not surprised.”
“I don’t want him to be alone.”
“Alone? I thought you said he has a tight family.”
“He does, but his sister-in-law is pregnant, and they’re going to Mexico to celebrate with her family before the baby comes. Randy says he doesn’t want to impose, so he’s going to stay back and do any housesitting that needs to happen while everybody else is away.”
“I guess that makes sense, but I’m glad you’re going to be there for him.”
“Me too.” I smiled. “So how are Mikey and Thomas doing? They’ve been too busy to talk the last few times I’ve tried to call.”
Papa chuckled. “You know how they are. Mikey says that Krista is about to finish her fellowship. They’re hoping to be able to start talking about her having kids once they know if she’s staying at the same hospital, or if they’re going to have to move.”
“Does she want to stay there?”
“Yes and no. Apparently, it’s a good hospital and pays well. But she wants to be closer to her family, too. So it’s going to depend on what kind of offers she gets.”
“Well, I know it’s been a long road for her to become a regular attending physician. Hopefully, she gets what she wants.”
There was a smile in Papa’s voice. “We’re all rooting for her.”
“And Thomas?”
“He’s busy at work lately. But he’s also got a new omega in his life. Neil… I think.”
“You think?”
Papa laughed. “You know how he is. Keep everything quiet for a while.”
I let out a single chuckle. “Yeah, I get it. No reason to loop everyone into his dating life if it might turn into another fling.”
“Exactly. Everything else seems to be good with him, though. Just busy.”
“Well, busy is better than bored.”
“Don’t I know it.”
He seemed on the verge of saying something else, then I heard Dad’s voice in the background.
“Oops,” Papa said. “Your Dad says dinner’s done. I’m going to let you talk to him for a moment before we eat.”
“Ok. Bye.”
“Bye.”
A moment of shuffling, then Dad’s voice. “Hey, son.”
“Hi, Dad. How you doing?”
“I’m good. Your papa says you’re not going to visit for the holidays?”
“Yeah. I kind of want to stick around for Thanksgiving, then Randy’s family will be in Mexico over Christmas, so I don’t want to leave him alone.”
He chuckled. “Good reasons to stay there.”
I smiled. “I thought you’d be ok with it.”
“I am.” I paused. “Did you already close up your greenhouse for the year, or is it still warm enough down there in Valle Granja?”
“It’s mostly closed. I’m keeping a little heater in it overnight for the last of the tomatoes to ripen up. But it’s getting cold enough that I can maybe only do that for another week.”
“Seems like a good long season though.”
“Yeah, I’m satisfied with it.” He paused. “Was there anything in particular you needed to talk to me about?”
I thought about it, then smiled to myself. “Not that I can think of. The most important thing to me right now is keeping Randy, and I think you prepared me well for how to care for my potential mate.”
“I hope I did a good job with that,” he replied. “Just remember to always be there for him, and to do your best to make his life easier, not harder.”
“All the little things add up to more than a handful of grand gestures,” I continued, finishing what he’d told us when we were young.”
“Exactly. Now, speaking of the little things… I’m going to go have dinner with your Papa.”
“Enjoy.”
“We will. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I set the phone aside as my mind started racing. I had no idea what Randy wanted to do for Thanksgiving, but at least my parents were ok with me not visiting. It meant I could be there for however my omega needed me.
∞∞∞
Fire crackled in the woodstove—filling the cabin with its warmth. Russy snored softly from his bed. And Randy was nestled against my side.
The movie we’d put on for the night had just ended, and we were enjoying the quiet that followed.
It was always nice. As I ran my fingers up and down his arm, I thought about how peaceful things were there with my omega.
It was too bad that I had to ask him a stressful question, even if it was necessary.
“Randy?” I murmured.
“Hmm?”
“Aaron—and the rest of the guys—they wanted me to invite you to Friendsgiving.”
He stiffened slightly—which wasn’t unexpected. Despite all his growth, he still struggled with the more public relationship milestones.
“You don’t have to go,” I murmured, leaning in to kiss his hair. His scent had taken on the sharp note that I associated with anxiety. “But I’m hoping you will.”
“Won’t I be in the way?” he asked. “Six people—including you—already seems crowded.”
I chuckled as I nuzzled his hair. “It would be at Aaron’s house. There’s plenty of room.”
“What would I bring?”
“You wouldn’t need to bring anything. Or if you have something you like to bring, then make that.”
“I… um…”
I dragged my lips down to his temple and kissed him again. “You can say no. They all know we’re taking things slow. If you’re not ready, then you’re not ready.”
He took a deep breath, then released it slowly. “I… maybe.”
“Ok.”
“It’s not on Thanksgiving, is it?”
“No. It’s the weekend before.”
He nodded, then squirmed in a way that told me something was on his mind.
“You ok?” I asked.
“Mom and Papa want you to come to Thanksgiving.”
“Are you ready for that?”
He sighed. “You’ve already met everybody…”
I used my arm, where I was still holding him, to pull him tighter. “That wasn’t an answer. Knowing them, and you being ready for me to be at a family function are two different things.”
He relaxed in my embrace, then shifted so he could rest his face against my chest.
“I’m not ready,” he said softly. “But I want you there, too.”
“If you want me there, I’ll come,” I murmured. “If you change your mind, I’ll understand.”
“Ok.”
I ran my hand up and down his back—noticing as the tension left his body.
He was so strong, but I was glad to be able to give him the space where he felt safe to be weak.