Page 25 of Fierce Claim

Tears spring in my eyes. I need quiet and calm and soft and warm. I need a place where I can ride out these emotions until they’re back to normal.

Times like these are when I realise how being autistic influences everything I do. How I can deal with a lot of things, until it’s too much and then everything breaks down, putting me out of order for days, if not longer.

And I’ve reached the ‘too much’ moment.

“I think it’s a good idea if you and Vera go back to the car. I’ll pack up a few more things and I’ll join you soon. Is that okay?” Jorge’s voice is soft, careful, and I nod.

Yeah, that’s probably the best idea.

Because I have no idea what’s going to happen if I stay out here any longer…

12

Jorge

The nest is warm and quiet. Riley is curled up with Vera and Mathew while Caleb and I stay to the side. Riley didn’t want us too close, but she still wanted us in the nest area, to have the whole pack together. A pretty significant change from only a few hours ago, when she growled at me and sent me away.

I’ve seen her overwhelmed like this before, but not very often. I think the last time was a year or two ago, when I was in town after she’d just returned from a mission that hadn’t gone according to plan and she’d locked herself in her apartment’s nest room.

Back then, she wanted me near her, for me to stay in her apartment, even if she couldn’t see me. Knowing I was nearby seemed to calm her down, so I slept on her couch for a night instead of the hotel I’d booked. The next morning, she’d gone back to her normal self.

I guess that nest rooms make good low-sensory rooms for people who deal with sensory overload or just need a quiet place from time to time.

We’ve also been spending a lot of time together in the nest, even before Riley joined us, but we can’t keep sleeping in here every night. It’s not practical, and also might defeat the purpose of having a nest room where our Omegas can retreat to when they need it. If this becomes our ‘normal’ bedroom, we’ll have to have a different nest room…

Also, we’re going to have to expand our closet and storage space soon. Mathew still has his walk-in dressing room, but Vera and Caleb are living out of boxes and I’m living out of two suitcases and whatever Mathew still had lying around here. That’s not practical and not something long-term.

And we need to make a proper nest, this is fine for now, but I don’t think that Vera and Mathew would want to spend too much time in a stuffy room like this when they’re at the end of their pregnancies. Pregnant Omegas apparently start nesting really badly, both in the baby room and in their own nest, and they’re going to need a better place for that.

There are plenty of rooms on this floor for all of that, but the question is how we’re going to do it. What would make the most sense. I don’t think we’ll want to break through too many walls, that’s going to be loud and I have no idea how good it would be for Vera and Mathew’s health… We probably could, but the question is if we should do it…

“What’s on your mind?” Mathew laughs, touching my leg, his fingers warm as he looks up at me lazily.

“I’m thinking that you still need a proper nest, and that we’ll have do decide where the baby room will go, and that we’re going to need a better way to store everyone’s clothes, and that if Riley would like her own room, we’ll also have to set that up.” I count them off on my fingers. I think that about sums it up.

“And we’ll need a bigger pack bed.” Vera sits up, smiling. “The nest is the only place where we all fit together right now.”

“I’m sure you’ve already got one in mind, right?” Mathew pokes Vera’s side and she bursts out laughing. “One of the ones we saw while we were looking for nest materials?”

She nods, grinning. “It comes in the same design as your current bed, but I saw that it came in a size that would fit a pack of eight.”

“Eight?” I stare at her. “Isn’t that a bit big?”

“I’d like to be prepared. And better to buy big now than having to buy a new one in a year or two.”

“I don’t know if I’d be able to handle a pack with eight people.” Riley groans, using the opportunity to curl around Vera more and putting her head in her lap.

“I didn’t mean that we’d have that many people. Just that having a bigger bed is better. That way, everyone can sleep together without having to be all squished up against each other. And we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone rolling off.” Vera plays her fingers through Riley’s hair, which seems to relax both of them.

“And how are we going to fit that into the bedroom? It’s full enough with the bed we have right now. I don’t know if we’ve got space for something bigger.” Mathew looks confused.

“We’ll just have to move a few things around.” Vera doesn’t seem at all worried about it, which makes me smile.

She doesn’t see problems, just possibilities and opportunities. It’s admirable how positive she sees things.

Though, I know that underneath it all, she thinks everything through many times and her positivity is built on experiences and trust. She’s not just positive because that’s how she wants to see things, but she’s able to be positive because she knows that things will work out, because she’s surrounded by people who will make it happen.

“The nest can’t be too big. But in a house this size, you’ve got plenty of options to make a dedicated nest room.” Caleb’s voice is low as he looks at Vera. “The nest doesn’t need to be the back corner of some closet. You’ve got lots of options now.” He laughs.

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