Page 22 of The Omega's Surprise Baby
“With your sister.”
I nodded. “How's she doing? Have you talked to her?”
My mother exhaled, the worry lines on her forehead increasing. “She'll be okay. She has us.”
That much was true. Sharon and I had always watched out for each other. I was going to help her with anything she needed, and I knew my parents were going to do the same. It was going to be tough for her for a little while, but she would pull through. She always did. Whatever people said about omegas, I knew first hand they were no weaklings. How could they be? They had to put up with everything society threw at them.
“I better go take my place,” I said to my mother. “The ceremony is about to start.”
“Yes, I'll sit with your sister and the children.”
I gave her a smile to convince her that she really didn't have to worry about me and went on my way. As a member of the wedding party, I stood near the altar while my cousin and his groom-to-be exchanged vows. I let my eyes roam the crowd and saw happy faces everywhere. No wonder. Even the people who weren't close to Griff or Dean must be feeling the love in the air. Just the way those two looked at each other...
“I promise to be there for you, no matter what happens. I will always love you and you will always find me by your side,” Dean said, and you could tell he actually meant that. Each and every word. Some people still believed that arranged marriages were best, but I was sure anyone who witnessed this would be convinced otherwise. Griff smiled at Dean, and Dean's face lit up, and you couldn'tarrangea connection like that. Not every omega was perfect for every alpha, but when an omega and an alpha truly fit together? It was magic.
I knew.
I'd had that too.
Don't think about that now.
I bit my lower lip as Dean and Griff exchanged rings. The crowd erupted into cheers when the happy couple kissed. I clapped, shoving all of my darker thoughts aside.
But watching the ceremony wasn't the hardest thing I had to do the day my cousin got hitched.
No, that came after, at the reception. I'd gotten out of giving a toast at the rehearsal dinner, but there was no way I was getting out of it now. I knew that, and I wasn't going to let my cousin down. Not after everything. I had to go up to the stage eventually.
Right now, the small stage was occupied by only one person—Kade. He was playing his guitar and singing, completely focused on his music while people danced. Griff had requested that he play one of his own songs,Forever in My Heart. It was a slow song. Couples danced close together, swaying to the music.Forever in My Heartwasn't my favorite song, but it was a good one. It was a song about eternal love and I could relate to that. Part of me wondered whether Kade could. He certainlysoundedlike it. He'd been performing an hour already, but he didn't seem tired. His voice made the music come to life.
But who was he thinking of when he sang?
I didn't know, but I wanted to. There was so much I wanted to know about the omega on stage. I couldn't have him, of course, but thinking about him kept me from thinking about other things too much. I felt bad for using him like that, even when he wasn't aware, and so I made myself look away.
The next moment, my daughter grabbed my hand. “Dance with me!”
The insistent way she uttered that command made me laugh. “Okay, princess.”
I wish I could say that dancing with my daughter eased the pain in my heart, but it wasn't that simple. I loved both my children more than life itself, but they had a way of reminding me of their Daddy. It was in the way Mary laughed and in the way Conner scowled. Most days, I was able to appreciate the features they'd inherited from Ron, taking solace in the knowledge that my mate lived on in our children, but today was not one of those days.
Today, my heart was an open wound.
I realized that I had to give my toast and then retreat from the festivities. Get it over with before people noticed how fake my smile was.
When the song ended, I approached the stage and stepped up to it before Kade could start playing again. He eyed me curiously as I grabbed the mic from him. “You okay?” he asked, voice low.
“I will be.” Forcing my lips to curl up, I turned to face the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention for one moment, I'd like to give a toast to the happy couple.” All eyes were on me. Well, most eyes. Some just couldn't tear their attention away from their partner even for a second. I couldn't blame them. I'd been like that once upon a time.Focus, Shane.I'd rehearsed my speech. I knew exactly what to say.
“Most of you will know that I am Dean's cousin. He's only a year younger than me and we used to play together a lot, growing up.” The memory actually made my smile turn more genuine. I spoke on. “Only one day, he started ignoring me in favor of this boy he met at school.” That earned me some laughter from the crowd. Everyone knew I was talking about Griff. “From the day they met, Dean couldn't get enough of Griff. He wouldn't shut up about his new friend. Honestly, I wasn't surprised when, years later, he came back to Oceanport and he wasstillobsessed with that omega he met in elementary school once upon a time.”
More chuckles.
“I was a bit worried, really,” I admitted, “because at first Griff didn't seem to be responding to my cousin's advances. But when I look at these two together now, I know all my worries were needless. I know true love when I see it.”I know true love when I have it.“It's definitely the glue binding these two together. Nothing is more beautiful than seeing an alpha and omega who were meant for each other overcome all the obstacles life throws at them to be together.” My voice broke just the tiniest bit because I knew,someobstacles you couldn't overcome. “Love like that is rare and it's precious, and I'm so happy my cousin found it with Griff. I want to wish them all the best for the future. I hope they stay together forever and raise an army of children to reign terror on them and all of us.”
I looked at Dean and Griff who smiled at me from the dance floor. “You betcha!” Griff called out and people laughed. Then he leaned in to kiss his alpha.
I wasn't lying when I said I knew true love when I saw it. That kiss was it. I suppressed a sigh, my arms and my heart feeling so incredibly empty.
Be happy for them.
