Page 43 of The Omega's Secret Baby
“That's correct.”
“What does that mean?”
I scratched my head. Did he know how babies were made? Should I tell him? Probably not. He was too young for that. And I could just so imagine what Eli would say to me if he heard I'd gone into biology with Jake.
“Do you know?” Jake prompted when I didn't say anything for too long.
“Well,” I started. “I do know. I'm just trying to find the right words. Omegas are... a bit different from alphas, but they're necessary to us.”
“A lot of people say a lot of mean things about omegas.”
“I told you not to listen to people saying stupid things about alphas. You can't listen to people saying stupid things about omegas either. They're not getting it right.”
Jake nodded. “I know. They're mean.”
“Right.” I patted him on the back. “Omegas are...”The best partners you could wish for, and if you're lucky, you'll meet one and fall in love with him... and you won't be as stupid as your dad about it.“They're nurturing and caring. You know, we alphas, we charge head-first into situations, and the omegas are the ones who pick up the pieces when we crash. People who say they're useless don't know what they're talking about. In my opinion, the world needs a lot more omegas.”
“Then we have to protect them,” Jake concluded, determination shining in his eyes. And I couldn't have been prouder.
“Yes, you got it. But... not with your fist, okay? Your daddy is an omega, but he's also your father, and an adult. He can take care of himself. He doesn't want you to get in trouble to protect him. Do you understand?”
Jake folded his arms in front of his chest and tilted his head again. “Maybe.”
“Protecting your family is important,” I told him. “But you have to think about whattheywant too. Your daddy doesn't want you to hit anyone, and you have to respect that.”
Jake huffed, and then he jumped off the bed. “Okay. I'll go apologize.”
He left the room without another look back. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Maybe I could do this parenting thing after all.
18
Matthew
Istayedat Eli’s place until after Jake’s bed time that night. After all, I had some things to discuss with him that we couldn’t talk about while the little one was up.
“You did really well with him today,” Eli said as he came back into the living room after putting our son to bed.
I felt my lips tug up. “Beginner’s luck.”
Eli smiled back at me. “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?” I asked as he sat next to me on the couch, leaving only an inch of space between us. An inchtoo much, in my opinion. Especially when I inhaled and caught his sweet scent in the air. I wondered if that would ever stop driving me crazy—which, by the way, it never did.
“Being here,” Eli said. “Talking to Jake.”
I shrugged. “That’s easy. I care about Jake. He’s a great kid.”
“Of course he is,” Eli said, finally inching closer to rest his head on my shoulder. “He’s ours.”
“He really is. He has your smile.” And what a great feature that was.
Eli chuckled. “And your determination. He reminds me of you a lot. That used to make me feel odd, you know? I mean… I like that he’s got so much from you, but at the same time, it’s always made me miss you. And I felt like I shouldn’t still be missing a guy after so many years, but the truth is… ” He paused to bite his lower lip. Whatever he wanted to say wasn’t easy for him to admit. “The truth is that I never really got over you.”
I put my arm around him and kissed his forehead. “I never really got over you either.”
“I still can’t believe you’re back.”
“I still can’t believe I’m a dad.”
