Page 8 of Claiming Their Omega

Aiden pulls out his phone to show me. “I take driftwood, old fence posts, a whole gate once. Wood that people can’t use anymore. I carve it up, paint it, seal it, and sell it.”

I look through the photos. “These are really good, Aiden, seriously.”

He grins at me, full of pride. “Thanks.”

“I really had no idea,” I blurt out.

“It’s okay.” Aiden gives me an indulgent smile, like I’m nine years old again and I stole his bike to ride around town with my friends. Aiden was always so patient with me, he never minded stuff like that.

But I’m not a kid anymore. I’m an adult. And this isn’t just a bike for a joyride.

“Food’s ready!” Dad calls.

I moan with delight as I try Dad’s cooking once again. It’s as good as I remember. It really has been too long since I had a proper home-cooked meal.

William checks his phone as everyone digs into their food. He’s always checking his phone. Work in the financial sector never stops, as he always says. I don’t know much about finance, but I’ve picked up on some stuff dating him and I know it really is a lot. Several of his coworkers have heart problems from stress and they’re only in their thirties.

I just wish he’d put it away while we’re technically on vacation. I don’t want him to be one of those guys on heart medication before they’re forty.

My family distracts me from William, and I get caught up on all of the news. It feels like I’ve been away for a lifetime instead of just a few years. I hear about all the local gossip, who got married, who broke up, who had a baby.

Everybody knows everybody in this area, or at least that’s what it feels like, and my grandmother really knows everyone, she’s been here her whole life. So there’s a lot to catch up on. I let myself be reminded of who’s who, and learn about the people who were only kids when I left, or the people who’ve moved in since.

The whole time, William keeps checking his phone. I can feel irritation growing in the pit of my stomach like a pile of hot snakes, but I shove it down.

I just don’t understand why he can’t at least try to listen.

We finish our meal, and I help with the dishes, chatting with Dad. I love my parents both equally, but I also love alone time with just one of them. Whenever I peek out…

What is he doing on that phone? I can’t help but wonder.

Aiden must be thinking the same thing. I can see him glancing at William from time to time, his brows starting to draw together. The last thing I need is my brother getting snippy at my boyfriend. Aiden’s not one to keep his opinions to himself.

Before I can say anything, Mom links her arm with mine. “Why don’t we go on a nice walk? It’s beautiful out and we can show you the new bit of land we got, how the crops are doing.”

It really is lovely outside. It feels good to be out in nature. “I’d love that. I missed this.”

“Can’t get this in your city,” Aiden agrees, teasing me.

“New York has plenty of green,” I point out, even though my words feel hollow. “Central Park is huge. I go there all the time for my lunch break.”

“It’s not the same, though, is it?” Aiden counters. He gestures around me at the wide, blue sky, the rolling hills, the mountains in the distance. “That’s just a pocket of green. The city’s still there all around you, pressing in.”

I can’t deny that he has a point, but I don’t say it out loud. I don’t want to turn this into a real argument. Aiden and I can get good at those. I think all siblings can. I’m sure it’ll be fine but I really want everyone to keep their best foot forward for my boyfriend.

William is stuck on his phone—well, not right now since he has no service out here in the fields—but I don’t want him to use it as a crutch. I think maybe he’s more unsure about how to be around my family than he wants to admit.

The fresh air is lovely, and I let my parents fill me in on everything. We make a wide circle, inspecting briefly all the different areas of the farm before we get back to the house and settle on the porch.

It’s nice, just sitting and chatting. I know it’s probably a bit slow by New York standards, but it’s so nice to not have work thing after work thing to rush to, fire after fire to put out. I love my job and my work but I needed this vacation more than I realized.

William seems even more checked-out, tapping away on his phone surreptitiously. Or, well, he probably thinks it’s surreptitious.

I get it. He doesn’t know any of these people, has no reason to be interested in any of the gossip. But I wish he’d at least pretend.

My family is being polite and not commenting on it or even really looking at him, except when they want to ask him a question. William’s happy to chat about his life, about work, explaining all the finance stuff to Aiden who looks like he’s trying to keep himself from jumping off a bridge. Aiden’s a carpenter, the last thing he cares about is stocks and bonds, and I think if he had to work in a suit every day he’d die.

We chat well into the afternoon, and it’s simple, and easy, but lovely. I like it. In New York we’re always running around to somewhere. I’ve got work, which is demanding, and William has his work, which is demanding, then he has his work functions. Half the time the reason we eat out is that it’s a work meet-up masquerading as a group dinner date.

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