Page 31 of Lucky Dance Date
“Really?”
Sean walked over and hugged me. “This is probably one of the hardest things in the world to do. Did you really think we’d make you face it alone?”
I started crying. So many people just wanted to see me happy—the same people whom my parents would have tried to alienate me from.
Everybody crowded around and wrapped their arms around me in a giant hug.
They were my family now. A family I’d chosen for myself—the family I deserved.
∞∞∞
“Wes, mijo, welcome to the family!” José’s grandmother said as she wrapped me in her arms.
I blushed. “Thank you…” I turned to José, realizing he’d just introduced his grandmother as Abuela, not with a proper name. “Um…”
“Call me Abuela!” she laughed. “You’re family.”
“Ok,” I replied.
“Do you know how to make tortillas?” she asked, turning so her hand was on my back.
I blinked and shook my head. “No.”
“Ah, we’ll find something for you to do. But not today. Why don’t you go sit with Miguel so that everybody can meet you.”
“Miguel?” I asked, turning to José.
He chuckled. “Come on.”
He led me into a living room, where an omega about our age was sitting with a newborn.
“Miguel,” José started, “meet my mate, Wes. Wes, this is my cousin Miguel and his daughter Angelique.”
I leaned in and cooed at her cherubic face. “She’s adorable. How old?”
Miguel beamed at me. “Six weeks. She was born a few days before Valentine’s Day.”
“Congrats.”
“Thank you,” he replied, then his eyes dropped to my flat stomach. “José said mate, are you…?”
I laughed and took a seat next to him. “It’s too soon to know, but I hope so.”
“It’s not often that a mating bite doesn’t result in pregnancy, so you probably are.”
I nodded. “I guess I’ll have to start thinking about all that baby stuff.”
He chuckled, then turned to José. “Go on. No need to hover. Go help Abuelo, Papa and Tio Jorge outside.”
“Will you be ok?” José asked, leaning in to kiss my temple.
“He’ll be fine,” Miguel replied. “I’m gonna hand over this baby, and you know the rule. Once the baby leaves my arms everybody flocks to get a turn. I’ll make sure he’s introduced to everybody.”
I smiled. “Go. I’ll be ok.”
“I’ll either be out back or in the kitchen if you need me.”
“Ok.”
