Page 56 of The Surrogate Omega, Part Two

“I’m here, Evander. I’m not going anywhere.”

Evander is crying again but this time, I don’t think it’s from sadness. “I love you, Lake. One day, I’d like to marry both you and Logan.”

I scrunch my nose. “I don’t think we can, Evander.”

He waves his hand dismissively. “Not legally, no. But I want a ceremony, even if it’s not official. I want to declare my love to you and Logan in front of our friends and family, so they know how much we mean to each other. I want them to know that our love can be as real and as meaningful, even if there’s three of us rather than a traditional monogamous relationship. I want to see you and Logan all dressed up in suits, and Miri in a little dress, and have our dads walk us down the aisle, as untraditional as that may be. I want it all with you, Lake. With you and Logan. And I don’t give a fuck about what the government says.”

I see it all now, so clearly. Everything Evander wants. I never thought I’d care much about the pomp and circumstance of a wedding, but hearing Evander, I share in his dream. Mostly for him, but it sounds perfect, and I want nothing more than to share that with him and Logan one day.

“I’d really like that, too. After I have the baby, though. I’d like to fit into my suit properly.”

Evander’s laugh is watery as he takes my hand again. “Ok, that’s fair. We’ll wait till after the baby. Then he can be our little infant ring bearer.”

That makes me smile as we finally make our way out of the hospital. When we reach the lobby, we can either go right to the cafeteria or left to leave. With a little shake of our heads and a smile, we turn left towards the doors, an unspoken agreement that we’re not going to eat hospital food.

Once we’re in the fresh air, I broach the subject Evander brought up earlier. “About what you said at the hotel—” I start.

Evander looks away and shrugs. “I shouldn’t have mentioned that. I know it’s probably too much.”

“I think we should talk to Logan about it. I don’t know anything about the process, or the likelihood of them allowing us to take him, but I’m willing to look into it.”

Evander stops in his tracks and looks at me. “Really? You know it’s not going to be easy, right. Not only will he be part of an active investigation, but he’s going to need a lot of help, Lake. Both medically and mentally.”

I tilt my head in agreement. “I know. But I think we can handle it. We have a huge support system and the resources we need to make sure he’ll get the best help he can get. I have a good recommendation for a child therapist. She helped River and me a lot when Mom first got away from Seth. I looked her up recently, and she still has a practice.”

“Fuck, Lake. I said that on a whim, but I can see it now. Almost as much as our wedding.” He pauses. “Isn’t that a conflict of interest for you, though, once you’re back at work?”

“Yes, it will be. I’ll be reassigned. But that’s fine. Honestly, I expected a reassignment anyway. After this, I doubt they want me anywhere near this mission.”

Evander snorts. “Probably not.”

“Alright. Let’s get food. We can discuss this in more detail and then we’ll ask Logan. If he agrees, we’ll find out what the next steps are. And see if Rory would even want to go with us.”

I don’t feel like he has any better options, but I don’t say that. He’s had too many choices taken from him recently, so I know Evander makes a good point. Even if Logan agrees and we can figure out the legalities of it, if Rory says he’d rather not live with us, I’ll never force the issue, and I know my men won’t either.

Despite all the battles we have ahead of us, I’m feeling optimistic for the first time in a while. The weight of the world and this mission aren’t sitting on my shoulders. I have a chance to move forward with my family, no matter what we look like. I can focus on the end of my pregnancy and my mates.Whatever happens, I know we will face it together.

TWENTY-NINE

Logan

Two Months Later

“Remember, Ro, it’s ok if it gets to be too much. Just come get one of us and we’ll leave, ok? No questions asked.”

Rory McNally, now going as Roman Cirillo, rolls his eyes at me, his good arm crossed over his chest. Still, I can see the relief in his eyes. “I know, Logan. You reminded me three times already.”

Most parents or parent figures probably wouldn’t be happy with the sarcastic tone, but honestly, I’m thrilled he’s even talking now. We weren’t sure if he’d ever take that step for a while.

I shrug unapologetically. Apparently, I’m a worrier and a hoverer. Who would’ve guessed? “And I’ll remind you another fifty times if I must. We all want to celebrate Miri’s first birthday, but she won’t remember any of this anyway. Your comfort is more important.”

Ro seems to relent some of his challenge at that. I get it. He’s only been with us for three weeks, and he’s still trying to get a handle on everything. It will be a long time before he’s ok, if he’s ever completely there. His therapist made sure all three of us knew we’d have to be patient and let him handle things at his own pace. The biggest thing we can do for Ro is to let him know we’re here for him, and that’s what I’m going to do.

Evander walks past us on the path to River and Cooper’s home, holding a large, wrapped present. “Let Logan fuss a bit, Ro, it makes him feel better.”

Ro snorts but nods at Ev. “Yeah, ok.”

Evander touches his back lightly, carefully, and to my great relief, Ro doesn’t tense. He’s getting a little more comfortable with casual touch, especially from Evander, over the last few weeks, as long as he’s not taken by surprise. Lake’s not as touchy-feely, but I did catch them hugging the other day. He’s been a little more hesitant with me, and I try hard not to let it bother me. I know it’s because I’m huge and my build and coloring are similar to one of his captors. We had a very long and emotional session with his therapist where Ro broke down and explained that even though he trusts me and knows I’m one of the good guys, sometimes his brain forgets and thinks I’m the other guy. It will take time, and until then, I leave anything needing physical contact to my mates.

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