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SIXTY-FIVE
Zalen
AS THE WEEKS SINCELuca and Emiel had mated passed, things seemed to be going well, at least for the most part. At the same time, I felt constantly exhausted and overwhelmed—as though I was letting important things slide, so I could keep on top of all theotherimportant things.
The problem was, the things I was letting slide mostly centered around Mia. And that wasn’t acceptable, even if she inevitably chided me whenever I tried to apologize for not making her more of a priority.
“Zalen.” She put her hands on her hips and sighed gustily. “Tony finally got his emancipated minor status approved yesterday, you’re trying to launch an accredited culinary school more or less singlehanded, and I’m pretty sure you haven’t slept for more than four or five hours at a stretch inliterally the entire time I’ve known you. Please juststop.”
I stopped and made myself take a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
“Sorry,” I said.
She raised her eyebrows. “So now you’re apologizing for apologizing?”
Reluctantly, I gave into the humor of the situation with a short, self-deprecating laugh. “Right, good point. As long as youknow that I’m aware we haven’t talked as much as we should about your and Luca’s upcoming heat.”
She softened a bit. “You mean our upcomingmating. Heats are just biology.” A quirk of a smile lifted one corner of her lips. “Speaking of which, at least neither of us have to go chasing after blocker pills this time around. We’ll only need to score a couple of birth control shots. Which thankfully aren’t illegal.Yet.”
Her expression darkened, but only for a moment.
“Onebirth control shot,” I corrected absently.
“What?” Mia’s brows drew together.
Oh. Apparently, she hadn’t spoken to Luca yet today.
“We just need one shot,” I repeated. “I guess Luca and Emiel have been talking to their therapist. Luca doesn’t want to use birth control.”
Her face went through a complicated series of expressions before settling on something like glee.
“Wait. Luca wantspups?” she said. “Oh my god, Iknewit! He’s a secret house-husband wannabe!” Wonder dawned in her eyes. “I have to talk to him! Maybe—”
She cut herself off with a sharp shake of the head.
“Maybe what?” I asked, taken by surprise at her excitement over the news.
She chewed on her lower lip, uncertainty creeping into her expression.
“It’s just...” she began. “Well, I mean... I never really felt like children were an option, as long as Nat and I were both working in high-pressure careers with crazy hours. I mean, I know some people do it and manage to make it work, but...”
With a jolt, I followed the half-seen roadmap of her thoughts. “You didn’t thinkyoucould make it work.” My heartbeat pounded against my ribs beneath the force of a sudden adrenaline surge. “You’re saying you want pups as well?”
Mia looked a bit shellshocked. “I always thought, maybesomeday. But... if Luca wants them...”