Page 46 of The Omega's Secret Baby

“Really?” Matt grinned. “I’m glad to hear that, buddy.”

Jake gave him a smile. “You’re alright.”

“And you need to go back to bed, “I joined the conversation. “Finish up your water.”

“But I don’t have school tomorrow,” Jake tried.

“Oh, because you got yourself suspended.” Matt playfully boxed Jake in the side. “Nothing to be proud of.”

“But I don’t have to sleep early when I don’t have school,” Jake insisted.

“Yeah, well, tonight you do.” I took Jake by the hand and led him toward the stairs.

“Whyyy?”

“Because I’m not rewarding bad behavior. Up you go.”

“Not fair!” But he went up to his room like a good boy, water glass still in hand.

I exhaled once he vanished from sight. That had gone a lot better than I’d feared. Still… I turned to Matt. “We have to tell him.” We couldn’t postpone this any longer. That wasn’t fair to him.

“I know.” Matt ran a hand through his hair. “But how? And when?”

“Tomorrow.”

Matt raised an eyebrow at me.

“We’ve gotta rip that band-aid off,” I insisted. “I would have told him even sooner if I’d known you were going to stick around.”

“Yeah. Okay,” Matt finally agreed. “I just…” His lips tugged up in an uncertain sort of smile that I rarely saw on him. “I’m actually nervous about this.”

I sat with him. “I’m nervous too.” After all, I hadn’t exactly told Jake the truth when he’d asked about his other father before. “Jake never asked many questions, but I basically told him that his other father had left to go on an adventure and he’d never returned.” Not the best lie I’d ever told, but it had been enough to satisfy a three-year old.

“An adventure, huh?” Matt scoffed. “I’m not sure running a hotel counts as an adventure. Nowroom serviceon the other hand, that can be adventurous.”

I exhaled. “Jake sees his other dad as some kind of hero. I’m sorry about that. It’s my fault. I could have stopped it, but, you know… I figured since he was stuck with me for a parent, he deserved to have one father who wasn’t a social outcast, even if that father was totally made up.”

“I’m sure Jake doesn’t mind having you as a parent, and I’m sure he’s smart enough to see he’s lucky to have you.”

I leaned against Matt. “You really think so?”

“Of course I do.” He kissed the side of my head. “I just hope Jake’s not too disappointed when he finds out his other dad isn’t a hero.”

“Yeah, me too, but, you know… a regular dad who’ll be here for him is better than any absent hero.”

Matt’s smile seemed a little more confident now. “I hope you’re right about that.”

Yeah, me too.

20

Matthew

The next day, we took Jake to the zoo in the neighboring city. Eli had suggested we have some sort of family day together before we talk to the kid in the evening, and I wasn’t opposed. I’d always liked to go to the zoo as a child, and Jake seemed to be enjoying himself too. He’d asked for a hat that looked like a lion, and he wore it proudly while pressing his nose to the terrariums with the snakes.

“These are so cool!” he said, voice filled with awe. Kid seemed to have a thing for reptiles.

Eli took my hand and pressed it. “Thanks for taking us here.”