Page 92 of Thorns That Bloom

Yosef babbles at me, studying my face with intent, or as much intent a few-month-old infant can have.

“Hi,” I say softly, putting my finger up toward his puffycheek. He lets me poke it before he grabs it, his entire hand barely wrapping around it.

So small.Sam’s baby will be smaller than this when she’s born. I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle that. She’s definitely going to be even cuter than Yosef is.

“Ghaa!” he yells, startling me.

Kailee and the others burst out laughing.

“Would you look at that? He’s smitten with you.”

“Nothing new there.” The lighthearted comment comes from the back of the group.

They all hum knowingly, almost in unison. I try to ignore my warming cheeks and focus on gently rocking Yosef at the hip. I don’t want Sam to get the idea that I was the kind of person who went around with everyone, even though…Iwaspretty ‘busy’ back then.

I’m grateful when the talk turns toward other topics. We update each other on how things are going—our jobs, big life events since graduating, and all that. Sam stays quiet in the back as the ladies prattle on, so I twist my waist to him with the baby while also trying to pay attention to the conversation.

He meets the baby’s curious gaze, smiling. “Hey, little guy.”

Yosef stretches out his hand to him, and Sam takes it, motioning up and down as if he’s greeting him with a handshake. “You’re a cutie, aren’t you?” he asks and looks up at me, something brewing behind his eyes.

The baby of the woman I didn’t recognize starts fussing. “I think she’s tired. It’s past her nap time.”

“Ah, we should probably go then,” Kailee blurts.

I give Yosef back with a smile. He might be warm and cuddly, but we’ve wasted enough time. “Samehere. Sam’s been on his feet for too long. Need to make sure he gets his rest.”

Kailee holds our gaze, briefly smiling in the flirtatious way she used to when she’d stand in the classroom door, signaling for me to go out with her and make out by the toilets. “Of course. A good alpha takes care of his omega. I always knew you had it in you. Still as sweet, only in a more mature way now.” She puts Yosef in the pram, clicking her tongue at him when he groans in disagreement. “It was nice seeing you, Theo. Sam. Good luck to you two.”

“You too.”

She holds her hand over her small bump. “Thank you.”

We say our goodbyes to the rest and are finally free to continue to the car. “I’m so sorry I made you stand there like that,” I say while I put the shopping in the trunk.

Sam chuckles. “It’s not a big deal. You make it up to me by cooking the food, alright?”

The car journey is quiet. Not awkwardly so, but I can’t help glancing at Sam, trying to detect any doubts or regrets. After a few minutes, he loses his patience with me and speaks.

“You never wanted kids, huh?”

I tap my foot. “Not really. Well, not that I didn’t want to, it just…never appealed to me. I never had that drive or that image for my future.”

“Me neither,” Sam says while watching the road. “And yet you keep talking about baby stuff every time we’re together. Honestly, you seem to care more than me sometimes,” he adds with an amused expression.

“Do I?”

“You do.”

“Well, it’s just—”

“Always telling me how big she is. Asking me if I bought this, that, and the other. Warning me about the safety concerns of various toys and bassinets. Making sure I eat the right things. You’ve probably read more pregnancy and baby books than I have.”

When his eyes land on me, I feel a surge of weird embarrassment. Like when Pop noticed me teasing my first crush and gave me a wink. “I just want to be ready,” I want to say. But the implication of that is way too presumptuous. It makes it seem as if I’m expecting to be around when the baby arrives. As if I’m presuming Sam would allow me. It’s all I want, even knowing he doesn’t owe me that.

“I read a few,” I say softly, suppressing a smile.

Sam seems fine with it. With me beinga lot. With us.