Page 19 of True Calling
“If we knew what he said we might be able to help figure things out.” Chance stated, dipping a spoon in the cheese mixture and moaning in pleasure. “Oh shit, Linus, you are going to love this.”
Linus shrugged and went to him. “Come on, let’s sit at the table and see if we can help Berk.”
Linus hesitated a moment and then took a seat next to Nolan. Berk did his best to look nonthreatening as he laid the other pasta sheet over the one with the dollops of cheese mixture and took out his cutter to make the ravioli.
“It’s the pregnancy thing isn’t it?” Chance asked knowingly.
Berk could only nod as he pressed the cutter down on one dough section after another, and then used his pastry roller to make sure the edges were sealed properly. Cleaning his work area, Berk went to another large bowl and took the pasta dough he needed, to repeat what he had just been doing.
“You know, I always envied Garth for his ability to procreate. I never thought of it as something that could cause a rift between him and his fated mate.” Chance softly said, sitting at the counter watching as Berk worked.
“It isn’t a rift, it’s just... it’s really hard for me to wrap my head around. I may be gay, but I’m still a man. Men don’t have babies.” Berk insisted.
Nodding, Chance filled Berk’s pastry bag with more of the cheese mixture, “In your world men don’t have babies. In ours, it isn’t all that unusual. There are many paranormals that can sire a child, actually.”
“Seriously?” Berk asked in astonishment.
“Oh yeah.” Micah said, walking up behind his mate and wrapping his arms around him.
Berk watched as Chance tilted his head to the side, showing his mating mark, and then Micah leaned in and kissed it, Chance smiling and saying, “There are mermen, Fae, dragons, some shifters... normally reptilian. The list is longer, but you get the picture.”
“How do humans not know this? I mean, I think that with all the technical shit out there today, someone would have noticed a pregnant man.” Berk said with a shake of his head.
Bo replied, “Well, mermen mostly live deep in the ocean, so it isn’t like they can be seen walking around, and the Fae usually stick to their own realm, or live deep in the forests where humans don’t go, and well, the others...”
“Stay home when they start to show. It sucks, but pregnancy doesn’t last long for them once that happens, so it doesn’t cause them to be missed by their human friends... if they have any.” Trevor quickly added.
“What do you mean it doesn’t last long? How long is a paranormal pregnancy?” Berk asked.
Chance answered, “That depends on the species, but in a dragon pregnancy it is a six-month process. The first month you get a tiny baby bump and it grows slowly.”
“That means it can be hidden by a larger shirt than usual.” Nolan chimed in.
“Then around the fifth month it’s like a balloon being blown up in seconds. You go to sleep with a small swelling tummy and wake with a huge medicine ball. No other species do that. Dragons have the most unique pregnancy of all paranormals.” Chance said.
Berk blinked up at Chance, then asked, “Why does it happen that way for a dragon and not the others?”
Chance thought a moment, “I don’t really know for sure, but my thought is, there aren’t that many dragon shifters in existence. I think it happens that way simply to keep the baby safe until birth. Like we said, it’s easier to hide for almost the entire pregnancy. It’s just that last few weeks that you can’t deny what’s happening.”
“Is the thought of having a child with Garth that abhorrent to you?” Linus quietly asked, sounding upset, then added, “I would give anything to be able to give Nolan a child.”
Nolan placed a gentle hand on Linus’s thigh, “Hey, it’s alright. As long as I have you, I am more than happy.”
Linus pursed his lips, saying, “I know that and I’m more than happy with you. It’s just that Berk could be blessed with a life that shows him every day what he and Garth have when joined, and he acts as if it’s a curse. To know that he doesn’t want that, and I would give anything for it... hurts.”
Berk wiped his hands off and walked to Linus. He stopped when he saw the man stiffen and damn near bury himself into his mate’s body. “Linus, I don’t know what I’ve done that has you so afraid of me, but I want to tell you I would never, ever hurt you. As for the pregnancy, it isn’t so much that I wouldn’t want a child with Garth... Hell, I’ve dreamed of a family most of my life. It’s just I never thought I could have one and knowing I can... it’s scary.”
Linus looked confused. “I understand that delivering a child can be painful, but...”
“It isn’t the delivery... okay, that’s not a hundred percent true. It still freaks me out that I would be the one that would carry the baby and not have to use a surrogate or adopt.” Berk stated, then licked his lips.
“Then what? I don’t understand.” Linus whispered.
“I was eight years old when my parents were killed in a car accident and my life was turned upside down. I was shuffled around to seven different foster homes in a three-year period. I would lie at night in bed and pray for a family... my family. I wanted brothers and sisters, a mom and dad... but that was never going to happen... until it did. Well, kind of. Marla and Nort brought me into their home and I found my true calling in life. However, they had never had any kids of their own and that meant no siblings, but with them I was okay with that. I had two people I knew really cared about me and what happened to me. I know they look on me being as much their son as I look on them as the mom and dad I wished for, for all those years.” Berk rushed to explain.
“I still don’t understand. You said yourself you wanted a family. Now you have a chance to have one. So, what’s the problem?” Linus asked in confusion.
Berk tossed his hands in the air, loudly saying, “Because I wouldn’t know what to do with a child!”
Linus shrank back and Berk felt like an ass. “I’m so sorry, Linus. I didn’t mean to yell, and I seriously didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just that the thought of having a baby... a tiny bundle that would be one hundred percent reliant on me for everything... it... it... terrifies me. What if I suck at being a dad? What if I do something and harm the baby? I don’t know how to change a diaper. I don’t know what to do if the baby cries... I’ve never even fucking held a baby, let alone raised one, and I’ve never been around someone that has.”
“But, you’re not going to be alone in this, Berk. You’ll have all of us to help.” Linus quietly said.
“And you’ll have me.”
Berk turned to see that Garth was standing at the kitchen, and from the looks of things, he had been standing there for quite some time.
Well,shit.