Page 18 of Watcher's Omega

“Okay! I’ll bring the babies to you every few hours then. We don’t have to do formula and milk pumps can be scary!” I said, taking his hand in mine. “I don’t mind the travel time.”

“I thought you’d say no,” he said, through his tears.

“Was I supposed to? I don’t think it works like that. Do you want to stay home with the kids?” I asked.

“I.. I had a whole speech prepared. You were going to say no because your job was more important and probably paid more and…”

“Do you still want to give the speech? I’ll listen to it. I know I say I’m the best door watcher a lot but it’s not because I’m boasting. It’s the statistics the hospital collected. The least number of people die after their doors show up when I’m the door watcher. It doesn’t make me more important than anyone. I’m always trying to give the new guys tips because the important part is saving people. When it comes to our family the important part is everyone is happy with how things end up. I’m not more important than you, Eamon. I’d di---”

“Don’t say that!” he put his hand over my mouth. “No dying allowed. Most of my and Glenn’s friends ended up working less after they had babies.”

“You can if you want to,” I said against his palm.

“He thought we’d be an asshole,”my wolf chimed into my thoughts.

“Oh,” I blinked at him. “You really thought I’d tell you that I was more important? That’s strange. It’s strange that anyone would consider their happiness vastly more important than their mate’s. Only,FF while I enjoy my job, I don’t need to do it allthe time to be happy and other watchers have brought their newborns with them to work. Most of the time you don’t actually leave the gallery. What I did with Glenn broke every protocol we have as door watchers. I think they’re glad I put myself on leave. The hospital can say they did it, if they need to. Eamon, I don’t really care what they think. I know your job is important to you. You like sewing and crafting and making people stand there for hours while you do alterations. Maybe they’ll let you do some of it at home if you want to. I know I’m just talking it in circles now but…” I took a deep breath. “Am I an asshole? Like am going around being an asshole and I don’t know it?”

“No,” Eamon shook his head and scooted closer to me. “You are not an asshole. I just thought… I needed to know. I needed to say I was still going to work after parental leave.”

“Okay. I’ll do whatever you need to make that happen.”

“Do you think it’s bad I want to work instead of spending time with the babies?” he asked.

“Mate, it’s not an either-or thing. That’s like saying wild wolves are bad for hunting instead of cuddling their pups. Full bellies are important but so are happy parents. Both of my parents worked while I was growing up. Both still do for the most part. I loved how into their jobs they were. We loved to hear about what they did at work. Do you know how much little kids love fabric and dressing up? Our triplets are going to be in paradise! Hey! We should make one of the spare rooms into a sewing room for you!”

“You don’t have to do that,” he sniffled.

“No, but I want to. I should’ve done it already,” I said, feeling like an idiot. “Seriously, I’ll get things moved around for you.”I kissed his forehead. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

“We’ll see if you say that when it’s two in the morning and I’m tired and feeding two babies and one poops himself and you have to change it.”

“Uh… Care tasks are important. They’ll be babies. They can’t do it themselves. Changing our baby won’t be to make you happy. It’ll be what I do because the baby needs taken care of and we’re supposed to tag each other in and out.”

“I want to go to one of those labor classes,” he said as if it was the next thing in his prepared speech.

“Cool! You know, I almost brought that up the other day but thought it might come across as I thought you didn’t know how to have puppies,” I said. “Thought it would be alpha-izing stuff.”

“You literally aren’t going to fight on anything I say?”

“Uh…. Maybe one day but you do know you’re being a reasonable person, right? You’re pregnant and you want to still have a life when you have kids. You want to be ready to deliver three puppies into the world. You haven’t asked me to bring you Clarence Moonscale’s hide. You just want normal things. Who told you those were bad?”

Eamon leaned back against the pillows and thought about it for a bit.

“No one but I watched my parents fight about most of those things. The work thing especially. That’s the reason I was an only child. My carrier always said my sire was useless until I was six and there was this whole thing about how he wouldn’tgo to labor class because he wasn’t the one pushing the baby out and….”

“I’ll go to whatever class you want,” I said. “I’m not your sire. I’m your mate. I plan to spend a lot of time with our pups. So, yeah, I’ll change diapers and be in charge while you’re at work because that’s what mates do.”

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry now,” he said, still teary eyed.

“Head or ice cream?” I asked him.

“Huh?”

“Those things cheer you up. Do you want head or ice cream?”

“Both,” he said, blushing.

“Let me grab the ice cream. Just promise not to choke on it,” I said, sliding out of the bed.