“Just think about it.” Marge poked the paper into my chest as if that alone would get me to not only take it but also to sign the damn thing.

Marge had just pled the case for me to take a position I’d seen and not applied for. Not that it wasn’t an amazing opportunity for someone, but that someone wasn’t me. I had a job, and even if I didn’t, I had little faith that I had enough of the skills needed to be successful in such an important role.

How I went from not applying to being offered the job I was fairly confident had everything to do with Marge.

“I’m a professor, not a counselor,” I argued. And it was true. I had maybe one undergraduate counseling course under my belt, and I wasn’t sure it would be considered as such since it was technically a history class.

“We didn’t ask you to be a counselor. Didn’t you hear a word I said?” Marge squared her shoulders and gave me her infamous look, the one that meant she was walking away victorious if it killed her. Gotta love Marge.

“I heard every last one and what you are offering is teaching, sure, but teaching in a capacity that would amount to counseling, and that’s not my training.” I knew this firsthand from the seminars I’d been doing. The omegas looked to me as more than just a teacher. I suspected strongly that a good chunk of the reason why had more to do with me being an omega than the work I did, but the result was the same. They wanted someone to listen and advise, and those were things I was wholly unqualified to do.

“If needed, we have plenty of counselors on staff as well as a few who volunteer regularly.” She held the paper out again, and I grabbed it, seeing that it was no longer optional. Not that it ever was. “What we need is your expertise.”

Expertise was an overstatement. I was well-versed in the area of omega studies, and what they had wanted me to do included that but added on life skills and a sprinkle of career counseling. Not to mention letting the omegas I taught bend my ear and ask for advice as needed. Yes, I was educated but nowhere near an expert.

“I’m committed to teaching at the university until the end of the year.” Which, on some levels, was good. It meant I would be there an entire semester after the incident, showing omegas they can hold their heads high no matter what. So many omegas had been taught to hide any abuse they might face, and if they couldn’t handle it—walk away. That made for a weaker society, and if I could garner some good from the situation, I was all for it.

On other levels, however, it was awful. All I wanted to do was go home and grow my beautiful child without the stress of full-time work. Even without Coop’s new job, I had enough saved to make that possible. I also wanted to get away from the provost, whom I would need to deal with sooner rather than later. He had asked me to put aside my morals because of my standing in society.

“And after what happened, no one would blame you for leaving early.”

Except I would. Leaving because I was a victim made me one all over again. “Nor would they learn how important it is to not run away from the bad just because it is easier.” Because in the end, I was there for the students—alpha, beta, and omega alike. There was a lesson in this for all of them, and if only one learned said lesson, that made it worth it.

“You and your principles,” she scoffed, taking a seat and pointing to the one next to her in invitation.

“Are why you love me.” I finished her sentence for her.

“True enough.” She leaned back into her seat, closing her eyes briefly before conceding. “The offer is open. If you want to start in the summer, you can.”

“That’s not the only reason it might not be the best idea.” Coop and I hadn’t discussed who we would and wouldn’t tell about the baby and when. I assumed family dinner, hopefully this time including his brother, would be the time we told his family. Other than that, for all I knew, he wanted to wait until the first trimester ended. But it felt like a need-to-know topic, so I was ready to tell Marge.

“You mean because of the baby?” She turned in her chair slightly to give me a warm smile. Of course she knew.

“Coop told you?” I was fairly sure he hadn’t, but if he had, I had no issue with it.

“Not with his words, but he kept looking at your belly and smiling.”

He so very much did that. It gave me such a warm squishy feeling each and every time he did it, too. Like we were the most precious things to him.

“He’s a little excited, huh?” She tapped her nose, her way of saying she was being nosey but didn’t give a flying fuck so move on to the telling of all things.

“More than. He’s over the moon. He still regrets missing out on things when I was pregnant with Sylvia.” As did I, but there was nothing either of us could do about that now, or back then for that matter. It was what it was, and all we could do was focus on going forward.

“That was neither of your faults.” Her hand settled on my shoulder to give me comfort.

“True enough.” I patted her hand. “That doesn’t make it easier.”

“No, I imagine not.” She glanced at the clock before standing up and grabbing a file off her desk. “You have a keeper.”

Yes. Yes, he was. Coop was far more than a keeper.

“This I know.” I didn’t need to elaborate by telling Marge all the things that made him special. She could tell from the way he looked at me and the way I looked at him. I was a lucky, lucky man. I could only pray that my luck would continue.

“You look worried.” Darn Marge and all her insightfulness and compassion. No hiding anything from her.

“It’s just this baby was supposed to not even really be possible, and then to think of what might have happened before I even knew—”

Marge just shook her head at me with her best what am I going to do with you look on her face.

“You know me. I worry.” And when I was pregnant, that worry grew exponentially.

“Yes. That is an accurate description, but in this case, there is no need to. You had a healthy pregnancy less than a year ago. Your body is ready for this.” She spoke with such confidence it was hard not to believe her even if her opinion was based on nothing close to medically sound conjecture.

“As I recall, the first time you met Sylvia, I was being rolled out of recovery after an emergency C-section.”

My labor had been hell. Over twenty-four hours and without an epidural, thanks to an inept anesthesiologist who couldn’t get it in three tries and was asked less than politely by my doula to get the fuck out of the room if they wanted to live another day. When the doctor decided Sylvia needed to get out faster than was happening, a new—much better—anesthesiologist was on, getting my spinal done on the first try. Not that it made up for the full day of agony, but it was better than general anesthesia in that I was able to hear my baby girl’s first cry.

“Which resulted in a perfect baby.” Marge glanced at the clock again. I was keeping her from something. ”And this time, it won’t be an emergency, right?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even have my own doctor yet. The only reason I even know is because the ER did a test. I’m okay going straight for the C-section this time, though. Labor before cesarean is no picnic.” From all I had read online, repeat C-sections were the norm. But according to internet resources, I’d just had a stomach bug a while back and that turned out wrong, so...

“I imagine not. Listen, I have to go.”

I gave her a nod as I stood up, grabbing my satchel.

“Promise you will discuss this with Coop. We can work around babies, current jobs, and even lack of counseling degrees.” She rolled her eyes at the last part. Gotta love Marge.

“Har. Har. I promise to talk to Coop.” I made my way to the closed door. “When do you need to know?”

“Preferably, sooner rather than later. It’s a grant-funded position, so we need to update the grant source and all that jazz.” The phone on her desk began to ring, but instead of answering it like a normal person, Marge picked it up and snapped at it instead. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Night, Marge. And thanks. I appreciate all you’ve done for me.” I gave her a quick hug before reaching for the door knob.

“Because I am amazing.” She bowed before placing her hand over mine. “But seriously, this is being offered to you because of all the omegas asking for more time with you. You make a difference in their lives even in one seminar a week. Imagine what you could do working full or even part time here on a regular basis. Talk to you soon.” She let go of my hand so I could open the door and head out to the hallway. I was halfway down the hall before she called to me, “Maybe we can do lunch.”

I gave her a thumbs-up and headed to my car. Coop and Sylvia were waiting for me, and I could think of no place I’d rather be than with them.