Would you be up for an early dinner today? the text from my mama said.

Hmm... Will it be worth my while? I teased her. My mama was an excellent cook, unlike me. Anything she made was fantastic. Except that one time she was on a super veggie kick, trying to sneak spinach in everything, mostly because Cooper had decided he didn't like veggies anymore. I'd been in high school and had been caught in the crossfire of the war of wills between them. It wasn't easy living in a house of all alphas.

Killian Everest Daye you will present your face on my front porch at four pm or else.

I couldn't help but laugh. Yes, ma'am.

Family day was Sunday—the one day a week that was sacrosanct. No other plans could be made, barring life threatening emergencies. But we tried to get together once or twice a week outside of that. Coop was finishing in his junior year at the community college, which was more than I had done. Could I have qualified for scholarships? Probably. But I'd been working two jobs all through high school already, and even with my meager contributions to rent, utilities and groceries, I could tell Mama still always felt like she was scrambling. So I went straight to work. My first job was great—delivering packages. I wasn't old enough to drive the trucks, but I was great as a runner between the truck and the delivery. I got decent hours, benefits and vacation, which was a concept that just blew my mind at the time. Mama didn't let me give her much money, but I was able to slip Coop money for a few extras, like the fees for football, his gear. I knew what it was like to be stuck with second hand everything all the time. There was nothing wrong with it, but kids could be assholes. If my brother didn't have to deal with that, why should he?

This guy I dated once a few years ago asked me all the time if I felt jealous or resentful of how much easier my brother had gotten things, and he just couldn't understand that I couldn't have been farther from resentful. I made my choices. And it was my duty to take care of my mama and brother. Why would I resent that? I ended up dumping his ass when it turned out he was embarrassed about dating a guy without a college degree. It wasn't what people had that made them worth anything, it was what they did. 

I stuck close to home the rest of the day, running through all my dirty laundry and cleaning out my fridge. Which was pretty sad. When your fridge is full of take-out boxes and condiments, something might be missing in your life...

This time, I brought my work clothes with me. I felt like such a putz for running out on Marcus like that last night, and an even bigger putz for not asking for his number. I had his address, but not his number. And there was no way I was going to be the creeper who just showed up at his house unannounced. At least I knew where he worked, and it wasn't like it was a big corporate office where it would be weird if I showed up. So it wasn't like I'd lost my chance with him.

And I hoped I had a chance with him. That last moment before the damned timer went off, he'd been so off guard, so open, so Marcus, and I'd frozen, though it would have been so natural to just lean forward and kiss him. But I hadn't wanted to break that moment where all of his guards were down while he was... content.

I had to get him out of my mind as best I could for the evening, though. My mom had a sixth sense when it came to her kids and relationships. 

Both her car and Coop’s were in the driveway when I arrived. I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride every time I saw Coop's ugly as hell, beat up little junker. He hadn't told Mom and I what he was doing, but he'd saved up for years, and then went out and bought it himself, signed up and paid for the insurance himself, and learned enough automotive repair that he'd been able to keep the little rust bucket running for two years. We Dayes were tenacious, if nothing else.

I opened the door to a burst of aromas that said home. Bacon... cheese...

"That wouldn't be bacon macaroni and cheese I smell cooking, would it?"

"You might be smelling, but you won't be eating if you don't get in here and give your mama a hug!"

My mother was only a few inches shorter than I, but in my beefy arms, she seemed tiny. Though nothing about my mama was frail. I may have gotten my breadth of shoulders from my dad, who'd peaced out of our lives shortly after Coop was gone, but I got my tendency toward bulk from both of them. Mama was squishy in just the right way to comfort a kid with a skinned knee, or a teenage boy dealing with his first heart break. And perfect for me, feeling like I was coming home.

"You're lucky," Coop said, following Mama out of the kitchen. "I told Mama that if you were even a minute late, I was eating your share."

I pulled him into a hug, knuckling his hair. "You could try." Coop was just as tall as me, and naturally broad, but he spent more of his time in the library than the gym, so he couldn't match me in bulk. Not that it deterred him from trying to squirm out of my hold. It was cute of him to try. Really.

"Boys, if you break anything, you're answering to me."

After a few more seconds of rough housing, we both answered, "Yes, ma'am."

"Now make yourselves useful and get the table ready."

As we passed the dishes around—because my mama would never make just one dish—Mama said, "Well, Coop? You going to tell Killian your good news?"

I turned to Coop, who was uncharacteristically blushing and ducking his head. "You're getting married," I guessed.

"What?" he sputtered. "Not me! It's your job to provide the grandkids, big brother. You better get on that before you're too old."

I reached over to smack him playfully, but pulled back when Mama pinned us both with a look.

"I accepted an internship with StarX this summer, and it’s a feeder program for their new hires. I'll be offered a job after I graduate, and they'll even fund my masters."

The swell of pride came on me so quickly, I could barely swallow my mouthful of food. My mother and brother were staring at me, waiting for my response.

"Well?" Mama said as I wiped my mouth with my napkin.

I pushed away from the table and circled it to pull my brother up into a big bear hug. "I'm so proud of you," I whispered as tears pricked my eyes. I wasn't even ashamed.