Month 2…

My eyes darted open. The warm summer breeze hit my face. I turned around to see Addison sleeping peacefully with a big smile on his face.

“Oh God,” I muttered. “I’m going to hurl.”

Addison’s eyes creaked open. His rough hands coiled around my thigh. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered, half-asleep.

I felt my stomach hiccup. The food in my gut seemed to be on a path toward escaping out the wrong side. I was mortified, but I was incapable of stopping it. And since mister sleepyhead wasn’t going to let me go, the unfortunate surprise would wake him from his slumber.

“It’s coming!” I yelled. I vomited off of the side of the bed. All of last night’s dinner piled onto the carpet. Tears fell from my eyes as I hacked more of it up.

“Holy crap!” Addison jumped out of bed like a little omega. He seemed to stand on his tippy toes. It didn’t help that he was totally naked.

“I feel so ugly right now,” I moaned. I walked to the bathroom and sat down on the toilet. I leaned back, and pissed like a racehorse. “Fuck this. Seriously. I didn’t know pregnancy would be this… stupid!”

Addison chuckled like an arrogant alpha. I rolled my eyes and took a breath before standing up and walking toward the sink to brush my teeth again. “Don’t worry. I’ll clean up the mess. This was bound to happen,” Addison said.

Addison placed a towel over the vomit. He tip-toed into the bathroom and knelt down against the cabinets. Starting to massage my legs and feet, he said, “I love you, pukey.”

“Addison, don’t joke right now. This is embarrassing,” I said.

Nothing felt right anymore. As my stomach started to grow, everything normal felt out-of-balance. A voice in the back of my mind kept telling me that more was to come.

Oh, yes… more was definitely coming my way. And what’s worse was that Addison was just starting to make amends with his old teammates.

“Baby, you don’t need to worry. You’ve seen much worse from me, at this point,” Addison assured me.

While that was true, I wanted to tell him that it was different for alphas. They didn’t have to come off as dainty, or innocent. Omegas did. Pregnancy took away that illusion.

“I’m just tired.” I checked my phone. It was nearing seven in the morning, and my alarm had been set for nine. “And it’s looking like I’ll just have to stay up now.”

I groaned and sat back down on the closed toilet. My face was red and puffy. My skin was going through a bout of psoriasis. All in all, I was uncomfortably falling apart.

But Addison was a good boyfriend. He stayed near the floor, massaging my feet with baby oil. When I looked at him again, a huge smile curled on my face.

“What?” he asked. “Why are you staring at me like that? Are you hungry again or something?”

My smile turned back into a frown. “I’m just a walking eating and puking machine to you, aren’t I?” I asked, chuckling a little to myself. “Gosh, Addison.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Addison’s hands started working overtime.

“Baby, I’m only kidding. You don’t have to bend over backward for me. I know you’re here for me,” I said.

Addison was so wholesome. He just wanted me to know that he was there for me. I knew that, big time.

“We’re really doing this.” I laughed and caught my breath. “Wow. I mean, who would have thought that this was where we’d be?”

“I knew,” Addison said. He quickly washed his hands. “I thought of you every game.”

I cracked up when he said that. “I love you, liar. Even though that is one hundred percent not true, I’m going to pretend it is because you’re perfect for me,” I said. “I thought of you every game too.”

Addison looked at me curiously. “You don’t believe me, do you?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe, you did. We weren’t talking then, though,” I muttered.

Addison was acting like he was hiding an old secret from me. “Okay, then,” he replied.

Addison tried to leave the room, but I pulled him back in. “Wait. What are you getting at?” I asked him, grabbing his hand.

“Nothing. It’s just that I really did think about you all the time. Even when we were fighting, all I could think about was you. You were my omega, the one who was going to do everything with me. Suddenly, you were gone,” Addison said. “And before you say it, I know it was all my fault. Even so, the pain was still there.”

Addison stared at me with adoration in his eyes. I knew that he was telling me the truth because small tears were forming in the creases of his eyes. “Now you get to see me every day, so you better happy,” I said.

The tears fell down his cheeks. “Ah, what is happening to me? Why am I crying?” Addison asked. He dried his eyes by waving his hands wildly in front of his face.

“My hormones are rubbing off on you.” I laughed, but it wasn’t really funny. It was endearing.

I hugged Addison for a long time. Outside, the birds were just starting to wake up. The blue world shined through the sliver of window that wasn’t covered up by the blinds. We both laid back down on my bed and closed our eyes.

“Kristoff, you can’t fall back asleep,” he said, lightly shaking me. “Wake up. Frank needs you today.”

“I’m pregnant. That means I can do anything that I want,” I said. A faint smile formed on my face. Addison tapped my chubby cheeks with his fingers.

“Well, if you don’t get up, then I’m not going to go shopping for a crib,” Addison said.

My eyes shot open. “You were going to buy a crib today?” I asked.

He nodded, smiling. “Yep. A big one too, with nice frilly crap all around it. And maybe one of those spinny things with the airplanes and junk,” Addison said.

“Frilly crap, huh? You’re spending big today,” I said.

“Damn straight,” Addison said, proudly.

“By the way, honey. That spinny thing, with the airplanes, is called a mobile,” I said.

“Wow. You learn something new every day,” he whispered.

I crawled back out of bed and stretched. Another day with Frank was hardly work, but he had seemed to feel a little weaker lately, so I wanted to be there for him as much as I could. I was still only two months into this pregnancy, so I had at least enough energy to sit with him and watch the TV.

“Clean that puke, though,” I added, covering my nose. “It’s pretty rancid.”

“I got it all taken care of,” he said. Addison closed his eyes again. He fell right back to sleep.

“Mmhm,” I whispered to myself. “Sure ya will.”

I made the usual drive to Frank’s house. Knocking three times, I slowly opened the door and peered inside. Instead of the usual cigar smoke, the house was clean and proper.

“I’m in my room, dear,” Frank called out.

His voice sounded frailer than usual, which caused alarm. I quickly walked to his bedroom to find Frank curled under his bed covers. I rushed over to him and felt his head. He had a fever.

“Oh, Frank! You’re sick,” I said, full of worry.

“Oh, I’m fine. I just have a little cold,” he said.

If Frank had a fever, he’d brush it off until they were burying him in his grave. He was not only tough, but he was also resistant to going into the hospital. “I’m grabbing the thermometer, and a glass of water,” I said.

Frank mumbled something about how I didn’t need to go out of my way, but as I filled the glass of water, I heard him hack a whole lung up. I quickly walked back to the room and handed him the glass, with an ibuprofen. “Drink this. We need to bring the fever down a little,” I said.

Frank made a pouty face at me. He gulped the pill down and smiled. “There. Are you happy?” he asked.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to relax. Frank didn’t look good at all, and I couldn’t have imagined a life without him in it. “Please don’t smoke anymore. It’s hurting you,” I said.

Frank coughed and held his hand near his lips. His face was quivering. “I know, I know. Lord knows I’m paying for it now,” he whispered before coughing again.

“Anyway, I’m an old man. These things happen. Maybe it’s just my time,” Frank said. He raised his covers up to his chin and frowned. All of the color had drained out of him.

“Stop that nonsense. You’re not going to die. You’re going to live another thirty years. You’re going to see my child after he’s born,” I said.

I handed Frank the thermometer. He placed it in his mouth and pressed the “on” button. After about a minute, it beeped. The display read: One hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

“Well, you’re burning up,” I whispered. “But I’ve seen worse from you before. You need to rest and drink as much water as you can. I’m going to open the windows because it’s stuffy in here.”

“Your baby… have you seen an OBGYN yet?” Frank asked. I opened the windows and felt the sweet summer breeze waft inside.

“I saw one last week. Her name is Doctor Hopkins. She seems really great,” I said.

Frank patted the side of the bed. I sat back down and leaned back against the bedpost. “If I’m being honest, I’m nervous,” I said.

Frank took my hand and smiled. “You should be nervous,” he said. I laughed. “Having a child is a very serious thing. But I know what you are capable of, and so does Addison. You’re going to be a great father,” Frank said.

I closed my eyes and reveled in that thought. All I wanted to do with my life was care for people. I would be there for my son, no matter what. “Thank you, Frank. I hope so,” I said.

Frank feebly pointed at the bedside table. “Reach into the drawer, there,” he said.

I opened the drawer to see a manila envelope. “There you go. That’s for you. Well, actually, it’s for my lawyer,” Frank said.

I furrowed my brow as I twisted the metal latch. “For your lawyer?” I asked. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

Frank merely smiled as I opened the envelope. Inside was a set of documents. I quickly saw the words: “Last Will and Testament.”

I quickly folded the papers back into the envelope. “Hey, you need to read that. Don’t you put it away,” he said.

I felt my chest tighten. Within seconds, tears were welling up in my eyes. “Don’t, Frank. I don’t want to talk about this,” I said.

Tears fell down my cheeks, dripping onto my thighs. I was feeling more emotional than usual, but it wasn’t because of the pregnancy. I loved taking care of Frank because he was more than a client. He was someone I had developed a lasting friendship with. Most of all, he had been a great friend to me.

Frank placed his hand against my kneecap. He squeezed, trying to calm me down. I sniffed loudly and wiped my cheeks dry. “Please, don’t be sad,” Frank whispered, coughing.

“How can I be happy about this?” I held my eyes open enough so the tears would go away. Of course, they didn’t. “you’re talking about…”

“Hush. I’m not saying I’m going out tonight,” Frank said.

“Then, what are you saying? Tomorrow? Sometime in the next month? You’re scaring the crap out of me. You’re supposed to meet my baby,” I said.

I could see now that faint tears had fallen across Frank’s cheeks, but they didn’t embarrass him. He let them shine against the light that was pouring through the window.

“I hadn’t updated my will since I was sixty years old. All I am trying to do is make some much-needed additions. Now, open the damn envelope and read the highlighted section, please,” Frank said.

All of this was sprung on me so fast. Mortality was such a bitch, and it wasn’t a pleasant subject for me, at a time when I was carrying. I read the highlighted sections very carefully.

After I finished reading, I realized what he was giving me. “Frank, you can’t do this,” I whispered. “We don’t need it. Seriously.”

“It’s my fortune. I don’t have any children or relatives. All I have is you and Addison,” Frank said.

“Yes, but Addison is okay. We have the means and then some,” I argued.

“Good. Then you can throw the extra money into our non-profit,” Frank said.

Starting a non-profit charity was Frank’s idea, but it was an idea I had rallied behind. A charity was an excellent idea, but I was still so unsure as to how I could even go about running one.

“Maybe,” I whispered.

Frank took another sip from his glass of water. His forehead was glistening with sweat. I grabbed a small towel and dipped it under the sink faucet. I dabbed the damp cloth against Frank’s forehead.

“What about your parents? You told me they were going through money troubles. Give it to them,” Frank said.

I stopped moving the towel against his forehead. Talking or thinking about my parents gave me such anxiety that I tended to not talk about them. But Frank knew my home situation, and he was always willing to listen.

My parents hadn’t been there for me in a while, but they were a huge reason why I wanted to help people. My alpha father, Craig, wasn’t an emotionally available person. He grew up poorer than dirt, and his parents were abusive enough for him to retreat.

Of course, my omega dad was the opposite, but he never learned how to take care of children. At times, he couldn’t keep his heavier emotions at bay. I was usually the one who kept the peace at home.

The three of us didn’t talk much these days. They never understood me to my fullest, but I guess I never understood them either. I knew they were struggling with money, and Addison and I talked about giving them some significant amount of cash to help them retire.

But as soon as I tried to get ahold of them, they turned vicious. They didn’t want my charity. They felt ashamed.

“There’s no talking you out of this, is there?” I asked Frank.

“No, son. I’m afraid not,” he said.

I breathed a sigh of frustrated relief. In a way, I was like my parents. I didn’t like receiving charity from people either, but I knew when I needed to shut up about an issue.

“Well, thank you, Frank. I seriously don’t know how to repay you. You’ve done so much for me. First, you gave me your friendship. Then, you gave me this. Just… thank you,” I said.

Frank waved his hand at me and winked. “Don’t worry about it, kid. You deserve it,” he said. I didn’t feel worthy, but Frank definitely made me feel like I had people on my side.

I didn’t want to leave that day. Once late afternoon hit, Frank lost a lot of energy, but he insisted that he was going to make a quick of recovery. I knew that wasn’t the case, but I couldn’t go against his word. I made a note of it to my boss, but I didn’t receive a reply. I left in hopes that he’d be okay.

As I pulled into the driveway of my home, the worry started to dissipate. Frank was a strong man. Plus, he’d tell me if he was on the verge.

Once I saw Addison’s handsome face in between the blinds of our window, I felt a jolt of excitement enter my body. I loved him so much, more than anyone on the entire planet.

“Hey, lovely,” Addison said as he opened the door. “Where did you, where did you go?” He was singing some dumb tune from the 90’s.

Addison danced around the house, gradually getting louder with his terrible singing voice. “Where did you go? My lovely! Oh, where did you, where did you go?”

“You’re so cute,” I said, laughing at how embarrassing Addison looked. It just reminded me of what was in store, after the baby came. I hoped we’d dance around the house together as a family someday soon.

“I’ve been on an early 90’s electronic music kick lately,” Addison said, totally out of breath. He quickly whipped out his phone and pressed play on the track. “Come on! Dance with me!”

I was a little more reserved when it came to this type of thing. I never went out dancing in my life, and I was terrible at coordinating my steps. But Addison got a kick out of it.

He held my hands up in the air and stepped forward as I stepped back. I tried my best to mimic his steps, but it was difficult. By the end of the song, I was all knotted up in his grasp.

I leaned back against his chest and lifted my chin up toward him. He kissed me passionately, taking a deep breath in and growling. “God, I missed you like crazy today,” he said.

I turned around and hugged him, feeling the warmth of his big body cloak me. I felt shrouded in his strength and confidence. I never wanted to let go of him.

“I missed you too,” I said. Then, I noticed his tight white t-shirt. It was about one size too small. “Wait, what is that shirt?”

Addison took a step backward and proudly pointed at the words “ALPHA OF THE CENTURY!” It was so cheesy. I covered my mouth and strongly inhaled. I tried my best not to crack up.

“You love it. I can tell that you want one. Omega of the Century. Then, we could go out in public with our baby. I could get a custom shirt made for him too,” he joked.

“Oh my gosh! Such cheese. Why are you so lame and perfect?” I asked him.

He flexed, arms tightening against the soft cotton. “I’m freakin’ excited, Kristoff. How many months are left again?”

“Seven,” I said, smiling. “Seven months of pure hell.”

“But with the best ending ever,” Addison added.

I fell back into his arms. “Yes, sir,” I whispered.

We both sat down on the couch and relaxed together. This was becoming our daily routine. After a hard day’s work, I laid across his body and felt his comfort.

“How was Frank today?” he asked. “I miss the guy. I haven’t seen him in what? Two weeks? It’s been far too long. I owe him a cigar.”

I beamed at him. “Do not go on about the cigars. He was really sick today. He had a fever of one hundred degrees. I’m worried about him,” I said.

Addison squeezed me and kissed the top of my head. He seemed to linger in the emotional after-bath of breathing in my scent. He always made me feel better with his touch.

“You’ll see him tomorrow, and everything will be back to normal. I’ll come with you,” Addison said.

“You’re probably right,” I said. “I’m just worrying about everything these days.”

“It’s okay, Kristoff. There’s a lot to think about now, but I know we’re going to get through this together,” Addison said.

Suddenly, Addison sprung up from the couch and ran toward the bedroom. He loudly stomped his feet on the carpet. “I wanted to show you something!” he called out.

“Oh yeah? What is it?” I asked. I sat up on the couch and waited. Addison wheeled in the bassinet, complete with a retro mobile. “Oh my gosh! You got it! It’s so pretty.”

Addison was proud of his pick. “And look here. It has Velcro attachments on the inside and outside, so you can put different characters around it. Let me show you.”

Addison knelt down and picked up a cotton tiger. He stuck it against the inside wall. “Isn’t that amazing?” Addison was nearly out of breath. “Oh! And I got a ton of clothing,” he added.

Addison ran back into the room to grab the bags of clothing. He held them high in the air. “How many pairs is that?” I asked. Addison must have had at least twenty pairs of outfits.

“I’m not quite sure.” Addison chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “I guess I went a little overboard, huh?”

I leaned against his sturdy body and looked at the bassinet, now full of clothing. It was all happening so fast, and the excitement was killing me. “No. You didn’t at all,” I said. “I just can’t believe it. You’re actually enthusiastic about this, aren’t you?”

“I’m going out tomorrow too. I want to grab like a hundred different wallpapers,” Addison said. “Oh, and toys. I keep forgetting about toys.”

I ran my hand around the stitching of the bassinet. I slowly felt the soft bedding. I looked at Addison with joyful emotion knotted up in my stomach. “Can you imagine our baby in there, dreaming away?” I asked him.

It was quiet in our house as we stood together, looking toward our future. “I’ve been thinking about it all day,” Addison said.

“What are we going to name him, Addison?” I asked with wonder in my eyes.

“I think you should be the one to pick,” Addison said. “I’ve never been good at names.”

Back in high school, we talked about having children. We were so naïve back then, and way too reckless to be thinking about the subject out loud. I remembered that we both liked the name Ainsley. It was like a modern blend of so many cool things.

“Ainsley,” I said, laughing to myself.

“A-what?” he asked.

“You don’t remember?” I asked him.

Addison looked dumbfounded. “Shit. I know I should, but I don’t,” he said.

“Ainsley was the name we came up with for our baby. You must remember!” I said.

A look of understanding washed over Addison’s complexion. “Oh, shit! I forgot about that! Ainsley is a perfect name!” he exclaimed.

“It’s so pretty, and it defies gender stereotypes,” I said.

The name Ainsley stood for “meadow,” which I loved. Most boys were named after great warriors, who totally massacred villages. But our son was going to be named after a beautiful field. For me, it stood for “growth.”

Everything was starting to fall into place. Though it seemed far enough away, I knew that in just a moment’s time, we’d be a bigger family.

But all of what I had been feeling was so true. I was happy with Addison. I couldn’t wait for our family to start.

Of course, all good news is dosed with a little bad. I felt my phone vibrate. And then it vibrated some more. When the vibrating refused to cease, I angrily whipped my phone out. “It’s an unknown number,” I said, shrugging.

“Well, just in case, you should answer it,” Addison said. “No one calls this late unless it’s important.”

That’s exactly what I didn’t want to hear. I hesitated before pressing the answer button. “Hello, this is Kristoff speaking,” I said.

“Hi, Kristoff? This is Rose from Inglewood Valley Hospital. We are calling to inform you that Frank Valente was admitted to the hospital last night. You were listed as his emergency contact.”

My heart stopped. I nearly dropped the phone. A cold shiver ran through my body, leaving me feeling utterly weak. “Frank? Is he okay? I’m his care aide,” I said.

“I can’t answer any of that right now. He’s in a medically induced coma, which is about all I can tell you. You should come in here and speak with the doctor,” Rose said.

“Oh... uh. Okay,” I stuttered. I didn’t know what to say, and I could barely stand on my own two feet. It was like my nightmare had come true. Was Frank going to be okay? “I’ll be right there. Thank you, Rose.”

I hung up the phone, lost in a daze. I was beyond confused. I was heartbroken. Addison stood there, waiting for me to break the bad news to him. “Frank has been admitted to the hospital,” I whispered. “He’s in a medically induced coma.”

I fought back all of my tears, but the anger inside my throat pushed them out. Addison stepped forward and hugged me. “Hey,” he whispered, “it’s going to be okay. He’s going to make it through this.”

I could hear the emotional gust in his voice. Addison was hurt by the news too, but he was trying to shield his pain from me. I couldn’t be that person. I had known Frank for too long.

I wiped the tears from my face and ran to grab my coat. I kissed Addison and opened the door. “Come on. We have to be there for him,” I said.

Both of us stepped into the Addison’s car. He turned the key in the ignition and leaned back against the cold leather chair. Before he reversed out, he held my hand.

“He’s going to pull through this,” Addison repeated. But the look in his eyes was one of total worry.

He pulled his head closer to mine. I brought my lips to Addison’s, but I felt terrible. My friend was hurt, and there was nothing I could do about it.