On Monday morning, an hour after Aaron had left for work, Bo picked his head up and looked out the street-facing bay window at the far end of the living room. Gage, who’d been busy programming the addresses for the medical offices they needed to visit that day into his phone, looked toward the windows as well. “What’s up, baby boy?”

“Mal,” Bo uttered. He hopped down from the couch and headed for the front door. “It’s Mal!”

A car door shut. Footsteps passed outside the house. Gage picked himself up from the couch and approached the door just in time for the doorbell to ring. There was no peephole on the front door, and no chain door lock to keep him safe, not that Gage had used one for a while—the one on his apartment door had broken three months before Aaron’s return, and his landlord hadn’t bothered to fix it. Still, it was strange to open the door without assuming the worst, even though he knew who was on the other side.

“Mal!” Bo declared. He paced behind Gage impatiently, waiting for him to open the door. “It’s Mal!”

“Let me check to make sure,” Gage said. He squinted through the frosted glass, trying to make sense of the shapes he saw on the other side, then scolded himself for being overly cautious and turned the lock, opening the door. Just as Bo had said, Mal stood on the stoop. He smiled at Gage and fanned his fingers one by one in a playful wave.

“Mal!” Bo gushed. He pushed past Gage and latched onto their guest. “… Hi.”

“Hey, Bo.” Mal’s voice was like gentle sunshine. He scooped Bo up into his arms, his mousy brown hair falling in front of his eyes, then shook his head to clear it away. Bo laughed, then coughed, and wilted onto Mal’s chest. The sight was adorable, but it didn’t stop Gage from wishing that Bo would give his father even a fraction of the same love he gave to Mal. “We’re going to have fun today, aren’t we?”

“Yeah!” Bo exclaimed, although his tone was a little less enthusiastic than it had been before.

“Good stuff.” Mal kept his arms wrapped around Bo, holding him to his hip, while he turned his attention to Gage, meeting his gaze. “Hey. I hope I’m not too late. Traffic this morning was a little more insane than I thought it would be. Are we still going to be on time?”

“Yep.” Gage smiled back, pushing aside his hard feelings. It wasn’t Mal’s fault that Bo wasn’t willing to open his heart to Aaron, and it wasn’t fair to suddenly treat him differently because of it. Mal, who’d looked after Bo for free in order to help Gage when he needed it the most, deserved Gage’s utmost respect. Without him, Gage would have been out on the streets. “Do you want to come in for some coffee before we go? I’ve got the French vanilla creamer you like so much.”

“Oh.” Color rose in Mal’s cheeks, and he glanced down at Bo. He was older than Gage—somewhere in his forties, or maybe even into his early fifties—but there was a boyishness to his expression that made him appear younger than he was. “I’m actually cutting back on coffee right now. Thanks, though. That’s really sweet of you.”

“Cutting down on coffee?” Gage had to grab Bo’s referral paperwork, so he stepped into the house and gestured for Mal to follow. “You live on coffee. What gives?”

“I’m revamping my diet.” Mal carried Bo through the door. Bo had monkeyed his way up Mal’s chest so he could latch his arms around his neck. The weight of his body tugged Mal’s simple t-shirt down, stretching it across his thin frame. “I, um… well… now that Aaron is back, I’m pretty sure you’re not going to need me anymore, right?”

“No!” The referral paperwork had been pinned to the fridge door with magnets. Gage slid the magnets away and took the papers. “I’m still going to need you. You’re looking after Bo tonight, aren’t you?”

“But you’ll probably need me way less than you did before.” Mal’s lips twitched to the side, almost thoughtfully. He followed Gage through the living room and into the kitchen, traversing the sunshine pouring in through the kitchen skylight, then leaned against the counter. Bo sighed contentedly and snuggled against his chest, and as he did, Mal ran a hand nervously through his hair. Gage had known Mal all his life—he was a friend of Gabriel, Gage’s father. When Gage was a child, he remembered Mal as stick-skinny with a bright but timid smile and glasses that had a tendency to slip down his nose. These days, he was more certain of himself while still being sweet and soft-spoken. “And I mean… I’m getting old.”

“You’re not old.” Gage checked the travel bag he’d left on the counter. They’d be out all day, so he’d packed some just-in-case items for Bo, as well as snacks and drinks. He slipped the referral papers inside. “Besides, what’s that got to do with drinking coffee?”

The blush coloring Mal’s cheeks intensified. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and spent a little too long averting his gaze. Something was up, but Gage didn’t know where to begin guessing what it was.

With an embarrassed sigh, Mal set Bo down and crossed his arms over his chest. A tiny smile lit his face, impossibly charming and radiant, like he was preparing to talk about something that he adored. “It’s important I get my diet in order, including my coffee habit, because I’m getting ready to have a baby.”

“You’re trying to get pregnant?” Gage had been midway through zipping up the bag, but the announcement made him stop. “I didn’t know you’d met someone! Mal, that’s fantastic news! Congratulations.”

“Well…” Mal chuckled nervously. “No. The truth is, I haven’t met anyone. I’m still single. But I’m getting older, and I’m already at an age where any pregnancy I have is going to be high risk, so I decided that if I wanted to have a family, I couldn’t wait any longer. I’m going to do it alone.”

“Oh my god.” Gage struggled to figure out what to say. “It’s… it’s really tough being a single dad, but I know if anyone can pull it off, it’s you. You should join the digital support group I’m in. I think I’m the only omega single dad, but you know, all of the guys are really nice, and they’ve all been so helpful when it comes to taking care of Bo.”

“Your internet friends?” Mal laughed. “I think I’ll be okay, thanks. I’ve got a pretty good support system, I think. There’s you, and the fact that I’ve been helping you take care of Bo, and there’s your dad, of course, and my best friend, Seth, whose children are grown and out tackling the world… so I think I’m going to be fine.”

“If you change your mind, all you need is an app. It’s super easy.” Gage finished zipping up the bag and slung it over his shoulder. He reached for Bo’s hand, and Bo hurried to his side and grasped it tightly. “What are the rules for going out, Bo?”

“Hold hands all the time,” Bo replied.

“And?”

“And pay attention to Daddy.”

“And?”

Bo scrunched his nose and buried his face against Gage’s thigh. “And be good!”

“Yup. You got it.” Gage smiled at his son, then looked back to Mal. “And I’m serious about getting you into the support group, by the way. If you’re going to do this, sometimes it’s nice to be part of a little group of friends who understand what you’re going through.”

“Thanks.” Mal treated him to a winning smile. “I’ll keep it in mind. I’m not in treatment yet, anyway. I’m still working on my diet to improve my odds before I go in. It’s expensive.”

Gage held back a laugh as he headed for the door, Bo keeping pace beside him. “If you joined the Single Dads, I’m sure you’d have at least one offer for a free sperm donor. The guys are great, but they can be rowdy sometimes. I’m sure one of them would love to help you get pregnant.”

Mal scrunched his nose, and Gage laughed. He opened the front door and let Mal out, then guided Bo through the door and locked it behind them.

“You’re really doing a great job at selling me on joining your support group,” Mal joked. “You want to take my car or yours?”

“Mine.” Gage tested the door to make sure it was locked, then headed to the side of the driveway where his car was parked. “Bo’s car seat is already set up. It’ll be easier if we don’t have to transfer it.”

“You got it.”

They got Bo strapped in and settled, then situated themselves and started on their big day out. Life was changing—Aaron’s return had sent shockwaves through Gage’s life and set things into motion, and it felt like it wasn’t only the start of something big for him, but for the people in his life as well. Dreams were turning into reality, families were being made, and goals were being achieved.

Monday was off to a great start, and if what Gage had planned for tonight panned out, he had a feeling it was only going to get better from there.