My nest is the best. Mom and Dad are at the door of my room, peering in. Only Mom can come in...sometimes. They are trying to convince me to come out for breakfast. I am trying to convince them I can eat breakfast in the nest. I must be doing a lot better because they have no problem telling me no.
"You're not a little kid anymore. Breakfast is on the table.", Dad says.
"I know I'm not a kid, Dad. That's why I can choose to eat here.", I say.
"Sweetie, it's unhygienic to eat in your nest. You will get crumbs everywhere and you don't want to attract rodents.", Mom says.
Damn it, she pulled the rodent card. It is every omega's nightmare to discover mice have been sharing their nest.
"Mice won't come here because it is very orderly here, and I reorganize and clean regularly.", I say.
Dad looks appraisingly at my nest, and I start to get irritated. I can sense criticism coming. We have been stuck together in this little house for way too long. What started as charming and quaint has turned into cramped and stifling.
"It looks like a mound of chaos to me.", Dad says.
Mom whacked him on the back of the head, and I gasped in horror. We are on the verge of a world war when I hear Film calling for me.
"NuNew, come eat. Strawberry is hungry."
I don't know when it happened, but I have relaxed around Film. I let him sit next to me on the couch and sometimes I let him touch my tummy when the baby is kicking. He loves to coo at Strawberry. Everybody in the house loves to touch my tummy, sing, and tell stories to Strawberry. She is going to come into this world very loved.
"She only listens to Film.", Mom says.
"Yeah, Zee, better get here soon.", Dad says.
"Shh. don't upset NuNew. He already is torn in two."
"I can hear you!", I say.
Seriously this place is too small.
I circle the table. I am holding, Kitty plushy, like a security blanket. Circling is a compulsion I have. Any time I transition to another spot I do this. Mr. U told me it is because I have had so much uncertainty and trauma during the pregnancy. It is annoying.
"I saved you a seat. Look, there is a croissant on your plate and fruit.", Film says.
I look around for meat. I have never been a big meat eater, but Strawberry loves it.
Mom brings in a steaming plate of sausage and I sigh in relief. Everyone laughs. Film stabs several pieces of sausage and puts it on my plate. Overcome with food lust, I stop circling and sit next to him.
"No one is going to take your food Nhu. Slow down.", Mom says.
Film hands me a napkin and slides over my veggie smoothie and I swallow and drink. Dad shakes his head.
"Where is that kid? He better get here soon.", Dad says.
As if summoned by my father there is a knock at the door.
We have a very strict protocol about answering the door. Only Film can answer the door. Nobody is going to associate him with us. Not unless they are part of Zee's family, and they know about me would they ever suspect a celebrity to be hiding an omega in the middle of nowhere.
I have been so hyped up about Zee coming home. It has been a week since he theoretically got the letter, but we have not heard a word. My fantasies about his losing his phone have become more and more plausible. I would not be surprised at all if he walked through the door.
I could not help myself. I leaped out of my seat and ran for the door.
"Zee!", I screamed and yanked the door open.
It was not Zee. I start growling and backing up. Film is right behind me and shoves me behind him. Dad pulls me back and hands me off to Mom. Who starts gently nudging me to the nest.
The protocol is I am supposed to go to my nest and put on the noise-canceling headphones. Mom will stay in the room with me.
"What are you doing here?", asked Film.
"Are you going to let me in cousin?", asked Gun.
"No.", says Film.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That is no way to treat family, Film. Speaking of family, I would like to meet our newest member. NuNew and his baby. What does he call her? Strawberry, isn't it?", asked Gun.
After hearing this, Mom cannot get me into my room.
'What does he call HER?'
Was it a mistake, or does he know that Strawberry is a girl? Only Dr. U and I know the sex of the baby...and Zee. If he read his email. Could they be reading Zee's email? It could be a guess. He would have a 50% chance of getting the gender right. I start shaking. The idea that this scum knows Strawberry's gender before Zee makes me see red. I swallow and take some calming breaths. I can't freak out right now. I need to listen.
"You are no family of mine or theirs. Leave.", Film says.
"If I go, NuNew will not know what happened to Zee.", Gun says.
"Quit your games and leave."
"He is back.", Gun says.
I easily break away from Mom and start running but Dad is waiting for me. He puts a finger to his lip telling me to be quiet and goes back to filming. What is going on? Where is Zee? He should be here by now. Did they do something to him?
"Bullshit. If he was back, he would be here by now. No way an alpha leaves his pregnant omega.", Film says.
"But he's not his omega, is he? They were just a fling. He only wants the baby. He wants nothing to do with the omega.", Gun says.
"Leave!", Film yells and tries to shut the door.
But Gun stepped on the threshold and Film could not shut the door. Then the two of them fight for dominance until Film kicks Gun's shoe and slams the door shut. We wait to see what Gun will do. It looks like he is texting furiously. He waits, as if for instructions. It is so quiet we can hear his phone vibrate. Gun looks down at his phone and then shrugs.
"I want no part of this.", he says.
He leans something against the door and then leaves. He must have parked down the road to avoid alerting us because he began walking. We watch until he is out of sight. Film goes outside and comes back empty-handed.
"What is it, Dad asks.
"I think he was trying to serve NuNew. I wouldn't touch that document. Call the attorney and see what we should do.", Film says.
Dad and Film go sit down and watch the video from the outside camera and Dad's phone. Then they call the attorney. I look at Mom.
"Mom, let's call Max."