He couldn’t help touching his own belly. At eleven weeks, the baby bump was starting to become noticeable. He’d been talking to it, cradling it, and sometimes, he read to it at night, wishing he’d taken one of the comic books from Greg’s bookshelves. Their baby would love to listen to things from Greg’s childhood, he was sure.
Dale stepped through the colorful doorway of the childcare center, glancing at its jangling bells. Cheerful rainbows and clouds had been painted across the walls. A smiling lady looked up from behind a shelf of schoolbags—omega, from her apple blossom scent. “Hello! Can I help you?”
“I’m here for an interview,” he said, dreading the questions. Why did you leave your previous job? How can we trust that you’ll keep your oaths as a teacher?
“Oh! You must be Dale,” she said, brightening. She rounded the shelves, extending a hand. “I’m Lisa, the principal. Did Cindy mention that I’ll be doing the interview?”
“Yes, she did,” Dale said, his stomach twisting into knots. He wanted some pickles, suddenly. Wanted them smothered in ketchup and tuna and cheese, when he’d cringe at the combination before. But first, the interview.
Lisa led the way to her office, where more rainbows adorned the walls. In a corner, acrylic handprints were scattered around a calendar, and pictures of children hung between some clouds. “Congratulations, by the way,” she said, glancing down at his belly. “We especially love expecting omegas here.”
Dale cradled his abdomen, relaxing a little. That was why he’d applied for a job here—so he’d be prepared for children. It had been too long since he’d read those books on pregnancy and childcare, and this would give him some firsthand experience with toddlers. And if the pregnancy failed... maybe he’d still get to be around the little ones. “It’s my first. I hope you don’t mind...?”
“That’s great!” Lisa beamed, her curls bobbing around her face. “We’ve got all kinds of omega teachers here—some of us have adult children, and some of us have given birth not too long ago. If you’re worried about training, we’ll provide that.”
The interview proceeded like he expected: Lisa asked about his previous jobs, about his experiences and achievements and interests, and Dale leaned into his seat, his nerves starting to calm. He was getting through the interview fine. Lisa seemed to like him, with her smiles and nods, and all his interview preparation was paying off.
She flipped through his printed resume, meeting his eyes. “So it says here that you were a professor for ten years in Meadowfall College. Why did you leave that job?”
His stomach hardened into a piece of rock. Dale stared at her, then at the resume, wishing he could erase those words. But he hadn’t anything else to fall back on—before he became a professor, he’d spent his days on his PhD, and before that, he’d been working part-time as a waiter, struggling to pay off his tuition.
All it had taken was one alpha, and Dale’s painstakingly-repaired life had shattered into pieces again.
“I... It was no longer suitable for me to stay on,” he said, all his carefully prepared-answers fleeing his mind. He needed a smart reply. Needed Lisa to trust him with clever words and confident smiles. Instead, he remembered Greg, his warm embrace, his cocky smile. Greg’s forehead pressed against his, his clumsily-folded cranes sitting in a row on Dale’s study shelf. Dale’s throat tightened.
It had been three weeks, and Dale couldn’t forget about him.
Lisa nodded for him to go on. Dale sucked in a deep breath, then blew it out, his eyes burning. He couldn’t cry in front of a potential employer.
“You don’t have to mention it if you don’t want to,” she said, concern creasing her forehead. “I’ll understand.”
“I met my alpha there,” Dale blurted, his fingers pressing into his abdomen.
The moment he said it, he knew it was the truth. That Greg was his alpha. That Greg would always be his alpha, and it would never change.
And Dale had left him behind.
“That’s a good thing, right?” Lisa asked, leaning forward. “Or should I call Omega Support Services?”
“No! No, it isn’t that,” Dale said, horrified. “Greg isn’t abusive. He’s just... someone I shouldn’t have gotten involved with. It’s complicated.”
Lisa settled back into her seat, doubt lingering on her face. “If you’re sure,” she said. “But do remember that there are help lines you can call.”
Dale nodded. He’d dug himself into a hole, and the only way out was to explain himself. “My alpha was my student,” he said, looking at his hands. “I was fired for that.”
His cheeks burned so hot they felt like peeling. Lisa was in her fifties, and Dale was prepared for her judgment. Guess I botched this interview.
Instead, she peered at him, her eyes filled with worry. “Is Greg supporting you now?”
“I left him,” Dale said. “I’m starting over.”
She nodded gravely. “Then I’ll wish you the very best on your new journey. Thank you for your honesty, Dale.”
He wasn’t sure what she had to thank him for. It was a job interview. But Lisa stood, extending her hand.
“Well, this has been a trying time for you,” she said, shaking his hand when he scrambled to his feet. “Go home and get some rest. You’ll start work next Monday.”
He stared at her, mouth hanging open. “What?”
Lisa smiled, her eyes crinkling. “You care for your students, Dale. Your work history has proven that. And you’ve been holding onto your child this entire time.”
Dale wanted to say, This is insane. I’ve breached my previous contract. How can you trust me?
It must’ve shown on his face, because Lisa added, “We aren’t defined by single mistakes, Dale, but by who we are as people. Does that make sense?”
He wanted to argue. Two months of a mistake was enough for almost everyone to judge him by. But Dale was hired, and he wasn’t going to mess this up again. “Yes. Thank you, Headmistress.”
“Just Lisa,” she said, walking him to
