“Sorry,” Raph said. “I didn’t mean to deprive you of your time with them.”
Sam shrugged, turning away. “I see them around.”
It was as good as any conversation between them would go. Raph breathed a sigh, returning to Hazel’s booth.
She blinked owlishly at him. “You’re back?”
“Looks like I am.” Raph slid onto a cushioned seat, looking up at the accent lighting on the ceiling. The conversation with Sam bothered him—of course he knew he’d hurt Wyatt. Maybe everyone would know he’d hurt Wyatt. How did he prove that he wouldn’t again?
Hazel wriggled, drawing a squiggly line down the side of her homework. “You look angry.”
“Just thinking,” Raph said.
“I don’t want to be an adult. It seems difficult.” She added leaves at the bottom of the line, and a daisy head at the top.
Raph froze, wondering what she’d seen Wyatt do. “Does your dad say it’s difficult?”
“It’s not so bad now,” she said, setting her pencil down. “But it used to be. I fell sick once and Dad cried when he saw the hospital bill. He tried to hide it.”
His heart sank. Why didn’t you talk to me, Wy? It wasn’t like Raph was in far better financial straits, himself, but the thought of Wyatt crying... Raph should’ve been there. “Did he talk to your grandma about it?”
Hazel pursed her lips, frowning. “I don’t think so.”
Gods, Wyatt. How much crap have you gone through by yourself? “If your dad is ever that upset again, tell me, okay?”
“Okay. Aunt Penny and Uncle Sam are on that list, too.”
“Good.” Raph relaxed. So maybe Wyatt was in a better place now. He’d found a support group for himself, people who cared about him. He wouldn’t get to the point where he cried over bills anymore. Raph was proud of him for that. “Thanks.”
Hazel smiled. “Lots of people love Dad, you know.”
“I can see that.” Raph reached over the table, ruffling her hair. Over the past three weeks, he’d thought about raising a baby with Wyatt. Taking turns to change the baby’s diapers, taking turns to feed the baby, keep it company.
Before he got together with Wyatt, he’d expected to have an omega at some point, maybe have kids. After he’d paid off his debt.
Instead, Raph had an omega now. They were going to have a baby. And Raph still had a shitload of debt—six figures. He needed another two years with this job. He’d been crunching the numbers, sliding some savings into higher-risk investments.
Most nights, he tried not to think about it, so he could catch some sleep.
Yet as he met Hazel’s bright eyes, he thought he wouldn’t mind adopting her as his own, too.
“What’s something that’ll get your dad really mad?” Raph asked.
“Lying.” Hazel looked over her shoulder, but she couldn’t see Wyatt from where she sat. “Don’t ever lie to Dad.”
Raph held his breath. He could see why—he’d heard about the lies Max had told Wyatt. Same lies that got Wy pregnant.
But if Raph didn’t tell Wyatt about the debt, that didn’t count as a lie... right? Raph didn’t want to tell Wyatt about the hundred grand he had to pay, that was still sitting on his shoulders. They’d grown up around enough debt for Wy to be free of that.
That’s my own crap to deal with, not Wy’s.
On the other side of the aisle, a man stood from his table, a bundled infant in his arms.
“I like his hair,” Hazel whispered.
Discreetly, Raph glanced over. The man was an omega, maybe in his forties, his long auburn hair weaved into intricate French braids. With the narrow glasses perched on his nose, he looked serious, like a professor—not the sort of person who had time to do his hair.
“Need help, Dale?” his companion—an alpha—asked, tucking some bills under a plate. He lifted a baby carrier from his seat, reaching over to straighten the paper crane clips in his omega’s hair.
“Set the carrier on the table,” Dale said. “I don’t want to shake Phil up too much. He’s asleep.”
The alpha was young, maybe twenty years younger than his omega. Not a common relationship in Meadowfall at all. They moved around each other with ease, Dale setting his baby in the carrier, his alpha lifting the carrier from the table when he was done.
“Thanks, Greg,” Dale said, kissing his alpha on the lips. Greg smiled, and they shared a soft look.
Raph wondered if that would ever happen with him and Wyatt, when their child was born. Would they go out together in public? Would Wyatt want to be seen with him? In Highton, no one would know who they were, and maybe they could relax around each other like this couple did.
“I think his alpha did his hair,” Hazel whispered.
Raph glanced at her, so they wouldn’t catch him staring. “Yeah?”
But it made sense, when Dale looked down at their baby, and Greg tucked Dale’s hair behind his ear. They looked over and smiled at Hazel and Raph, and as they left the diner, Greg slipped his arm around Dale’s waist.
“Aww,” Hazel said. She turned with a bright smile. “Dad helps me with my braids sometimes—I can’t do the French ones. Will you help?”
“How...?” Raph had never done braids. He’d watched Penny tie them, but she’d always done them herself.
Hazel squirmed out of the booth, pulling the hair tie from her ponytail. Then she plunked herself on the edge of Raph’s seat, turning her back to him.
“I don’t even know how to tie braids,” Raph said.
“There’s videos on YouTube. Here.” Hazel grabbed her phone from across the table, pulling up the YouTube app. In seconds, she had a how-to video playing. “This one is a basic braid. Try it first.”
While Hazel separated her hair into three segments, Raph watched the video. He gathered her hair into his hands, crossed two bunches together, and fitted the third in the middle. When he reached the end of the basic braid, he tied it again. “Guess it’s not so bad.”
“Yay! I really want a
