Page 36 of Mate Match: Curtis & Jae
Erika moved out of the way to give me my first proper look at our little wonder.
“Hey, little one! Aren’t you perfect?” I kissed Jae, just a simple press of my lips to his. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Being you. This. All of it.” Everything I was feeling was overwhelming.
“Would you like a photo?” Tracy asked.
We left the clinic with a photo each. I couldn’t wait to show my family how well our little bean was doing! We knew Jennie and Lara were having a girl. They’d paid for a detailed scan after the anatomy scan. The pictures were great. Something I’d like to have even if we didn’t find out the sex of the baby. I wondered if Jae wanted to know.
“Do you think you want to find out what the baby is?” I decided just to ask. Jae was always truthful with me. It was one of the things he prided himself on. I loved it about him.
“Um,” Jae was still looking at his picture in wonder. His eyes finally met mine. “I think I’d like it to be a surprise, if that’s okay with you? If you want to find out and not tell me I’d—”
“No. I agree. By the time the little bean comes along, our niece will be born. We’ve already got a nephew, so it doesn’t matter if Bean is a boy or a girl, really.”
“Our? We?” He looked mystified. Poor Jae just didn’t get how special he was to me.
“Jae, sweetheart, they’re your family now. I know you’re scared your family will disown you because I’m black, but I think they love you more than that. Just in case, my family has already adopted you. Even if things go wrong with us—”
“They won’t!” His expression was fierce.
I kissed the top of his head. “No matter what, you’ll always have them. Milo won’t let you take Percy from him. Do you know he’s been bugging his moms for a cat again?”
Jae laughed, then looked at the photo once more. “How about we drop in on my parents? Rip that bandaid off?”
“Are you sure you’re ready?”
“At this rate, I’ll have given birth before I’ve told them I’m pregnant!” His laugh was a little manic. “Let’s just do it, now that we know little bean is fine.”
His family lived in an affluent area of town similar to that of my sister, but more old money style. Their house was a large two story, two car garage home which dominated the street.
“I dunno why they still have such a big house. My brother Jun, an alpha, is married with three kids already. He chose an omega girl my grandparents picked out. They seem happy, though. My sister, Iseul, is a beta. She has one child with her husband. She got with a Japanese man she met at work and my grandparents didn’t speak to her for a year.”
“Ouch.”
“She said it was peaceful, actually. I know if Mom and Dad end contact with me, Iseul will still call. We aren’t as close as I’d like. She’s five years older than me, so growing up, we had little in common.”
“I think your parents will surprise you.” Call it a gut feeling, but I believed his parents weren’t nearly as bad as his grandparents.
“Really?”
“Okay, I’m going on faith here. I’ve got faith they will.”
We exited the car and walked up to the front door, where Jae rang the bell.
An older woman answered. She was beautiful. Like Jae, she had tawny skin, though her complexion was as cool as her attitude. Some of her facial features were so similar to Jae’s, it was impossible not to realize who this was. Jae’s mom’s hair was styled in a chignon with a few strands of gray showing. Her outfit was simple, tailored black slacks with a cream blouse. She looked effortless and elegant. Intimidating.
“Jae! I was about to send out a search party. You never return my calls. We went to your apartment, but it seems you moved without telling anyone!”
Ouch. Poor start.
“Hey, Mom, could we come in? I’ve got some stuff to tell you.”
“Alright. I’ll call your father.” She moved out of the way and Jae led me into the house, a firm grip on my hand that his mom didn’t miss.
The living room was tense by the time Jae’s mom and dad joined us. Jae had his dad’s eyes and lean build. He was where Jae got his golden hue, though his nose and the shape of his eyes were all his mom.
