felt when I’d learned that little piece of info.
I’d been single for too long, that was basically it. I’d been single for too long and I was pining for a relationship that I was too damn scared to look for. I’d been burned badly, just once, but that one time was all I needed to keep me away from the heat. It was torture, though, having those pesky feelings of loneliness creep up on me in the middle of the night when settling into my bed. Looking over at the empty space next to me, wondering if I would ever gain the courage to even open up to loving someone again.
What kind of pathetic alpha was I, anyway?
I plated the pork loin and cauliflower mash with a generous ladling of sauce over top. “Alright!” I clapped my hands. “Elise, clear the table, please. Dinner is ready.”
She moved her books and set the table. Jillian went back to their unit and returned a moment later with a bottle of wine, and we settled down to eat.
“Good meal, Markos,” Ivan said with his mouth full. “This sauce is ace.”
“Delicious,” Jillian agreed.
“Thanks,” I said. I looked over at Elise—she was focused on drawing hearts into her mash with the tip of her spoon. I cleared my throat. “So, honey, how’s school?
She looked up. “Hm?”
“How’s school? Aside from hating history class.”
“Good,” she said. “I wish we had a divination class.”
Ivan leaned over with a goofy smile on his face. “You have any crushes?”
Elise looked taken aback. “Uncle Ivan, don’t talk with food in your mouth. It’s gross.”
Jillian laughed. “Thank you, Elise.”
“You calling me gross?” he said, feigning offense.
“Yes,” Elise said matter-of-factly, looking at him over the top of her glasses. “And the answer is no.” She mushed up her cauliflower mash and took a bite of her pork. “This is yummy, Dad.”
“You like it?”
“Uh-huh. Oh! I almost forgot. Dad, there’s a parent night at school on Sunday. I need you to come and talk to my teachers, and stuff.”
“Sunday? So soon? Honey, you should’ve told me much earlier.”
“I know. I kinda forgot.”
This was not a good surprise to have. The parent nights were something I disdained. Showing up as a single alpha made them… difficult.
“You’re not in any kind of trouble, right?”
“Noooo,” she said.
“I’m not in for any surprises?”
She shrugged. “I mean, my teachers hate me, but that’s no surprise.”
“They don’t hate you. They just want you to do well. I had the same problem when I was in school. It was hard for me to pay attention. I was always wanting to talk to my friends, or I’d get distracted and zone out.” I chuckled. “There was one time—Ivan, did I ever tell you about this? There was one time when I called out the teacher for letting out the worst fart. He thought he was being sneaky but, oh boy. Nothing can hide from this nose.”
Elise burst out into a fit of laughter, sending food flying from her mouth.
Ivan laughed. “Now who’s the gross one?”
After dinner, Jillian and Ivan washed up the dishes, and I grabbed myself another glass of wine and pulled my chair next to Elise to help her with her homework.
“What’ve you done so far?” I asked, sliding the page of notes away from her. It had nothing but drawings of hearts on it.
She barked and yanked it back, flipping it over. “Hey, don’t!”
“Come on, Elise… You’re wasting time. Doodle after you’re done with the homework, yeah?”
She grumbled, hunched over the textbook, and got to work. After about an hour she announced she was finished, gathered her things, and went to her room. I sat down on the couch next to Jillian and Ivan and refilled their glasses.
“What a handful that girl is,” I said. “Really reminds me of how I was in school.”
“No doubt,” said Ivan. “She’s a smart girl, though. I’m not worried about her.”
“She really is. I’m worried about her getting mixed up, though. Letting her potential go to waste, you know?”
“You say it that way and you sound like Dad.”
I groaned. “Shit, don’t say that.”
“I think she probably has a crush,” Jillian said, and I nearly spat out my wine.
“A crush? Elise? Where are you getting that from?”
She shrugged. “I was her age once, and I recognize that starry-eyed look she has.”
“Starry-eyed?” asked Ivan.
“I didn’t notice anything.”
“Yeah…” Jillian said. “Also, the hearts all over her homework.”
“She’s always liked drawing hearts,” I said assuredly. “And she’s eleven.”
“You didn’t have crushes when you were eleven?” Jillian asked.
“Markos?”