"What?" Nick asks, catching me staring.
"Nothing." I shake my head, smiling. "Just...happy."
His answering smile is brilliant, lighting up his entire face. Through our bond, I feel an echo of his contentment, his certainty. There's none of the doubt or regret I keep expecting to find—just warmth, affection, and that steady pulse of protectiveness that's become his emotional signature.
We're halfway through lunch when the doorbell rings. Nick frowns, checking his phone.
"Were you expecting someone?" I ask, wiping crumbs from my mouth.
"No. Jason said he might stop by later with Ryan, but not until dinner." He rises, moving to the door with that easy athletic grace that still makes my heart skip. "Mom?"
Diana Keller stands in the doorway, a large gift basket in her arms and a warm smile on her face. She's as elegant as always in tailored slacks and a blue sweater that matches Nick's eyes exactly, her dark hair streaked with dignified silver.
"Surprise!" she says, stepping inside to kiss Nick's cheek before turning her attention to me. "Micah, sweetheart. Look at you."
I stand awkwardly, suddenly aware of my rumpled t-shirt and the fact that I'm very obviously in the middle of moving into her son's apartment. "Hi, Mrs. Keller. This is unexpected."
"Diana, please." She sets the basket down and pulls me into a hug that smells like expensive perfume and home-baked cookies. "We're family now, officially. Though if I'm being honest, I've considered you part of the family for years."
The simple acceptance in her voice eases tension I didn't realize I was carrying. I'd been bracing for...well, not disapproval exactly, but perhaps confusion or concern. Nick had assured me his mother would be supportive, but there's a difference betweenaccepting your son's relationship in theory and finding your son's male omega friend obviously moving into his apartment.
"Thank you," I manage, returning her hug with genuine warmth. "That means a lot."
"I brought a housewarming gift," she says, gesturing to the enormous basket. "Just some essentials. Good coffee, bath salts—the kind you like with the lavender, Micah—some of those fancy jams Nick loves, a few books..."
Nick peers into the basket, his expression softening. "Mom, this is too much."
"Nonsense. My only son is finally settling down with his mate. I'm allowed to go overboard." She pats his cheek affectionately before turning back to me, her eyes bright with emotion. "Nick told me about the baby. Congratulations, sweetheart. I couldn't be happier."
And she means it. I can see it in her face, hear it in her voice. There's no reservation, no hint that she might have preferred a different path for her son. Just genuine joy.
"Would you like some tea?" I offer, finding my footing in the familiar ritual of hospitality. "We were just having lunch, but I can put the kettle on."
"That would be lovely." She follows me to the kitchen, settling at the counter while Nick excuses himself to answer a text from Jason. Once we're alone, Diana watches me prepare the tea with a thoughtful expression.
"He's happy," she says simply. "Happier than I've ever seen him."
I glance up, caught off guard by her directness. "I hope so."
"I know so." Her smile is gentle but knowing. "A mother can tell these things. And I've watched him orbit around you for nine years, Micah. Always finding reasons to bring you up in conversation, always prioritizing your time together over everything else."
The kettle whistles, giving me a moment to collect myself as I pour water into the teapot. "I never thought he saw me that way," I admit, setting out cups. "As more than a friend."
"He didn't know what he was feeling," Diana says with the wisdom of someone who's known Nick his entire life. "My son has always had a very fixed idea of who he's supposed to be. Just like his father." Her expression clouds briefly before clearing. "But unlike his father, Nick has always had the capacity to grow beyond those limitations. He just needed the right person to show him how."
"And you really don't mind?" The question slips out before I can stop it. "That I'm not...that we're..."
"That you're a man?" Diana's laugh is warm and genuine. "Sweetheart, all I've ever wanted is for Nick to find someone who loves him for exactly who he is, not for what he can provide as an alpha. Someone who challenges him, supports him, makes him laugh." She reaches across the counter to squeeze my hand. "You've been doing that for nine years. The rest is just details."
Relief floods through me so suddenly it makes me dizzy. "Thank you," I say quietly.
"Nothing to thank me for." She accepts the tea I offer with a smile. "Now, tell me about the baby. How are you feeling? Morning sickness yet? I was sick as a dog with all three of mine, but my sister sailed through her pregnancies without a single queasy day..."
By the time Nick returns, Diana and I are deep in conversation about pregnancy symptoms and nursery colors, the easy rapport between us as natural as if we'd been family for years. In a way, I suppose we have been. I've spent holidays with the Kellers, celebrated birthdays and graduations. I was there when Nick's younger sister got married last year, helping his mother with the arrangements as if it were my own family event.
We've been building this connection all along, I realize. The only thing that's changed is that now we're acknowledging it.
When Diana leaves an hour later, promising to bring over some of Nick's baby things from storage "just to see if anything's worth keeping," Nick wraps his arms around me from behind, watching his mother's car pull away.