Wes set them up in the den with snacks and the Wi-Fi password. As he was leaving, Calder stopped him with a hand to the wrist. “I truly wasn’t planning on an ambush like this,” he said. “I had hoped to prepare Zinn and then let you and Assa in on what I’d discovered. I still can’t believe I left that fucking paintbrush at Felton’s.”
“You knew?” Zinn asked softly.
“I strongly suspected,” Calder answered. “But only for the past three weeks.”
“You’ve known for three weeks and never told me?”
Calder locked eyes with Zinn, and Wes had the uncomfortable feeling he was witnessing a private moment. “I was planning to tell you today, after the party. After I was sure and had a chance to prepare you.”
Zinn’s expression clouded. “But—”
Calder squeezed his thigh. “Think, my omega.”Yep, definitely a personal conversation.“If I had shared my suspicions andthen turned out to be wrong, how devastating would that have been? I’ve been questioning Wes and Assa, trying to get confirmation. I promise I was going to tell you after the party. If you’re mad at me, I can take it, but I was only doing what I thought was best.”
“Then why does it feel like you’re trying to control me?”
Calder reeled back as if he’d been slapped. “Do you really feel that way? After everything?”
Zinn started to speak, but then his face changed. He exhaled heavily. “No,” he said. “No. You wouldn’t do that. You wouldn’t have let this linger. I wish you had told me right away, but I understand why you wanted to be sure.” Releasing another harsh breath, he continued, “This isn’t something I want to fight about. Not with everything else going on.”
Calder pulled Zinn onto his lap and embraced him.
Wes backed out of the room. He needed to focus on his son’s party.
And not worry about whatever fights Zinn did want to have.
***
Three hours later, Wes and Assalaced their fingers together and prepared to face Zinn and Calder. Ryde had gone to Patten’s house to watch a movie and eat dinner, so they’d have privacy.
“Ready for this?” Wes asked. He was surprised that Assa hadn’t seemed overly stressed during the party.
“You saw his face. Also, how much he cared about getting the cake right, before he even saw Ryde. And don’t forget what Asher told us. I have to believe Zinn’s a good man who won’t blow up our lives.”
Assa’s empathy awed Wes. He had the same sense about Zinn, that he would ultimately do what was right for Ryde, but, as always, he was driven to protect Assa. It tempered his optimism.
They entered the den to find Zinn and Calder sitting together on the couch. Zinn peered up shyly. “I hope you don’t mind… I saw this on the shelf and sort of helped myself.” In front of him, a photo album lay open to a picture of Ryde grinning on a bike.
“That was the day he learned to ride a two-wheeler,” Assa said.
“He looks so happy.”
“He was, mostly because he figured it out a lot sooner than some of his friends. This was near his fifth birthday.”
“That was when I learned. My parents didn’t let me play sports, but I was allowed to ride my bike around the estate.”
Assa smiled. “Ryde loves to ride his too. He plays different sports but isn’t too competitive. He mostly plays to be with his friends, and if he had to choose, he’d rather be sketching.” Assa glanced warmly at Zinn. “And you’re welcome to look at any of the albums.”
Wes motioned to the small gaming table in the corner. “We should sit down. I can make some coffee if you’d like.”
“Yes, this feels like atable conversation,” Calder said good-naturedly. “I’ll pass on the coffee, though.”
“Same,” Zinn and Assa replied in unison.
Calder spoke first. “I told Zinn everything I know, which, to be honest, isn’t much. He only told me recently about the child he gave birth to almost eight years ago, but when I saw Ryde at the bakery, it wasn’t hard to put it together.”
Zinn propped his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together, resting his chin on top of them. “I’ve spent so long wondering what my s—what he looks like. This is a dream.”
Assa gently touched Zinn’s forearm. “It’s not a dream. He looks like you, and he’s the most beautiful boy ever.” He inhaled before adding, “You gave birth to him. It does us no good to speak in code or deny the reality of the situation. You’ve had enough people talking around you and over you. I won’t do that.”