Chapter 210: Meeting the Families of My Lovers
Emily was now six months pregnant, and everyone around her had become even more careful, even more watchful, and even more protective.
Her belly had grown visibly rounder now, soft under every dress and impossible to ignore no matter how elegant her clothes were.
Her breasts had increased too, feeling heavier and more sensitive than before, and the frequent bursts of milk were becoming common enough that she kept spare clothes nearby almost all the time. And her body felt fuller in every sense.
She got tired faster, needed more rest, and sometimes felt breathless just walking a little too long. The weight in her lower back had become more constant, her hips ached when she sat in one position for too long, and her emotions were still all over the place.
Some mornings she woke up hungry enough to eat everything in sight, and other times she felt suddenly overwhelmed by the smallest kindness.
Even the lightest touch or sweetest words could make her eyes sting.
The five alphas had become noticeably more overprotective by this stage.
Hellen watched how long she stood. Ana checked her too often. Ivory kept adjusting her clothes when they rode up over her belly. Reyes made sure she ate enough. Lily kept touching her nape like she was silently reminding herself that Emily was still there, still safe, still hers.
Emily complained about all of it, but she also secretly liked being fussed over. It made her feel cherished, even if it was exhausting.
Meeting the families had been another story entirely.
Hellen and Ivory had no families that mattered in the same way, or at least none that were involved enough to make a scene, so those meetings were simple enough. But Ana’s family had been a surprise in the best way.
They had been far too excited when they found out Ana was dating Emily. Apparently, they had spent so long assuming Ana was asexual that this revelation had shocked them completely.
The moment they saw Emily, their expressions changed from disbelief to open delight. They kept asking questions, smiling too much, and acting as if they had just been handed the most unexpected blessing of the year.
Ana’s grandfather had been the most serious of them all. He looked at Emily with the sharp, careful eyes of someone who had already decided she mattered. He didn’t waste time with polite nonsense. He straightened his cane, studied Ana, then turned to Emily and spoke in a voice that made the whole room go quiet.
"She is precious," he said. "If you hurt her, I will know."
Ana sighed softly, half embarrassed, half amused. "Grandfather."
He ignored her and kept looking into her eyes. "Take care of her. Love her properly. Do not make her cry for the wrong reasons."
"Of course, but did your forgot that you were here doctor, who ignored some important tests."
He ignored her and turned towards Emily. "You will not be a bad partner to her, right?"
Emily blinked, then laughed awkwardly and bowed her head a little. "I won’t, sir."
He nodded once, satisfied. "Good. Then you are welcome here."
Ana’s mother had already been dabbing her eyes by then. "She’s beautiful," she whispered, clearly emotional. "Ana never brought home anyone like this before. In fact, she never brought anyone. I thought that my family lineage will die with me."
Ana groaned. "Please stop saying it like that."
Her younger relatives, however, were far less restrained. One of them grinned and said, "So this is the famous Emily? The one who made Ana actually lose her composure?"
Emily nearly choked on her tea. Ana muttered, "I did not lose my composure."
"You absolutely did," her cousin said immediately.
Emily covered her mouth, trying not to laugh too hard, but the family’s warmth made her relax in a way she hadn’t expected. They asked about her pregnancy, her business, her work, and the five alphas, though always with a little more curiosity than judgment.
By the end of the visit, they had already started treating her like family, and Ana looked absurdly relieved.
Lily’s parents had been different, but also strangely easy in their own way. They had clearly been told enough about Lily over the years to have built their own expectations, and those expectations had apparently been very low.
When they first heard Lily was dating Emily, they looked shocked, then sceptical, and then oddly amused.
Her mother stared at Lily and said, "You? Dating someone else? I thought you would marry yourself one day."
Lily gave her a flat look. "That was unnecessary."
"It was accurate," her mother replied.
Her father looked at Emily for a long moment, then let out a slow breath. "So, this is the one who managed to keep Lily interested. I knew you from the moment you used to stalk Lily."
Emily opened her mouth, then shut it again, because she didn’t know whether that was praise or concern.
Lily’s mother crossed her arms. "I’m still trying to understand how the girl who used to act like everyone was beneath her ended up this domesticated."
"I am not domesticated," Lily said immediately.
Faye, who had been leaning against the wall the whole time with the kind of relaxed confidence that made everything worse, smirked and said, "You absolutely are. You used to act like the world was your mirror, and now you’re following Emily around like a very arrogant housecat."
Lily turned slowly. "Say that again."
Faye laughed. "I said what I said."
Emily had to bite her lip to keep from smiling too much. Lily looked offended, her parents looked entertained, and Faye looked like she was having the time of her life. But under the teasing, there was affection.
Lily’s parents were clearly relieved that she had someone who made her softer, less lonely, and more human.
Even if they teased her about it, they accepted Emily quickly enough once they realized how seriously Lily cared.
At one point Lily’s mother studied Emily’s bump and said, "You’re really carrying all this with that many people hovering over you?"
Emily gave a tired little smile. "Barely."
Lily’s father huffed. "Then they should hover better."
That made everyone laugh, even Lily.
After that, Emily became more comfortable with the family gatherings. She still got tired easily, and there were days when her breasts felt so full and sore that she had to sit very carefully, or days when the milk leaked so suddenly, she had to excuse herself immediately.
The alphas were always ready with extra clothes, tissues, warm water, cushions, and hands to steady her when she got light-headed.
Her pregnancy was becoming more visible, more demanding, and more real every day, but she was also surrounded by people who treated her like she mattered.
