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Cassie tried not to be nervous, but it was hard not to. The omega had no clue what to expect tonight.
As an omega who only dated other omegas, Cassie didn’t have trouble finding dates. Most of the time, they didn’t go anywhere, but when they did, well, it never lasted. Cassie could count on one hand how many serious relationships she had. Cassie had been close to moving in with partners before and just when she thought it would happen, it would crash and burn.
It was nothing she would do wrong.
It wasn’t even something her partners did wrong.
It was her partner’s parents…
Cassie had yet to be introduced to any parents who were thrilled their adult omega children were dating another omega. They would throw fits, and threaten to cut them off, and it always resulted in the same. Cassie would either be dumped or walk away because she refused to put up with any parents’ abuse.
After the last ex, Cassie swore she would stay single for a while and she kept true to it… Until she met the most beautiful, kickass omega she had ever met in her life, Jo Harvelle. Cassie had found a bar to drink away her frustrations. The report she had spent weeks writing was rejected because it was “too controversial” and Cassie was regretting her life choices. What was the point of being a journalist when the papers didn’t want to run the real stuff? She should have just invested in her own news site, but then, who would actual read it?
While she was feeling sorry for herself, she heard a commotion. Some knotheads were bothering some omega with long blonde hair. They didn’t care the omega was with a group of friends, they just kept harassing them. Cassie, not being one to sit back and let knotheads think they ruled the world, got up, and stormed over to them. But, Cassie never had the chance to confront them. The blonde omega stood up and threw one hell of a right hook, knocking the alpha on his ass. The other alphas backed up, left their fallen friend on his own, and the guy called her a bitch before running away with his tail tucked between his legs.
Cassie stood stunned, so impressed by what she had seen, it made her stupid. She kept staring at the other omega and when the other woman looked and they locked eyes, Cassie was sure was gonna get punched too. However, the other omega just grinned at her, nodded her head, and asked, “Sup?”
They spent the night drinking, talking, and laughing, and when the bar closed, Jo wrote her number on a napkin and told Cassie to call her sometime. Cassie called the very next day and they’ve been dating for months since. Cassie had never felt this way for someone else before. Jo was Cassie’s true mate, the omega believed it with her whole heart. Things were going so well, and then, Jo told Cassie she was going to tell her parents about them.
Cassie felt her heart break into pieces, she wasn’t ready for this to be over. She loved Jo, she needed this to work, and she couldn’t take it if Jo’s parents hated her just because she was an omega too. Jo tried to assure her everything would be okay, that her parents were cool, but Cassie had heard that one before. The night Jo went to tell her parents, Cassie waited for the phone call, the one where Jo would tell her this wouldn’t work out. When said phone call arrived, it went nothing how Cassie thought it would.
“Yo, I told my rents about you!” Jo said instead of the normal hello greeting.
Cassie’s brows drew together, Jo sounded way too excited for someone who just been chewed out for dating the same-subgender. “Oh?”
“Yeah! My mom wants to know if you want to decorate sugar cookies with us.”
Out of everything Cassie was expecting, that was not it. What parent found out their child was dating the same-subgender and was like, “Invite them over to decorate cookies”? Cassie didn’t even feel like she was in her body when she told Jo she’d be there. She felt lightheaded for hours, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. When Cassie’s senses finally came back, she felt way over her head. Just because Jo’s parents wanted to meet her didn’t mean everything was going to be sunshine and roses. They probably wanted to pull Cassie aside and threaten her to stay away from their daughter.
Cassie couldn’t back out now though, Jo had been so excited all week long that Cassie was meeting her parents. It would be fine, Jo’s parents could threaten her all she wanted, Cassie wouldn’t stop seeing Jo. Nothing would make Cassie leave the omega unless Jo, herself, told Cassie it was over.
But no matter how many times Jo tried to tell Cassie everything would be okay. No matter how hard Cassie tried to convince herself everything would go well, she felt her stomach twisting in knots. When Jo picked her up and drove off to her parents' house, Cassie’s skin was vibrating. Seeing where her parents lived, well, it made Cassie even more nervous. The house was huge, but it was run down and it looked like the place where cars went to die. There were cars everywhere, in the front yard, the back yard, in the garage, and there were even cars stacked on top of cars. Cassie was calling it now, Jo’s parents were those type of Southerners. The omega could see Jo’s alpha parent chasing her out of the yard with a shotgun.
Cassie snapped back to reality when she felt Jo’s hand on top of hers. Jo smiled at her while squeezing her hand. “It’s gonna be okay, they might look scary, but they’re good people.”
Cassie knew her girlfriend was trying to be reassuring, but that only made her more nervous. Still, Cassie smiled and squeezed Jo’s hand back. “I’m not worried.” She lied through her teeth.
It was the right call though, Jo grinned and then she was out of the car. Cassie followed right behind her and they walked hand in hand towards the house. Now they were approaching, Cassie couldn’t calm her nerves. Her heart rate spiked up, her stomach was swirling, and no matter how much Jo tried to ease her with calming pheromones, it wasn’t helping.
When Jo knocked on the door, Cassie didn’t feel anything. She thought she was so scared, her brain didn’t know how to process emotions anymore. That was until a scary-looking alpha woman opened the door. She had a stern-looking face and looked like she wouldn’t take shit from anyone. Cassie was way over her head.
Then, a smile broke out across the alpha’s face and she pulled Jo into a crushing hug. “Good to see ya.” The alpha pulled away and then looked at Cassie. The smile was still on her face, but it wasn’t as bright. “Well, don’t be rude, Jo. Introduce me to this omega of yours.”
Jo grabbed Cassie’s hand, slightly pulling her closer. “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Cassie. Cassie, this is my mom, Ellen.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Cassie stuck out her hand and Ellen gave it a powerful shake.
“Nice to meet ya too. Come on in.” Cassie and Jo followed Ellen inside and dang, this place was packed with books.
Jo noticed her looking, grinned, and whispered in her ear. “This isn’t even the library.”
“There’s a library in here?” Cassie gasped out loud and Ellen hummed.
“Yup, my husband’s. He used to work on cars but he had an accident. Teaching now, which is fitting ‘cause he’s always been a big bookworm.” Ellen told her as they headed into the kitchen.
In the kitchen was a scruffy-looking omega in a wheelchair. He had a face full of hair and a ratty baseball cap. He was sitting sprinkles on a table that already had five containers of sprinkles, ten packs of icing tubes, and two containers of vanilla frosting. The older omega looked up, and just like his wife, had a resting bitch face. Until a second later and he was giving them a small smile.
“So, you gotta be Cassie.” The older omega said as he rolled up to them. He reached his hand out to Cassie, which she took. “I’m Bobby.”
“Nice to meet you, Bobby.” Cassie said.
Bobby rolled back. “Well, I think I got everything out for decorating. We don’t normally do this, but Ellen wanted to make gingerbread cookies.”
Jo frowned. “I thought we were doing sugar cookies.”
“We are.” Ellen assured and Bobby chuckled.
“That’s because she kept ruinin’ the gingerbread dough.” Bobby said with a smirk and Ellen rolled her eyes.
“We were never… The domestic type of couple before. I figured I’d try to add a new tradition.” Ellen clapped her hands together. “So, let’s quit yapping about how bad of a baker I am and get to decorating.”
Cassie took a seat next to Jo and Ellen sat next to Bobby. Ellen passed everyone a cookie before handing Jo one of the tubs of vanilla frosting. Cassie looked at her cookie and bit the inside of her cheek. “I’m not sure mine are going to look any good.”
Ellen snorted. “Then you’ll fit right in. This is a first for all of us.”
“Where’s the blue?” Bobby asked and Ellen passed him a little white tube. “So, Cassie?”
“Yes sir?” Cassie asked as she spread frosting across her cookie.
“Just Bobby.”
“Of course, Bobby.”
“Whadda do for a living?” Bobby asked as he started to outline with the blue icing.
“I’m a journalist.” Cassie told him proudly. She had told other parents about her profession with pride before. They would call her a vulture, but Cassie refused not to be proud of her job. The only one who could be disappointed with her place of work was her.
Bobby hummed. “Bout time Jo got herself an omega with a real job.”
Cassie’s eyebrows shot up and Jo yelped. “Hey! Not all my exes were losers! Not that I’m not happy they didn’t work out, ‘cause now I have you.” Jo quickly told Cassie with a lopsided smile on her face.
“The guy who refused to get a job ‘cause he was a rapper who sold songs on SoundCloud, that didn’t sell.” Bobby said.
“What about the chick who refused to work ‘cause Jo would pay everything for her?” Ellen asked.
Bobby grinned at Ellen. “Oh, don’t forget about that fellow who quit his job to follow his dream to become a full-time poker player.”
“Oh yeah, whatever happened to him?” Ellen asked.
“He’s livin’ in his mother’s basement.”
“I thought we were here to decorate cookies.” Jo groaned while Cassie was doing her best not to snicker.
“Right, right, sorry.” Bobby said as he reached for the sprinkles.
Cassie had done her best to get her icing nice and smooth, but it was still lumpy. It was as good as it was going to get so she grabbed the red tube of frosting. “So, Ellen? Bobby? How did you guys meet?”
Bobby snorted and Ellen ducked her head. “Well, I had just gotten back from a huntin’ trip, and after butcherin’ and packagin’ the meat, I just wanted a drink. I quit goin’ to the bar I used to go to. It used to be okay but things were a lot different back then. Folks didn’t really give two shit ‘bout omegas and the place started to be a real knothead hangout. So, I found another place I figured I try. Some run-down bar called the Roadhouse.”
“Hey!” Ellen protested. “It wasn’t run down.”
Bobby chuckled. “It looked like it was holding on by a thread.”
Ellen rolled her eyes. “It’s called ecstatic.”
“Sure.” Bobby winked at her. “Either way, it was the closet bar and it looked emptied so I figured I could grab a couple of beers before the rowdy crowd came in.”
“In my defense.” Ellen said, looking at Cassie. “I wasn’t exactly opened yet. Keep that in mind.”
“How was I supposed to know? There were two other cars.” Bobby butted in.
“One was mine and the other was from a drunken bastard who got wasted the night before. No one to drive him home so I let him crash in the bar.”
“Wait, you just left someone in your bar overnight? Weren’t you worried they rob you of all your alcohol?” Cassie asked.
“Nah, I was living there back then. Had a bedroom in the back.” Ellen replied.
“Anyways, the doors were unlocked, which is another reason why I thought they were open.” Bobby said.
“I forgot to lock the door and I was in the back gettin’ things ready.” Ellen added in.
Bobby scratched his beard. “Maybe it was then I shoudda known somethin’ was up. There wasn’t a soul in sight, but the doors were unlocked so I took a seat at the bar. The next thing I know, I’m staring into the barrel of a shotgun.”
“What?!” Cassie asked, her mouth hanging open while Jo laughed.
“I thought he was a thief!” Ellen defended.
“I was sitting at the bar.” Bobby snarked.
“Look, all I know is I’m in the back, and I’m hearing sounds like an elephant stomping around the front of the house.” Ellen added.
“Hey!” Bobby cried. “I didn’t sound like that!”
“You did! You’re the loudest omega I’ve ever met!” Ellen laughed. “So, I grabbed my shotgun and I ran out to the front. I wasn’t expecting to find him there, sitting at the bar!”
“She felt so bad, she offered me free drinks for the night.” Bobby told Cassie.
“I offered you free drinks ‘cause you look cute when you’re scared.” Ellen winked at him.
“Well, I don’t think I’m going to ever hear a story quite like that.” Cassie laughed.
“I heard you and Jo met at a bar as well.” Ellen said and Cassie nodded her head.
Cassie told her versions of events as they decorated cookies. Both Ellen and Bobby looked proud when she told them about Jo knocking some alpha onto his ass. Then the conversations flowed towards Cassie’s parents and that somehow landed on stories about Jo when she was a little pup. All making Jo’s face turn a shade of pink and Cassie loved it. When the cookies were done, well… Cassie, Jo, and Ellen’s cookies looked like they had been done by drunk children. Unlike Bobby’s who looked like they came right out of a bakery. The frosting was neat and the Christmas designs the older omega made looked like they had been done by a professional.
Bobby shrugged. “What? I like to watch baking shows.”
“Let’s take these cookies into the living room and watch some Frosty.” Ellen said, already standing up.
“Frosty? Like the classic Frosty the Snowman?” Cassie asked.
“Yup!” Ellen said as she grabbed the big plate where they had been sitting their finished cookies on.
“Frosty is mom’s favorite movie.” Jo said and with as tough-as-nails vibes as Ellen gave out, Cassie wasn’t expecting that.
Jo helped Bobby grab cups and fill them up with eggnog. They all settled into the living room as Ellen cued up the cartoon. Jo snuggled close to Cassie as they munched on their cookies and watched the Frosty come to life. Cassie felt at home at that moment and it was an odd, but welcoming feeling. Jo wasn’t lying, Bobby and Ellen were pretty chill once Cassie got to know them. She was hit with this feeling, one she couldn’t put words to, but Cassie was excited for their future. Cassie knew she and Jo were going to be in it for the long run.