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Dear Faranak,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. It has been a long time since we have spoken. The last time, I believe, was soon after your wedding, 8 years ago, to tell me of my soon-to-be sibling.
Regardless of the time since passed, I must inform you of my marriage with Al Haitham, the son of one of Dad's friends. The boy I once hung around a lot in the Academiya. Well, we got married last year, about 10 months ago. The wedding was fairly small, only those very dear to us attending. I didn't bother inviting you. I wanted the day to be about me for once, and I knew that in the small chance you did come, I would remind you too much of Father.
I only wrote to tell you that my husband and I are expecting our first child soon. There is no need for you to come visit; I know you are too busy with your life to come visit me. I have plenty of support from my family and friends here. Collie, Tighnari’s and Cyno’s (the general Mahamatra) adopted daughter even sewed together a little stuffed animal for the future baby as soon as she heard the news.
Despite it all, I thought, you knowing I was alive and well would be important. I have written a return address onto the back of this letter, use it if you want,
~Kaveh Wasem
Faranak had no idea what to feel. It had been many years since she last wrote to her firstborn. It felt so alien to think about him now. Despite this all, it hurt how he wrote to her.
Her firstborn had not invited her to his wedding, much less that he was in a relationship with that Haitham boy from his youth. And now she was to become a grandmother?
It felt impossible to her. How dare her child not tell her all of this important information? It hasn't been that long since she last wrote to him after all... Right?
"Bien-aimée what have you so worked up about," her husband said to her. Having just put their child to bed.
Wordlessly she handed him the letter. Seeing no point in hiding anything from him.
He looked through the letter, reading it in its entirety before looking up at his wife.
"Seems like his life has been going well. What's wrong?"
"What's wrong is that he didn't let me know. Who knows how that Haitham boy is? And he didn't even invite me to his wedding. Much less that he was seeing someone. Do I not have the right as his mother to know about this? He never sends me letters or anything." Faranak expressed in a huff.
"Bien-ainee he has written to you. Multiple times. Every time you say you will respond but then I see the letters in the trash and you sleeping with the kids.” he spoke to her frankly.
“Faranak I love you, trust me, but you have been no mother to that boy for over 20 years. So even if he does turn his back on you for once. You have done it so many times that I'm surprised he still writes to you. Let the boy be happy for once. He deserves it.”
Faranak had no idea what to say to that, rendered speechless by her husband.
~~~~~~~
Meanwhile in Sumeru
Kaveh felt his back ache from sitting down for so long. While he is no longer taking on commissions due to his pregnancy, he still feels the restless need to create. Recently he's been painting images that he hopes to put in the nursery once it's complete.
“Is something the matter Kaveh?” a voice behind him asks.
Kaveh glanced back seeing his alpha leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed staring intensely at him.
“Nothing really,” he sighed “I just wonder if my mother even read the letter, it should've gotten there by now.” He glanced at his painting, fully aware of Alhaitham walking up behind him.
“I don't think it should matter. She won't be part of our child's life either way,” he stated plainly, despite his harsh words he was gentle in wrapping his arms around Kaveh. Placing his hands under the baby bump he carefully picked it up slightly, holding the weight in his hands. He could see Kaveh relax at that, despite taking it easy recently, no amount of sitting will change a baby putting weight on your organs.
“I love it when you do that,” Kaveh sighed relaxing against his husband.
“If I could I would hold you like this at every minute of the day, but then who should go out and buy your every whim and desire? I need to work so that the nursery can have the very best.”
Kaveh signed once more, a sad look on his face before turning his dead to glance at his husband. “Is it bad that I wish our child could have a grandma?” her voice soft and fragile sounding continued. “Is it horrible to wish she answer back one time, to wish me well, to visit, to even say I love you?”
Alhaitham gently wiped the tears starting to form in Kaveh’s ruby eyes, his omega had cried enough tears for that woman who barely raised him, and he wasn't about to let him cry anymore.
“It's not bad to wish Habibi,” he stated, in a matter-of-fact tone that he used when he knew he was correct, one Kaveh had listened to whenever they fought, he couldn't help but laugh at the memories.
Kaveh” Alhaitham said turning to meet him face-to-face, “You were allowed to believe that your father's death was your fault, and your mother in her selfish grief never looked past her own to raise you. Her grief was no excuse for neglect and in many ways, she failed you.”
Tears were now streaming down Kaveh’s face, the abandonment he had felt throughout his childhood still ever-present in his heart and mind.
He knew it wasn't his fault, Alhaitham proved it to him during the Akademiya Extravaganza, he was just a child who wanted a pretty crown unknowing of the powers it held, but after so long of blaming himself it hurt.
“I wish she loved me” he sobbed, “why wasn't I good enough?” his body collapsed under grief, weakened from having to nourish another being. Alhaithan caught him easily enough, picking him up as though his extra weight meant nothing, he distantly acknowledged his body being carried into their bedroom and gently deposited in his nest.
Kaveh was gently rocked by his alpha as he sobbed, his alpha slowly releasing a calming scent to lure him out of his tears.
“I love you Kaveh,” alhaitham murmured. “I love you and I love our pup, we will be the parents we never got to have and our pup will never know what it is like to be lonely, swear by the archons.”
Kaveh's now-quiet sobs allowed him to take in the words, the distant feeling of Althahim gently rubbing his stomach where their pup lay quiet for now.
“I love you as well Alhaithm,” He whispered as though a prayer “And I love our pup as well”
Sat there in their nest, laid an alpha and omega, ready to bring in their pup to the world. Though never allowed to have parents to raise them, they swore to each other and themselves that they would love their pup with all their worth.