Fae-ted To The Alpha

Dale Wants to Move Out

Daisy

When I got home that evening, my parents were in the middle of debating about paint colors for the living room. I knew about it already because she had texted me about it earlier.

“Daisy, darling. Thank goodness you’re here. What do you think of ‘Calming Meadow’ versus ‘Ocean Breeze’?” my mom asked, holding up two paint swatches. My father was at his desk but he and mom were always active in everything they did.

“Uh, good evening, Mom. Eh yeah, they both look nice,” I said absently, dropping my bag by the door, in the true fashion of one who had parents taking care of them. I swear, I will never grow up fully, with the love my parents showered on Dale and me.

“You’re no help,” she teased, setting the swatches aside, already swooping to pick up my bag and placing it on a table nearby. “Did something happen at work today? You look distracted.”

Yeah, big time mom, but how do I tell you about the one-nighter I had with this hunky dreamy guy, who had the body of a Greek God and the voice of the devil that tempted me to think suck wicked things and also invited me over to dinner at his house? And if we get married, I’ll be the stepmother of someone nearly my age? I hesitated, unsure how to explain. Going in the direction of the kitchen, I say, “It’s nothing. Just a long day.”

Dad chimed in, glancing up from his laptop. “Dale wanted to know if you’re free this weekend to help him test some graphics for his new game.” My parents approved of Dale’s choice of occupation, which is shocking because they used to complain that he played too many online games as a teenager and young adult.

“Tell him I’ll think about it,” I said, retreating to my kitchen before they could ask any more questions. Mum had mentioned she made a milk punch of a pulpy fruit. Soursop and I loved that. Especially because it was passed down from my grandparents, like many of the ‘strange’ food recipes my mother cooked for us, that we enjoyed.

Pouring a glass of the chilled drink and drinking half the contents, I headed upstairs to my room with the remaining half.

Alone, I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. Rik’s face was still on my mind unbidden, followed by the memory of his invitation. There was something about him- something that made it impossible to stay indifferent. And now, knowing he had a daughter, it only added another layer to the enigma that was Rik Frost.

“Why does he have to be so damn intriguing?” I muttered to myself, getting up to sip the drink I had placed on the coaster on top of my desk. Then I found myself wavering. Maybe going to dinner wasn’t such a bad idea. If nothing else, it would give me a chance to learn more about him, about his pack, and maybe even about myself.

But deep down, I knew there was more to it than that. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, there was an undeniable pull between us and one that neither time nor logic seemed able to break.

Friday came around and was a blur. Spending the weekend with my brother Dale was supposed to be a distraction, but instead, it made me think about my own life more than I intended. He was working on a new game design, his screen flashing vibrant landscapes and detailed character models as he fine-tuned textures and animations. I sat obliquely opposite him, watching absentmindedly, my mind half-focused on the bright images while I scrolled through my phone.

“You’re awfully quiet," he remarked, not looking up from his laptop. We had just left his room because he said he needed fresh air and so we were outside in the backyard, sipping on another drink mom made us. Mauby.

It’s a drink made from the bark of the mauby tree and is slightly bitter, so sugar cinnamon, and cloves are added to it. Sometimes Mom adds milk to it, but not today.

I shrugged. “Just thinking. You seem extra focused too.”

He sighed, closing his laptop with a soft click before turning to me. "I’ve been meaning to tell you something, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up."

That got my attention. I set my phone down. “Alright. Spill.”

Dale turned around and scanned the house and the backyard before leaning towards me. “I’m thinking of moving out,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just don’t know how to break it to Mom and Dad.”

Huh? I blinked. Dale, moving out? The idea had never really crossed my mind. He’d always been here. Reliable, steady Dale. I reared my head back. “Wow. Okay. Well, that’s kind of the whole point of growing up, right? College, moving out, getting your own space, but you never did.”

He let out a dry chuckle and straightened himself back on his seat, finishing his drink and chewing at the straw. “You say that, but you haven’t left either.”

That hit differently. The conversation quieted between us for a few moments. He wasn’t wrong. We both lived at home, and our parents never made us feel like we needed to leave. They enjoyed having us around, and honestly, I loved being with them. The idea of moving out felt... empty. But Dale’s words sat on my chest like a weight.

“Yeah, I know,” I admitted. “It’s just... I don’t feel the need to leave. They’re great, you know? They check in, they care. It’s not like they smother us.” Though we have been told by outsiders that our parents do, in fact, smother us. They didn’t. They were the most loved parents that cared for their kids that I could think of and trust me, I’d seen plenty of the opposite. Like Pat, her father wanted her to begin paying rent at eighteen because ‘he had bills to pay’ and he wasn’t ‘legally obligated’ to take care of her anymore. Of course, the man had bills upon bills, but why be so cruel towards his eldest child? It didn’t make sense- not to me anyway.

Pat said she found it a bit unfair, but she understood he was saying that she should move out because he needed the space for his other kids whom he had with her stepmother, who was sickly and could not work to help support the piling bills. I called it a load of crap. Pat had moved out and tough luck for her father because Pat now had a great job and had he been a great parent he would have reaped some of the benefits from her. Patricia would have aided him in more than just bills, but her stepmother had been awful to her, growing up. So, she had cut ties with the entire family the week after she moved out.

Dale studied me for a moment before leaning back. “You’ve grown up a bit lately.”

I gave him a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, since Jordan,” he said carefully. He held my gaze for a bit but he did not question me about him. The mention of Jordan had sent an unpleasant twinge through me, but I forced a small smile until he finished what he was saying.

“You have changed. I can’t name it but you seem different and I didn’t mean because of Jordan you changed, Dai. (pronounced as day) I meant in general terms.” Then his tone changed as if he was saying point forms. “You have a serious boyfriend, you go out, and you get drunk sometimes.” Then it went back to normal. “You have a job- you know... adulting, I think they call it?” He wore a slight furrow between his eyebrows. “Aren’t you at least a little motivated to get your own place? Privacy, independence... you know, all that?”

My brother had me thinking of how just earlier today and like every day, I dropped my bag by the doorway when I came home from work and I felt a bit bad because here he was saying he thought I was maturing.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.” I did actually think about it but not on a serious level. Only when Jordan mentioned it to me. So, we could have ‘more time to ourselves’ he had said. See, Jordan lived in his own house but on the same property as his parents, so we had to sneak into and out of his place at the time. So, it’s not as if I could tell this to my brother... cringe.

Dale exhaled like he was debating whether to say more. “Well, my girlfriend wants me to get my own place.”

That made me sit up straight. “Wait- what? You have a girlfriend? Since when?”

He winced. “I knew you’d react like this. It’s new. But it’s serious. And, well... not my first relationship either.”

My mouth opened, then closed. I didn’t even know Dale had a previous relationship, let alone a new girlfriend. Obviously, I did not think he lived his life as a saint either, but I figured he had casual dates and such. I stared at him, realizing there was an entire side to my brother that I hadn’t known. How had I missed this? “Why didn’t you tell me? Or Mom and Dad?”

“Because it’s not that easy,” he muttered. “I just... didn’t feel like dealing with their reactions. Or yours. I don’t want Mom obsessing over it or Dad giving me ‘the talk.’ I wanted to handle it on my own first.”

For the first time, I saw Dale in a different light. He wasn’t just my older brother who still lived at home. He had a life, relationships, and struggles I hadn’t noticed because I assumed I knew everything about him. It was a jarring realization.

And then, naturally, my thoughts shifted to Rik. I wasn’t sure why, but the comparison lodged itself in my brain. Dale had a whole side of himself he’d kept private, and I was only now learning about it. What about Rik? He had a daughter I hadn’t even known existed when I slept with him- even though talking was the last thing on our minds that night. What else didn’t I know about him?

The way he’d looked at me at work, the way he seemed to be seeking me out, it was starting to make me feel things I wasn’t ready to acknowledge. Because, unlike Dale, Rik didn’t seem like the type to keep things to himself. He was direct and intense. And that scared me more than I cared to admit.

“Earth to Daisy?” Dale nudged me, grabbing my drink. “You zoned out. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” I said too quickly. “Just... thinking. About you. About everything.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he let it slide. “Well, anyway, if you decide to move out, in the very near future, let me know. Maybe we can look at places together. Or, you know, at least keep Mom from crying when she realizes she won’t have us under the same roof forever.”

“That defeats the purpose of moving out, Dale.” I forced a laugh, but the truth was, I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready to leave home.