Surrogate For Alpha Dom

The trip improves by leaps and bounds the moment we stop at the campground for the night.

“Finally,” I sigh, taking a deep breath of the fresh air as I climb down the steps of the RV, my baby curled in my arm and looking around him with bright and interested eyes. “It’s good to be on steady ground again.”

“Remind me never to take you on a boat,” Sinclair murmurs, coming down the stairs behind me. “If you didn’t like this…you won’t respond well to that.”

“Yes sir,” I say passively, smiling down at the baby, who frees one of his arms and reaches out into the cool evening air, clasping his fingers at a firefly who passes close by. I don’t mention that I liked the sea voyage to the desert much more than I liked this, even though the accommodations weren’t as nice.

“What about this?” Sinclair murmurs as he steps down the final step and comes to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I smile as I lean

back against his chest. “Is the forest an improvement?”

I look around our isolated campsite, lit with grey and blue tones in the dying light

of the day. I smile at what I see, appreciating the cool air and the blinking light of

the fireflies that float lazily through the space.

“Yes,” I say with a decisive nod. “This will do quite well.”

“Good,” Sinclair replies, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing

me and moving to a luggage compartment low on the RV, I watch as he opens it

and begins pulling out camping gear chairs, a cooler, some bags with extra

snacks and bug spray.

“Oh!” I say, surprised by it all as my mate begins to set it all up around a burnedout ring where a fire goes. “Oh, we’re very prepared.”

“Of course we are,” Roger says, climbing out of the RV with Cora behind him.

When he reaches the ground, Roger flicks the switch that prepares Henry’s little

elevator. “We’re always ready to go glamping in this family.”

I laugh at the term, settling into a chair that Sinclair waves me towards, smiling

down at the baby. “What do you think, Rafe?” I whisper to him. “Do you like

glamping?” He gives a happy little coo in response and I laugh, grinning up at

his father. “I think that’s a yes.”

“Kid has taste,” Sinclair says, winking at me as he continues his work. We’re all

settled around a fire much faster than I thought was possible and I smile as I

watch Sinclair and Roger set a little grill across it, apparently preparing to make

us our dinner as well.

“They only cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a

smile, “when it’s outdoors. Otherwise, they’re not interested.”

“Not true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still on the fire.

“Absolutely true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s

grilled. Otherwise I’m getting takeout.”

“Guess your baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to Cora.

adds, sighing. Then she looks over at me

mine. “You know

make them hire us chefs,” I consider.

the idea, and

the night the family gathered happily around

about nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll

not touching on any of the big, scary subjects

all know that they’re there, after all

simultaneously decide to leave them untouched for

tonight is just about laughter,

bite into a smore that Sinclair hands

the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur,

is so good, I can barely

laughs, you’re going to get marshmallow all

baby – ”

don’t care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing

“He

lifts Rafe from my arms. I

with my s’more anyway. Cora, Roger, and

me, apologizing in

mother is. I wave a hand at him, dismissing

his words, knowing that

s’more and look around at my family, watching

watches Sinclair and his grandchild

each other, not talking but clearly connected in this peaceful

nice out here,” Cora says, wrapping

“I didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dark by

as much as this.”

Roger murmurs,

Cora’s hair as he smiles at

stars and then turning her

Roger, beaming at him.

my face as I watch them. And then,

other, I decide

as I can, I stand up from my little camping chair and send a

at me, curious and I nod my

then towards Roger and Cora, who begin

then nods his understanding.

a hand on his back, leaning down to speak

by one, as stealthily as we

to be lifted into the RV with a noisy

baby make our way back into the

the fire to have a moment

they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs last

door shut behind him, the baby

the little kitchen nook, peering out the

through the tinted window.

that their business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit with me on the

us

some excuse about wanting to watch

both know he doesn’t

mate and

arms. “But you know I always want

you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms

the baby and I warmly against him, resting his chin on

look out at Cora

brother’s love life until you