Chapter 406

Olivia

“Olivia! So glad you could make it!”

Kylie rose from her seat at the diner, where we had agreed to meet for yet another wedding planning meeting. Nathan was busy at work, just as he had been more than usual lately. I didn’t blame him, though. Being an Alpha was a demanding position.

But today, it felt more inconvenient than usual. I couldn’t find anyone to babysit the twins, and so I had decided to bring them—and to top it all off, I was having morning sickness.

“Sorry I’m a little late,” I said as I hugged her and sat down. “Things have been a bit hectic.”

She waved it off with a smile. “No worries, I completely understand. Let’s dive right in, shall we?”

Over the course of our meal, we delved into wedding plans, discussing everything from the venue to the decorations. Kylie had a knack for making the process feel easy and enjoyable, and I appreciated her guidance.

“Now, about the decorations,” Kylie began, flipping through her notes. “I know you wanted those handcrafted wooden signs with calligraphy for the ceremony, but they’re currently out of stock due to high demand.:

I couldn’t hide my disappointment. I had envisioned those signs adding a personal touch to our wedding ceremony. “Oh, that’s a shame. I had my heart set on them.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I think I’ve found an alternative that I think you’ll love just as much,” she said gently. “We can have custom chalkboard signs made with beautiful calligraphy. They’re versatile and can be used for both the ceremony and the reception, and they’re a rental, so they’re cheaper. What do you think?”

I considered her suggestion and nodded, a smile tugging at my lips. “That sounds good to me. Thanks, Kylie.”

As we continued discussing wedding plans, however, the twins grew increasingly fussy. Aurora started to cry, and Elliot chimed in with his own wails. I glanced around the diner, aware that we were disrupting the peaceful atmosphere.

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and I frantically tried to calm them down.

“Shh, mommy’s almost done,” I whispered, rocking the stroller gently. But the twins were having none of it, their cries growing louder.

Kylie leaned in, her expression sympathetic. “Olivia, do you think we should continue this discussion another time?”

I appreciated her understanding and nodded. “I’m so sorry about this, Kylie. Thank you.”

With a heavy heart, I paid for our meal and gathered the twins. Their cries seemed to echo through the diner as I hurriedly made my way out. The patrons’ annoyed glances and hushed comments cut deep, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was failing at managing everything.

Once we were outside, I did my best to soothe Aurora and Elliot. I rocked them gently, cooing softly, but they remained restless. It was moments like these that made me question just how much more I could juggle.

…

The days leading up to the First Snow Festival had been a whirlwind of activity. Wedding preparations and festival preparations were piling up, and I found myself juggling more tasks than I had ever imagined.

It was both exciting and overwhelming, and there were moments when I feared I might mix things up.

As I stood in the park, overseeing the last day of setup for the festival, I couldn’t help but feel a knot of anxiety in my stomach. The vendors were busy arranging their stalls, and the volunteers were hanging up decorations, but I still had a long list of things to check off.

Just then, a delivery truck pulled up to the curb, catching my attention.

I walked over to it, my brow furrowed as I wondered what it was for. Had there been a last-minute change in the festival decorations that I wasn’t aware of? Hell, my mind felt so scattered lately that I didn’t even know if I had ordered something for the festival and had completely forgotten.

The driver hopped out of the truck, holding a clipboard and a stack of boxes. He approached me with a friendly smile. “Hey there, I’ve got a delivery for Olivia. Where should I put these wedding decorations?”

I blinked in confusion, the pieces slowly coming together in my mind. Wedding decorations? But we were in the park, not at the wedding venue. Panic bubbled up inside of me as I realized what had happened.

“Oh no,” I muttered to myself, my face surely turning a bright shade of crimson. “I must have given them the wrong date.”

The driver raised an eyebrow, his smile fading. “Wrong date? Are you sure? We were scheduled to deliver these decorations today.”

I nodded, feeling utterly embarrassed. “I’m so sorry. I meant to have these delivered to a different location at a different time. This is all my fault.”

The driver let out a sigh, clearly annoyed. “Great, now what do I do with all these boxes? We’ve got a tight schedule, and I can’t just haul them back to the warehouse.”

I racked my brain, trying to come up with a solution. “I’m so sorry, sir,” I stammered, my voice trembling slightly. “I’m just handling so much—”

“Yeah, and you think I’m not handling a lot?” he asked, his voice raising slightly. “You know this will just fall on me, right? I could lose my job!”

“I—I’m so sorry—” I began, but my voice trailed off. I swallowed, staring down at the ground as I fought to hold back tears.

Just then, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hushed voices nearby. I turned to see a group of familiar faces—the town’s gossips. Laura, Stephanie, and Margaret were standing not too far away, and they were clearly enjoying my misfortune.

“Look at her,” Laura whispered loudly to her companions. “She can't even get simple things right. How can she possibly handle a job, being a Luna, and a mother all at once?”

The other two gossips chuckled, nodding in agreement. “It’s unbelievable,” Stephanie added. “She’s supposed to be the Luna, but she’s making a fool of herself.”

My eyes filled with tears, a mixture of frustration and embarrassment washing over me. I quickly looked back up at the delivery driver, who was just standing there and staring at me with his hands on his hips.

“Well?” he asked. “Are you gonna take the decorations or not? I haven’t got all day, lady.”

I swallowed. “Just… give me a moment,” I said, taking a step back. “I’ll be right back.”

Before the delivery driver could respond, I was turning on my heel and storming off. I could hear the gossips’ snickers and the delivery driver yelling after me, but I didn’t care. I didn’t know where I was going; I just needed to get out of here. I couldn’t let them see me cry.

With my breath caught in my throat, I picked up my pace and ran off, finding a secluded place behind the Council building. I stopped once I was out of sight and leaned against the side of the building, taking deep breaths to calm myself.

“Why are you crying?” Jade asked, sounding perturbed. “You’re the Luna. Stand up for yourself!”

“It’s just… too much,” I breathed, sinking onto the ground with my back against the wall. I buried my head in my knees, feeling a wave of morning sickness wash over me. “I can’t do it. I feel like I’m gonna pass out.”

My wolf sighed, and her demeanor shifted from annoyance to one of concern.

“It’s the pregnancy hormones,” I murmured into my knees. “I just need a few minutes, and then I’ll be fine…”

“Or,” Jade said, “you could just ask someone for help, Olivia.”

Her words gave me pause. I couldn’t ask for help right now, not when people were already judging me. I needed to put up this facade; I needed to keep up the act that I was not only a mother, but also a Luna and a worker.

Asking for help would just make me seem like a failure…

Wouldn’t it?