Page 173 of Wisteria and Cloves
Julian nodded thoughtfully. "That's something to consider. Your followers have connected with you, with your authenticity. That could work in our favor." He paused, considering. "What if we used that platform as part of our approach? Not an announcement, necessarily, but continuing to share your genuine experiences might help counter any negative narratives."
The idea had merit. My online presence was small but growing, and the community I'd built seemed supportive. "I could make a post today…” I trailed off
Julian's eyes sharpened with interest. "What kind of post would you have in mind?"
"Something honest," I said, my voice growing steadier as the idea took shape. "About finding love in unexpected places, about choosing your own path. I could share a photo of us together—on my terms, with my words." I looked at him, seeking his reaction."That way, when the story breaks, people will have already heard it from me first."
"That could work," Julian said, a note of admiration in his voice. "It frames the narrative before anyone else can. Your followers trust you, and authenticity is powerful."
I felt a flutter of nerves mixed with determination. "Would the others be okay with that? With being public?"
“We all don’t mind going public. It will happen with our job eventually… .and we don’t mind having the world know that you’re our omega…” Julian paused seeing the look of surprise that took over my face, “You can ask them if you would like. I can message Mara and tell her in advance to give her the heads up.”
"I'd like to ask them," I said, smoothing my hands over my jeans as I stood. "This affects all of us."
Julian nodded, already reaching for his phone. "I'll text them to meet us in the living room. And I'll contact Mara immediately."
Ten minutes later, we were all gathered in the living room. Christopher had brought a tray with tea and freshly baked scones—his way of providing comfort in crisis. Miles sat on the edge of the couch, soil still under his fingernails from the garden. Nicolaus stood by the window, his posture rigid with tension.
"I'm sorry," he said the moment I entered the room, his eyes meeting mine with raw regret. "I should have been more careful."
I crossed to him immediately, taking his hands in mine. "This isn't your fault. We were just being normal people…besides I was the one who kissed you out in the open like that. So technically it is my fault…isn’t it?”
"No," Nicolaus said firmly, his grip tightening on my hands. "Don't you dare blame yourself for showing affection. You should never have to hide how you feel about us."
"Both of you stop," Julian interjected, his voice carrying that authoritative tone that commanded attention. "No one is at fault here. We've been careful, but we can't control every photographer with a camera."
Miles looked up from where he'd been staring at his dirt-stained hands. "What's done is done. The question is how we move forward."
Christopher set down the tea tray with more force than necessary, the cups rattling. "I say we get ahead of it. Release our own statement before anyone else can twist the narrative."
"That's what Lilianna and I were discussing," Julian said, settling into his chair with practiced calm. "She had the idea of making a social media post first on her account…and then we will release our statement soon after.”
All eyes turned to me, and I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. "I thought maybe sharing something honest on my account might help. My followers have watched me discover music, art, cooking... they've seen me finding myself. They just haven't known who they were sharing that journey with."
"What would you say?" Miles asked, his expression thoughtful as he wiped garden soil from his hands with a cloth Christopher had provided.
"The truth," I said simply. "That I’ve found love when I wasn't looking for it. That I'm being courted by four amazing men who encourage me to follow my dreams and discover who I really am." I glanced at each of them, drawing strength from their attentive faces. "I won't mention the arrangement or my mother. Just... us. The real us."
Nicolaus's posture relaxed slightly, his analytical mind visibly working through the strategy. "It's a smart approach. Your followers already know you as authentic and genuine. If they hear about us directly from you, they're more likely to trust that narrative when other versions emerge."
Christopher nodded, his expression softening as he looked at me. "I like it. It's honest without giving away details that aren't anyone's business."
"What kind of photo would you share?" Miles asked, leaning forward with interest.
I considered it for a moment. "Something natural. Not posed or perfect—just us being us. Maybe one from when we were all cooking together last week, or from that afternoon in the garden."
"I have one," Miles said, reaching for his phone. After scrolling for a moment, he turned the screen toward me. "Would this work?"
The photo made my breath catch. It was from last week, of me curled up on the couch and the others around me. It had been when I first started doing social pictures and wanting pictures of us together. It had just been mentioned in passing. I forgot about this picture being taken.
The photo captured a moment of pure contentment—me curled against Christopher's side while he read, Julian's hand resting on my ankle, Miles sitting on the floor with his head against my knee, and Nicolaus in the background, a soft smile on his face as he watched us. It was intimate without being inappropriate, loving without being overly romantic. Perfect.
"That's beautiful," I whispered, my chest tightening with emotion. "When did you take this?"
"Last Tuesday evening," Miles said, his voice gentle. "You were half-asleep, and Christopher was reading poetry aloud. Julian had just gotten home from work, and Nicolaus was pretending to grade papers but was really just watching you." He smiled at the memory. "I couldn't resist capturing it."
I looked around at each of them, seeing the same warmth in their expressions now that Miles had captured in the photograph. "May I use it?"
