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After Paige leaves, I finish the vomit-covered laundry and watch over my baby girl. I can tell she's not feeling well because she barely moves from the couch, barely talks, just watches her show as I try to get fluids into her.
“Here, baby, have a drink of this.”
“What that?”
“It’s ginger ale, it’s fun, it has bubbles. It will help your belly feel better.”
“Okay.” She takes a sip from her pink cup and scrunches up her nose. “It make my nose feel funny.” Laughing a little, I push her hair out of her eyes and marvel at how lucky I am to be her mom.
“Yeah, pop can make your nose feel funny sometimes. How is your belly?”
“Okay.” On that, she yawns a bit and rolls back over to watch her show.
Paige brought way more soup than she needed to, so we will be eating that for the next several days, but I won’t complain—not with having just lost my job. It isn't long before I tuck Maddie into bed and grab my tea. I settle onto the couch, phone in hand and the smell of peppermint lingering in the air, and open the app.
Wolfy182: How is your daughter doing today? I hope she is feeling better.
Lilac351: She is better. At least she stopped vomiting and is keeping down liquid. I’m tired, though.
Wolfy182: I wish I could help. I’m sure it’s tough doing it all on your own.
Lilac351: Luckily, my best friend came over and brought some soup. I’m lucky to have her.
Wolfy182: I’m glad to hear it. Who will be with her when you go to work?
Well, I guess I will be bringing this subject up quicker than I had initially hoped.
Lilac351: Well actually…I lost my job. When I called to let them know my daughter was sick and I couldn’t come in, they fired me.
Wolfy182: WHAT! They can’t do that. That goes against labor laws.
Lilac351: Ya, well, apparently, because I have had to take a few family emergency days, it’s allowed them to say I was not fulfilling my work obligations.
Wolfy182: That’s bullshit.
What are you going to do?
Lilac351: Not sure yet…spruce up my resume, I guess, and find another job.
Wolfy182: Well, I may have an idea if you're willing to hear it; I wanted to talk to you anyway about something.
My heart beats just a bit faster. Is this when he realizes that dating a single mom is not for him? I know we’ve just been talking, but he has given me hope that maybe I might be able to find love in this harsh world. That maybe I am worth someone’s time even though my true mate didn’t think so. The bouncing three dots seem to take forever to produce a message from my mystery man.
Wolfy182: I know it’s only been a week, but there is just an unexplainable pull to you. I am constantly distracted, hoping you might have messaged, or I am counting the hours until I can sit and talk to you like this. I guess what I’m trying to say is I want to take the next step. I want to meet you, see you, and get to know you in person. Maybe this is fate! We could move on to the trial run and see if we work outside the app. You don’t have a job to worry about now, and I have tons of space at my place for you and your little girl.
A single tear falls down my cheek because this feels a little surreal. He isn’t rejecting me. He actually wants to pursue this further.
Lilac351: You don’t think it’s too soon?
Wolfy182: I know we have long lifespans as shifters, but we aren’t exactly known for taking relationships slow.;)
I can’t help but snort at that because it’s true. Shifters don’t take things slow. We find our true mates and pretty much jump into bed with them, and that’s it. Of course, there are mating ceremonies, but shifters just know. Even with chosen mates, it happens like that for the most part. But that is also what got me into this situation in the first place. I am a single mom living in a city where I can’t even run around as my wolf. It’s been too long since I’ve let her out.
Lilac351: You’re right. Shifters are very primal people, but most don’t have a daughter to worry about.
Wolfy182: It must be scary to think about all the ins and outs of caring for your daughter and what is best for her, but…how do you feel about this? Maybe you don’t feel like I do, and that’s okay.
Lilac351: NO! I do! I look forward to talking every day. It has been so long since I have felt like anyone cared about me. I do feel a pull…and it’s terrifying.
