It took her nearly an hour and a half to get to the post office, mail the packages and envelopes, and return to Camden’s house. She came inside and was greeted by the smell of onions and garlic, mixed with the scent of toasted bread.
“Hello?” she called out.
“We’re in here,” Camden said.
She walked through the spotless living room and dining room and found Camden and Sofia working together in the kitchen.
“Mommy, look! We made dinner!”
It wasn’t an extravagant feast by any means, but in the time she had been gone, Camden had made pasta, garlic bread, and a Caesar salad. She could also see that the laundry room was now empty of dirty clothes, all the dishes had been done, and the vacuuming was finished.
“Did you…did you clean?” she asked, stunned.
“Of course,” Camden said. “I told you I didn’t want you working yourself too hard anymore. I’m sorry about sending you on the errand, but I thought it was the only way to get you out of the house long enough for me to finish the chores.”
“You didn’t have to do any of that, though,” she said, still in shock.
Camden shrugged. “I’m used to doing chores. In the military, all tasks are shared equally. I don’t see any reason not to use that same mindset in our household.”
Sofia was practically beaming. “I told you to take a break, Mom!” she said. “Camden, let me help with cleaning, too. And I mixed up the salad all by myself.”
Camden grasped the little girl’s shoulder in a side hug and beamed down at her with pride. “You did a great job, Sof,” he said. “Now, who’s hungry?”
Flora watched warily as Sofia and Camden set the table. He pulled out a chair for Flora to sit in, and she reluctantly sat down at the table. There was something odd about Camden’s treatment of her. She didn’t know whether it was sinister or whether she was just so unused to kindness that any hint of it made her skin crawl. Regardless of what it was, she wanted to be prepared for anything.
She couldn’t help but notice that Camden and Sofia’s bond was growing closer each day. Sofia had always been a talker, but usually only had Flora for company. Flora had done her best to encourage her daughter’s imagination and personality to develop, but the struggle for survival had always taken up most of her mind. Camden didn’t have that problem and was able to devote undivided attention to her.
“I was watching a show about the ocean. Did you know an octopus can make itself really small and fit through tiny cracks? Isn’t that so cool?”
Sofia was monologuing now, but Camden didn’t seem to mind. He was smiling encouragingly at her, letting her talk his ear off about whatever popped into her mind.
Flora was jealous of how freely they both seemed to enjoy each other’s company. There was no fear, no tiptoeing carefully through conversations, no censoring of thoughts or words to suit the moment. They just…existed together. Seamlessly.
An ache built inside her heart as they ate their dinner. The sight of them together was beautiful. A father and daughter enjoying an evening together, but not knowing about their connection. It made her realize how much differently their lives could have been if things had been different. Ifshehad been different. If she had been born a wolf instead of a human, she wouldn’t have been shunned and cast aside. Camden could have been free to be with her years ago.
But ultimately, it had been Camden’s choice. He had been the one who had cast her aside. Even if he wanted to pretend that things were different now, he hadn’t stood up for her back then. He had been just as bad as the rest of them, forcing her into the sidelines of pack life and making her life a living hell. She had done everything that was expected of her, and it still hadn’t been enough to overcome his prejudice. He had been the reason she had felt so alone for so many years. To have someone care about you in secret, but still have happiness be so far away, was an isolation that she didn’t wish upon her worst enemies.
“This was delicious, Sof,” Camden said appreciatively. “You’re an amazing cook, especially for being so young!”
“I didn’t cook it, silly,” Sofia giggled.
“What?” Camden joked. “I could have sworn that was you. No?”
She giggled again. “No! You did!”
He cleared the plates from the table, and Sofia ran off to play with her toys again. Flora was finally able to break free from the trance her thoughts had brought on her.
“I’ll wash the dishes,” she insisted, carrying her plate to the sink. Her emotions were so tangled up inside her that she didn’t know how to process them all. The monotony of cleaning was exactly what she needed to be able to sort through everything in peace.
“Don’t be silly,” Camden said. “I told you, I want you to relax. Why don’t you go play with Sof? Or read a book?”
“No,” she snapped.
“Flora, stop,” he said harshly, trying to grab the plate from her.
“Letgo,” she hissed.
“No,” he snapped back. “I’m cleaning up.”
