AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hadn’t, though.
I had messed up, and now I was going to be paying the price.
Eventually, I reach a frozen patch of river, and I sit and look at the ice for a very long time. My summers here were wonderful. I used to run and frolic and have fun here. I used to play like nothing else mattered except whatever day I was enjoying.
My parents were in love, once upon a time, and sometimes they’d join me. My mom and dad both loved to swim, and we’d play for hours upon hours in the water and the sunshine. We’d pack a picnic lunch and just lose ourselves in happiness.
Somewhere along the way, we lost all that. My dad turned into a criminal and my mom pushed him away. I think she saw a lot of my dad in me, though, because sometimes I’d catch her looking at me and when I’d turn around, she’d act like she hadn’t been.
Things were rough on all of us after their divorce. Contrary to what my therapist said when I was a teenager, not all fences can be mended. Not all bridges can be rebuilt. Sometimes, what’s broken is broken and you just have to move on the best that you can.
Alicia had been there for me the entire time. She’d taken care of me, offering me comfort and kindness when I didn’t deserve it and I...
Well, I thought I was doing what was best by staying far away.
Eventually, I realize that a lot of time has passed, and I should probably head back to her house. I want to meet my child, and I want to ask her questions, and I want to find out exactly what happened after I left.
My mother had never really cared for Alicia, so what changed?
Why did my mom decide that she was suddenly ready to be there for Alicia?
The only person who can give me answers now is Alicia, so I start heading back to her house. Inside, I’m horrified. I’m shaking internally because not only have I revealed to her that I’m a bear, but she already knew. I didn’t get to be the one to tell her. I didn’t get to ease her into the idea. Someone – probably my mother – told her that I’m not even the human boy she fell in love with.
What will she think of me now?
It’s not that humans and shifters can’t get along. They can, they do, and they will. Still, the idea of me being a shifter had to be strange for her. It was something I’d always carefully avoided. Even though Alicia knew shifters existed – a few of our high school teachers were shifters, after all – it was still something we didn’t really discuss.
Now we were going to have to.
If not for us, then for our kid.
I run back to her home only to find the front porch on, but the door closed tightly shut. All of the interior lights seem to be off, and I wonder if she’s already gone to bed. The storm seems to be getting worse, though, with no signs of letting up.
I could run back to town if I wanted to, but I don’t have a hotel room or a place to stay. I literally drove into town and planned to clear things up with the attorney. Then I figured I’d just stay at my mom’s home. Now that I know I actually don’t have any rights to the house, though, things are a little different.
They’re a little more...muddled.
Now I know why my mother left the house to Alicia, though. She left it for my kid: her grandchild. My mother wasn’t always there for me, but knowing that she went out of her way to protect my own kid when I wasn’t around...
Well, that warms my heart.
If only just a little.
I move onto the porch and then I shift into my human form. My clothes are long-gone, and it’s cold, but it’s not like I can walk into her house in my bear form. I wouldn’t even fit through the door. Luckily, when I reach for the knob and turn, I find that the door swings open easily, and I step inside.
Sure enough, all of the lights are off. She must have figured that I was gone for the night and gone to sleep, but why did she leave the door open? Was it unlocked just in case I came back?
I shut the door quietly behind me and lock it. Then I make a mental note to talk with Alicia about better safety precautions. Even if she thought I was coming back, she shouldn’t have left the door unlocked. That’s not safe. It’s not safe for her or for the kid or for anyone.
I mean, what if the person who walked up to the door wasn’t me?
What if someone else came?
What if somebody wanted to hurt one of them?
The thought makes me feel sick, but I push it away. They’re safe, and I’m here, and first thing in the morning, we’ll talk. I’ll explain to Alicia how things are going to work, and I’ll find out what I need to do to set up visitation with my kid, and I’ll get to meet him. That’s what we’ll do. Yep. That sounds about right.
I move toward the couch. Does she have any sweatpants or t-shirts lying around? Being naked in Alicia’s house feels uncomfortable to me. I’m not scared of her seeing my body. I look good, and besides, she’s seen me before, but I don’t want to freak her out in the morning.
