Chapter 18: Running Free
When the kids were well into their dinner, Dana let herself in. The kids waved to her, slopping pasta sauce on the floor. Serena shook her head, grabbing a wet paper towel to clean up the mess. “It‘s late, isn‘t it?” Dana asked. Serena nodded, tossing the paper towel out.
“My mother brought a lot of gifts over for the kids,” she explained, motioning to the boxes stacked on the floor. Dana chuckled.
“Very good. I wanted to talk about schedules, making sure we are coordinated,” Dana said. Serena nodded, motioning to the couch. While Dana sat, Serena broke down the boxes and folded them up. “Adriana has me working regular office hours at the hospital, unless there is an emergency or some kind of special event,” she said. “That is what I expected,” Dana said. “I will be at the daycare most days and can watch the kids then. I can help with breakfast and dinner too since those are around the times you‘re coming home or leaving.” Serena smiled, surprised by how relieved she was at the offer. “That sounds great,” she said. Boxes flattened and stacked, she sat on the couch with Dana.
and nodded again. “I really appreciate it. I thought I was busy in medical school, but rejoining a pack has been a lot more complicated than I remember,” she said. “As a single mother, it is nice to have an extra pair of hands.” “Do you have a boyfriend, or any kind of regular social life?” Dana asked. Serena creased her brow. “I‘m sorry,
was in the human world. It is hard to get close to people while hiding a big secret from them,” she said. “Alpha Logan told me that you lived in the human world for a while,” Dana said, putting her feet up on the coffee table. Serena curled her legs
the back of the couch, feeling sleepier with each passing moment. “You look exhausted, dear,” Dana said. Serena jolted up, yawning and stretching. “I am,” she said. “Annual physicals at the medical
in the same room. She hadn‘t had the means for a three–bedroom place while she was in school. The house was big and empty in comparison. They just wanted to be close together. She remembered climbing into Santino‘s room a lot as a child too. It
the city without raising suspicion. She could have bene caught by animal control. She could have been seen as a threat and hunted with guns or by an angry mob. With two young kids, getting a babysitter around her class schedule and going out of the city where she could run free wasn‘t as easy to plan as she would have liked. It had been so long since she had been able to shift and run whenever she wanted
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UNlVaKKYWOG2PY3dlL013l7ifbZJL8qw7ljlv9W4rjmI+eHxcRkqtoNyjJ0nJshIIHIX7U6wJ0OfHKp2Jbh6hFyW4K6K8cKFoLzKFHuv7tYgjlMigP05vpUYNP4f6ttqD9tH9OU1vTSjtm0bs740iTW0eQnYhu2T08pbnbj4UBY71fPfTE+ChmR16Ts5CdPE62G32h8Ksd8zDQ49zhDuoOQE77/Ub8SBDGNsVTUKooWu7pX+2SfL3BCCoAC7cSnzQx61VXeEEOP8jjFt9mJ+PHRUWrpuK3LQvJtoH40L7xzXEXq3yzG1JesuZZbSP/q80pd0/2m0WZGinv5sJZ41tQ72KkcCkWd1adWGMW1RGe1hDfn132faGKTIPX49IK7quUW67vs8z0KOfubA+N41Etn6/GIap29R4ffj5NHocwdd1NlrrJBtFwaNEhcsCk0U/p4I3URRc0PExfGBVu2c6y3OxeP6MEEQson69YaOnzKQLA61sGQX+2B/Yb2Oo1hrYwVT8YV+sGzUPMYKIQaM5+SZYJqXjAfwds9PAtwOEDOV2mC+4fOjFAazLbUDZumA/APXohszSwaUb3NMNSzoPX6E7Q8sYgCs8Y8O+rFi84AKv9FDjXcd4i0+H7SGy+LG/jFhJYXFvjgn26a752JgLcDGN8j9y1b5it+xEfxy/qf8PNcMbL+BamPzYnREqRwdnR7y4i7lctWtNHSAn3/+hzKKFfRqM9zGtjg3jREvZNkTRVNBbBpduBOL+nwLGcKnIOxKjShPxwEKHlKtpVWj2U+6bUw+LH2bUVDWpqwnlX6u919t3KM6C8KMPZ0hfRYLDi1aWtR8ThiNMMJxlKnfOylOyj7RrQh4bt8v
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