The Crater

“Chill out, mother,” Bobbie lets out like I’m the most annoying person she’s had the displeasure to meet, but her bitchy tone makes me relax a bit, “My coach got into a car accident earlier. She’s fine, but today’s practice got cancelled.”

“Oh... do you want to spend some time with your dad in the meantime or do you want me to pick you up?”

“Uncle Nico drove me to the new center so I could hang out with Dad, but he’s not here either. I've looked everywhere,” she complains, annoyed, “Now Uncle Nico is busy too and I want to leave. I don’t know anyone here.”

“Okay, I’ll be there soon,” I say, frowning because that is very, very strange. There’s nowhere Farrow could be at this hour except one of his two training centers.

“What was that about?” My dad asks when I get up from the couch. For a second, I think about the possibility of telling my dad about the situation and asking if this is actually a man thing or what, but before I can open my mouth, we hear footsteps approaching. It’s my brother Rocky.

Rocky is not someone I can trust with sensitive information or the slightest hint of trouble because he turns his overprotective mode all the way up. It’s the same reason I hid the bullying from him when I was younger, he’s a hothead. A lot worse than Farrow.

“I just have to pick up my own ladybug,” I end up saying, “Don’t cry for me, Argentina. I'll be back right away.”

“Who even invited you? This is a VIP only party,” Rocky says, pushing me gently yet very evilly so he can get to our dad, “Hey, man. Happy birthday!”

“You were supposed to be here with the drinks an hour ago, Rocco. This is my birthday and I haven’t had a single beer yet,” my dad complains, but gets up to receive his hug. Rocky picks him up just to show off, “Get me down, you big idiot!”

“Put him down before your skinny legs break off,” I tease him, but I run away before Rocky tries to get me back for insulting his beloved and overworked body.

My brother is ‘Farrow’s greatest asset’, as he calls himself. He’s currently a part of the security squad, so he spends more time naked around Farrow than me. As they train in and out of wolf form, of course.

"Run, coward!" he yells at me as I run out of the house, laughing.

For a few seconds I felt normal, but as soon as I’m back in the car all by myself, I start to get filled with anxiety all over again.

Because… where the hell is Farrow?

I gulp and force myself to just drive to the new center. I really hope no one sees me there and tries to make me come inside because I don’t want to look at the receptionist even by mistake.

Luckily, as soon as I get there I can see my daughter sitting on the bench outside waiting for me. She runs to the car and jumps inside like this is a getaway car. And I drive off before I have a chance to look inside.

“I didn’t eat lunch, I’m freaking starving,” she groans, throwing her backpack to the backseat, “Is everyone already in grandma’s house?”

“Just your uncle and grandpa, I’m not sure where everyone else is,” I mention, driving back to the house, but my mind is elsewhere, “So, what’s up with your dad?”

“I don’t know, I called him a thousand times. First I wanted money for lunch but he didn’t pick up, so now I’m starving. Then I wanted to hang out with him, still didn’t pick up,” she recalls with a growl, “I asked around. Apparently, he left with someone called Violet this morning and they haven’t been able to get in touch with either of them all day.”

Fuck.

Of course, never ask questions you don’t want the answer to.

“W-well, he must really be busy then,” I let out, my voice cracking at the end. Thankfully, Bobbie doesn’t seem to realize. But I stay quiet the whole way back to the house.

I see Bobbie hugging my dad and Rocky, then the three of them go out to the backyard to play with a ball. I appreciate the alone time because it allows me to freak out in peace.

Violet. That’s her name, I’m sure. The ‘super hot’, ‘super pretty’ girl who somehow grabbed my husband’s attention so bad, she turned him into a man I don’t recognize.

“Hey, sis,” a voice makes me snap out of my thoughts. Hope and Danny are here, my brother-in-law carrying two big boxes, “Where’s everyone?”

“Out in the backyard,” I manage to say. Hope is a fucking shark at recognizing when something is wrong with me, so her little brown eyes narrow on me, “I’m cramping real bad right now, so leave me alone before I go hulk on you two.”

“It’s crazy how you two always get your period at the same time. And even crazier that I always hear about it,” Danny says with a smile, then starts walking away from me, “Babe, a little help? My pants are falling down.”

“That’s why normal men use a belt,” she growls as if this is a normal discussion and follows him to keep his pants up, “Or grow an ass.”

“How dare you,” he gasps, but both of them start laughing.

I fucking hate them. I’m sure that’s the worst fight they’ve ever had. I’m sure Danny would never disappear all day with a random woman.

This is starting to feel like way more than just a bump in the road. This is definitely a crater.

I’m considering going to the bathroom to cry when I hear more voices and I see my mom and my two aunts walking inside the house carrying big trays of food.

I really don’t think there’s any place in here to have the meltdown I feel coming. So, I grab my purse and phone and I run to hide before they see me. I know they’ll want to talk and I’m not in that mood right now.

Once I hear them go to the kitchen, I decide to get into my car and drive away.

You know what I need? I need to run and let out all of this steam. I need to let my wolf out so she can stop feeling so anxious. But for that, I need to eat something first or I’ll pass out from exertion. I haven’t eaten anything all day.

I drive to my house to eat something and shift in the backyard so I can run out to the woods behind our house. That always makes me feel better.

“Huh? What is he doing here?” I ask out loud when I see Farrow’s car in the driveway.

So, he’s been here since I left? How does that make sense?