Page 32

After a long two-hour drive of car karaoke, we finally pass the ‘Welcome to Jasper, Colorado’ sign. The butterflies in my stomach take flight as the idea of bumping into Warrick becomes a real possibility. I wonder if he looks different or if he will look at me differently now that we have been apart for several months. As we roll through town, I watch as everyone mills about, just like they always have. It’s one quality I love about small towns; nothing really changes. You always know that Gail is going to be at the diner giving everyone a run for their money. That Moe will have some new dish he has created. Sally willhave new flavors of ice cream she has come up with. There is consistency in small town life that you don’t get anywhere else.

I’m not shocked to see that my parents are both home when Willow pulls into her spot in the driveway. I’m also not shocked when Hazel comes bounding down the steps toward us. Willow puts the car in park and we both step out of the car. Squeals of excitement ring out as we run to each other, wrapping ourselves together in a tangle of limbs.

“I’ve missed you guys!” Hazel's muffled voice says between our smushed cheeks.

Looking over her shoulder, I find both my parents standing together on the porch. Dad with his arm wrapped around Mom’s shoulder while Mom is wiping tears from her eyes.

Once Hazel finally lets go of us, I rush over to my parents for one of those welcome home enveloping hugs. I’ve never believed that home was a physical place, but more the people you consider home. When my parents' arms are wrapped around me, I know I’m home. The drops of liquid wetting my shoulder tell me that my mom has gone from gentle crying to full-blown sobbing while we are in each other’s embrace.

“Mom, I wasn’t gone that long.” I wipe away the falling tears.

She sniffles. “I know, but you are all grown up. My last baby is home from her first semester of college.”

Dad chuckles before patting me on the back. “She has been like this since you left. Empty nest syndrome and all that. Wait till you see the seventeen different projects she has started to fill her time.” He shakes his head before heading inside.

Mom wipes the tears from her eyes quickly before saying, “He doesn’t know what he is talking about. I just can’t decide which hobby I want to do, that's all.”

The girls and I follow my parents into the house. That first inhale of breath settles the butterflies in my stomach. I might run into Warrick, but at least I feel a sense of ease just being in my familiar space with my parents.

“Where’s Jakob, Mom?”

She waves her hand over her shoulder. “You know your brother is around here somewhere. Probably in the woods, if I had to guess. I texted him when you got here to let him know you were home.”

We all settle onto the couches in the living room. Dad has Sports Center playing in the background.

“Hopefully he will be here soon so I can convince him to lug all this luggage in that Willow is determined we will need,” I say, glancing over at Willow out of the corner of my eye.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m telling you that you will need something out of what I packed and will thank me for bringing it.”

Hazel leans around her to look at me. “How bad is it this time?”

“Seven full size suitcases with more bags than I know what could possibly be in them.”

Hazel playfully slaps Willow on the shoulder while her mouth hangs open. “Willow! We have talked about this. It’s okay to go without it, too!”

My parents watch with warm, loving expressions on their faces. I can tell by looking at them that they missed this the most out of us leaving. I can imagine the house has been quiet without us here.

Mom claps her hands together. “So, what are the plans while you are here? I can’t imagine you have done any runs as your wolf while cooped up at Fairview.”

Willow pipes up before I have any chance to respond, “Well, Maeve, the first thing I’m dragging our girl here to is a welcome home party we are throwing. Since so many of us left for college, Hazel and I thought it would be fun to throw a party to celebrate finishing our first semesters of college.”

My eyes bulge at the news. This is the first I’ve heard of this.When were they planning to tell me? On the way there?I really don’t want to party and she knows that. I would rather we have a slumber party and watch cheesy rom-com movies than spend five minutes at a party. I glare at the side of her head as she animatedly tells my mom all about the plans for tonight. Hazel peeks around Willow’s back with an apologetic look on her face as she mouths, “I’m sorry” to me.

I know they mean well, and I don’t blame them for wanting to celebrate, but why do people even like parties? They’re loud, people are obnoxious, and you can almost bet money on at least one fight happening before the night is over. It’s just overall not a fun time. I can count off the top of my head how many times I’ve had beer spilled on me without even really thinking too hard about it.Who even likes that hangover feeling the next day?

I don’t realize that someone asked me something until Willow bumps me with her elbow. Looking between her and my mom, I’m pulled out of my pit of party hatred in my head.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

My mom clears her throat. “I was asking if you were planning to talk to Warrick while you were here?”

I feel a stone drop in the pit of my stomach. I knew this question was coming, and I know she means well, but my mom doesn’t know about all the things that he has done to me. Willow scoots in closer, giving me the support I need without verbalizing it.

“I, uh, won’t be going out of my way to see him, but I’m sure that I will see him around town.” I look anywhere but at her disappointed face.

Outside of the fact that I am not accepting my mateship with Warrick, at least in her eyes, my mom didn’t understand why I wanted to go off to college instead of integrating into the pack life like she did. Thankfully, Hazel and Willow joined me in my adventure to build my own way in this pack life by following me to college as well. Otherwise, I don’t think my mom would have let me go as easily as she did.

Dad was the more supportive one when it came down to it. He was the one who really convinced Mom that it was a good thing to bring new trades and businesses into the pack. We can’t all do the same things. She hasn’t fully supported it, but at least she stopped trying to convince me otherwise.