Taste of Wolves

Chapter 19

The next day, Linda finalized her reservations for the hospital and everything she needed to do before going in the following day. She sat Aria down and explained that once she went into the hospital, everything would be turned over into her name so she'd be responsible for paying all the bills. Aria just nodded figuring that would be what happened when the time came. Linda had arranged for her lawyer to give her niece a packet after her death with all the paperwork she'd need to gain access to all her assets to do with them what she wanted. Once she was satisfied everything had been taken care of and all her arrangements had been made, she relaxed to watch movies with her niece the rest of the day.

They called in for dinner that night instead of Aria cooking for them. The younger woman cleaned up from dinner after they ate then stretched back out on the couch to continue the movie they had been watching. The rest of their last evening together was spent watching movies and laughing at how silly they were. It was an enjoyable evening Aria had to admit although it still made her sad when her aunt decided it was time for her to call it a night. Aria would be taking her to the hospital so she could check into the hospice care unit the following day and it wasn't something she was looking forward to doing. The young woman helped her aunt get ready for bed before leaving her room to head to her own. She wanted to talk to Rane. She needed to hear his voice. It always calmed her and made her smile when he called her Lil Bit.

"Calling instead of texting tonight?" Quinn asked when he answered his phone on the way to his dorm room.

"I...I just needed to hear your voice tonight." She explained.

"Oh? Talk to me, Lil Bit." He stated.

"I take Aunt Linda to check into the hospital's hospice care unit tomorrow. Then I'll be alone in the house all the time while she's in a hospital bed dying." Aria began to tear up as she spoke.

"Shhh, Lil Bit. Everything is going to be ok. She's made her arrangements, she's prepared for this inevitability. She's made peace with this. I know this is hard on you, Aria. It would be hard on anyone. You've taken care of her the last few months." He replied.

"I just...I love her, she's all the family I have left. She's always been so encouraging of me and my ideas about my life and choices. She's been such a strong influence in my life and now she's going to be gone..." Aria wiped away stray tears as they fell.

"I understand, Lil Bit. You knew this was a possibility. If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know." He told her.

"Tell me about your day. Everything." She asked.

"Everything? Even the mundane and stupid?" He asked.

"Yes. I just...I just want to hear your voice right now." She sighed.

"Well...I woke up alone in my dorm room. As I laid there, I thought about how much better it would be if I were waking up next to you. Seeing that beautiful face of yours always makes my day better and to see it first thing in the morning ensures me I'm going to have a good day. I finally got out of bed to take myself a shower. Once out, I got dressed in a pair of jeans, a black tank, my boots, and of course my kutte. I brushed my hair, put on a beanie, and left the dorm.

Bobby had done some baking the night before so there were freshly made muffins for us. I grabbed myself a blueberry muffin for breakfast before pouring myself a cup of coffee and finding a seat at a table with Happy. He doesn't talk much so I pretty much ate my breakfast in peace. After finishing my coffee, I took my cup back into the kitchen and put it in the sink for the prospects to wash. There wasn't much to do except sit around and chat until it was time to clock in for work.