ANDY MILES

Crossroads

The fork went into the noodles for the fifth time without Mia eating any.

Her swollen red eyes stared down at the food as she continued digging. The sudden clasp sound of the spoon had her eyes up. It was her father who had thrown a fork roughly on the plate. His angry eyes fixed on her.

"We've had enough Mia!"

Mia slowly settled her eyes back to the food.

"It was her choice, No one had pushed her into going to living with him"

"She had no choice..." Her stern eyes snapped back "Dad". She had dropped it, just like that.

Grace rubbed her hands as she watched her daughter and her dad talk back at each other. She could see the pain in Mia's eyes as she stared hard at her father and at the same time, John was right. She really has punished herself enough. She looked thin these days and her eyes weary of sleep. Mia barely ate and was so drawn in. That wasn't her.

The look on John's face had gradually softened when he saw the wetness in her eyes. For a moment, he was afraid he went too hard and he hardly could remember the last time, he raised his voice on her.

Suddenly shoving the chair backward, the fork hit the table with a loud thud, Mia was up on her feet.

"She's my fucking bestfriend and I am fucking worried about her!. You can eat the damn food"

Mia pushed the plate forward to the centre of the table and thumped her way upsatirs. Grace shook at the loud bang of her door as she tightly shut her eyes.

John breathed out loudly. Grace had a hand rubbing the side of her neck awkwardly.

She glanced up at him. She probably had a lot to say to him and yet nothing. The father she knew was nowhere to be found at the moment his daughter needed him the most.

Her eyes travelled upstairs hearing Mia's sobs run through the silence of the house. Her heart sank. Mia hardly cried. Grace, shaken up self drew the chair backward and climbed up to her room.

*****

His hind legs left it's imprints on the wet land. The trees waved with the direction of the wind. Jace felt the air brush it's fur as he kept his eyes forward.

Ryan laid still, close to the river. Jace watched him sniff the air and relaxed again. His ears tugged forward as Ryan's voice came through the mind link.

'what do you want?'

Ryan certainly wasn't pleased with his presence.

Jace growled.

His tail wagged behind as he made his way towards him.

The low growl from Ryan had him stopped on his tracks for a second, he waited. Ryan could smell him draw nearer and he didn't need company but Jace had continued his steps.

And then there was the loud angry growl from Ryan as he stood on his four legs and bared hsi teeth at him

His amber yellow eyes gleamed in his dark fur. The morning was close.

Ryan barked at him. Jace remained unmoved staring back at him. That was a challenge that Jace knew so well he was putting out. Ryan's ears quirked open and his demeanour changed. He put a leg forward and moved back. Jace knew Ryan was down for a fight but not him. He wasn't going to be used as a venting out bag.

Slowly, he stretched out his front legs and nuzzled into them in a bow movement. Ryan tilted his head to the side, his ears going backward.

Jace was submitting?... If he wasn't in his wolf form, he certainly would have scoffed. He always started what he couldn't finish.