Blood vs. Water

Chapter 1

 *do not own any videos or images in this work. The words and story are mine.*

        "Mommy!" Talon screamed. I had been watching him from afar for a few minutes. He was interacting with the other children at his daycare. He made two new friends, a girl and a boy. No doubt Lydia and Elijah. He talked about them all day yesterday.

           Talon's dinosaur shirt was covered with applesauce, his favorite daycare snack. There was a new rip in his jeans, and looked like he had painted earlier. "I'm sorry, it was a rough day." His daycare teacher said handing me a few slips. "I would rather have to buy him new clotes because he had fun and it was rough. Versus having to buy them bc it was a bad day. Also at least he stopped kicking the other kids." I joked with her as I looked over the memos. "I know, I thought we would never break him of that!" She said. "You's bery clumsy Talli!" I cooed. He smiled brilliantly up at me, his mothers smile. It brought tears to my eyes, but I forced the pain back.

         Talon has only known me for three years. I was not ready to be called mom by him a year ago. He didn't learn the word from me either. I really didn't know what word to give him to describe me.

          It was an elderly woman that told him, "Your mama is very blessed to have you!"  She beamed at him and repeated "mama" few times and he repeated it. I was choked up for a while after.

          We visited her for a while, at her home. Then sat by her while she was in hospice. I arranged her funeral and cried and cried over her body with only Talon in that room. I was more afraid of him having no one to cry over him than I was for me.

          Nan, she gave me strength to enter civilization again. Got me a job at the nursing home next door and kept Talon during my shifts. If she caught my eye through one of the windows she would gather Talon in her arms and let him wave at me. It made my heart full. My heart bleeds for her still, even when she passed.

          Transitioning him into daycare after the funeral was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Talon just walked right in, waved to me then went and played. He was two years old. I cried in the parking lot for almost an hour. Nan made his transition easy on him. Bless her.

          "Thank you, Sarah." I said signing the papers and giving them back. Sarah was like Talon and me. She did not have a second form like me, most women don't. Our biology keeps us in human form so we can produce werewolf children easier. I never told her that I have a second form. Just that we both share something sacred.

          Sarah was the reason why I choose this daycare. I spied her walking in the daycare enough times to confirm she worked there. She kept many werewolf children. Which means she knew how to keep them in line better than any human. It also meant ilI had a higher chance of running into the local pack members too.

          Talon practically climbed up my scrubs to get to me. I laughed and pulled him into my arms so I could readjust my scrubs, "Sorry." Sarah smiled made a don't-worry-about-it motion with her hands and turned back to the few kids left in her class.

          "Mommy, I want cookies." He demanded as I carried him outside. "Cookies?!" I laughed, "you had cookies yesterday!" He smiled, "please cookies." I nodded, "but you have to walk home today." He nodded his little latino head bobbing frantically. Talon straightened out his long body so I could drop him to his feet. I opened the daycare door so he could lead the way outside.

          "We can't race because there are too many cars." He told himself as he looked around at all his options. "But we can..." I added. "SKIP!" He yelled as he half jumped and walked. I watched him go, not letting him get to far away. Talon kept me smiling even when things got hard at work. I held two different hands today before they passed. Hugged many smiling residents and celebrated a birthday. It was one of those emotional days. Talon made it worthwhile.