It All Began In Autumn

ch12

Cozy insists and invites my mother and I for dinner the next weekend.

The food is nice and the company even better. All my favorite people in the same room.

Everything is perfect, Until the phone rings. My mother excuses herself and walks out of the room to answer it. We fall silent and I notice the family stretching their ears. Noah and Nakai cock their heads to the side like they would in their wolf forms.

Cozy and Manuel are more discreet, simply focusing their eyes to their plates and staying still. Clarke is busy with drowning her mashed potatoes in gravy.

"What do you mean you can't"? I look up and lock eyes with Cozy as my mother shouts. "No Pike, it's not going to be alright, let's face it"! I've never heard her like this. She is hystericall.

"You don't have the right to ask what I was doing just now you pig! I was having a jolly time until you called"! My eyes widen and I stand so abruptly that my chair falls back.

The Cliffords watch me as I turn around and leave the room with my shirtwaist dress flowing behind me.

Noah moves to catch my hand but Cozy stops him. I reach my mother just as she throws her cellphone phone to the wall, chipping the paint off. She turns around to see me and I hug her tightly. She starts crying on my shoulder and I hold her.

"It's okay mama. It will be alright" I say trying to convince myself as much as her.

"No it won't. It won't be alright" she wails and I start panicking, I really have never seen her like this. I look over her shoulder and am relieved to see Cozy walking towards us. She nods at me and takes my mom from my arms, hugging her close and whispering something inaudible to me in her ear.

I swallow hard and feel my eyes burn as i see my mom fall apart as she and Cozy walk upstairs.

Things really aren't going to mend between her and dad.

"Lia" I feel warm hands on my shoulders and I lean my head back to watch Noah as he glues himself to my back, his warmth seeping into me.

"Hey" i say sadly with my head resting on his chest. "I'm here" he lets me know and I close my eyes. "That's good" i reply and feel him chuckle as his hands rub my shoulders soothingly.

We return to the kitchen table where everyone is silent. I push my food around on the plate until a warm hand wraps around my wrist. I look up to see Nakai smiling at me. "Here, let me take that" he says and takes my plate, I realise he has gathered the rest of the plates too. I look around to find that the table is almost empty.

"When did you"... I stand and help with the last of the dishes. Noah washes, Clarke and i dry and Nakai puts the dishes away.

Once we are done the three of them turn their heads to the door. A few moments later Manuel and Cozy enter.

"She fell asleep. Manuel took her home" Cozy explains and I purse my lips. "Thank you" I say feeling my heart clench. "For everything. You guys are too kind" i say and feel a tear roll down my cheek.

Surprisingly, the first to hug me is Nakai. I rest my head on his shoulder as the rest of the family joins the hug.

"You are pack Lia. Family. Friend. Sister. Daughter and so much more" Manuel's voice is lower than usual. The others agree with small hums.

"Do you want to stay the night"? Cozy asks once the hug is over. She has her hands on my shoulders. I shake my head. "It's better if I go back. She might need me". She nods.

"Whatever you feel more comfortable with" she says understandingly. "Thank you for dinner" is the only thing I say before I exit the house.

"Lia" I stop walking and wait for Noah to catch up with me. When he does, we resume walking.

In the moonlight, his hair looks more silver than blond. "Do you need anything"? He asks and I shrug. I don't know...

"She didn't finish her dinner. Maybe I can make her something for when she wakes up. Or maybe I should call my father and"...I stop talking when the sobs overtake me.

"This is a mess" I cry and Noah pulls me close, I hide my face in his chest and he holds me as I cry. "Oh I hate him, I hate him for sure. Why is he doing this" I grip Noah's shirt tightly. "Why weren't we enough, what did I do wrong"? My fists tighten around the fabric.

Noah touches my cheek softly and tilts my face up. "You did absolutely nothing wrong. I promise" he says and kisses my tears away. Every tear that falls he kisses.

"But why"? My voice is a hoarse whisper now. "I can't tell you that" he answers, sorrow filling his words as he watches me cry. "But it's not your fault. That is between your parents. You've done nothing wrong" he promises and I believe him as he kisses my lips.

He tastes like salt aNd I realise it's my tears that I taste on his lips.

He kisses me softly, gently, as if cherishing me. I let go of the shirt and softly run my hands up to his shoulders. I caress the muscles and tangle my fingers in the thick locks of his hair.

"I hate seeing you cry" he murmurs on my lips. He presses his nose on the spot on my throat right under my jawline.

I feel him breath in and then sigh, pleased.

I cling to him and rest my cheek on his shoulder as he holds me.

"I should really go back. She might wake up and be confused. I'll need to think of a way to explain how we got her back." I say and he hums against my skin.

He walks with me all the way home and he stays, watching me as I tidy up the living room a bit and then wash the dishes from the day.

"You don't need anything else"? He asks once at the door. I shake my head. He nods. "Goodnight then" he kisses my forehead and I smile. "Goodnight".

I watch him walk down the road from the kitchen window.

Once he has disappeared in the turn, I lock the door and make my way upstairs. I check on my mom who is fast asleep with her hair sprawled out on her pillow. I take off her shoes and cover her with a blanket before making my way to my own room.

I put on my pj's and wash my teeth before going to bed.

I fall asleep trying to remember when was the last time dad was home for more than a couple days without fighting with my mom.

Stay safe everyone <3