35 Good Night (1)

"Mama!" Ash cried out.

Lavinia drew back a little, surprised that the young girl was calling her "Mama." Ash was still lying flat on the bed but she had tightened her grip around Lavinia's hands. Her eyes looked sad and relieved: she had the expression of a child who had just woken up from a nightmare, relieved to find a parent by their side.

"Mama?" Ash said again, this time sounding less sure.

Lavinia patted Ash's hand. She wasn't sure how to respond, so she chose to keep quiet. Saying "yes" would have been assuring but confusing, and "no" would have been downright insulting. She thought it better for the girl to answer her own question.

Ash focused her eyes on the dark-haired woman who was holding her hand. She had emerged from her sleep convinced that this woman was her mother, but clearly she wasn't. This was Hunter's mother, not hers.

As the realization set, Ash felt tears start to pool in her eyes. Hunter's mother kept patting her hand, not saying anything, waiting. Ash felt a tickle in her throat and tried to clear it by breathing through her mouth, but the moment she took in air, the tears that had been pooling in her eyes started flowing freely down her face.

Ash started crying, hard. She felt a sudden and incredible sadness wash over her, and she cried like she had never cried before in her life.

She hadn't cried when the police took her into custody when she was five years old. She had cried quietly when the lady officer sat her down and told her that her mommy was dead. And she had only cried a little when she got to the state orphanage with all the strange children and the adults who told her that she would now be living there.

With everything that's been happening in the last few weeks, it was like a dam had broken inside of Ash. Everything that she had not felt before came rushing out in torrents. Everything that she had pushed down came rushing up to the surface and out of her eyes flowed tears of grief and regret, fear and anguish.

Perhaps it was all the events of her surprisingly violent birthday, maybe even the events of the past few weeks that started with her little girl dream, but the shifting had loosed all her feelings inside of her. The shifting had changed something in her that reached inside her core. Turning into a werewolf had given her access to her repressed emotions. Turning into a werewolf had turned Ash into a more complete human.

Lavinia held Ash as she cried, holding the young girl in her arms and feeling the grief shake her body. The poor girl was so distraught. There was so much pain in her. She hoped that her son had not contributed to this girl's crying, otherwise she would punish him herself.

At that moment, the front door of the guesthouse slammed open. Lavinia heard the sound of footsteps inside the house and the bedroom door swung open with a thud. Hunter stood in the doorway, panting. He stared at his mother who was sitting on the bed, holding the still sobbing Ash in her arms.

"Mama, what happened?" he asked as he approached the bed.

"I don't know, hon. I don't know," With one hand, Lavinia motioned for Hunter to come closer. Hunter sat on the bed beside his mother and put his arm around Ash's heaving shoulders.

"She is so sad, hon," Lavinia said softly.

"I know, Mama," Hunter said, tears welling up in his own eyes.

He had been sitting with his father in the study when he suddenly felt a pull in his chest. He couldn't explain it, but he immediately thought of Ash. He had excused himself and ran as fast as he could to the guesthouse.

"I'm . . . s-sorry," Ash sniffled. She was still crying, but she heaved a little less.

"Don't be sorry, my darling. There is nothing to be sorry for," Lavinia answered, letting go of Ash.

Ash rubbed at her eyes and looked down at the bed. She was so embarrassed that she didn't want to look at Hunter or his mother.

Lavinia got up and quietly motioned for Hunter to take care of the girl. Hunter nodded and put both of his arms around Ash.

"Would you like my son to stay here with you? He has his own room, but it seems you need the company tonight."

Ash sniffled and peered at Lavinia over Hunter's arm.

"If that's all right with you, ma'am," Ash said respectfully.

"How old are you?" Lavinia asked.

"Eighteen, ma'am."

"You're very polite. I trust my son will be very polite with you as well?"

Hunter looked at his mother solemnly. "I won't hurt her, Mama."

"Of course you won't."

Lavinia looked at Ash who was still peering at her over her son's shoulder.

"If my son forgets himself, tell me. You are a guest in our home, and if he makes you feel unwelcome, I will deal with him myself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Feel better, my little love. Sleep well."

Lavinia blew a kiss to the two young people on the bed.

"Good night, my children," she said, and she closed the door behind her.