Invite Them

I spent most of my shift at the animal shelter thinking about everything that was going on. Specifically, what to do about the "normal" people in my life.

I hadn't ended up lying to Jon after all; I did end up hanging out with Faye on Friday. Lying around in our pajamas, eating Chinese takeout and watching TV…things felt like they did before everything went downhill. Before she started her thesis project.

My life was simpler. I helped kids both at work and at home. I was free to do whatever I wanted. I wasn't entangled with any people but Faye and she was so gullible it was easy to get away with murder.

The lies weren't so complex. I had my cats, I had a friend, and that was all I needed. Look at me now.

I had changed since the thesis project. I was less of an ice queen, more prone to breaking down emotionally than I'd been in years. But I acknowledged Cindy's existence more too.

Was I starting to heal? I had thought about her more in the past several months than I had in the past several years.

I may have lost my sense of freedom but I gained Nick. Jon. Even Jace. Did I wish none of this had ever happened? I wasn't quite sure anymore. Some good had come of it.

"Lori, are you done in here?" Stacy's curly head popped in the doorway.

"Just about," I called back. "I'll grab the dirty blankets on my way out."

She giggled. "You just rhymed."

Did I? Shoot, I did. How lame. "It happens," I said with a shrug. "How are you liking volunteering at the women's shelter?"

Her entire face lit up. "Oh, I love it! The training was pretty intense but I just started volunteering for real and it's pretty fun. My favorite part is watching the kids so the mothers can have a break."

I smiled. "I love working with kids too. That's my favorite part of my job."

"Oh yeah, you're a social worker. I forgot. That must be cool."

"It is, when I'm not drowning in paperwork," I said before changing tacks. "What are you thinking about doing after school?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm kind of between elementary education and microbiology as potential majors right now. Weird, huh?"

"I don't think so. It's good to have options. Hardly anyone goes in and sticks to the same major they started with anyway. My roommate switched hers three times." If only she'd stuck to film or English literature. My whole life would be different right now.

"That's good to know. Anyway, they need me to go walk Mugsy so I better go. See ya!" She scurried out the door toward the dog area.

I had to stifle a laugh. Mugsy was a giant hyperactive pitbull. Nobody here liked walking him so they foisted him onto new victims regularly. Poor Stacy didn't know what she was in for.

I scratched a couple of cats who particularly liked me under the chin before taking the blankets to the laundry room. I had to hurry home and shower before meeting up with the Pickerings. I didn't want to go to the zoo smelling strongly of cat and disinfectant.

"How'd it go?" Faye asked from her perch on the couch when I walked in. "I know you were nervous about going back because of all the bending."

"It ached a little but not enough to stop me from getting things done," I said with satisfaction.

I had really missed going to the shelter. I was starting to get my life back. Baby steps. I could handle volunteering…how long would it be before I could do parkour again? I needed to find something slightly more strenuous to test my limits before I gave that a try.

"Oh good. I know how much you hate not being able to do things," she started to pick up her book before dropping in as something occurred to her. "Before I forget! I wanted to invite Jonathan and Nick over for dinner tomorrow. I'll make rolls!"

"Nick's working all day," I lied. I had no clue what his schedule was this week but there was no way I could let her interrogate him at his point. "And Jon usually tries to reserve the weekend for time with his kids."

"Bring them!" she exclaimed. "I don't think I've met them yet. Have they ever been here before?"

"No they haven't," I said hiding my unease. I still didn't know how much Faye and Jon had interacted while I was in the hospital but I didn't want to be stuck between the different lies I'd told them.

"Since you'll probably be their mom at some point they need to meet your cats anyway. It's settled! Invite them."

"Faye!" I protested.

I didn't even want to think about that right now. Did Faye really think my fake relationship was serious enough to warrant marriage? I tried to remember what I had told her about how things were progressing with Jon but my mind was blank.

"Invite them," Faye said sternly before returning to her book for real.