Chapter Two
Greyson
Benji was one of the world’s all-time best kids. He barely remembered his mother, but he kissed her picture every night before I turned out his light and said, “Night, night, Mama,” just as he had as soon as he learned to talk.
“She’d be so proud of you, Son.” I spoke in a low voice so I wouldn’t wake him until I had to.
My son slept in his little bed, the quilt his late mother sewed from his baby clothes tucked carefully around him.
Her last gift to him, I’d hoped it would be passed along to his own cubs, so I wrapped it in tissue paper, prepared to store it away as an heirloom.
Then I’d stopped. Jeanine never intended her work to be treated that way.
She’d infused every stitch with love, putting together a square holding the footie jams he wore his first night after arriving in our arms with the T-shirt proclaiming him Mommy’s Best (and only) Cubbie.
She’d giggled and mused that with a daddy like me, he’d have a brother or sister to compete with soon enough.
He should have his mother’s love wrapped all around him since he didn’t have her hugs anymore.
When the symptoms started, Jeanine thought it might be the start of a sibling, but a visit to the healer cut those dreams short. “I’m sorry, Greyson,” the old woman said, “but it’s not a baby.”
I’d raged. How could it be a tumor? Shifters almost never got them or any “human” diseases. It had to be something else.
“True, it’s rare,” she agreed, placing a hand on my shoulder. “But there are exceptions to every rule.”
Why did my beloved have to be that one?
It had been over a year, but my son and I were still struggling. Not only did I miss her, but I had a job that was full-time and more, and it wasn’t a bring your toddler to work kind of position.
On this particular day, everything that could go wrong had. The babysitter didn’t show up, and when I reached her, she was halfway to the airport to elope with her boyfriend. He worked in the oil fields in Texas, and their long-distance relationship had just taken a turn for the local.
“I was going to call you earlier, but I didn’t want to wake you up,” she explained. “Isn’t it wonderful.”
“Wonderful.” My tone held far less excitement, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“I told Walter he had to marry me or we were over, and he said, ‘Meet you in Vegas tonight.’ So, I packed a bag and… I was going to call you at eight. What time is it?”
“Nine,” I said dryly. “I’ve been calling for an hour.” And now I was late for work.
With little choice, I congratulated her and asked if she thought of anyone else looking for work as a sitter to have them call. Might seem foolish to ask someone so irresponsible, but she really had done a good job in the past three months, taking over after the previous sitter left for college.
Shifter sitters were hard to come by, even if Benji was too young to shift and would be for a good while. So, my best chance of getting someone who would stay with us until he no longer needed someone to watch him while I was at work was to hire one of our own.
I’d lingered as long as I could. I had to wake Benji and get him dressed. My brother’s wife would take him for the day, but with a cub of her own due to arrive in less than a month, I couldn’t ask her for more. It wouldn’t be fair.
Benji loved his auntie, and as soon as I told him where he was going to spend the day, he rushed to pick out clothes to wear.
My son was an enthusiastic dresser, if a little unconventional, and I dropped him off at Davy’s place wearing gray swimming trunks—in case a swimming opportunity arose—an orange T-shirt embossed with a lemon, wading boots, and a red cape.
When I got back in the car, Auntie Sonia was admiring his clothes and asking him what superhero he was.
The office was crazy busy, so I didn’t have time to try to find a replacement sitter. I’d figure it out tomorrow. When I reached Davy’s house, Benji came running out to meet me. My brother followed.
“Thanks for watching my boy today,” I said, buckling him in. “Thanks to Sonia as well.”
“We’re glad to do it,” he replied. “Until Sonia’s time comes.”
“I will figure this out. You’re both too good to us. I might have to put him in a full-time program.” I loved his getting the socialization of part-time school, but Jeanine and I had never wanted him away from home all day at this age. Still, we did what we had to. “We’ll be okay.”
Sonia waddled out to stand next to Davy. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Brother-in-law, what you need is a nanny.”