When eight o'clock hit I thought maybe mom and Eli and maybe even Tiffany and Carson were just running late. When Bridget set the food out at nine I realized something had to be wrong but I didn't call until nine thirty when Bridget suggested maybe we should all sit down and eat instead of worrying. To sit and eat without them.

I gave a fake smile and said, "Okay, just let me call home first so I can check on everybody."

"Alright, " she said, features morphing into a concerned frown.

Nodding back I grabbed the landline off the wall and hid behind the expansion of wall at the kitchens entrance. The phone rang three times before Eli answered with a gruff, "Yeah, who is it"

"Uh, it's me, Eric," I mumbled, my nerves becoming a wreck at the sound of his voice. Where was momma?

"What you calling for?"

"I just wanted to ask if y'all were coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. Bridget made cake this time and all the guys are going for a hunt afterwards and they wanted to know if you wanted to join them," I said, biting on my tongue a little.

"Nah I ain't going. I'm staying home with Tiff and Carson," he said, I was surprised by the remorse in his voice.

"What about mom?"

"She's not feeling good. That's why I said no to the hunt. I don't wanna leave Tiff and Carson and I'm definitely not leaving momma alone."

"Okay... Well can I talk to her."

"... Yeah just... wait a sec."

Peeking around the corner I gazed at everyone sitting at the table, passing biscuits and plates of ham back and forth. Everyone just looked so happy. I took note of the warm glances Bridget and Callum traded. The way Gale would clap Pete's back like a proud father any time he said something humorous. How Reagan and Braxton would point out something and Toby would give it to them whenever Bridget wasn't looking.

I saw all of it and couldn't help wishing that mom, even Elijah, wasn't missing out on this.

"Hey sweetheart," Mom's voice filled my ear.

"Hey momma," I whispered, leaning against the wall. Toby glanced up at me. He probably heard me and who I was talking to- superhearing and all. "Are you okay? Are Eli and Tiffany helping you out around the house?"

She laughed at this. "Baby you don't have to worry about me okay. I should be asking about you. How is everything?"

"Good I guess... I have something important to tell you too but you're not here and I don't wanna tell it to you over the phone."

"If you aren't gonna tell me then why did you say anything? Now I'm worrying."

"Oh! It's not anything bad, momma."

"...Good."

Frowning to myself I asked, "Are you sure everything's okay? Elijah just told me that you weren't feeling good."

"No, I'm not but I'll be okay. The new medicine they started me on is helping."

"It is?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, Eric, you know this. I try my best not to cause you're not my little baby anymore."

I snorted at this.

"I mean you are still my baby but I not gonna treat you like one. You deserve to know these things."

"I'm just sad cause you're not here."

Tobg looked up again at that, blue eyes holding my gaze. Frowning he mouthed, "You okay?"

I nodded.

"You sure?"

I nodded again before going back into the kitchen.

"You don't need to be sad. Your momma is doing fine," she said, taking up a stern tone.

"Momma, please, I don't wanna spend Thanksgiving without you and Elijah, " I whispered into the receiver, holding the landline close to my face.

"Your brother has been helping me a lot these past few weeks since you started working. And he let's me play."

"He let's you play?" I cant help but frown at that. I'm happy because she's happy and that's all that matters but I hated when she'd say things like that. Elijah let me do this, he let me do that. Who was Eli to tell her, his mother, what she could and couldn't do?

"Yes. Whenever you go to work he helps me onto the bench and sometimes he sits down to play with me."

"I thought Eli gave up on piano."

"He didn't mean that. Elijah doesn't mean half the things he says."

Mmhmm. "Well since everything's alright with you..."

"Love you, baby. Tell the Vincents I said 'hi and happy thanksgiving.'"

"I will. Alright, love you too... Tell Eli I said... love him too."

The line grew quiet before I suddenly heard Eli's muffled voice saying, "Love you too."

***

I don't know why I let Toby convince me to come out here on their hunt. Callum somehow convinced Bridget to come too, she of course brought the twins. If Alana were here, she'd say she was too black for this but if I complained she'd probably give a retort like, "Well you half white so you can take it."

I can say wholeheartedly that I cannot take it.

"Up!" Reagan called to her father as he handed Bridget his coat

"Not right now Rey," he said, crouching down to hook a strand of her hair behind one ear. "Daddy has to go for a little bit okay, but I'll be back, okay?"

"But I want up!" Reagan argued.

"Aw Rey, come on..."

Pouting she crossed her arms when Callum tried to hug her, backpedaling away from him. "I want Pop-pop."

"Pa's not here right now."

"Yes he is. He went in there," Reagan argued, pointing a chubby finger at the bridge above the large ditch leading into the forest.

Callum went on trying to get Reagan to go back to her mother for a bit with her completely disregarding everything he said. Then a dark figure emerged from the wood, two piercing blue eyes that seemed to look right through you.

I started at the wolf for a moment before realizing who it was. He was too big to be Toby.

"Gale?" I said, a little cautious about approaching him.

He let out a soft bark at that. Reagan stopped arguing with Callum then. The three year old was completely mesmerized by what was happening behind her.

"Pa?" She frowned at the strange dog like creature.

A part of her must have known he wasn't a regular dog cause when he stepped towards her she hid behind her father who chuckled softly.

"Yeah hun," Callum said, picking her up and walking towards us, "That's Pa."

"That's not Pop-pop," Reagan frowned at him. "That's a doggy!"

"No Rey, that's your grandpa. Just look." Callum stepped towards the wolf, crouching down a little to let Reagan reach out for him.

Reluctant, and rightfully so, Reagan barely brushed his fur before shying away and burying her face in her father's chest. Bridget started to get worried, or more so, at that point.

"Callum, hun, I don't know about this. I think you're scaring her," she said, looking a little fearful herself.

"No it's fine, dad did this with all of us when we were young. This is something they need to know, especially Braxton," Callum said, moving closer to his father. Reaching out to scratch his ear Callum cooed, "See, he's not gonna hurt you."

Giggling Reagan reached out to mimic her father's actions. I wanted to, but then I saw another, smaller, figure emerge from the wood. With blue eyes just as piercing and intimidating as his father's I couldn't help but stare, admire him. I was completely awestruck, and with confident strides I approached him, hand outstretched and lax with my eyes to his chest so as not to agitate him.

I've never seen him in this form and I didn't know how he took to being approached by people, be they werewolf or not. That was another reason I was waiting for my changes to start. I wanted this. To hunt, and run through cold December nights with Elijah and Dad every Christmas instead of getting a sorry kiddo and my hair ruffled. Maybe I wouldn't be able to share that with Dad now that he was gone but I could have my moment with Toby and his family.

Just maybe.