Althena

2. Goodbye

I wake up early. It's dark out. I'm still in the hospital bed. Mom is sleeping beside me. She looks peaceful. I sneak out slowly and head home.

I'm almost to my porch when someone says, "Were you out all night?"

"AAHHH!" I scream and jump.

"Sorry. You're ok. Only me." Mike is standing there with his hands up.

"What are you doing?" I put my hand on my chest. "You nearly killed me."

"Morning run. What are you doing?"

"I fell asleep at the hospital. I'm going home."

"How is your mom?"

I shrug my shoulders. "She's ok. I can help in the gardens today. I'll make sure they don't get behind."

I go in and shut the door. I haven't even brushed my teeth yet. I get ready and scramble myself an egg. Then I go to the gardens. I like doing this early. I hate the afternoon sun. I pull weeds and gather what's ripe.

I get home and there's a box on the porch. There's no note. I open it and it's a sandwich with some chips. No doubt from Millie. She always tries to take care of me when my mom's sick. I eat my lunch and clean up again. Then I go see mom.

"You're looking better today, mom."

She sits up as best as she can. "Thank you, sweetheart. Did you get something to eat?"

"Yea. I'm fine. And I helped out in the garden today. I'm not sure if it was enough, but I wanted to help."

"My thoughtful girl." She coughs and wipes her mouth quickly.

"Are you coming home soon?"

"The doctors want to monitor me for another day. Do you want to eat with Millie tonight?"

"Please no."

"What happened?"

I shake my head. "Nothing major. I would just rather eat with you."

"We'll do that. We'll eat and I'll tell you a story."

My eyes fill up with tears. "What story, momma?"

"Yours."

I hug her gently. "I can't wait. You rest for now. I'll be back for dinner. I love you."

"I love you too, princess."

I can barely see by the time I get to the empty waiting room. This one is always empty. I don't think people realize it's here. I cry for a while then I pick up a book. I need to let my mom rest for now. So, I lay on the couch and read.

"It's time for dinner."

I sit straight up and try to figure out where I am. Mike is staring at me.

"What time is it?"

"It's 6:20. You didn't come over for dinner."

"I'm eating here."

"I'm sorry about what my brother said."

"Don't worry about it. I've been called worse." I half stagger out of the room. I was sleeping hard. I see the nurse take the food tray out of momma's room.

Momma smiles at me when I come in. "Are you hungry, baby?"

"I'm ok. Have you eaten yet?"

"I did." She pats the bed beside her. "Hello, Alpha Max. I didn't see you come in."

I sit by her and look at the door. "That's Mike, momma."

"Oh, I'm sorry Mike. You look like your dad."

"It's alright. I've been called worse."

Mom laughs and then she starts coughing. She wipes blood off her mouth again when she's done. "You want to hear my baby's story?"

He smiles and sits in the chair. "I would love to."

I snuggle up and lay my head on her pillow. Then, I wake up with her playing with my hair. "She's everything to me."

"Do you have any other family?" Oh that's why he's here. I stay still.

"No."

"Did he know you were pregnant?"

She has never said that part. I guess I always assumed she did. Not like it would have made any difference.

"He left us." She leaves it at that. "I ran after that. I came to Crystal Falls." I never heard that either. My dad isn't from Crystal Falls? "I stayed with my sister for a few weeks. Horrible people. I was searching for somewhere for her to safely grow." Her sister? She never said anything about a sister. "Alpha Max let us stay. It's so beautiful here. The trees. The paths. The stars. You can't see them anywhere else in the city." She's starting to ramble. "My beautiful baby got to be safe here. Thank you, Max." My eyes fill with tears. She's really out of it. "She loves the stars."

"Mike, you were supposed to find Althena and come to dinner." Millie is here now.

Momma coughs. "She ate, Millie. She's ok. Thank you for checking on her."

"Any time, Aurel. You concentrate on yourself and get well. I'll get my son out of your hair now."

She laughs. "He's a good boy."

"He is that. I'll see you tomorrow."

I lay still until momma falls asleep. Then I go home. I need to sleep in my bed.

I'm starving by the time I wake up. I eat an egg and go to the garden. There's more harvest today and less weeds. That's a good sign. I make it home just after lunch and there's another box. I eat my sandwich. It makes me hungry working in the garden.

I get to the hospital a half hour later. 2 doctors and a handful of nurses are in the room. They've got her hooked to different machines.

"What's going on?"

"I'm sorry. She slipped into a coma."

My world crashes down on me. I am frozen in fear. "She's sleeping."

A nurse hugs me and rubs my back. "You read to her. I bet she would like that."

I fall into the chair. They leave us. "Please wake up, momma." I've never felt so alone.

I listen to the machine beeps for I don't know how long. The doctors come in and out. Nothing changes.

"If you have to go, will you take me with you?"

She doesn't answer. She looks like she's sleeping.

2 hours later, she's gone.

I hug my knees and cry. I have nobody.

The next week is a blur. If I'm not in the garden, I sit on the porch and read. I don't know what else to do. The funeral was beautiful. Many of the pack sent flowers. I've never seen so many flowers in one place.

I sit on the porch and try to eat the sandwich. I worked in the garden this morning. I eat 3 bites but nothing tastes good anymore.

I can't help but wonder what they're going to do with me.

The answer comes soon enough. Millie summons me for dinner.

"Welcome. Please have a seat." I sit by her like always. She rubs my back. "Althena, this is your Aunt Rose and Uncle Roger Reed. Rose was your mother's sister."

"It's nice to meet you." I can't even fake a smile.

"So, you're the illegitimate child my sister ran away for." Rose looks down her nose at me. She looks fake with her heavy makeup and puffy face. No doubt she had some work done recently.

Miles laughs and Mike hits him on the back of the head.

"I guess I am."

"How old are you?"

"13."

Roger looks me up and down. "We have no choice, Rose. We're the only family she has."

Rose makes a weird noise.

Millie jumps up. "I'll keep her."

The alpha rubs his eyes. "Millie, we've been over it. She needs her family."

"I'm keeping her. I'll be her family."

Roger laughs. "Don't be silly. She'll be fine."

An alpha aura expands. I'm not sure who it was. I look at the alpha and he's looking at his boys. I eat a green bean. "These are good."

"Thank you, sweetie."

Rose attempts to smile. "We have a room for her. And we are her only family here."

"Do you know who her father was?" I look from my plate to Mike so fast. He is staring at her though.

"No. He was never disclosed. I didn't even know she was pregnant until the day before she left. She wasn't far along. He could have been anyone though. She was 17 when she got pregnant. Did she ever tell you, Althena?"

"No."

Mike tries to look at my eyes. "He may not have known about you."

"He abandoned me and killed my mother. I don't want to know him." I stare at my plate and eat another green bean.

"But if he didn't know."

"What could I offer him now, that I couldn't then? I have no money. I have no connections. I'm nothing." I shake my head. "I have no father. I would rather stay a mutt."

Rose nods. "It's for the best. We'll never know where the white hair and blue eyes came from though."

"Momma said I got my eyes from my dad. She didn't know where the hair came from either."

"It's possible she didn't know who he was, child. Let's be realistic here." Rose stands up. "Thank you for a lovely dinner. Let's go pack your things."

Millie grabs onto Max. It's obvious he doesn't want me here though. Miles seems happy. I lead Rose out and go to me and momma's home. The only home I've known for nearly 14 years.

I look around and realize how little we had. But somehow it was always enough. We each had a plate and bowl. A cup.

"Child, you'll need none of this. Grab your clothes." I get a grocery bag and she looks me up and down. "Although, I'll probably have to buy you all new clothes anyway."

I throw my clothes in the bag and follow her out. Roger is in front of the house with a nice car. Nobody is here to say goodbye. I thought Millie would be.

I climb in the car and watch the house get smaller. "Goodbye, momma." I barely whisper it.