Page 64 of Wolf's Redemption

"Are you ready?" I challenge him.

Elliot's eyes lit up, and he handed me the control. "I was born ready," he said, using a feigned voice with a deep, menacing tone.

He put on a wrestling game, one that I used to play, and was very good. Elliot wasn't bad at all, but I let him beat me at the last second just to make him happy.

Cathy watched us and melted on the couch, she didn't say anything the whole time, but her gaze was fixed on me.

My son and I spent the rest of the afternoon playing video games. Afterward, we ran outside around the house, playing catch while Cathy caught up on work and occasionally spied on us through her study window.

The afternoon went well, and the sun was about to set. I was exhausted, but Elliot had lots of energy. He also told me stories of adventures he had had with his mom and at school. I treasured them and enjoyed his company. My son was the sweetest and funniest boy I had ever met.

When we were about to go back to the house, a car with a large pizza on top of it pulled up to the front door of the house, and a young, skinny guy came to us and pulled out two pizzas. "Does Mrs. North live here?" he asked, reading a paper stapled to the first box.

"Yes," Cathy replied, coming out of the house. "Thank you very much."

"Pizza," Elliot yelled and ran to her. We waited for the pizza delivery guy to get into his car and watched him disappear. I helped Cathy with the pizzas, and we went into the house together.

"I bought your favorite," she announced.

"Pepperoni," he said with a lit-up look.

I carried Elliot to wash his hands in the sink, and we sat down at the table to share the meal. The atmosphere was very familiar, and I felt very comfortable. I enjoyed the pizza, which tasted like glory, the best pizza I had ever tasted, but I knew it wasn't because of the flavor, not because of the melted cheese or the temperature of the food but because of the company.

After eating, Elliot went up to his room to get ready for bed.

"Thanks for spending the day with Elliot," Cathy said. "I loved watching you guys have fun together."

I hugged Cathy and gave her a kiss. She sank into my chest and squeezed me.

I felt her reassurance. Our bond had developed since I marked her. Allowing me to feel her emotions when we were close.

"I don't want to miss any more special moments with him," I said, "With either of you. Cathy, please think about my proposal. Come live with me at the mansion," I ask her.

After some thought, she seemed to make up her mind. "We will, but first, let me arrange things here," she shared serenely. "I don't want to stay far from you either."

"Mommy, can my dad tell me a bedtime story?" Elliot had crept downstairs, and we didn't hear him.

Cathy looked at me, and I nodded.

Elliot had called me dad for the first time, and I felt the coolest thrill in the world, like my heart was crumpling and everything around me was going out of focus.

"Come on, what kind of stories do you like?" I asked him as I followed him.

His room was decorated with superhero posters, a lava lamp on his nightstand, and a bed with blue sheets.

"Tell me about one of your adventures," he asked as he lay down.

I tucked him in and arranged his pillow, sat on the edge of the bed, and told him the story of one of my trips where I hiked through the Amazon jungle in search of a rare plant for a remedy for his grandfather.

Before I finished the story, my son was fast asleep. I gave him a kiss and got up carefully so as not to wake him up, turned off the light, and when I came out, Cathy was waiting for me with a bottle of wine.

"Elliot is a special boy," I mentioned.

"He is. He's the apple of my eye," she said, coming into her room just across the hall from our son’s.

We walked in, and she took a sip of wine straight from the bottle and offered it to me. I took a swig, set the bottle aside, and gave her a kiss, gently pressing her cheeks with my palms. "Thank you for raising our son all by yourself. You did an outstanding job," I gave her another kiss.

Cathy leaned back from me and sighed calmly. "I never thought I'd have you here with me, not in my wildest dreams," she confessed. "But I'm glad it happened."

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