Page 317 of As The Shifter World Turns

“I do too.” He turned over the price tag. “And it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” Not that money was an issue for us. But we didn’t want to go around burning through it either.

“It says that there are matching pieces.” I pointed to the tiny script under the price.

I barely got the words out and a sales person was at our side, describing everything that line had to offer including bamboo sheets and organic mattresses. We left with an order in place and all of the furniture needs for the room met.

“I feel like we accomplished a great deal doing that.” I held the door open for my mate.

“We did. But do you know what would make me feel better?” Daire bit his bottom lip.

“Getting some clothing for our little one?”

“No, but I love the way you think. I was wondering if we could try that place that advertises ‘the widest selection of quality strollers in the tri-state area’.”

“So stroller, then home?”

“Stroller, car seat, and possibly that cute little kids boutique on 3rd Avenue?”

“Yeah, we can do all of that.” I promised.

And we did. By the time dinner rolled around we had the furniture, the textiles, and the wall decor for our nursery all on order, a baby stroller that was able to do more things than my first car ever could including converting to a pram for the early days, enough gender neutral clothes for our baby’s first six months of life, an array of cloth diapers I was fairly certain neither of us understood, and some toys just because they were cute.

“That was the best day ever.” Daire plopped into the recliner. “Thank you for indulging me.”

“I had fun too.” I sat on the coffee table in front of him. “Now we have another big decision to make. What should we get for dinner, because I’m not cooking and there’s no way I’m eating cereal around you ever again?”

Daire stuck his tongue out at me playfully.

“You mean I should get the cereal out?”

He shook his head back and forth a few times. “No. No cereal. I wasn’t saying you were wrong.” He chuckled. “Let’s order chicken. I’m in the mood for chicken.”

“Broasted?” I clarified.

“Yes! With jo-jo potatoes.”

I ordered dinner and put on a movie we both loved and the two of us enjoyed a nice quiet evening home. It was the perfect end to the perfect day.

Ryder

“I was thinking,” I said to Archer.

We were having coffee, just the two of us. It had been a while since we’d done this and it was nice.

“You should probably avoid that when possible. It leads to ideas, and ideas require action and it becomes a whole thing.” He picked up his drink and blew on it before taking a sip.

“Too late.” I tapped my head. “The idea is already here.”

“Then do tell, my friend.” He leaned back in the comfy chair that was the main draw of this particular coffee place. It by far didn’t have the best coffee, but it was the most comfortable place to hang out while drinking it.

“Things are different now. Work wise. My life is in a sort of chill place where things are working like clockwork, you know?”

“I guess.”

“This is going to sound unrelated, but it is.” And could go either way. Archer was the first person to help Mike, so I didn’t think this would hit him wrong, but also Mike had almost cost Archer his freedom, so maybe this whole idea would be a step too far. Only one way to find out.

“Mike’s appeal was this week as you know.” One piece of very good news was that the lawyer Archer had used had worked his magic and appealed Mike’s one-year sentence. “Because he was a minor and because the person he hit was the world’s worst witness.” Everyone involved agreed it was less that he was a bad witness and more that he didn’t want to see Mike in jail after hearing his testimony. “It’s amazing that he has probation and community service—a lot of community service.”

And I wasn’t opposed to giving back to society, but they gave him so many hours he wouldn’t be able to hold down a job to pay bills, go to school, and complete the hours. It was like they were setting him up to fail. And maybe that was the point. The judge was not impressed when none of the witnesses seemed any too eager to put the boy in jail.

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