Page 23 of Roman
After fruits were selected, I went to the meat counter and then the pasta aisle. I was going to cheat and use jarred sauce, but I was pressed for time. I only had a few hours to get everything together for Beau, and although I would love to make him a from-scratch meal, it simply wasn’t in the cards tonight. Perhaps for our next date.
“Excuse me.”
I looked next to me and had to look down quite a way to meet the smiling eyes of the older lady.
“Can I help you?”
“I hope so. I can’t reach the pasta there,” she said, pointing to the shelf that was head level for her. “I know it’s back there, but I can’t reach it. Would you be a dear and get it for me, please?”
I smiled as I reached to the back of the shelf and pulled the boxes forward. “These ones?”
“Yes, dear.” I handed her a box as she was reaching for it. When she continued to reach, I handed over a second one. “Thank you so much,” she told me.
“You’re welcome.”
She placed them in her cart and then walked away. I grabbed a couple of packages of spaghetti noodles and then reached for the sauce. Minutes later, I was checked out and took my bags to the SUV. I would, of course, need to do a much larger grocery run, but the hope was that Beau would be with me, and we would be filling our new pantry together. I thought about the pantry in the new house.
“The cabin you were renting from Forest was fine for just you,” Master Edison told me. “You’re going to have a family soon enough, and that means you need to live in something larger than a two-room cabin.”
I followed Master Edison through the massive house. It was larger than any place I’d ever lived, even when I had the twins.
“Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an office downstairs,” Master Edison continued. “For those late-night grading sessions.”
I could only nod. “I guess my decision about if I’m going to continue teaching or not has been decided.”
Master Edison stopped as he was walking toward a short hallway that I assumed led to the downstairs office he’d just mentioned.
“You aren’t planning on continuing to teach?”
I shrugged. “It’s all right. I didn’t exactly enjoy my first year teaching here. It might be the students, or maybe it’s the changes. Either way, it’s not a terrible job. I was going to consider other options. Then I met Beau, and now I’ll continue teaching since I’m going to need to support not only him but any children we might have in the future.”
Master Edison stared at me for a moment before he gave a subtle nod and then continued down the hallway.
“I’ve taken the liberty of providing some furniture. All of your things from your cabin will be brought over later if you agree to this place.”
I looked around the office and couldn’t help but laugh and shake my head.
“Is my taste in office furniture comical?”
I shook my head. “No, Master Edison. I just found it funny that this home office is larger than my office at the local college. It’s a glorified closet without a window even.”
Master Edison scowled. “Next door,” he said, pointing out the window, which was on the side of the house, “is Calum and Asher. Calum is a fox alpha, and Asher is fae like Beau. Once you and Beau are settled and things have done what things do, go talk to Calum. He’s head of his department at the university.Perhaps he has room for you in his department. I know he teaches online more than in person, and it’s possible he can offer something more fulfilling for you.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. Thank you.” I looked around the office and shook my head. It was difficult to think of this place as being mine. Well, mine and Beau’s. “This place is perfectly fine. More than, actually. I hope that Beau likes it.”
“I’m sure he will. It is a good neighborhood to live in, and although I don’t recommend you shift and go for a run down here, Beau will be able to get you up to the mountaintop easily enough.”
I found myself smiling at the memories from the morning. Never would I have envisioned just how much my brothers’ and my lives would change when I answered the ad looking for a shopkeeper for the council. It had been a huge chance I’d taken, but at that point, I was exhausted and needed something, anything that could help me protect the twins. Did I expect my brothers would find their mates? No. Me either. But here we were.
It didn’t take long to get to the new neighborhood, and when I turned onto the road, I was met by another vehicle. They waved as they left the neighborhood, which was something new for me. I had no idea who they were, but hopefully, I would soon enough.
When I pulled into the driveway of my new place, I pushed the button, and the garage opened. Another new thing. I’d been “with” the council for some time, and I was still getting used to what I considered the luxuries that were basically normal for most associated with the council. I carefully pulled into the garage, and after I removed the bags from the cargo area, I pushed the button to close the liftgate.
I managed to remember to push the button on the wall to close the garage door on my way in, and when I set the bagson the center island in the kitchen, I realized something was off about the place. It only took a glance toward the back room to understand that my things from the tiny cabin had been moved here. Master Edison had said he would have my things brought over, and sure enough, they were here.
I chuckled at the sparseness of them in the much larger room. Beau and I would need to do some shopping in order to fill the rest of the house with things. That would all wait though. He was going to be busy with his bakery, and I was going to have to figure out how I could best support him while trying not to lose my own mind with the frustration of teaching at the local college.
If I were able to secure a position at the university, that would be so much better. They had good reviews, both from faculty as well as students. Teaching at the collegiate level had always been my dream, and I had loved it when I first taught. Then life happened, and I had to resign from my position. I wouldn’t go back and change anything though. My brothers were more important, and I didn’t regret giving it up in order to protect them.
