Page 42 of Violet Moon
Sera took a few more steps until they were standing shoulder to shoulder.“If there’s anything I can do —”
Parisa turned and dropped her head against Sera’s arm, forehead pressing into the thin fabric of her button-down shirt.Sera froze as her mind warred between her fluttering heart and her concern for her Alpha.Parisa was never one for physical contact, at least not when she wasn’t her wolf.
She felt Parisa’s fingertips on her back and jumped, startled.Parisa wound her arms around Sera’s waist and stood there in an awkward side hug with her head down.Sera’s heart raced as put an arm around Parisa’s shoulders.
Parisa sighed and leaned in closer.“Thank you,” she mumbled into the fabric of Sera’s shirt.
Sera rubbed her hand in small circles on her back.
“Do you want to make bread with me?”
“If you mean let me watch or fetch things for you, sure.That’s about all I can do.”
Parisa didn’t move.
“But if you want help, I’ll do my best.”She patted Parisa’s shoulder, even though all she wanted to do was hold her close and kiss the spot on her forehead that poked out from between her locks of thick, brown hair.“How about we make some bread?Now’s as good a time as any to learn.”
Parisa looked up, pulling back.Sera already missed the feeling of her pressed against her shirt.
“You mean it?You’ll bake bread with me?”
She looked so hopeful.Sera’s heart burst.She’d do anything for Parisa, now and forever.
“I’ll do my best.”
Parisa sniffled, standing up straight.She wiped her face and pushed her hair out of her face.“That’s all any of us can do, right?Our best.”She set aside her ball of dough and started gathering ingredients for Sera.
It felt good to get her hands dirty.It was like working in the greenhouse, but stickier.What felt even better was standing beside Parisa as they worked together in comfortable silence, only broken by Parisa giving Sera her next instructions.Though she followed them the best she could, when it was time to let the dough proof, Parisa’s looked perfect and round and Sera’s was a sticky, wet mess.
“Looks like you’re making focaccia over there.”Parisa snickered.
“Is that a joke I’m supposed to get?”
Parisa shrugged.It was good to see her like this again.“We have some time as the dough proofs.Maybe we could share a pot of tea in the office?”She suggested, motioning to the front of the shop.
Sera smiled, feeling warm and content.Feelings that were best ignored stirred in her heart.Parisa wasn’t sharing anything yet, but as long as she could be there for her, that could be enough for now.She trusted that her Alpha would tell her when the time was right.“I’d love to.”
“We need to ban Monopoly,” Sera groaned, rubbing at her temples.
“It’s tearing us apart!”Jo yelled, body splayed across the rug with arms and legs going anywhere they wanted.
Sera smiled.She was still learning to be around Jo, but it was getting easier.The things she remembered were less likely to drag her out of the present.She was starting to co-exist with these recollections of her brother, even though they still stung.Having so much of her pack around her helped.
“I can’t help it if I’m just the better realty manager,” Harry said, waving his wad of multicolored cash.
“More like a robber baron,” Olive mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear.
“That’s too old-fashioned of a burn to count,” Harry countered.
Wilma narrowed her eyes.“Too old-fashioned?”She attempted to hide the grin forming on her lips.Jo laughed beside her.
“Not you, of course.Or you, Beta.Old things are great,” Harry muttered.
“You’re digging yourself a deeper hole,” Diah added, chucking through a yawn.
“I’m not opposed to flipping the board again like I did last time.”Jo wiggled their fingers along the edge of the game.
“No!”The group shouted in unison.
