Lilac

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty- Nine

2:46pm

Lilac looked down on the phone, smiling as she listened to Ethan fuss about her safety on the other line. His tenderness made her heart feel warm. His voice made her feel at ease. Her cheek felt warm as it pressed against the wide screen of the phone Ethan gave her that morning. She'd pay him back for it. He probably wouldn't like it, but Lilac was stubborn when she wanted to be. "You have spotters everywhere, Ethan. Nothing's going to happen. Just drive safely."

"Take care," Ethan repeated on the other line, voice steadfast.

Lilac smiled, touching the side of her neck lightly with her other hand, the mark slightly burning at the junction where her neck met her shoulder. It wasn't too bad, though. She'd tell Ethan when he got home, but the pain wasn't too much to be worth worrying Ethan over while he was away. "I will. See you," she replied, smiling as she heard the phone disconnect on the other line.

Lilac pocketed the phone, stuffing it inside the front pockets of her denim jeans.

She missed him. It was ridiculous. He hadn't even been gone for half a day, and she already wanted to see him. They'd been spending time together for the last three months, Ethan making time for her in spite of his busy schedule, and not having him near her especially after last night...

Lilac was pulled out of her reverie when she stepped over a dent on the pavement, and she shook her head lightly, trying to focus on where she was going.

When Lilac entered the pack house, she was surprised to see Jackie on the dining table, her back to the door and her hand leaning on the back of a wooden chair. When she sensed Lilac's presence, she turned around and smiled at her, raising a hand slightly as if to say, "Just a moment."

Lilac looked at the wall clock situated on top of a white, tall wall, just below the balcony where Ethan had spoken at the feast a few months ago. 2:50pm.

Usually at this time, Jackie would be preparing out ingredients already. Jackie not only cooked meals for pack members, she also baked pastries from time to time and she was great at it- a natural. After volunteering to help at the pack house for months, Lilac learned that Jackie was also running a small business: catering services on events.

She told Lilac she was doing it out of pure enjoyment and satisfaction, not for the money. She even taught Lilac to bake, and was very delighted when Lilac turned out to be a fast learner. A very, very fast one.

They talked in between doing chores, and the fondness in her voice whenever she talked about Ethan had even made Lilac like Jackie even more. It was clear that Jackie was the closest motherly figure Ethan had, and because of this, Lilac somehow always had the urge to thank her.

Jackie ended the call, worry and stress clearly etched on to her face, and Lilac asked cautiously, "Is something wrong?"

Jackie nodded, sighing. "It was Aby, the teacher from the daycare," Jackie said. "Her sister got into an accident and she's the closest relative that can go to the hospital. The other teacher's on a maternal leave. The kids' parents usually pick them up at four pm. I'd go but I have to go on an appointment with a client in 30 minutes. Ah, this is a mess-"

It was almost three in the afternoon. Just one more hour. "I can watch over the kids for an hour," Lilac blurted out. Jackie looked at her in surprise. "I used to teach kids back in the Great Hall whenever a professor couldn't attend classes," she added, suddenly feeling nervous. She even got compensated for it with money that she never had to use until the first time she ate together with Ethan outside.