If This Was Love

Chapter 4 (The Actual Chapter 4)

Chapter 4

            “Have you set up a meeting with the Moon Pack,” I ask Marley two days after the rogue came onto our lands.  We're allowing her and her son to stay on pack lands as long as she finishes high school and gets a job aferwards.  Until then, she's staying at the pack house.  But if the Moon Pack is actually peaceful, we might take her back over there.  It might just be a case of a scared young girl afraid to be a mom.

            Marley nods her head as she slides into one of living room chairs.  “They think we’ve come to rephrase our treaty.”  She rolls her eyes making me laugh.  “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

            I nod at her, smiling as I see the small body of Noah dart into the room.  “Gray!” he shouts in excitement, throwing his self in my arms.  I chuckle at the sweet three year old.

            “Hi baby, how was daycare?” I ask, brushing his brown hair out of his face.  Noah was found in the forest, his parents dead next to him.  We assume his parents were rogues, but we took in the one year old and I’ve been looking after him ever since.

            “Good!  But, I have a question,” he says, puckering his delicate eyebrows in confusion.

            “Shoot,” I reply, giving him a small smile.

            “What’s a mommy?” he asks, and my hands tighten against his small body.  I look up to see Marley slowly walking out of the room.  I shoot her a glare, but she just gives me a sad smile back before exiting the room.

            I look back to the adorable toddler, smiling at her as if nothing’s wrong.  “Why do you ask?”

            “Well,” he starts, cuddling into me.  I drape a blanket over both of us as he continues, “all the other kids have mommies and they say that they are the best.  But I didn’t know what a mommy was, and they laughed at me,” he says, his lip jutting out a little bit as he tries to hold in his tears, but one slip out.  He looks up at me with watering brown eyes, making my heart squeeze.  “So what’s a mommy and where can I get one?”

            I sigh, tucking his head under my chin, hugging him tighter.  “Well, you can’t just get a mommy.  A mommy is a very special person who will love you no matter what.  They take care of you, hug you and never want to let you go,” I explain, swallowing back my own tears at the thoughts of my dead mother. 

            Noah’s head bobs under my chin as he hugs me tighter.  I hug him closer as he takes in the information, letting the room fall into a hush quiet.  “Are you my mommy Gray?” he speaks softly against me, and I feel myself flinch a little.  “Gray?” he asks, looking up at me with those sad brown eyes.  “I would really like it if you were my mommy, and you already do all those things you said a mommy does.”

            I nod my head, biting my lip before looking back at the little child next to me.  “I suppose I am your mommy,” I say, and he smiles brightly at me.

            “Can I call you mommy?” he asks innocently, playing with one of my dyed blue strands.  I frown a little, thinking his question through.  I don't really want him to think that I'm his real mom.  But I don't want him to go through life without someone to call mom like I did.

            I smile at him again.  “Sure honey,” I say, my voice gruff with emotions.  I clear my throat while tickling him a little.  “Now how about you go play with Aunt Marley?” I ask and he laughs as my fingers dig deeper in his sides.

            “Stop it mommy!” he squeals, and I do.  I can’t help but feel guilty because his parents are missing out on a really great kid.  He’ll never know his parents-I guess I’ll have to explain that part of his past when he’s a little bit older.  “Auntie doesn’t like playing with me,” he adds, jutting out his lip.