Chapter 57

Renee’s POV

Debbie’s worries of divorce are lodged out of her mind and now her thoughts are consumed of the talent show happening at her school.

“Debbie hold still,” I urge her as I try to click the clip through her high pony tail.

“It’s hurts!” She whines and wiggles some more.

“Not if you don’t move,” I tell her. I’m finally able to secure the clip. “There,@ I tell her and hold up a handheld mirror for her to see. “What do you think?”

Debbie’s face lights up into a smile highlighting her rosy cheeks. “I look amazing!” She squeals. I smile.

Debbie runs across the bedroom floor to the full length mirror and takes in her entire appearance.

She’s dressed in a sparkly pink long-sleeved shirt paired with a corridor black skirt, her hair tied up into a braided pony tail, and just a smear of pink lipstick and blush.

“Absolutely no make up,” Eric says leaning against the door frame.

“Oh daddy, please,” Debbie waves him off. Eric arches an eyebrow and I laugh.

“Annie, tell her she can’t wear make up,” Eric instructs and I hold my hands up in defense.

“No way,” I say. “That one is all you,” this is the one time I’m not the bad guy so I’m going to relish in it.

“What time do you have to be at the school?” Eric asks checking his gold watch on his wrist.

“5’o clock!” Debbie answers. “Sharp.” She says with a firm nod.

I meet Eric’s eye. “Sharp,” I say echoing Debbie.

“Will you be there?” Debbie asks hopeful. Eric’s eye look pained.

“I will certainly try,” he tells her. Debbie grunts.

“Whatever,” she stomps off and goes to her room. I stand up from the floor and face Eric who looks dumbfounded as he watches Debbie disappear down the hall.

“She’s six going on sixteen,” I say and Eric sounds and agreement.

He’s dressed in an olive green dress shirt that brings out the warmth in his skin tone.

“Are you sure you can’t come?” I ask again for Debbie’s sake.

“I have to have dinner with this client,” he says regretfully. I nod like I understand but I don’t. It’s her first talent show and for not being present in Debbie’s life for so long, you’d think he’d do anything he can to be there. But, that’s Eric. It’s the reason why I left him, his distance his business always being first.

“What is she doing for her show anyways?” Eric asks. I shrug.

“She won’t tell, she’s keeping it a secret,”

With that we go our separate ways.

At the auditorium behind the curtain children are running a muck in customs and makeup.

. I take it all in and reflect on what it’s like to be at a place so familiar during the day only to it be completely transformed come nightfall. It’s like all the rules that apply during the day are no longer applicable and rather than it be a chore to be here, children are brimming with excitement.

Debbie sees a couple girls her age touching up their customers in the mirror and brushing each others hair. “Mom can I go?” She asks practically jumping up and down.

“Yes, of course,” I say. She runs off before I can finish my sentence. “I’ll see you from the audience!” I call after her, but I’m not even sure if she heard me.

I go to leave the stage and find a seat hopefully somewhere in the front row.

“What are you doing here?” Someone asks and I stop in my tracks.

I turn around and see Mia standing behind me. She’s dressed in some expensive shirt ehite dress with black tights with a matching plaid fur coat dropping down to her ankles. She eyes me up and down and makes her judgment of my plain jeans and black hoodie very apparent.

“For Debbie,” I say like it’s obvious, just like she’s probably here for Nilo.

“I heard you were leaving the country,” she says narrowing her eyes down at me. I think about how rumors about me were probably flying around the office and they somehow made their way to Mia like a bad case of whisper down the lane.

“I was going to leave the state to start my own business,” I tell her. “I just haven’t yet,”

“Hmmhm,” Mia says like she doesn’t believe me.

I bite my tongue and fight the urge to inform her the real reason I haven’t left yet is because Eric wants me to stay with him. I could rub it in her face that I know she isn’t staying at his house or that he wants nothing to do with her anymore because his wife is back from the dead, but I don’t.

I don’t because that will only give her more fuel to make my life miserable, not to mention me saying that alludes that I also want to be with Eric, and I don’t.

“I heard Eric knows who you really are,” Mia says. I nod. “Sounds like a mess. Glad I got out from all that,” she says and brushes past my shoulder. “Not to mention,” Mia says over her shoulder, “He’s broke,”

Broke? Eric isn’t broke. He has more money than any Alpha from any generation. Mia must have heard some mindless rumor and clung to it because it makes her feel better about losing Eric. Just when I start to pity Mia; I’m reminded how heartless she is.

I ignore her and go to find my seat.

I’m in the fourth row in the center. I have a perfect view of the stage and I get my camera ready. As does every other parent in the audience.

The seats are red and scratchy. The lights are dim, except for one bright spotlight illuminating the scuffed-up wood on the stage. There hushed whispers among the parents that die down as Mrs. Hazel welcomes the first contestant which is a boy that I recognize from soccer practice.

He does a juggling act and works his way up to five balls. He earns a standing ovation, despite that at the last minute one of his balls escaped him and rolled away off stage.

A few more students stroll onto stage and complete their performance, each talent more mundane than the last. The students are precious, but I’m realizing that Debbie not being like her peers because of her illness isn’t that much of a big deal.

Of course, I want her healthy, but it’s not like children her age are doing anything magnificent.

Finally, Debbie is up. I hit record on my phone, her blurry image coming into focus as she paddles to center stage. She looks out into the crowd and I stand slightly and wave. She smiles to let me know she sees me.

She looks so small standing on such a large stage. I find myself sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what her talent is.

I know I just said that her peers weren’t that impressive, but this just he how every parent felt seeing their kid up there under the bright lights.

Debbie takes a deep breath in and I hold my own breath. Is she going to sing? I freeze. I hope she doesn’t sing. I love Debbie, but she doesn’t have a great voice- definitely not talent show level.

Then, she lets out a big howl. Her vocal cords stretch and climb up to octaves that force me to grab my ears.

Meanwhile has her howl heightens in pitch, her muscles get bigger and her skin furrier. I realize what’s happening and I jolt up in my seat.

“Is she transforming?” Someone asks.

“Isn’t that the sick girl?” Another person is heard asking.

I practically climb over people down through the row trying to run up to the stage, but it’s too late. Debbie is already fully into her wolf. A few kids scream.

Debbie isn’t threatening, at least not to the adults who try to calm their nervous children.

“Debbie!” I shout, not sure what my goal is. She looks at me with pride in her eyes. “Get down here,” I command. Her ears go back and she comes to the edge of the stage.

I keep waving her down.

When her paws hit the floor, I grab hold of her arm and march her to the doors leading outside.

As we recess down the aisle people twist in their seats to watch us. This is going to be the talk of the town.

“You need to get a better handle of your daughter,” Mia calls after us from somewhere in the audience. I spin around and scan the dark room and gawking faces until I spot her looking smugly at us.

I’m about to tell her off when I see Nilo scurry to stand beside Mia.

“Who’s your father?” Nilo asks with the innocence only a child can eminent. There’s also a tinge of fear, fear that maybe knows the answer.

His question stops the words from spilling out of my mouth.

He’s only a child. If he finds out Eric is Debbie’s father and has essentially replaced his spot as Eric’s assumed kid, he’ll be crushed.

Mia goes white at his question and that alone is enough to satisfy my desire of putting her in her place.

“Don’t answer that,” I whisper to Debbie and push us towards the exit.

Next talent show, she’s juggling.