Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Too Human

Serena helped her mom bring all the boxes of toys and clothes into the house. The kids were wildly

running around in excitement, chattering about what they thought was in each box. “Alright,” Serena

said, getting their attention. She set the last box down. “If you two want these new things, you‘re going

to have to bring them all up to your rooms and put them away, okay?” “Yes!” Olivia said jumping up and

down. “Can we start, mommy?” Oliver asked. Serena nodded. “Go ahead,” she said, waving her arms

over the boxes. The kids giggled and cheered, diving into the boxes. They started divvying things up

and then running them up and down the stairs. Serena sighed, going to the kitchen to get herself a

glass of water. “Do you want anything?” she asked Charlotte when her mother followed her into the

kitchen. “No, I’m fine,” Charlotte said, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “You don‘t seem that grateful

for my contribution.” Serena sat across from her mother, looking at the glossy surface of the wooden

table. When she‘d been in medical school, her parents had paid her tuition and sent her monthly

installments of money to support her. She had used most of it on the twins, even though they didn‘t

know that‘s what it was

used for. While she‘d been grateful for the support, she‘d felt guilty accepting so much from them.

“Mom, it isn‘t that I don‘t appreciate it, I just…” she trailed off, meeting her mother‘s eyes. Charlotte

waited expectantly. “You and dad supported me all through medical school. I took the job here in Night

Sky to become more independent.” Charlotte laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder and waving

her daughter‘s concern away. Serena crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at her mother.

Upstairs, Serena could hear Oliver and Olivia running around with their new things. They were playing

some elaborate game to sort the toys and decide what belonged to who. Every now and then, they‘d

run back downstairs and collect a new armload of things to bring back to their rooms, Everything was

an adventure to them. To be a kid again, with no worries and no responsibilities. Serena shook her

head. No, she loved being a mother and a doctor! “Serena, you became a little too human while in

school,” Charlotte teased her. Serena rolled her eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“Honey, this is what a pack does,” Charlotte said. “We support each other, we help each other.” “This is

different,” Serena argued. “You can‘t just drop by and give my kids all these toys. They need to learn

that they can‘t have everything they want.” Again, Charlotte shook her head. “These notions of

‘independence‘ and learning they can‘t have everything, these are human concepts. They have not

place in the head of a pack doctor,” she said. Serena sighed. Maybe her mother was right. She had

missed being in a pack when she‘d lived in the human world. Being back, she suddenly felt like the

pack was overbearing. It was possible to have her independence and still be part of the pack. At least,

she hoped it was. “You‘re just going to have to get used to this again,” Charlotte said. “When you and

your brother were younger, pack members doted on you all the time. I‘m not just your mother, I‘m their

grandmother.” “Fine, fine,” Serena said, holing her hands up in surrender. “Thank you for helping out.”

Charlotte smiled. “Olivia, Oliver, get in here!” she called to the kids when they came downstairs for

more toys. The twins appeared in the kitchen, big smiles on their faces, cheeks flushed from all their

running around. “Thank your grandmother for the new gifts, please,” she said. “Thank you, Grammy!”

Olivia said, throwing herself across Charlotte‘s lap. Serena smiled at the teary look in her mother‘s

eyes. Oliver hugged Charlotte next.

“Thank you so much! We love it all,” Oliver said. “Anything for you two, my little loves,” Charlotte said.

“Can we go back to playing?” Olivia asked, looking to Serena for permission. “Yes, that is fine, go on

and play,” Serena said, waving the kids away. They took off once more, happily sifting through another

box. “It makes them happy,” Charlotte said. Serena nodded. “Tell me about their father.”

“I told you, mom, I don’t know who he is.” Serena said, shifting her weight uncomfortably in her chair.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at her daughter, resting her elbows on the table. “You don’t have a clue

who it could be?” she asked. “You never struck me as that promiscuous.” Serena growled. “If you must

know, I had a one–night stand and due to… alcoholic influences, I can‘t remember who it was with,”

she said bluntly. Charlotte hummed in her throat. It was as much of the truth as she could give without

giving away too much. “You made no effort to track him down?” she asked. “I was in medical school,”

she said. “I didn‘t have the time to track down an unnamed wolf whose face I could barely remember

while raising twins and focusing on my studies.” “That‘s a fair point,” Charlotte agreed. “Well, I think you

should make an effort now.” Serena shrugged. She couldn‘t tell her mother that she thought she had

met him already. Based on the timing, similarities in appearance, and how good Logan was with them,

it was hard to dispute. But she was working on getting actual proof. “Mom, can we not talk about this?”

Serena asked sharply. “My life is fine the way it is, so are the twins‘.” “Very well,” Charlotte said with a

dismissive wave.

Serena sighed, biting back her anger. She understood why her mother wanted to know, but even if she

could get the proof that Logan was the father, what could she do about it? He was very involved with

Holly, and knowing he had kids could disrupt that. She still didn‘t know if he‘d reject them or welcome

them. Serena didn‘t think Logan would be thrilled beyond all belief. “I won‘t ask about it anymore,”

Charlotte offered. Serena nodded. “Thank you,” she said. As much as it bothered her to have her

mother ask about it, Serena knew that it was an issue that would continue to come up. Her own twin

was curious, her father was too. The people she worked with and made friends with in Night Sky. It

would always be there, whenever someone found out she was a single mother. It was a question she

would never get to escape now that she was back in the pack. “I did want to ask one more thing,”

Charlotte said, pulling Serena from her thoughts. Serena winced, expecting it to be something else she

didn‘t want to talk about. “What is it?” she asked.

“On the weekends, do you think I could take the kids?” she asked, giving her daughter a pleading look.

“I want to spend time with them. So does your father and brother. It would give you a break too.”

Serena thought about it. She wanted her kids to know their family. She had plenty of help with the kids

within Night Sky, but it wasn‘t the same as having their blood family help them. “As long as it is okay

with them,” Serena said. “I think they would love spending time with you, dad and Santino.” “Great!”

Charlotte said, jumping up. Serena stood too ad walked with her mother to the front door. They went

out onto the porch together, “You could at least stay and help clean up,” Serena said, teasing her

mother. Charlotte sighed, rolling her eyes. “Take care of yourself, and my grandbabies,” she said,

hugging her daughter.

“I will. We will see you soon,” she promised. Charlotte left and Serena headed back inside. It was later

than she wanted it to be, and she still had to feed the kids.

Directly into the kitchen, she went to the pantry and found something easy to make. One pot on the

stove, she brought water to a boil and

tossed in the pasta. In a sauce pan, she began heating the meat sauce. Thinking back, Serena did

remember that all of Starseeker pack had been there for her when she was younger. Before Moonshine

had left the Federation, all three packs had been incredibly close knit and she had never lacked for

friends, toys, clothes, or anything. Things were different in the human world. She had to give herself the

time to readjust to pack life. “Dinner‘s ready,” Serena called to her kids who were still having some

fanciful adventure with their new gifts. She dished up their plates while they ran down the stairs. Once

they were seated, she got them each a cup of milk. “Mommy, we got so many new things!” Olivia said,

‘pasta sauce smeared on her lips. “I can‘t even fit it all in my room,” Oliver said. Serena sighed. She

would force herself to be okay with this, hoping that her mother wouldn‘t get so much stuff for the kids,

they‘d have to move to a larger house!