"Hello, I'm looking for Virginia Delacroix."
"Speaking. What can I do for you?"
"You don't know me, ma'am, but I'm calling on behalf of your son, Yaeger."
There was an audible gasp from the other end of the line. "You know my Yaeger?"
"Yes ma'am. I know you two can't speak to each other, but he's sitting right here next to me listening to us talk, and I wanted you to know he's doing okay. He's all grown up and filled out."
"Damn the consequences. I want to hear my boy's voice. I haven't heard it in over a decade. That's too damn long for a mother to go without," she said.
"Mama, you'll get kicked out of the pride if they find out."
"Then they can kick me out. You're my son," she replied, and you could hear the tears in her voice. "I've missed you so much. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about you and wondered how you were."
"I've missed you, too, Mama. So much. Those early years were the hardest, not knowing where my next meal was going to come from. But you taught me to be a fighter, so that's what I did. I didn't give up."
"What are you doing these days? Where are you?"
"I'm a truck driver and I live in Thorne Bay, Alaska."
"Alaska, that's about as far from Louisiana as you can get."
"Yeah, it's cold as fu-udge here, but I've been told I'll get used to it. I work for one of the logging companies here. It's good money."
"As long as you're happy. That's what counts."
"I am. I'm doing what I love."
"That's good, son. I'd love to talk longer, but I have company coming over and I need to get off here. It was good to hear your voice. Tell your friend thank you for me."
"You're welcome," Frankie said, having listened to the conversation.
"I love you, son."
"I love you too, Mama," he said and hung up the phone. Then he turned to Frankie and kissed her. "Thank you, darlin'. You gave me my mama back, even if it was just for a little while."
"It was my pleasure, lover boy." They sat on the sofa for a little while, just cuddling and letting him deal with his emotions.
"What do you say we go for a run?" he asked after a while.
"A run sounds good to me."
"Then, when we come back, I'll make popcorn and we can watch movies."
"Sounds perfect."
They stripped, which didn't take long since they were already half naked anyway, and padded to the back door. Yaeger opened it, she stepped out, and shifted then moved away to give him room to join her. Soon, two large cats were prowling through the forest.
They frolicked and darted through the snow for a couple of hours before heading back to the cabin. Once there, he head-butted her gently and growled before shifting back to human.
Frankie purred at him and head-butted him back, almost knocking him over, since he was in human form. She shifted back and laughed. "Sorry. I guess I don't know my own strength."
"Let's get back inside before we freeze our asses off, woman," he said with a laugh of his own.
Once inside, she tugged his shirt back on while he pulled his jeans on.
"I'll make the popcorn, you get comfortable and pick out movies for us to watch."
