The warm scentof Shawn’s mother’s oatmeal drifted up the stairs stirring El awake.It was one of her favorite ways to wake up, second only to waking up to one of her mate’s touch.That thought had her reaching for Shawn, who had apparently slipped out of bed unnoticed.El sat up and took in the bright sun already hanging in the sky and assumed she had caught up on the sleep she had lost last night.
She dragged herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom.After she relieved herself, she checked her appearance in the mirror.She wasn’t going to win any beauty awards, but she didn’t look completely haggard.Not that Shawn or his mom would care.
Finally, she headed down the hall toward the wonderful scent of sweet and savory oatmeal.
“Good morning,” El sang as she floated into the room.
Shawn and his mother’s tension weren’t lost on her, but she brushed it off.Shawn’s mom was always doing things Shawn didn’t want her doing, so it wasn’t abnormal for them to have tension.El was also overly sensitive to everyone’s emotions around, which was more annoying than helpful most of the time.
“Good morning, love,” Shawn purred.
He closed the distance between them and took her in his arms, nuzzling her neck.El figured he had told his mom about them, but it felt weird to have Shawn show such an open display of affection.El peaked over his shoulder to his mother’s beaming face.
“The cat’s out of the bag now,” his mom cooed.
“Hi, Susan, thank you for letting us come and visit.Especially since we did it in the middle of the night,” El said, moving out of Shawn’s embrace and over to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.
“You know you’re welcome here anytime, baby,” Susan told her when El pulled back.
“I know.It’s always felt more like home to me than my own,” El admitted.
“You better eat while it’s hot,” Susan told her.
“Have you two eaten already?”El asked.
“I did,” Shawn told her, looking over her shoulder to his mom.
“I waited for ya, baby,” Susan said.
El fixed herself a big bowl of the piping hot oatmeal and headed over to Susan’s round kitchen table.Susan’s home wasn’t grand by El’s family’s standards, but it was one of El’s favorite places on Earth.Susan’s home was filled with love.Her refrigerator was covered in pictures of Shawn when he had been younger, calendars, and notes.Something El’s family would never have allowed.
As El ate her breakfast, Susan filled her in on what was new in her life.Susan’s life wasn’t glamorous by any means, but it was full of fun.Susan was heavily involved in the local senior center for her small rural town, and she always had a wealth of funny stories about who was doing what or who down at the center.Today was no different as Susan filled El and Shawn in on what her arch-nemesis, Candy, had said to Tony about Susan.
By the time Susan was done telling the story, El’s stomach had hurt from laughing so hard.Shawn hadn’t said much, his smile was warm and genuine, but his eyes never left El; if he took his eyes off her, she would disappear.His intensity was making her edgy.Even worse, he was making her beasts edgy.El couldn’t risk her beasts getting out around Susan.Besides, El was here to feel normal, not obsess over her beasts.
Once El and Susan had eaten their fill, El helped Susan clean up the kitchen.
“What do you have planned today?”El asked her.
“I volunteered to lead the book club down at the senior center, and today’s our day to go to the library and pick our next book.I won’t be gone long though.I’ll pick something up while I’m in town to fix for dinner.”
“You don’t have to do that.Shawn and I can take care of dinner,” El said, looking over to Shawn, who nodded his agreement.
“Okay, I won’t pass up a meal I don’t have to cook.I’ll see you two tonight,” Susan said, giving them each a kiss on the cheek before she shuffled off.
“I feel better already,” El told Shawn once Susan was out of sight.
“I’m glad.I thought today I would take you for a hike to one of my favorite spots,” Shawn said.
“That sounds wonderful.It just so happens that I packed some shoes,” El chirped moving past him to go change her clothes.
Shawn followed her upstairs and leaned against the wall while she dug through her bag, looking for something to wear hiking.
“Are you going to tell me what’s got you watching me like a hawk?”El asked him, not bothering to turn around.
“I just like watching you.Especially when you’re here.”
“Why here?”
