callumbrody - Tumblr blog

callumbrody · 4 years ago

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Celebrating with Friends ~ Hope, Jayde, and Luc

Cal: It was kind of cute how nervous Hope was about what to wear to see her best friend. We were finally going over to Luc and Jayde’s place to have dinner and share our news. I wasn’t sure why we’d waited so long to tell them. Something about her not wanting to bother Jayde because there was an issue with her sister. I didn’t want to pry or pressure her. As long as she said yes, I was happy. We were still looking at houses to move into together so she moved in with me for now. Neither of us had a lot of stuff so it was an easy adjustment. Checking my watch, I realized we were cutting it close, “Almost ready, Babe?”

——————

Hope: I walked out of our room with my shoes in my hand and smiled, “I am. I just have to slip my shoes on, and we can go.” I sat on the couch and slipped on my shoes, “How about you? Are you ready?” I looked over as I stood up and walked over to him, slipping my arms around him.

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Cal: Slipping my arms around her, I grinned. “You look great. Are you sure you want to go? We can still call and cancel.” She laughed and shook her head. “Not a chance!” I helped her with her shoes, then grabbed the flowers and bottle of wine we were bringing. Once she was buckled in, I moved around to put the gifts in the back seat and then get in for the short drive over to Jayde’s place.

———————-

Luc: My wife was so excited to have guests over. I swear she had been making lists and decorating for days. It was good to see her relaxed after the last few weeks. Josie was fine, and Jayde finally realized it. Time spent with her best friend was going to be exactly what she needed. “What can I help with, Sweetheart?” I asked as I finally found her changing clothes again in the bedroom.

———————-

Jayde: I looked over at Luc and grinned, “What? I decided I wanted to dress up! We don’t have a dinner party often, which is fine by me, but I thought since we are tonight, I would try to dress up a little.” I walked over once my dress was on and turned around with a grin on my face, “Could you please zip me up?” I looked over my shoulder at him and grinned.

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Luc: “You look beautiful,” I said as I slowly zipped her up. I lightly kissed the nape of her neck as she held her hair away from the zipper. Chuckling when it made her shiver involuntarily. “Anything else I can help with?” I asked as I followed her to the kitchen. “Something smells delicious. And it’s not just you.” I slipped an arm around her waist while she checked on something in the oven. I still couldn’t get over how far she’d come since we met. This confident, relaxed woman I married was a far cry from the skittish young woman in the diner that day.

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Jayde: I smiled at Luc as I spun around and slipped my arms around him, “I have everything done here, I think. But if you would like to help me set the table and maybe start carrying everything to it while this cooks just a little longer? That would be great.” I kissed him before reluctantly dropping my arms to my side.

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Hope: The ride to Jayde and Luc’s didn’t take us long at all. Before I knew it we were pulling up out front. I looked over at Cal and smiled, “Are you sure you’re ready for this? There is still time for you to back out. We can pretend to be sick and just go snuggle at home and watch movies?” I couldn’t help but tease him.

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Cal: “Too late! I offered first,” I winked as we got out. I loved being able to tease her right back without fear that either of us would misunderstand the playfulness. I grabbed the flowers and wine, holding the bouquet out to her. “I hope Jayde likes the flowers. Think she will?” I slipped my now free arm around her waist as we walked up to the door. Hope just kissed my cheek and told me to relax. I grabbed her hand and kissed it right beside her engagement ring. Then I finally knocked on the door.

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Luc: I was just setting the last dish on the table for Jayde when I heard the knock. No need to call out they were here since her hearing was as good as mine if not better. I smoothed my hands on my slacks and went to open the door. Smiling when I saw Hope and Cal. “Hello there. Come on in. So glad you could make it.” It really was good to invite friends into our home. Especially when seeing her best friend always made Jayde so happy. “Jayde will be right out. She’s putting the final touches on dinner,” I said as I closed the door behind them.

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Hope: I smiled at Luc, “If it’s okay, I’m going to go see her and see if there is anything I can help with. Plus, I’d like to give her these.” I held up the flowers. Luc smiled and pointed in the direction she was. I wave to the boys as I head off to find Jayde and see if I can help. I find the kitchen and grin when I see her, “Hey! How are you?” I laughed when she spun around, “These are for you from Cal and me.”

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Jayde: I took the flowers from her and grinned. “Thank you both so much! They’re beautiful.” I set them on the counter and pulled Hope into a big hug, “I’m so happy to see you! It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve spent any time together.” I released my hold on her so I could put the flowers in a vase. “Dinner is just about done, only a few more minutes. I hope you’re both hungry.”

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Cal: I followed Luc into the dining room after handing him the wine we brought. “This will be great with dinner tonight. Thank you.” He took the wine over to the table and opened it before starting to fill the glasses. “Sorry, it’s been so long since we’ve seen you. Things have been a bit crazy with Jayde and Josie. Everyone is fine now. I promise.” I wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Yeah, um, Hope said something about Josie getting sick. Glad she’s doing better.”

—————

Luc: “Thank you. It was scary at first, but once we found the right medication, she was fine. Jayde took it hard and didn’t want to leave her side at first.” I was relieved when Cal nodded as if it made sense. I wasn’t sure how much Hope knew or how much she’d told him. “How are things at the diner?” Cal chuckled. “They’re good. Thanks.”

—————-

Hope: I grinned, “We’re both starving, well Cal is always hungry.” We both laughed. “Is there anything I can do to help, I don’t mind.” Jayde shook her head, “No, but thank you.” I smiled and nodded, “How is your sister? I hope she’s feeling a lot better.”

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Jayde: I turned to Hope and smiled, “She is doing a lot better, thank you for asking. I was so worried about her for a while, still am to a point, but she’s back on her feet and going just as strong as ever. It’s one of the reasons we’ve had to postpone until now, I wouldn’t leave her side until I knew she was back to normal. I just had to be sure she was alright first.” Hope smiled, “It’s alright, Jayde. I completely understand. I would have done the same.” I smiled, “Thank you. Now, how about we eat?” I picked up the last thing we were waiting on and carried it to the dining room and Hope followed. “Let’s eat!”

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Cal: I hadn’t heard any exclamations or shouts from the kitchen so I was guessing Hope hadn’t given away our news yet. And somehow Jayde hadn’t noticed the ring. Interesting. Luc and I pulled the chairs out for our partners before taking a seat. “Something smells wonderful,” I said smiling at Jayde. “Almost as wonderful as our ladies look tonight. Right, Luc?”

—————-

Luc: Grinning, I nodded and agreed with Cal. Raising my glass, “To the beautiful Jayde and Hope!” We toasted each of the women and took sips of the wine. “This wine is really good. Cal and Hope brought the wine, Sweetheart.” We spent the next few minutes making sure everyone had generous helpings of food on their plates.

————-

Hope: We took our seats and I smiled at Cal, he took my hand and squeezed it. After a few minutes of silence, I cleared my throat, “So Cal and I have something to tell you both. I’ve been dying to tell you, but you had so much going on so I wanted to wait.” I looked over at Cal so he could tell them.

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Jayde: I laughed as we took our seats and ate. When Hope started talking, I looked over at Luc who just shrugged. “Hope, you didn’t have to wait to tell us anything. But I appreciate the fact that you did.” I smiled, “So what is it that you want to tell us? Is everything okay?” I looked back and forth between the two of them, hoping it wasn’t anything bad. I couldn’t take any more bad news, but the looks on their faces made me believe it wasn’t bad.

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Cal: When Hope turned to me, I couldn’t help but grin. “I thought for sure that Hope would have told you as soon as she found you in the kitchen honestly.” I leaned in to kiss my fiancée and then reached for her hand. “This lovely lady sitting beside me has agreed to be my wife!” I held our hands out so Luc and Jayde could see the ring. Hope couldn’t stop blushing or smiling. I slipped my arm around her as Jayde and Luc admired the ring.

——————-

Luc: “Congratulations! That’s wonderful news.” It was about time we had some happy news. An upcoming wedding was just the ticket. I could see that Hope was crazy about Cal by the way she looked at him. I poured each of us some more wine while Jayde examined Hope’s pretty ring. “I can’t believe you kept it to yourselves for so long.”

——————

Jayde: I was stunned, in the best way possible. “Are you serious?” Hope held out her hand, “I know, can you believe it?” I got up and walked around and hugged her, I am so happy for you! Congratulations!” I hugged her again. I pretended to pout when we took our seats again, “How could you have kept this from me for so long?”

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Hope: I grinned, “Thank you!” I laughed at her pout, “You were dealing with so much and you were so worried about Josie. We all were. I didn’t want to break your focus or anything. Family comes first, especially when they’re hurt.” I smiled at her, “It’s not like we’re running away to get married. I knew I could wait to tell you when the time was right, and your sister was okay. Her getting better and you being there for her were more important.” I hope Cal didn’t take that the wrong way. He was important to me. I loved him with all my heart.

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Cal: I rubbed Hope’s back. “Hope’s right. We’re not in a rush to get married. We won’t even consider having a wedding without the two of you and Josie there.” I reached for my glass of wine. “Here’s to letting the ladies go crazy planning and then having a wedding half as wonderful as yours was!” I raised my glass to Jayde and Luc, then clinked it against my fiancée’s.

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Luc: Laughing at Cal’s toast, I sipped my wine before setting my glass down. “As flattering as that toast was, Cal, your wedding will be just as fantastic if these two have anything to say about it. It’s not a competition. Not unless we’re on a reality show I don’t know about and a huge prize is involved.” I winked at Jayde and dug into my food once more.

———————-

Hope: Jayde and I laughed, “I hope you know I plan on stealing her as much as I can so she can help me. I have no idea what I’m doing!” We all laughed and I looked over at Jayde, “I do have something important to ask you though.” She looked up at me, “Oh?” I smiled and nodded, “I was hoping that you would be my matron of honor?”

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Jayde: I couldn’t help but laugh, “Hope, I would love nothing more! Of course!” We both laughed and got up hugging each other again. “You two are going to be so happy together, and you are going to be a beautiful bride! I can’t wait until we start planning everything!” The guys shook their heads and laughed at us. “We better eat before it gets cold!” We laughed and started digging into our food.

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Cal: “This is delicious, Jayde. You’re a wonderful cook.” I raised my glass to her and took a sip. “You’ll be a lovely matron of honor.” I took another bite of my food. “I know it’s kind of crazy, but I was thinking of asking my friend Macy to be my...uh…’ best person.’ Is that too weird?” I chuckled and waited for someone to say something.

——————-

Luc: “If she’s the person you want by your side, why not? I think it’s a great idea. In case you can’t tell, we’re hardly your average set of friends. Your wedding should be exactly the way you envision it. Rules are meant to be broken, right?” I rested my hand on my wife’s knee. “And you’re right, Cal. This dinner is delicious. Thank you, Love.”

——————-

Hope: I smiled at Cal, “Luc is right. This is our wedding, no one else’s. If you want Macy to be your best person, then ask her. I think it would be great.” I looked over at Luc and smiled, “Speaking of best person, Jayde, um, I know it’s not the normal thing, but since I don’t know if any of my family can make it, do you think your sister would walk me down the aisle?”

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Jayde: I couldn’t help but smile, I knew that Hope and Josie had gotten close while she was living at my sister’s. “I think she would be happy too, but you have to ask her. Maybe the three of us could get together for lunch sometime this week and you could ask her?” Hope smiled, “That sounds like a great plan! Just talk to her and let me know when and where!”

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Luc: The rest of our meal went well. How we all managed to actually finish our food while it was still hot despite all the wedding talk I will never know. Cal and I volunteered to clear the dishes while the girls went to relax in the living room. I knew that our tablet would be snatched up and wedding dresses would soon fill the screen and I wanted to talk to Cal briefly alone.

—————-

Cal: We gathered up the dishes and carried everything into the kitchen. Luc started rinsing dishes while I loaded the dishwasher. “We really are thrilled for you, Cal,” he smiled while handing me a glass. “I was hoping to talk to you for a minute.” I put the next plate in the dishwasher and nodded. “Of course. What’s up? Is everything ok?” As Luc explained what his concern was, I was relieved and a little annoyed with myself that I never considered what he brought up. “Luc, as awkward as this might be, you’re right. I think that they both need to know so everything is out in the open and they have the information they need to make the best decisions.”

———————-

Hope: Jayde and I made our way into the living room, sitting beside each other on the couch. “I’m so excited about the wedding, but I have no idea where to start.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “I tried looking at magazines but they all said different things, so I gave up trying to get started.”

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Jayde: I laughed along with Hope, “I know what you mean. When we were planning ours, I thought I was going to go crazy. But if you want a small piece of advice, stick to what you want. Pick a date, a theme, the colors that make you both happy. And if someone says they don’t like it, don’t listen. This isn’t about anyone else. Just you and him.”

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Cal: Once the dishwasher was loaded, we brought dessert out to Hope and Jayde. A decadent chocolate cake that Luc said they got at a tea shop and bakery in town. I took a seat beside my fiancée and handed her one of the plates. “Doesn’t this look incredible?” I grinned as I offered her a fork.

——————

Luc: “We have the head librarian to thank. Her niece works there and she recommended it to Jayde. Right, Sweetheart?” I handed Jayde a fork once I passed her a slice of the rich dessert. “We almost couldn’t wait until tonight to try it,” I laughed. Once everyone was enjoying their sugar fix, I cleared my throat. “I...um...would like to talk to both of you about something, Ladies. It’s a little awkward, but I think it’s important.”

——————

Hope: I took the dessert, “Oh wow. Looks amazing!” I took a bite, “Mmm, tastes even better,” I laughed. When Luc said he had something to talk to us about, I got a little worried. “Is...is something wrong?”

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Jayde: My thoughts echoed Hope’s words. I had thought tonight was going well, but maybe I was wrong. “Luc, is everything alright?” I set my cake down, nervous about whatever this was.

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Cal: I slipped an arm around Hope. “Nothing’s wrong. We promise. Luc just needs to explain something while we’re all together.” It really was as simple as that, but until they heard what Luc had to say, I knew the girls would be uneasy. “You better just tell them, Luc. Not sure they’ll breathe until you do.” I tried teasing them but wasn’t sure it was helping.

——————-

Luc: I rested my hand on Jayde’s arm. “Sweetheart, it’s nothing bad,” I smiled, rubbing her arm. “Please don’t be nervous. Jayde and Josie, as shifters, would have probably learned this if they had been raised...traditionally. Hope, now that you are engaged to a shifter, this applies to you as well.” I took a drink before continuing. “I know this may be awkward, so please forgive me. Both of you are in relationships now. One of the next steps in many relationships is discussions of whether or not to have a family. Children.” I braced myself for Jayde and Hope’s reactions.

—————

Hope: I looked back and forth between Cal and Luc. “Okay? What about kids?” Cal and I haven’t even discussed if we wanted kids or even when. I guess I hadn’t thought much past what was going on in the now. “I’m listening.”

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Jayde: I opened my mouth to say something, but shut it. Luc and I hadn’t had the kids talk yet, but I knew we would eventually. “Is there something about being a shifter and kids that we need to know?”

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Cal: I rubbed Hope’s shoulders and stayed quiet. So far she and Jayde were calm. I hoped they stayed that way. We never talked about kids. Heck, I wasn’t quite sure I ever thought about them. Not really. Then again I never expected to be engaged to a gorgeous nurse either. “He’s getting there. Go on, Luc.”

————-

Luc: “Right. I’m just going to explain everything and then you can ask whatever you need to, okay?” I waited until I got nods from both Jayde and her best friend. “Usually a pregnancy is 40 weeks in a non-shifter. That time is different for us. Jayde and I are both shifters so a pregnancy for us would last about 20 weeks. Half the time. Hope, since you are marrying a shifter, but not one, it would be approximately 23-25 weeks. That’s not all.” I gave them a minute to wrap their heads around what I said, reaching for my glass and taking a drink.

“Jayde’s body is equipped to handle the acceleration, but she cannot shift during the pregnancy so she needs to take a special tonic for three nights each full moon until she has the baby. So if we choose to have a child, we need to be in agreement and probably take a test before each shift to be safe.” I hoped that didn’t scare Jayde. I didn’t want her to be afraid of starting a family if we chose to.

“But I can’t shift,” Hope said. “That’s true. But your body is meant to go through a 40 week period of changes, not one that is almost half that. For those changes, there are creams and ointments Cal can help you rub in to ease the aches in your joints and muscles as the pregnancy, if you choose to have children, progresses. That and stretching, swimming, or yoga can also help.” Now that I explained what

I needed to, with any luck they would be comfortable asking me any questions they had. Now or later.

———————

Hope: Half the time? That was a lot to take in. I looked over at Cal and smiled, “That’s a lot to take in. I didn’t know it was like that.” I bit my lip and looked over at Luc, “I can’t think of anything right now. Well, except maybe one. I mean, Cal and I really haven’t gone as far as discussing kids and all. But...if we do decide to have kids and I have questions, we can always come back and talk to you, right? And my one question is, is it more dangerous for me since I’m not a shifter and Cal is?”

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Jayde: Hmm, if I was honest with myself I’m not surprised that pregnancy for shifters was different. I mean it made sense. I wasn’t sure if Luc and I even wanted a family, it was something we hadn’t really talked about yet. A part of me wasn’t sure I was in a place to be a mom, but another part of me wanted to have kids. To be able to have a family with Luc. I smiled, “I can’t say I’m really surprised. It makes sense if you really think about it. I guess we have a lot to talk about.”

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Luc: “There’s no reason to think that either of you wouldn’t have a perfectly healthy pregnancy, Hope. As long as you’re both aware of the additional prenatal care you’ll need as I mentioned. I didn’t mean to scare you. Just to give you all the information I can so you can make the best decisions possible for yourselves.” They had taken it better than I thought. I slipped my arm around my wife’s shoulders and kissed her temple whispering an “I love you” in her ear.

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Cal: “It is a lot to think about,” I said as I looked at Hope. “But nothing that we can’t handle if we decide to have a family. We still have an amazing wedding to plan first, right?” I grinned and reached for my drink. “I really appreciate that you are looking out for all of us, Luc. Trying to avoid any problems or complications beforehand. Thank you.” I meant it. I could only imagine what it might be like if either Jayde or Hope became pregnant and didn’t know this stuff. The last thing I’d ever want was for something to hurt any of my extended, chosen family.

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Hope: “Cal’s right, thank you. I hadn’t even thought that far ahead. It would have been way scarier to find all of this out after getting pregnant. I’m glad you thought about it and decided to talk with us beforehand.” I reached over and grabbed Cal’s hand. “It didn’t even dawn on me that there would be that much of a difference.”

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Jayde: “I should've realized it. I mean we do heal faster so it stands to reason that pregnancy would be different, too.” I laughed a little, “I guess I still have a lot to learn when it comes to being a shifter.” I kissed Luc’s cheek and whispered, “I love you more.” I grinned.

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Cal: “For the record, if any of us do decide to have kids, you two would be fantastic moms. Just saying.” I snuggled my fiancee against my side as we finished the delicious chocolate cake. I really did think that about Jayde and Hope. They have each faced so many changes thrown at them in a short time that they handled well. It was impressive and something that any child would be lucky to learn from.

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Luc: “I’m just glad that the four of us can discuss the serious stuff as openly as the more joyful things like wedding planning. I don’t think I ever expected to be married or have such a great group of close friends. It’s all thanks to you, Jayde. Love you, Birdie.” I leaned in and kissed her tenderly hoping she knew I meant every word.

@alexandrahopedawson @luciendurrant @jaydeknox

#rp

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callumbrody · 5 years ago

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Breaking the News ~ @HopeDawson_

After our wonderful date the other night, I knew that I needed to be completely truthful with Hope if our relationship was to continue. I needed her to know that I was more than I appeared to be. I didn’t want to put her on the spot and make her too uncomfortable, so I settled on my couch to give her a call.

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I waved as Josie left to go take some more pictures. I headed to the kitchen, going into my music file on my phone and filling the house with music. I started on the dishes and sang along as the music played. When the music faded out, I looked over at my phone. I smiled when I saw my phone flashing with Cal’s name. I dried my hands off and answered the phone, “Hey you. How’s your day going?”

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I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice. “Much better now. Hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.” Was there a good time to have this discussion? I got up from the couch and started pacing in my apartment. I was gonna need a run after this. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about if you have time.”

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“No, not at all. I was just washing the dishes.” I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of his voice or the statement that he wanted to talk to me. “Yeah, I have time. Would you like to come over? Josie just left and isn’t going to be home for a little while. Or I could meet you somewhere?” I wasn’t sure where this discussion was going to go and it was sort of making me worry.

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Shit. “Of course, I’d love to see you. You know that. I’m actually heading to work pretty soon. I have a late shift today.” Now what? I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge on my way through the kitchen. “Do you remember when I said I was in serious like with you the other night?” I took the top off my water bottle and took a drink hoping she wouldn’t get too spooked ...yet.

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I walked to the living room and sank down on the couch, thinking back to our date the other night. “Yeah, I remember.” I started to smile but stopped. This wasn’t where I expected this conversation to start. So what was going on? I sighed and sat back, wondering if this is going to turn out to be a bad day after all.

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Her sighing nearly killed me. “Hope, I swear I’m not breaking up with you. This is nothing bad. Honest. I just…,” I found myself sighing as I trailed off. “I want you to know exactly who it is that you’re in a relationship with. There’s something about me that you probably don’t know.” I paced back to the couch and sank to the edge of it while I tried to figure out how to tell her the rest.

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I thought about what he said, “I don’t understand. If it’s nothing bad, why do you sound so...worried? I guess is the word I want to use.” As I finished talking the rest of his words sunk in. “Something I don’t know about you? Just please tell me you’re not about to tell me your married or something like that.” It was quiet for a moment. “Wait...that’s not what you’re about to tell me right??”

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I started to laugh but covered it with a brief cough. “No, Hope. I’m not married. I would never cheat on the person I loved ...or seriously liked.” If only it were something so simple. “I’m not sure how to tell you what I need to so I’m just going to try the ‘ripping off the bandage’ approach and blurt it out, ok? However you feel, whatever your reaction, just be honest with me. Can you do that?”

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I couldn’t help the relief that washed through me. Okay, so he wasn’t married or anything. Good. “Cal, as long as you’re not married or anything, I’m not sure there is much else you could tell me about you that would scare me off. I mean unless you tell me that you’re a serial killer wanted in like 25 states or something. But I’m sure I can handle just about anything else.” I couldn’t help but laugh a little, but I knew it was just my nerves.

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Hope was not making this easy on me. She was being so reasonable. Not married. Not a serial killer. Great! Then she laughed. I wanted to be the one to make her laugh. Would I ever hear it again after this call? I took a deep breath. “Far as I know, no one has died because of me. And I’m not married. But there is something...different about me. I’m a little more than human. I’m a shifter, Hope. Dual-natured.” I wasn’t a religious person, but if I was, I think I’d be praying right now.

———————-

“Dual-natured? What does that mean?” As soon as I asked the question, I knew what he meant. I sat up, “Wait, do you mean you’re like Luc? You can change into a cougar?” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Luc, Jayde, and Josie were all dual-natured. I knew I had no reason to be scared. But my nerves were a little on edge at the moment.

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I could hear it in her voice. She wasn’t taking this well. “Yeah, like Luc. Well, a cougar is his go-to. I’m usually ...something else. But yeah. It’s not something that we advertise. I swear I wasn’t hiding anything from you, Hope. We tend to be protective of who we let in. That’s all. I never meant to hurt you. It’s the last thing I would ever want.” I knew I had been rambling. I took a breath and reached for my water. Bracing myself for the worst.

——————-

I was quiet for a few moments, giving him time to collect himself. “Cal...I’m not sure what you were wanting me to say.” I wasn’t sure if he would listen to anything I had to say, not yet. He was so...worried.

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That was not how I expected her to react. She got so quiet. “I really don’t know what I expected. I guess I’m just glad you’re still there. Still talking to me.” And I was. I refused to get overly optimistic about what it meant. I was just glad not to hear dead air on the other end of the call. At least not yet.

————————

I thought for a moment, trying to pick my words carefully. “Cal, if you had told me about this months ago, I’d probably be freaking out or would have hung up by now. But now? Now I don’t see things the same. Ever since I found out about people like you, I’ve been trying to understand and not be so quick to judge.”

————————

“I’m sorry. Could you repeat that? I just need to make sure I’m not hallucinating.” I laughed a little and let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “After our wonderful date the other night, I have been so afraid I was going to lose you if I told you. Or if I didn’t tell you and you found out. I really like you, Hope. I want this relationship to work. More than anything I’ve wanted in a very long time.”

-------------------

I couldn’t help but smile at his words. “If I had found out without you telling me, this would probably be a very different conversation. But you did tell me. You were honest and that means more to me then you know.” I thought for a moment and then continued, “I never want to make you feel like or think you have to lie to me or keep anything hidden. I want this to work, too. But it can only work if we are both ourselves. Our true selves.”

———————

I rubbed the back of my neck and smiled. “You are absolutely right, Hope. So I’m going to confess one more thing. I don’t have to work the late shift. I just didn’t want to put you in an awkward position by telling this to you face to face. I didn’t want to see your face if you suddenly became afraid of me. I apologize for that.” Exhaling softly, I continued. “But if you’ll let me make amends, I’d love to go grab a bite to eat or pick up food and bring you back here maybe. I think we have a lot to talk about.”

------------------

I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I’m sorry that you were so worried about telling me. I’d love it if we could do something. Though, from what you said earlier, this isn’t a discussion you like to have in public, right? So maybe grabbing food and going back to your place would be better? We’d be able to talk freely.”

——————

“That would be great. As long as you’re not nervous about being alone with me.” Hearing her laugh, even briefly after this conversation was such a gift. One I would treasure and do everything in my power to be worthy of. “How about I pick you up and we can decide what we want to eat. Then we can go from there?” When she agreed, my heart soared. “I’ll see you in a few,” I grinned as I ended the call. If I hurried, I’d have enough time to bring her some flowers too! I grabbed my keys and practically flew out the door towards...Hope.

#rp

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