“It has been doing well, and I’m glad because hopefully that means it will be easier to sell.” Lilly’s back was to the room when she made the statement so she didn’t see the shock on Jacque, Jen, and Sally’s faces.

“What?” Jen finally blurted out. “You’re selling your store?”

“Well it’s going to be kind of hard to take care of a store when I live on another continent,” Lilly said as she continued to unpack the box of books on the floor next to her. It was one of many that would need to be unpacked that night.

“When did you decide this mom?” Jacque asked.

“After I talked to Cypher a week or so ago,” she admitted. “Beside him is where I’m supposed to be Jacque. I know you get that.”

Jacque did get that, as weird as it was to hear her mother say it. She couldn’t argue with her because she knew exactly what she meant. Beside Fane was where she was supposed to be, and instead she was in Coldstone, TX, in a book store. Yeah, life sucked sometimes.

“Well, it’s your store, so if that’s what you want to do, then go for it.” Sally smiled as she looked at Lilly.

“Thank you Sally.” Lilly grinned.

Sally’s smile faltered when her phone began belting out the ringtone Jen had set for her, My Maria, simply because it had the words gypsy lady in it. She pulled it from her back pocket and swallowed hard when she saw her mom’s name pop up.

“It’s the ‘rents isn’t it?” Jen asked.

Sally nodded wordlessly.

“Well, time to face the firing squad.” Jen patted Sally’s shoulder as she walked past her. “Get it over with quick Sal, like ripping off finger nails.”

“Don’t you mean band aides?” Crina asked.

Jen shook her head. “Uh, no. Any time you’re dealing with parents, it’s never like ripping off a band aide. It is always much, much, more painful.”

Crina chuckled. “I am so glad I’ve been a werewolf all this time.”

Sally finally hit the key to answer the phone and put it to her ear.

“Hello,” she said tentatively.

“Sally!” her mother’s voice came shrieking through and Sally had to pull the phone away from her ear.

“Yes, it’s me,” she answered. “How are you?”

“How am I? I’m wondering how long my child has been back without coming to see me? And did you bring that young man of yours? How is school going? Do you like Romania?  How are Jacque and Jen?”

“Mom, mom,” Sally’s voice rose as she tried to get her mom to slow down. “Hold on, okay. I can’t answer all your questions at once.”

“Oh, sorry, I’ve just missed you.”

“I know. I’ve missed you too.” Sally was surprised to feel her eyes begin to water but she quickly wiped them before any tears could escape. “Can you and Dad come to Lilly’s bookstore?”

“Oh, honey,” her mom cooed, “your dad is out of town. He won’t be back for a week or more.”

Sally felt her chest tighten at the guilt of not contacting her parents sooner. If she had, she would have gotten to see her dad, but she had waited and now he was gone. Maybe he would be back before she left. But that thought was a double-edged sword because though she wanted to see her dad, she was so very ready to get back to Costin.

“But I can come,” her mom finished pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Okay, well we’re all here now.”

“We who?”

“Um, well, Lilly, Jen, Jacque and the others,” Sally said vaguely.

“Oh, so you brought your young man?”

“No mom. It’s just the females,” Sally cringed as she realized that she had used the word females, which was not something humans said in reference to women very often in everyday conversation. “Oh, mom, can you stop by and pick up Jen’s parents? They don’t know Jen’s here so let’s make it a surprise.”

“Oh! That’s a wonderful idea; see you in a few.”

Sally hit the end key and was already moving before she heard Jen’s voice behind her.

“I’m going to kick your ever loving gypsy ass, Sally Miklos!” Nervous laughter flitted around the store as the others watched Jen attempt to go after Sally.

Peri reached out and snatched Jen’s arm before she could grab Sally’s pony tail. “Calm down Jen or you’re going to go into labor and get Lilly’s pretty floor all bloody with your pregnant body fluids.”

Jen looked at Peri and smirked. “Did you seriously just say pregnant body fluids?”

Peri rolled her eyes. “Yes, I did, and why do you three always insist on asking if someone seriously said something? Do you think that they didn’t seriously say it and therefore feel the need to double check your hearing by asking?”

“Did you seriously just ask that?” Jen asked and the room erupted into laughter.

Peri huffed as she pushed past Jen, “Why the hell did I decide to come with the girls?”

“Because we are entertaining,” Elle told her.

“Yes and so is a cage of chimpanzees. I’m just waiting for you all to start crapping on the floor and then throwing it at each other, all the while squealing and pointing.”

The laughing jumped up a notch and when the knock on the front door of the store finally came, Jen was doubled over holding her stomach as she giggled. She wiped the laugh induced tears from her eyes as she prepared herself for all hell to break loose in a completely different way than she was used to. Put her before a psycho witch, a bossy possessive werewolf, or a deranged warlock and she smirked. But put her before her parents who didn’t know that she was married, let alone pregnant, and she wanted to crawl into the deepest hole she could find.