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Authors: Robin Roseau
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with a team of architects. We wouldn't start building until next year. I was worried that meant I wouldn't see much of Bayfield, but we ended up spending far more time up there than I expected.
The school was a year round program, although the summer sessions offer ed a reduced workload. All my kids, except Chelsea, were now juniors or seniors, and they'd had a year of biology, so I taught an introduction to marine biology class as well as math. The rest of the summer's studies were devoted to hands-on classes, including a month-long introduction to sailing. The kids loved it.
So did I. I had never captained a sailboat before. By the end, I decided if I had my choice, I would still rather be in my kayak, but the sailboat was great fun, too.
Lara took me dress shopping. We made a party of it with Elisabeth and Angel coming along. Elisabeth pulled me aside as we were piling into the cars.
"This is important to her, Michaela," she told me quietly. "You're already acting sullen. I don't get it."
I looked away, gathering my thoughts.
"Well?" she asked me, moving into my line of vision.
"It's the fuss, Elisabeth," I said. "I've lived this long by avoiding notice. It's not my nature to seek attention. And she pretty much told me she's going to spend an insane amount of money on my dress. If I had my way, we'd have a simple ceremony with about fifteen people in attendance and I'd wear a dress I might actually wear again some day."
"All right," she responded. "I can understand. Michaela, you realize, you are marrying the alpha. Not just Lara. You're marrying two people at once. You understand that."
"Yes."
"Do you like that she's the alpha?"
I'd never thought about it like that. "I'd marry her either way," I said.
"But do you like that she's the alpha?" Elisabeth asked again. "Michaela, I've watched you when she goes all alpha. Your eyes shine with pride. And as alpha, she makes you safer than she would if she were an enforcer and Ron Berg were alpha instead."
I looked into Elisabeth's eyes, then glanced over at Lara. I cau ght her watching Elisabeth and me, but she looked away when I caught her looking. Lara was tall and strong, and I felt safe in her arms, and some of that safety was because Elisabeth was right; Lara was the alpha.
"You're right," I said. "I like that she's the alpha, and I'll do anything to keep her there!"
Elisabeth smiled. "Good. Marrying the alpha means you have responsibilities. And you can either accept those wholeheartedly or you can be miserable."
"And that includes politics." I said the last word with a certain amount of disdain.
"Yes."
"And being visible." I said that word with even more disdain.
"Yes."
"But there are perks, too," I said.
"Yes."
"And I should enjoy those as compensation for the responsibilities."
"Yes."
I hugged Elisabeth. "Do you think Scarlett and Francesca should be joining us?"
She laughed. "Yes."
"Angel!" I said loudly. "Do you think Scarlett would like to join us? And perhaps also the alpha's aunt?"
Angel turned to me with a smile. "I know Scarlett wanted to go, and I think Mom did too."
"Call them, please," I told her.
She pulled out her phone and turned away.
"Tell them they have time to dress," Lara said. "But to be quick if they can."
Five minutes later, Scarlett and Francesca came out of the school together. Scarlett was dressed like a teenager, Francesca like a school teacher. Scarlett ran over. Elisabeth intercepted her, spoke to her quietly, and she ran off. Francesca walked straight to me. "So not only do you think you can drop your teaching duties for a day, but you think I can too?"
"Um-"
She grinned. "Thank you for inviting me. I had already arranged for Hadley Smith and Harper Armstrong to teach today." Then, right in front of me, she made adjustments to her clothing, and she went from prim school teacher to surrogate mother of the bride.
Scarlett took ten minutes, but when she returned, it was a complete transformation. I didn't notice
The school was a year round program, although the summer sessions offer ed a reduced workload. All my kids, except Chelsea, were now juniors or seniors, and they'd had a year of biology, so I taught an introduction to marine biology class as well as math. The rest of the summer's studies were devoted to hands-on classes, including a month-long introduction to sailing. The kids loved it.
So did I. I had never captained a sailboat before. By the end, I decided if I had my choice, I would still rather be in my kayak, but the sailboat was great fun, too.
Lara took me dress shopping. We made a party of it with Elisabeth and Angel coming along. Elisabeth pulled me aside as we were piling into the cars.
"This is important to her, Michaela," she told me quietly. "You're already acting sullen. I don't get it."
I looked away, gathering my thoughts.
"Well?" she asked me, moving into my line of vision.
"It's the fuss, Elisabeth," I said. "I've lived this long by avoiding notice. It's not my nature to seek attention. And she pretty much told me she's going to spend an insane amount of money on my dress. If I had my way, we'd have a simple ceremony with about fifteen people in attendance and I'd wear a dress I might actually wear again some day."
"All right," she responded. "I can understand. Michaela, you realize, you are marrying the alpha. Not just Lara. You're marrying two people at once. You understand that."
"Yes."
"Do you like that she's the alpha?"
I'd never thought about it like that. "I'd marry her either way," I said.
"But do you like that she's the alpha?" Elisabeth asked again. "Michaela, I've watched you when she goes all alpha. Your eyes shine with pride. And as alpha, she makes you safer than she would if she were an enforcer and Ron Berg were alpha instead."
I looked into Elisabeth's eyes, then glanced over at Lara. I cau ght her watching Elisabeth and me, but she looked away when I caught her looking. Lara was tall and strong, and I felt safe in her arms, and some of that safety was because Elisabeth was right; Lara was the alpha.
"You're right," I said. "I like that she's the alpha, and I'll do anything to keep her there!"
Elisabeth smiled. "Good. Marrying the alpha means you have responsibilities. And you can either accept those wholeheartedly or you can be miserable."
"And that includes politics." I said the last word with a certain amount of disdain.
"Yes."
"And being visible." I said that word with even more disdain.
"Yes."
"But there are perks, too," I said.
"Yes."
"And I should enjoy those as compensation for the responsibilities."
"Yes."
I hugged Elisabeth. "Do you think Scarlett and Francesca should be joining us?"
She laughed. "Yes."
"Angel!" I said loudly. "Do you think Scarlett would like to join us? And perhaps also the alpha's aunt?"
Angel turned to me with a smile. "I know Scarlett wanted to go, and I think Mom did too."
"Call them, please," I told her.
She pulled out her phone and turned away.
"Tell them they have time to dress," Lara said. "But to be quick if they can."
Five minutes later, Scarlett and Francesca came out of the school together. Scarlett was dressed like a teenager, Francesca like a school teacher. Scarlett ran over. Elisabeth intercepted her, spoke to her quietly, and she ran off. Francesca walked straight to me. "So not only do you think you can drop your teaching duties for a day, but you think I can too?"
"Um-"
She grinned. "Thank you for inviting me. I had already arranged for Hadley Smith and Harper Armstrong to teach today." Then, right in front of me, she made adjustments to her clothing, and she went from prim school teacher to surrogate mother of the bride.
Scarlett took ten minutes, but when she returned, it was a complete transformation. I didn't notice
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