Page 121 of My Only Luna

“So, tell me, Grandma, how do you pass your time around here?”

Candice doesn’t reply and I glance at her, only to see there are tears in her eyes. “Oh Indy…” Mama smiles, motioning her to go to Candice, and Indigo does not realise her calling her “Grandma” has affected her.

“Oh dear, can I hug you?” Candice asks. Indigo nods, perching on the arm of the armchair and hugs the older woman, who hugs her back tightly, trying to control her tears. I fight back my own tears, seeing as Mama is already crying.

“I totally don’t mind hugs, it’s Scarlett who has issues,” she jokes, trying to lighten the mood, only to see that all three of us are in tears. “Dude, guys! Stop crying. What is wrong?”

“Oh nothing, just, please keep calling me Grandma. I get by though. I work around here slowly, busying myself with planting and potting, and the days go by. Home-grown vegetables are the best, and they keep me busy. But I’m not as strong as I used to be, so… some days I just stay in bed listening to Beethoven.”

“That sounds… good,” Indigo says, refraining from giving her honest opinion.

Candice chuckles heartily. “I know that’s not what you were thinking.”

Indigo grins sheepishly as Jessica laughs. “Kids these days.”

“Speaking of kids, how are the pups?” Candice asks. “I can’t believe I’m going to become a great-grandmother!”

“They’re great. We know the genders.” I smile, blushing lightly.

“Oh? Are you going to share?” Candice sits forward, her arms still around Indigo.

I nod. “Of course I will. We’re having a boy and a girl.”

Mama smiles, she already knew, and Indigo grins as Candace smiles.

“Oh, I’m so happy to hear that. They will be strong, powerful pups with a mother like you.”

“Thank you,” I reply, wanting to get the attention away from me. “Did you get the pictures I sent of our Alpha and Luna ceremony?” I try to change the subject, not wanting all the attention.

“Why yes, and I framed them,” she declares, motioning to her fireplace where the pictures sit proudly on the mantel alongside two other pictures.

Standing up I walk over to them. There’s the picture of me, Elijah, Indigo, Mama and Dad I sent her. Then one with me, Elijah and Indigo, but it’s the other two that have caught my interest. One is of a man who looks a lot like Zidane, but there’s a warmth in his eyes that Zidane never had an ounce of. He had a beard, and his hair was cut short, and from what I can see, he was well built. I know who this is without even being told, my grandfather…

“That’s your grandfather, Oscar Malone,” Candice confirms.

“Show me.” Indigo hurries over and we both look down at the picture. I then turn my attention to the other picture, of a younger Candice with Oscar and one of the cutest babies I haveever seen. A baby that grew up to be a monster…

“I want to remember him like that, not what he became,” Candice explains. I shake my head and give her a small smile.

“You don’t need to justify anything; he doesn’t even look like him,” I murmur.

“Well, putting him aside, come sit. I will tell you about my family, and your grandfather.”

“Oh, that would be lovely,” Mama says.

“Let me just get the food on the table so we can talk and eat!” Candice says, making to get up, but Mama stands first.

“No, I’ll do it. You just tell us all about your family,” she says with a wave of her hand, making herself at home and begins placing the dishes that Candice had covered onto the table and bringing the dish she herself had made to the table too. From how she seems to know where everything is in the kitchen area, she must have visited occasionally when she and Dad were here.

“Well, Oscar had a sister, Olive, who was mated far up north. I met her once or twice, but then Zidane told everyone I was dead. I did try to search for her recently, but she’s passed away and no one knows if she had a family. That or they didn’t want to share that with me.” Candice looks sad before she waves her hands.

“Well then, they’re the ones missing out.” Indigo shrugs, “So what was our grandad like?”

“He was a strict man, very fair, very loyal and hardworking, but he had a special warmth when it came to me and our son. He’d change from being the serious alpha leader to doting father who would play with his son whilst I cooked dinner or simply snuck away for a long-deserved soak in the tub,” she sighs fondly, reminiscing on the memory.

I nod. “He sounds amazing,” I say softly.

“He was,” she agrees. “I have some photos of him when he was a young strapping fellow. Let me go get those…”

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