Gravity

"Are you ready to go home?" I said to Sutton cheerfully, trying to put on a happy face for him. He nodded and looked up at me with his big dark eyes as he said, "I'm hungry."

I couldn't help but laugh at his exclamation as we got in the car. I decided to switch it up and go to the diner I had frequented many times in my youth instead of making lunch. 

We got 2 quick orders of chicken tenders to go, eating in the car and sharing tiny pieces with Steele who went nuts over the battered treat.

"Mommy?" Sutton said suddenly making me glance from Steele licking my greasy fingers down to him. "Were you scared of the big doggy at Gramma's?"

"It wasn't a dog baby," I stated slowly, trying to make sense to a 3 and a half year old that he couldn't just play with unknown dogs. "It was a wolf, and they're wild like in Balto remember?"

"Balto's mommy was a wolf!" he said happily, bouncing in his seat pleased with his knowledge of the children's film.

"That's right! And because his mommy was a wolf, people were scared of him. Wolves don't like people too much and they bite when they're scared. We don't play with the wolves, you understand?" I said firmly, making eye contact with him the entire time I was making the rule known. He nodded and sighed, plunging his fingers in Steele's dense fur.

"He was nice, though. He just wanted to play with me." he mumbled sadly, pouting in the seat as I started the car ready to head back home for a much needed nap.

"I'm not sure what he was doing there, baby. Maybe he lost his family."

Sutton shook his head, "Nah, he said there was more of them. Lots more."

Once again he talked like he actually had had conversation with this giant animal and it was beginning to worry me to an extent. Sutton didn't often fabricate stories just for the fun of it.

"What do you mean by he told you?" I asked curiously, peering back at Sutton who was leaned back in his seat with his eyes dropping sleepily.

"I could hear him in here." he said rubbing his head weerily. "But his mouth didn't move at all! It was so cool, mommy!"

He ignored me for the rest of the drive home leaving me to fret about what my child had just told me and wonder how he had thought up something so strange like that.

When we got to the house Sam was lingering on the porch waiting for us to return home apparently. Steele was happy to be free of the car and bounded around the grassy yard content before lounging out to sunbathe.

"Hey, Sam." I said with a smile, picking Sutton up from his seat and adjusting his sleeping body against my shoulder as he sucked his thumb lightly. I carefully pulled the finger from his mouth for it was a habit I was trying to make him break over time.

"Talutah. Need some help?" he said, skimming his hand over Sutton's back and staring at the child with mild curiously which made my eyebrows shoot up in question. He smiled sheepishly and cleared his throat, "It's just weird to see you with a kid, especially Embry's kid you know? He is a giant kid himself."

I rolled my eyes and sighed as I led the way into the house which we had never locked in the entire time I lived in La Push. It was too close knit to feel the need to lock doors. Everyone was watching out for everyone else and it made me a little more comfortable with Sutton being here.

"So he hasn't changed a bit in the 4 years I've been gone? How surprising." I drawled, my words filled with sarcasm. I laid Sutton down on the couch and covered him with a light blanket.

"Would you like to come talk in the kitchen? I've had a pretty rough day and I need a glass of something." I didn't care that it was only after noon as I filled a glass with Jack Daniels and Coke, more Coke than Jack really.

I filled up a glass for Sam and leaned back against the counter while I sipped my beverage.

"You'll never believe what happened this morning." I said with a sigh, running a hand over my eyes tiredly as Sam looked at me without blinking.

"I don't know, I'm a pretty believing person."

"Oh, this shit beats anything else though." I chuckled, finishing my glass and setting it in the sink as I slumped down in a kitchen chair. 

"I was washing dishes this morning and Sutton told me that there was a dog in the yard. I didn't think anything of it, but I was curious. I went outside and there was this huge wolf thing just standing over Steele. I mean, it was the biggest animal I have ever seen, Sam. It was terrifying."

He nodded at me in understanding, some unknown emotion flickering in his dark eyes as I continued the account of events that happened that morning.

"Sutton is just so fearless, he went right towards it. I was shocked to be honest. I don't know where he got that trait from because I was scared out my mind. I grabbed him and started walking away and the thing just stared at me and ran away. It literally sneered at me, and waltzed off into the woods."

Sam sighed and closed his eyes tightly, running a hand over his thick dark hair. "You don't have to worry about the wolves, Scarlet. They're not going to hurt you or Sutton."

"And another thing with Sutton." I pondered slightly before repeating to Sam what he had said this morning then again this afternoon.

"I don't know what is going through his mind. Maybe I should limit how much tv he watches." I said with a laugh, shaking my head as Sam joined me in laughter.

"He's a little boy, Scar. I had a wild imagination at that age. Hell, we all did." 

He stopped to smirk at me which in turn made me groan and hide my red face.

"I don't even want to think about all the times we played wolf pack, Sam. It was dumb."

"You're only saying that because you weren't alpha and I was. Still jealous?" He said through his laughter which in turn made me giggle uncontrollably.

"God, I hated you for that. You never let me be alpha. It was annoying as hell." I said softly with a smile, grabbing onto his hand and squeezing it in a friendly gesture. "I really missed you, Sam. It was hard leaving you behind but obviously it had to be done. For both my and Embry's sake."

He sighed and squeezed my hand back with a small smile. "I missed you too, little sister. For a while I was so angry. No, I was furious. Leah is still not really over it."

I raised a brow and gapped at the tanned man before me as he mentioned the third friend in our little "pack circle".

"Leah?" I questioned curiously, resting my elbows on the tabletop and raising a brow in question as Sam looked at me sheepishly. "You and her still going strong?" 

He outright laughed which made me frown deeply and pout at his rude outburst.

"Laugh at me then, asshole."

"Oh no, Scarlet, it's not you." he said with a final chuckle. "Me and Leah, that's one long story. To make it short, I met her cousin, Emily, and it was just a love at first sight thing. Y'know?"

Believe me, I knew. I knew all about that feeling you get when one look into the eyes of someone had you planning out your future like you were mapping the stars. I had that once with Embry. 

Everything felt so right with Embry Call, and I could never get enough of being close to him. The love we had was confusing, but one look at Sam and I knew it was the same love he had for his Emily. The kind of love that left you starry eyed with a dumb grin on your face.

"Believe me, Sam," I started with a sigh, putting on a fake smile. He stared at me with knowing, soft eyes as I finished my thought in a whisper, "I know."