The Patient Wolf (Wicked Urban Fantasy #1) by Karen Hodges Miller Page A
Authors: Karen Hodges Miller
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Sophie stuffed in her bag in a way that made sure it would come out a wrinkled mess. “Tennis is good exercise and knowing a sport is always useful. It can be a great way to make new friends.”
“I don’t want to make new friends if they are like the ones at dad’s club. Those kids are such snobs. They all go to North or the Day School. They think Thomas Jefferson is inferior just because it’s a downtown school. They act like I live the ghetto or something, just because we live in town and not out in the suburbs. I don’t have anything in common with them.”
“Maybe not right now, but next year? You never know. If we stay here a lot of them will end up in the same high school you’re in; both TJ and North are feeder schools for Rivelou East High. That will put you a step ahead of people from both schools in ninth grade. You’ll already know twice as many people.”
At that moment the doorbell rang. “There’s Melanie.” Sophie ran down the stairs to answer the door.
“Mom, Dad and Melanie want to talk to you,” Sophie yelled as Ana walked down the stairs carrying the overnight bag Sophie had left in her room.
“Of course,” she said, grinding her teeth one more time. She was going to have to stop that, she thought. She’d wear out her teeth if she continued this habit every time she had to deal with her ex-husband.
“Ana,” Jonathan gave her a polite peck on the cheek. “Sit down, sit down,” he added, and she forced herself not to grind her teeth this time. Why was he asking her to sit down in her own home, as if he was the host and she the guest? Of course, at one time it had been his home, too, back in the days when they were just starting out. He had just passed the bar and she had been the dutiful attorney’s wife, juggling her job at the university, taking care of Sophie, and appearing at every political and social function Jonathan decided they needed to attend to make a good impression on the partners in his new firm.
A request to sit and talk could only mean one thing: He wanted something from her. What was it now?
Jonathan, at 35, had begun to lose his hair. At least he had the sense not to try to hide it, like his father, Ana thought. The senior Dugan had taken to styling his hair in a Donald Trump comb-over for the last few years. It had Ana on the verge of giggles every time she saw him.
Jonathan and Melanie sat down on the flowered sofa that had seen better days, but before Jonathan could say anything, Sophie broke in.
“Dad, did you hear about the man who was killed by a dog in Mitchell Park the other night? Mom got attacked by the same dog!”
“What! That’s horrible. You must have been terrified,” Melanie spoke up, as Ana tried to make shushing faces to Sophie without her ex-husband noticing. He would have something critical to say about the neighborhood, or the fact that she walked home from work, or who knew what. She really was not in the mood for him to go off on one of his usual rants.
“I’ve told you for years you need to leave this neighborhood. It’s not safe for Sophie. This just proves it. I’m really not sure Sophie should be living here at all,” Jonathan began, but Melanie stopped him with just a hand on his arm.
“Jon, this isn’t the time. You know that is not what we came here to talk about today.” As Melanie gripped her husband’s hand and smiled glowingly, Ana suddenly knew what they had come to say.
“We’re having a baby,” Melanie burst out. “Sophie, you’re going to be a big sister!”
“OMG! That’s so cool!” Sophie ran over to give her dad and stepmom hugs.
“That’s just wonderful. I’m so happy for you, Melanie, I know how much you’ve wanted this,” Ana said, feeling as if the smile on her face had suddenly been glued in place. As she got up to hug Melanie in turn, she kept saying to herself, “I’m happy for her. I’m really happy for her. I know she’s wanted this for a long time.”
But it also hurt.
“I don’t want to make new friends if they are like the ones at dad’s club. Those kids are such snobs. They all go to North or the Day School. They think Thomas Jefferson is inferior just because it’s a downtown school. They act like I live the ghetto or something, just because we live in town and not out in the suburbs. I don’t have anything in common with them.”
“Maybe not right now, but next year? You never know. If we stay here a lot of them will end up in the same high school you’re in; both TJ and North are feeder schools for Rivelou East High. That will put you a step ahead of people from both schools in ninth grade. You’ll already know twice as many people.”
At that moment the doorbell rang. “There’s Melanie.” Sophie ran down the stairs to answer the door.
“Mom, Dad and Melanie want to talk to you,” Sophie yelled as Ana walked down the stairs carrying the overnight bag Sophie had left in her room.
“Of course,” she said, grinding her teeth one more time. She was going to have to stop that, she thought. She’d wear out her teeth if she continued this habit every time she had to deal with her ex-husband.
“Ana,” Jonathan gave her a polite peck on the cheek. “Sit down, sit down,” he added, and she forced herself not to grind her teeth this time. Why was he asking her to sit down in her own home, as if he was the host and she the guest? Of course, at one time it had been his home, too, back in the days when they were just starting out. He had just passed the bar and she had been the dutiful attorney’s wife, juggling her job at the university, taking care of Sophie, and appearing at every political and social function Jonathan decided they needed to attend to make a good impression on the partners in his new firm.
A request to sit and talk could only mean one thing: He wanted something from her. What was it now?
Jonathan, at 35, had begun to lose his hair. At least he had the sense not to try to hide it, like his father, Ana thought. The senior Dugan had taken to styling his hair in a Donald Trump comb-over for the last few years. It had Ana on the verge of giggles every time she saw him.
Jonathan and Melanie sat down on the flowered sofa that had seen better days, but before Jonathan could say anything, Sophie broke in.
“Dad, did you hear about the man who was killed by a dog in Mitchell Park the other night? Mom got attacked by the same dog!”
“What! That’s horrible. You must have been terrified,” Melanie spoke up, as Ana tried to make shushing faces to Sophie without her ex-husband noticing. He would have something critical to say about the neighborhood, or the fact that she walked home from work, or who knew what. She really was not in the mood for him to go off on one of his usual rants.
“I’ve told you for years you need to leave this neighborhood. It’s not safe for Sophie. This just proves it. I’m really not sure Sophie should be living here at all,” Jonathan began, but Melanie stopped him with just a hand on his arm.
“Jon, this isn’t the time. You know that is not what we came here to talk about today.” As Melanie gripped her husband’s hand and smiled glowingly, Ana suddenly knew what they had come to say.
“We’re having a baby,” Melanie burst out. “Sophie, you’re going to be a big sister!”
“OMG! That’s so cool!” Sophie ran over to give her dad and stepmom hugs.
“That’s just wonderful. I’m so happy for you, Melanie, I know how much you’ve wanted this,” Ana said, feeling as if the smile on her face had suddenly been glued in place. As she got up to hug Melanie in turn, she kept saying to herself, “I’m happy for her. I’m really happy for her. I know she’s wanted this for a long time.”
But it also hurt.
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