One Night With My Alpha Professor

Audrey

“Easy does it… We’re almost there.”

With my arm wrapped around my mother’s waist, we slowly and deliberately made our way up the pebbled front path to her house. The early summer breeze was warm and inviting, the scent of roses from her garden carrying across the front

lawn.

As we finally reached the porch, Claudia paused to take in a deep breath. “Ah… It feels good to be home!” she exclaimed. “I’m so glad to be out of that stuffy hospital!”

I couldn’t help but smile in return. After weeks of physical therapy and recovery in the sterile hospital environment, I could only imagine how much coming home was a relief to her. And it was a relief to me, too, to see my mother on the mend.

“I bet it does,” I replied as I fished the house keys out of my pocket. “Let’s get you inside and comfortable.”

As we stepped into the cool interior of the house, I heard Edwin and Tina chattering behind us, carrying bags and supplies from the car, I helped my mother into a chair and went around opening curtains to let some light in.

Buttery golden shafts of sun seeped into the room, and it immediately became clear to me that the place hadn’t been cleaned much while my mother was in the hospital-if the layers of dust on everything were any indication.

“Hm.” My mother wiped her finger across the arm of the chair and winced when it came away covered in dust. “It seems my cleaning person took a bit of a vacation while I was gone.”

Edwin stopped in the doorway alongside Tina, setting down the bags that were in his hands. “It does seem that way, doesn’t it?” he mused as he rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, looking around. “We should tidy up, I think.”

Tina nodded. “I could cook something, too, if anyone is hungry,” she said and winked at my mother. “I’m sure you’re starving. Hospital food is the worst.”

my I turned to Claudia, suddenly remembering that she hadn’t properly been introduced to Tina yet. “Oh! Mom, this is friend, Tina. Tina, this is my mother, Claudia.”

Tina stepped forward her usual vibrant energy slightly subdued as she offered her hand to Claudia. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Klein. Audrey’s told me so much about you.”

To my surprise and delight, Claudia bypassed the handshake entirely and pulled Tina into a warm hug. “Please, call me Claudia. Any friend of Audrey’s is family to me.”

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I watched as Tina’s face lit up, her arms wrapping around Claudia in return. After all of the turmoil Tina went through with her own parents, it was nice to see her bonding so quickly with my mother-and I could already picture that trip to Italy being filled with a lot of love and laughter.

The rest of the day passed by in a flurry of activity. We divided up tasks-Edwin and I tackled the dusty living room and kitchen, while Tina helped Claudia sort through a mountain of mail and paperwork that had accumulated during her hospital stay.

As the afternoon wore on, delicious smells began to waft from the kitchen. Tina had taken charge of lunch preparation, insisting that Claudia rest while we worked.

Once lunch was ready, we all gathered around the table on the patio outside-my mother insisted that she needed sunlight, which none of us could argue with considering how pale she’d gotten in the hospital.

“Tina, you outdid yourself,” I said as I took an enormous bite of a club sandwich that tasted like heaverf-pasta salad and fresh waterm on the side. “Since when can you cook?”

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My friend grinned impishly over her glass of lemonade. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Klein,” she teased. “I’m a woman of many talents.”

After lunch, we moved to the lawn, where Tina immediately challenged Edwin to a rather aggressive game of badminton. My mother and I sat on the sides in a couple of lawn chairs with some more lemonade, watching as the game grew even more intense, the two of them darting around the field at breakneck speeds.

“She’s certainly giving him a run for his money,” my mother chuckled as we watched.

I couldn’t help but agree, especially when Tina lobbed the birdie so high into the air that Edwin could hardly see it against the blinding sun until it whacked him square in the forehead.

“Ow-hey!” Edwin growled, rubbing his head as Tina, Claudia and I burst out into laughter.

But as the game continued, Claudia let out a soft sigh. I turned to her, concerned by the wistful look on her face.

“Mom? Are you okay? Do you need to go inside?”

Claudia shook her head, a sad smile playing on her lips. “No, no. I’m fine, dear. I was just thinking… about Fiona.”

I felt a pang in my chest at the mention of that name. “Oh,” I said softly, unsure of how to respond.

“I don’t mean to put a damper on our lovely afternoon. It’s just that… Being out here, playing badminton and basking in the sun makes me miss her,” Claudia continued, her eyes fixed on the birdie as it sailed through the air. “We did have some good times, you know.”RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

Before I could answer, my mother turned to me. There were unshed tears glimmering in her eyes. “Despite everything she’s done, she’s still my daughter. It breaks my heart that she chose this path.”

I didn’t know what to say. Seeing my mother like this sent a lance through my chest; even though Fiona had been the one to hurt her, had nearly killed her, my sweet mother still… Missed her. Loved her.

Part of me wanted to say something cruel aimed at Fiona, tell my mother that her sympathy was wasted.

But I couldn’t. Not when I knew it would just break Claudia’s heart even more.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Mom,” I finally managed around the lump in my throat. “I can’t imagine how difficult this all must be for you.”

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Claudia shook her head. “I just keep wondering where I went wrong. How did I not see what was happening to her?”

I shook my head vehemently. “Mom, no. This isn’t your fault. Fiona made her own choices in the end.”

“But if I had been a better mother…”

“Stop,” I said firmly. “You are an amazing mother. Look at how you’ve welcomed me into your life, how quickly you’ve made up for lost time. You even gave Fiona the benefit of the doubt when most people wouldn’t have, just because you love her like a daughter.”

Claudia nodded slowly, although I could tell that she wasn’t entirely convinced. “I just hope we can find her soon,” she said, and her voice was small. “Bring her back home where she bgs.”

Her words sent a jolt through me. But I bit my lip, considering my words carefully. “I hope so too,” I finally said. “And… I hope that when we do find her, she can be rehabilitated. I know I can never truly forgive her for what she’s done, but I understand that she has been brainwashed. It explains her behavior, even if it doesn’t excuse it.”

Claudia’s eyebrows shot up. “You would really be willing to give her another chance?”

I shrugged, my gaze drifting to Edwin and Tina, who were still engrossed in their game-although I felt a gentle nudge

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down the bond, indicating that Edwin was listening.

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“Maybe. If she helps us with the fight against Coldclaw, if she genuinely tries to make amends…” I paused, chewing the inside of my cheek for a moment. “I think she could redeem herself. Not entirely, but… At least a little.”

A moment of silence passed between us, broken only by the rhythmic thwack of the badminton rackets and Edwin and Tina’s playful banter.

Finally, Claudia took a deep breath and spoke. “Oh, Audrey,” she said, reaching out to pinch my cheek affectionately. “I’m so proud of you. You’re being a bigger person than most would be in your situation.”

I managed a smile, leaning my head on my mom’s shoulder.

But as we returned to watching the game, my own words lingered in my mind.

Redemption…

Was that even possible for someone like Fiona?