Blood Rites
By
D.R. Racey

Daniel lived in the town of Boone, North Carolina, high in the Appalachian Mountains. He lived a simple life as a lumber mill worker by day, but hid a deadly secret from those around him. At night Daniel prowled the woods and hunted the animals and residents of the small mountain town.

Over 150 years earlier he betrayed his former master, Makareus, when he had an affair with his wife. Makareus began the chase for Daniel after the affair and chases him to this very day.

Daniel has fallen in love with a young woman named Sara and tries to maintain his human side as he struggles to control the primal urges of his true self. His love for Sara leads him to the hardest decision he has ever had to make.

Join Daniel now as he avoids death at the hands of the lycan pack and experiences love, hate, lust, and bloodshed under the moonlit sky of the Appalachian Mountains.


Blood Rites (Blood Rites Trilogy) can be purchased via Amazon.



Author Links:
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/D.R.-Racey/e/B0...
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Official Website: http://drracey-books.webs.com/
Twitter: @DRRaceyBooks




Blood Rites – Chapter One


Daniel walked down the well lit trail within the Appalachian Mountains under the dim light of the crescent moon. The moon held his gaze as he strolled carelessly along the leaf covered trail. The cool autumn air blew through the trees whose leaves were already starting to turn shades of red, yellow, and orange as winter drew near. Up ahead, the light of a campfire flickered as a group of campers cooked their dinner. He could smell the three course meal as the aromas traveled in the wind towards him. The feast would be enjoyable to say the least and he would definitely enjoy it more than the campers would.
Daniel removed his shirt and dropped it to the ground. He stopped briefly to remove his shoes and pants as well before he continued towards the campfire. The chilly late fall air did not seem to bother him as he walked naked through the woods. The forecast called for snowfall upon the area over the next few days. He raised his head to the sky and turned his neck to the side. It snapped as he turned it all the way to the left, then he did the same in the other direction. The smell of the feast overcame his other senses and he eagerly pressed forward as his muscles began to bulge and his arms elongated.
His stature of six foot began to rise under the dim moon light. He was nearer to seven feet tall on his mutated legs. Daniel’s feet and hands turned into massive paws and long sharp claws grew from them. The spine of his back curved and fur sprouted from his skin, covering the entirety of his body. His face began to shift as his nose protruded and turned into the snout of a wolf. His short, flat ears lay upon his head as they listened intently to the sounds from the three people who sat around the fire. The entire transformation took only a few seconds since he mastered the mutation process years earlier.
Effortlessly he crouched and began to walk upon all fours as he neared the campsite. His footsteps were silent as the soft paws touched the ground beneath. Daniel’s rational thoughts faded from him, as the transformation was complete. He could already taste the camper’s blood and wanted nothing more than to sink his sharp teeth into their flesh. Shifted into his greater form, the urge to feeding upon human flesh was his greatest. Werewolves could sate their hunger on wild animals, but it never satisfied them as well as human flesh. Tonight, the werewolf would feed upon humans for it had been too long since he tasted of their flesh.
The man closest to where he entered the campsite stared at him in awe as he moved from the thick brush and towards the fire. Fear overcame the man and he could not even muster a scream of warning to his friends. Daniel could smell the piss as it ran down the man’s leg.
The creature leapt upon the heavyset man and dug his sharp teeth into his throat. He pulled at the flesh and ripped chunks of meat free as he fed upon him. The smell of fresh blood sent the werewolf into an uncontrolled rage as the liquid of life poured out upon the ground. The two women screamed in fear at the sight of the giant wolf that killed the man in a bloody frenzy. The creature then turned to face the two women that rose to their feet and fled blindly through the woods.
Its eyes glowed as yellow slits in the light of the fire as he bound towards the woman nearest to him. She struggled through the brush in the half light of the moon. The woman could hear the wolf growling as it neared her from behind. It was not long before the weight of the beast drove her to the ground and her back snapped under the force of the blow. Again, the savage creature sank its teeth into its victim, and the woman soon lay in a pool of her own blood.
There was but one more that ran from the beast. The thrill of the hunt filled its primal urges as the rage within forced the creature to chase its prey. The wolf stood up on its hind legs and raised its dog shaped head to the moon then howled into the night. It lowered its snout and sniffed the air before bounding into the darkness.
The young woman struggled to keep on her feet in the dark woods, but stumbled many times. She was not accustomed to traveling in such terrain, even less so in the dark. The creature circled the woman as one did when playing with its food. She could no longer hear the sounds of her friend’s screams or the rustling of the brush from the creature that followed her. She desperately hoped that perhaps she had outrun it. Continuing forward, she saw the river in front of her and clung to the hope that safety waited for her on the other side if she could but make it across in time. The tears upon her face left a sweet smell within the air, and the great beast became eager to taste the flesh of its prey. She stopped in her tracks as she passed a large tree. Somehow, the creature had circled in front of her and waited for her to come to it. The woman screamed one last time as the massive head came down upon her with open jaws. The growl of the werewolf was the only noise that remained after the headless body fell to the forest floor.
The werewolf ate well on this night then returned to each of the bodies and snapped their spines to ensure they could not mutate and become one like it. He was always careful to ensure no others lived to transform, as too many werewolves killing in one place would lead to unwanted attention.
*****
Daniel woke the next morning in his small apartment. He had changed back into his human form shortly after feeding upon the flesh of the three he fed upon within the woods. His hunger, for now at least, was properly sated and he would not need to feed upon the flesh of humans for several weeks. His home within the mountains served him well with the abundance of animals that he could hunt in the woods. Daniel craved the taste of human flesh the greatest, but he could not satisfy this hunger regularly without drawing unwanted from the citizens of the town. Few people missed the random tourists that went missing while on vacation, so they were often his first choice of prey. He attempted to leave the local townsfolk alone, but sometimes the urge to feed upon human flesh outweighed his rational thoughts and overshadowed his desire to lead a normal life in the quiet mountain town.
He walked onto the streets of Boone, North Carolina and lifted his head into the air. He could smell the coffee brewing and bacon cooking at the local café. Most of all he could smell the wondrous scent of his favorite food, that of the tourists that came to see the changing of the leaves.
Daniel walked into the café and sat down at the counter. “What can I get for you this morning Daniel?” the waitress asked him from across the room.
“I’ll have the usual Judy,” he spoke as he picked up the morning paper and scanned the headlines. Front page news, three campers viscously mauled in the woods. The authorities warned of recent bear attacks and urged campers to take caution. ‘Well that’s a comfort, though I didn’t think they would find the bodies in time for the morning paper.’ his words were silent as they passed through his thoughts. He put the newspaper back down upon the counter and turned his attention to the glass of ice cold water that Judy brought to him.
“You look tired. You have a long night last night Dan?” Judy asked of him as he drank the glass of water. “So, what’s her name?”
“You know a gentleman never tells. You should be ashamed of yourself for asking,” he replied sarcastically to the middle aged waitress as she refilled his glass of water. Her long brown hair sat in a bun on top of her head. She waddled a bit as she walked and seemed as though she could stand to lose a few pounds. ‘She would make a decent meal.’ he thought .He pushed the thought from his mind, lest the urge got the better of him.
“Order up,” came the call from the cook, and Judy moved to pick up the plate of food.
“Here you go honey. Just yell if you need anything else.” She put the plate of steak and eggs in front of Daniel and walked away to attend to her other customers.
The rare steak was savory and he enjoyed the taste, though not quite as well as human flesh. He had eaten breakfast in the café almost every morning for the past six months and his selection never changed. Daniel feasted enough on the tourists and deer within the mountains that eating in the café was more of a show than for any real need for nourishment.
“Danny!” The excited greeting came from the woman who ran up from behind him and wrapped her arm across his shoulders then kissed him on the cheek. He smelled her scent even before she got within two blocks of the small café.
She was beautiful. Her lightly tanned skin glowed under the lights within the café and her light blonde hair hung to shoulder length while her bangs fell into her blue eyes. What he liked more than her appearance though was her laid back attitude. They had been dating for a while now, and she never crowded or nagged him, she just kind of fit into his life.
Daniel started dating her to satisfy his more human urges, but over the course of the past four months, he had fallen in love with the young woman. His human wife died from cancer forty years earlier and he promised himself years before that he would never love another woman. Even wounds of the heart and soul can heal in time though. It just took the right woman to heal those wounds.
She took a seat at the counter and Judy came up to take her order. “What can I get for you Sara?” Judy asked as she handed her a glass of water.
“Just a cup of coffee please, I’m not hungry this morning,” Sara replied as she turned her attention to the newspaper sitting on the counter. “This is so sad. This has got to be the third bear attack in as many months. The campers should just stay out of the woods until the authorities solve the bear problem.”
“So this is why you look so tired?” Judy teased him openly.
“Tired? I thought you were going to bed early when I left your apartment last night.” Sara looked at him and could see the dark circles beneath his eyes.
“I did go to bed. I just didn’t sleep very well,” he replied defensively.
“That’s because you need a woman over there, to keep you company in bed,” Judy laughed as she spoke and nudged Sara’s shoulder.
“I doubt that would make me sleep any better,” he replied to her and winked at Sara.
Judy smiled then replied sarcastically, “But, you would sleep so much better when you did close your eyes.” They all laughed then Judy wandered to another customer that was waiting to pay at the cash register.
“Do you have to work tonight?” he asked his beautiful twenty two year old girlfriend that sat next to him. ‘So young, compared to his age’ he thought.
“Yeah, the bastards have me working every Friday night. It’s like they can’t find anyone else to cover the bar on Fridays.” Sara dropped two spoonfuls of sugar into her cup of coffee and then poured twice that much again into the cup directly from the glass dispenser. “It would be nice to actually be able to relax once on a Friday night instead of serving drunks all the time. The tips are pretty good though.” She smiled and took a sip from the cup.
Sara worked as a bartender at Sam’s Pub in the college district of the small town. She spent many of her nights serving the students and a few locals while they became inebriated and danced under the colorful strobe lights. Daniel’s first instinct upon meeting Sara was that she would make a fine meal. She approached him as he sat at the bar and started talking to him. The sweet flow of her voice and the native accent tore into his heart and reminded him of his former wife. It had been many years since any woman afflicted him in such a manner. Daniel grew to love her and spent many nights at the bar just enjoying her company while he fought the urge to feed upon her. On occasion, his lust for blood would overcome his love for her and he would leave the bar to feed. He may have loved her greatly, but his hunger drove his more primal actions. Daniel doubted that he could forgive himself if he killed Sara in a blood-frenzied rage.
“Are you coming by tonight?” she asked him as she bounced about on the stool her small frame rested on.
Daniel smiled and looked into her blue eyes, “How can I say no when you look at me like that?”
“Great! I will save you a spot at the bar.” Sara said then looked at her watch. “Shit, I have got to go. I’m going to be late for class.” She stood up, grabbed her backpack from the floor, and began to leave the café.
“How much for the coffee Judy?” she asked as she dug in her pocket for some change.
“I’ve got it Sara. Hurry up so you’re not late for class,” he laughed as he hurried her on her way. She stopped long enough to kiss him on the cheek then ran out the door and down the street.
“Like I said,” Judy leaned across the counter. “A woman in your apartment would make you rest better.” She nodded her head towards the girl and then turned around to attend to her other customers.
‘If only it was that easy.’ his thoughts ran quietly through his mind as he thought of the lithe girl who just ran to her morning class.
Daniel finished his breakfast and left enough money on the counter to pay his bill and to leave a nice tip for Judy. “I’ll see you tomorrow Dan,” Judy called out as he opened the door and stepped onto the sidewalk. He waved to her through the window as he pulled his coat about him.
*****
The feel of the air turned crisp as the wind blew through the mountains. The sun recently set and no longer provided the town with its warming rays. College students hurried along the sidewalks. Some were in route to their dorms and apartments, while others sought to start the night of drinking a bit early.
Daniel’s keen ears, even though in human form, listened to the conversations of the town’s citizens as they passed by. He could smell their scents floating on the breeze as it blew in his face. Tonight though, he would have to resist his natural urges. The bar was just up ahead and Sara should have already begun her shift.
He entered the bar and the strobe lights, which rapidly changed colors and spun about the room, shined in his eyes. Daniel lowered his eyes to the floor, walked to the far end of the bar, and took a seat on one of the barstools.
Sara placed a glass of whiskey and a draft beer on the bar in front of him. “This one is on the house,” Sara said as she stared at him. Her words sounded quiet compared to the loud music within the half empty establishment. “I told you that I would save a seat for you,” she said as she turned around.
“And a fine seat it is,” he said then stared at her slender figure as she walked to the other end of the bar to attend to another customer that just arrived.
The bar filled up over the next few hours as the party crowd began their Friday night rituals. On more than one occasion he was offered a drink by one of the more promiscuous females that already consumed too many of the intoxicating beverages. The patrons within the bar continued to drink and dance under the colorful lights. He could smell the sweet scent of their sweat as it ran down their bodies. Their scents filled his nostrils and he could imagine tasting their warm flesh.
*****
Daniel’s thoughts became a blur and he thought about his past. So many years before within the colonial city of Williamsburg and of the one who made him what he was today. His maker, Makareus, was a direct descendant of the original werewolf Lycaon. Makareus was the great grandchild of Lycaon and was a purebred werewolf. No more than a dozen purebred werewolves were alive today. With the exception of Makareus, the purebred werewolves all lived in Europe. The western hemisphere was for Makareus to hunt and rule and the others would not intrude.
A beautiful woman walked with Makareus, his wife Karen. Together they ruled a pack of werewolves that numbered in the twenties. Karen’s weakness for men, and Daniel’s weakness for beauty, eventually led to his flight from Williamsburg, Virginia.
The moon was especially large and bright as Karen and Daniel feasted on the flesh of several young men. The blood ran from their teeth and dripped to the ground as Karen shifted back to the form of a woman and urged him to do the same. Blood covered their naked bodied as they embraced each other in the open field. Howls rose from the woods and the two released each other as Makareus came towards them. He did not see what they were doing, but he could smell the scent of Daniel on his wife. Enraged, Makareus tore her head from her body while she was still in human form. As the creature dismembered his own wife, Daniel called on his natural instincts and transformed into his lycan self. He was smaller than his master was and knew he would not fare well against him. Daniel only had one choice if he wished to live, so he ran from his maker.
Makareus’ obsession over his wife drove him to madness as he chased Daniel for many days. He followed his scent closely as he struggled to find the one that betrayed him. For two long years the chase continued. A trail of bodies littered the ground as Makareus ate of the flesh of all that crossed his path. Makareus’ pack grew in numbers as he chased the traitor, but he never caught him. In time, Daniel broke free from his pursuer and found his solitude within the small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. It was here that he lived for the last hundred and fifty years. It was here that he remained in his sanctuary.
*****
“Hey, are you alright?” Sara’s words sunk into his consciousness and brought him out of the remembrance of his past life. “I have been standing here for like three whole minutes and you haven’t even noticed,” she looked at him as he stared into the distance.
Daniel reached up and rubbed his eyes. “Sorry, I guess I kind of dazed out there,” he took a drink from the beer that sat in front of him. “Did I miss anything?”
“Nope, just me shaking my ass as I walked up and down the bar. You better be tipping me good tonight.” She leaned across the bar and kissed him on the forehead, then went back to her other customers.
One of the patrons at the bar called out to Sara. “I want a kiss,” he stuck out his tongue and wiggled it in the air.
She sat a beer on the bar and spoke, “You would have better luck getting a goat to kiss you.” Sara laughed as she slid the beer towards him.
Anger grew in the man’s eyes and Daniel could smell the man’s rage building. The man reached forward and grabbed Sara by the back of her head. He pulled her towards him and spun her so that her back lay upon the bar and she looked directly up at him. His face was just above her head and he held a knife in his other hand. Its blade pressed lightly against her throat as he spoke, “I said I want a kiss bitch.” Spit fell from his mouth as he yelled in her face.
Daniel approached the man from behind and said, “I think she told you to find a goat to make love to.” A smirk was on his face as he stood a few feet from the man.
The man released Sara and turned his attention to Daniel; his knife still within his hand. “You got something to say pretty boy?” He stood still, the blade of the knife flickering under the strobe lights.
“I think its time you left,” Daniel spoke. His eyes appeared as though the pupils yellowed and turned into slits. The drunk saw his eyes, but assumed the lights within the bar made them appear as they did.
Daniel restrained his urge to kill the man where he stood as his rage boiled within him. He saw see beads of sweat forming on the man’s forehead and could smell the man’s fear. He did well in hiding his fear from normal men, but Daniel knew better.
The man charged Daniel, but stopped quickly as Daniel’s hand came up and jammed two fingers into his throat. The man fell to the floor, gasping for breath. “I said it was time you left.” He reached down and picked up the knife that the man dropped. Daniel closed the blade and slipped it into his pocket. A couple of the regulars came to assist the man out the door. They tossed the drunk out the open door and he landed upon the sidewalk then rolled to the curb.
Sara regained her composure and seemed only slightly distracted by the intense situation. “Like a knight in shining armor. How many times now have you pulled me from the clutches of a drunk?” asked Sara as she downed a shot of whiskey and poured another for Daniel.
“I quit counting. Seems like you get at least one every night. Maybe we should dress you in burlap instead of those tight jeans you are always wearing. If you looked a little more hideous we wouldn’t have half of these problems.” He laughed as he downed the shot and chased it with a beer.
“More hideous? Are you saying I look hideous?” Sara smiled as she placed her hands on her hips and spun in a circle.
“Don’t twist my words. You know what I mean.” Daniel sat back on his barstool and looked past the other end of the bar at the man who stood outside the window. The drunk raised his fist and cursed at Daniel from the safety of the sidewalk then stumbled off several minutes later.
“You’re walking me home tonight, so don’t try to leave early,” she smiled, her blue eyes flickering under the strobe lights.
Daniel laughed as he drank his beer. “If I must. Now go do some work before they fire you.”
Sara turned and made her rounds. Even after the tense altercation, she still looked beautiful leaning across the bar. Daniel stared at her. His eyes drifted from her face, down her neck, and to her cleavage.
*****
Sara walked with Daniel down the sidewalk in the cool breeze. His pulled her close in to him as he wrapped his arm around her waist. She could feel the heat coming off of Daniel’s body and snuggled closer to his warmth.
“You are so warm,” she said as she laid her head onto his shoulder.
“Isn’t it my job to keep you warm?” Daniel asked as they walked.
“Yeah it is. No slacking,” she laughed as they continued.
They reached his truck a few blocks from the bar and he opened the door so she could climb in. Daniel closed the door behind her, then walked to the other side and hopped in the old truck.
He turned the key and the starter screeched as the truck struggled to turn over.
“You need a new truck,” coaxed Sara.
He looked at her and turned the key again. “This truck is just fine.” The engine turned over and black smoke blew out of the dual exhaust mufflers. “I told you so.”
The drive to Daniel’s apartment was short as he only lived a few blocks down the road. He pulled the truck into the parking space in front of his apartment building and stepped out of the truck. Sara slid across the seat and exited through his door. Daniel sniffed the air and thought he smelt something familiar.
“Are you ok?” Sara asked him as he stood there in silence.
Daniel looked at her “Yeah. I was just daydreaming,” he lied to her.
“Well get me inside then. It is cold out here,” she said as she grabbed one of his hands and pulled him away from the truck.
Daniel pushed the truck door shut with his free hand and followed Sara onto the steps of the building. He looked down the street of the small town and finally let his thoughts pass as though his imagination was just playing tricks on him.
*****
Daniel and Sara entered the small second floor apartment. She pulled off her jacket and tossed it onto the chair next to the door.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked as he walked into what should have been the kitchen.
The apartment was a single room dwelling that was perfect for a single man living in the mountain town of Boone. The bedroom sat on one side of the midsized room opposite the kitchen that was just a few cabinets, a small stove, and a sink. Daniel had placed a couch and television stand midway between the rooms and called it his living room. The only part of the dwelling that did not sit in the main room of the apartment was the bathroom.
“You got any coffee?” asked Sara as she plopped down on the couch. “I am beat.”
“Sure. Give me a few minutes.” Daniel rummaged in the cabinet and found a small bag of coffee. He did not drink much coffee, but he kept it at his apartment for when visitors stopped by. He filled the pot with water and poured it into the back of the coffee maker.
“That shouldn’t take too long to brew,” he said then pulled off his flannel shirt and hung it on the hook on the back of the bathroom door.
“Don’t make me just sit here alone,” pleaded Sara from the couch.
Daniel walked over to her and sat down next to her. Sara leaned back against his muscular body and relaxed against his warmth. He could smell the apple scented shampoo that she used earlier that day. Daniel ran his hand through her hair and brushed it out of her face, then leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“So what was the deal with that guy this evening? He was a total ass,” she said as she looked up at him. “For a minute there, I thought you might actually kill him.”
“Nah, that’s not in me. He just got me heated up pretty bad,” replied Daniel as he leaned over and kissed her on the lips. “Coffee is ready.”
Sara rolled over and then pulled herself onto his lap, effectively straddling him. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips then moved to his ear and down to his neck.

THIS PORTION WAS REMOVED PRIOR TO POSTING DUE TO EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT
(Please purchase the book for the full version to see what you are missing)

“Do you think you can handle another round?” he asked her.
“Don’t tease me Daniel,” she said as she leaned in and kissed him. “I love you.”
He looked into her blue eyes as she kissed him. He pulled his head back and spoke, “I love you too.” He kissed her again then pulled her on top of him.
In almost two hundred years, Sara was only the second woman that he ever professed his love to. The first was his wife of twenty years. They lived happily in Lynchburg, Virginia, but their time together ended when she lost her life to a long battle with cancer. He could not tell Sara about his wife or of his long life; she just would not understand. Sara would have to believe that she was the only woman he ever loved; he would hide his secret from her.
*****
Sara woke up and looked at the clock. It was nine in the morning.
“Shit,” she said as she rolled out of the bed and looked for her clothes.
“What?” asked Daniel as he opened his eyes and rolled onto his side while watching her quickly putting her clothes on. He stared at her breasts when the loose fitting shirt she was wearing opened at the top as she bent over to put her shoes on.
“I’m going to be late,” replied Sara.
Daniel had no idea where she needed to be so early on a Saturday morning, “Late for what?” he asked.
“I am supposed to be having breakfast with my mom,” she said. He could hear the sarcasm in her voice.
“Then I guess you should be hurrying up then.” Daniel laughed as she frantically buttoned her jeans.
“This is your fault,” Sara said as she stood up from the couch and walked over to the bed and sat down next to him.
“How so?” he asked.
“If you didn’t keep me up so late last night then I might have gotten to sleep sooner.” She kissed him on the forehead and walked to the door.
She opened it and was about to walk through when Daniel spoke to her.
“You should put that on,” he said and pointed to the bra in her hand. “That is if you don’t want your mother asking questions.”
“Good idea. I’ll see you tonight at the bar.” She blew him a kiss and closed the door behind her as she walked out. Her bra was back on before she got to the street.
*****
Daniel slid out of bed naked and walked into the kitchen. He placed a frying pan on the stove and turned the gas burner on high. Daniel removed a steak from the small refrigerator, tossed it in the frying pan then cracked two eggs, and dropped them each on one side of the steak in the pan. He flipped them over and let the eggs finish cooking.
Daniel grabbed the handle of the frying pan and dumped the food onto a plate. Rare was the only way he would eat his steak. He wanted it to be runny with blood, but he wanted it warm as well. It was a sad excuse for a real meal, but he could not feast on humans every day. Daniel survived many years by blending in with his surroundings and acting as one of the common people he lived around. He also held a regular job at the lumberyard, because physical labor suited him and ate regularly at the local restaurants.
The rare steak currently on his plate served as an ample substitute, but several days each week Daniel would go into the woods and hunt deer or other large animals. The Appalachian Mountains, in which the small town sat, provided ample game for him. Once or twice a month he would feast on campers and hikers that were from out of town. Normally, no one ever found the bodies and friends would file missing person reports with the local authorities. Every now and then though, another camper or hiker would find the shredded bodies and call the local Sheriff’s office to report what they found. It was a good thing that there were so many bears and mountain lions in this area since most of the time the authorities placed blame on the wild animals that lived within the mountains. With winter approaching though, there would be fewer campers. Daniel would have to be very selective in which residents of the small town he feasted upon.
Daniel licked the warm blood from the corner of his lips as he finished his steak and egg breakfast. He turned the television on and watched the local weather scroll across the screen. It was going to be a cold week in the mountains due to a cold front moving in from the northwest.
He walked to the sink and placed the dirty plate in it. Now he wondered what he was going to do to occupy his time for the rest of the morning.
*****
“I thought you stood me up.” The middle aged lady stood up from the table and hugged Sara.
“I over slept, but you know I would never stand you up,” replied Sara as she sat down.
“Late night at work?” her mother asked.
“It was a normal night. Just took me awhile to get to sleep,” she replied.
“How are your classes going?” she asked her daughter as the waitress put two glasses of orange juice on the table.
“You mean besides statistics right?” Sara laughed. “They are going really good.”
Her mom drank from the glass the waitress set in front of her. “How bad is bad?” she asked, convinced of the worst before she even got an answer to her question.
“Low C right now. I just need to focus on that class a little more,” replied Sara.
The waitress came back to the table. “Are you ladies ready to order?” she asked.
“Go ahead sweetie,” her mother said as she looked at the menu.
“I’ll have half a grapefruit and toast please,” Sara said as she sat the menu on the table.
“And for you ma’am?” asked the waitress.
“I’ll have the same, no butter on the toast,” replied her mother.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes with your food.” She took the menus from the table and walked back into the kitchen of the small restaurant.
“Well, make sure you take extra time studying for that class. Your classes are costing us an arm and a leg,” she scolded Sara.
“Yes, I know mother. Dad didn’t work for thirty years as a cop for me to throw your retirement away.”
“That’s not what I said,” retaliated her mother.
“That’s how it came across,” replied Sara.
The waitress came back to the table and set the two grapefruits and the toast on the table. “Is there anything else I can get you today ladies?”
“No, we are fine. Thank you,” replied Sara’s mom.
“I’m doing fine in my classes mom. Do not worry about me graduating. I am still set to get my diploma next spring.” She bit into her toast. Crumbs stuck to her mouth and she wiped them away with a napkin.
“Well, I do worry. Let me know if you need some extra help. We can always get you a tutor.”
“It’s ok mom, everything is going to be fine,” Sara said as she stuck the spoon into the grapefruit.
Twenty minutes later, they said their goodbyes to each other and Sara gave her mom a big hug. That was not as bad as she feared it was going to be. All in all, it was a good breakfast with her mother.