Bearly a Chance: A Second Chances Romance Read Free

grinned wide and held out a fistful of soggy cookie crumbs.
    “Yes, Faith. You cookie,” Aria answered as she took a seat on the other side of Faith. Aria spied a dish towel hanging off the oak cupboard door behind her and snatched it up to wipe up the spilled milk. She couldn’t bear to let Faith ruin the last piece of furniture Gramps had made for Gran before he died.
    “Mama, cookie.” Faith insisted and then shoved that fistful of soggy cookie at Aria’s mouth. Aria wasn’t quite fast enough at opening wide and the tot’s fist connected with a solid smack to her lip.
    “Ouch, Faith.” Aria clamped her hand over her rapidly swelling lip. “Careful please. Mommy ouchies.” Aria repeated. Gran’s wide blue eyes were startled.
    “Aria, you’re bleeding.” Gran said. Aria nodded, applying pressure as best she could to her injured lip.
    “It’s not a big deal. Accidents happen.” Aria muttered past her hand.
    “Let me get you an ice pack.” Gran suited action to words and in half a minute had passed her an ice pack wrapped in soft flannel cloth. The cool ice eased the pain and swelling. But the damage was already done.
    Faith’s eyes were wide. Wide, and filled with quick-silver.
    No way Gran’s going to miss that.
    “Shhh, baby-girl. It’s okay. Momma’s alright baby,” Aria soothed. She ignored the pain talking caused and reached out to gently stroke the babe’s blond curls, hoping to sooth the beast that raged inside her child.
    Please get it under control, baby, Aria begged wordlessly as she continued stroking Faith’s hair and making shushing sounds. But it didn’t seem like it was going to be enough, the quick-silver wasn’t fading like it should.
    Then Gran intervened. She gently removed Aria’s hand from the distraught babe with a silent, but firm, shake of her head. Then she turned the high chair to face her until Gran and Faith were eye to eye, practically nose to nose. Aria couldn’t believe that Gran wasn’t startled by the change in her great-granddaughter. But Gran was pure focus. Her bright blue gaze locked onto Faith’s silver one, and then she made the strangest sound Aria had ever heard an adult human make. It sounded like a cross between a yip and a bark, and Faith’s reaction was instantaneous. Her curls bobbed as she tilted her head first to one side, then the other. Her little mouth pursed, almost like she was blowing kisses to Gran.
    What the hell is going on? What is Gran doing, and why? Aria fought for calm, and tried to memorize every move Gran made. Whatever she was doing, it was working. The silver receded a sliver at a time from Faith’s gaze, until only the baby blue remained. Faith grinned a wide, cookie-filled grin.
    “Sident,” Faith said softly. Then she looked over toward Aria and apologized. “Sorry, mama. Sident. Sorry,” she repeated.
    Aria’s heart raced. “It’s okay, honey. You didn’t mean it.” She squeezed Faith tight in a quick one armed hug, still stunned. Aria had never been able to help Faith when she was on the verge of a change. The last time it happened in public, Aria had bundled Faith up in her baby blanket, made excuses to the day care lady and raced for the van. She’d struggled to hold the squirmy bundle of child and blanket, and thanked god the whole time that she’d had the foresight to buy a van with the darkest tint possible.
    “Gran, how did-” Gran’s slicing motion stopped Aria’s question cold. The sharp glance that followed promised an explanation, and a long serious heart-to-heart to follow.
    “Let’s get little miss Faith settled in her bed for nap time.” Gran ruffled Faith’s hair, then stood and grabbed a washcloth from the drawer. She wet the cloth in a sink and proceeded to clean up the chocolate covered toddler without further comment. Aria nodded in relief. She was surprised Faith didn’t fight Gran over washing up or nap time. But the child just held steady under Gran’s calm ministrations.