Maeve was in the restroom, washing her hands and face, as she couldn't help but remember what had happened earlier in the day.

She arrived home with her work in toe, but the door to her house was unlocked; her mother was inside. "Huh, I thought she would be here at 5 p.m., but I guess she couldn't wait." Once inside, the kitchen and living room lights were turned on. Laoise was in the living room, setting up the small table in the center. "H-Hey, Mom! You came early!"

Laoise smiled as she saw her daughter, "Maeve, mo aingeal milis (my sweet angel). It feels like forever since we have seen one another. How was work?"

Maeve put her stuff on the side of one of the sofas. "Maith agus tuirseach (Good and tiring). I missed you, Mom. Sorry for not keeping much in touch; I've been busy." She went to the kitchen to get drinks for herself and her mother.

"Are you still dating that older man?"

"I am, and his name is Treyton. He's everything that Stephen was not." Maeve returned to the living room, where her mother sat on the sofa.

Laoise nodded. "I'm glad everything is going well for you two. Still, I want you to be careful."

Maeve hoped that Treyton's age wouldn't be a part of the conversation, but she couldn't blame her mother. "I know, and I have taken your advice to heart. Treyton considers my feelings and thoughts; he also went through a divorce."

"So he's a divorcee, eh? Did he say why he's divorced?"

"He said that his wife left him for another man but said that he understood her."

The older woman raised an eyebrow. "It would be difficult to move on, especially if one was left for another. I hope he's not dating you to get revenge."

"Mom, please." Maeve put the drinks down. "I need to go freshen up before we eat. After I come back, I don't want to have this type of conversation. I just returned from work and wouldn't want my good mood to be dashed." Before her mother could say anything else, Maeve went to the restroom.

Maeve sighed as she prepared herself to return to her mother. When the sink was turned off, she heard her mother say, "So, you must be the man my daughter is dating. I must admit, you're a handsome one."

The young woman stilled.

"Oh, um, it's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Oh my god, it's Treyton! He's come here!" Maeve immediately left the restroom and saw Laoise in front of the door as she looked at Treyton from head to toe. "T-Treyton!?" Treyton looked over Laoise and saw Maeve walking toward him; he felt relieved. It felt awkward that he had to meet Maeve's mother too soon. "I'm surprised that you're here."

"Oh, uh, I was driving by, and I couldn't help but stop to see how your first day of work went. I wanted to tell you something. However, I see that your mother is visiting so I can call and-"

"What's the hurry? You can come in and speak if you like."

Sweat trickled down Treyton's neck. He wasn't prepared to meet Laoise and wouldn't know what to say to her. Then, a scent hit him; it came from Laoise. The scent was strong, and it had a hint of a stench. His gaze was interrupted when Maeve intervened. "Mom, Treyton just wanted to tell me something before he left, right?"

"Yes, I had a meeting here in Long Beach, but I just wanted to make a quick stop. I don't want to ruin your dinner." Treyton wanted to punch himself. "Aidoneus was right! I should've called instead!"

"Mom, please wait inside. Treyton and I need to talk." Maeve walked out of the house as she closed the door behind her. "So...what's up?"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know that your mother was here. I should have called."

"Maybe, but you said you had a meeting in Long Beach. I guess you wanted to surprise me, right?"

Treyton lied because he didn't want to look foolish driving from Palos Verdes to Long Beach. "Yeah, I didn't want to text you while you were at work because I imagined you had much to do. I thought it would be nicer to see how your day was."

"I'm sorry we can't talk much since my mother is here. You said you had something important to tell me."

"Oh, yeah! Since Christmas is approaching, I was hoping we could do something for the weekend. I was thinking we could go to Big Bear and hike!"

"Hiking at Big Bear? I have never been to Big Bear before, but I heard that it's far, and it would take an hour to get there. I mean, Long Beach has some nice hiking trails."

"I know, but Big Bear has nice small towns, and they usually have Christmas Markets and villages done for the holidays. I thought it would be nice to have the Christmas vibe. What do you say?"

Going to Big Bear sat well with Maeve, and if they were to have Christmas Markets, she would have more time to shop. "Okay, that sounds nice!"

"Wonderful. We will go on a Saturday, and I will pick you up at 6 a.m. since traffic can be a bit hectic in the area. Would that be good?" Maeve nodded. "Great! Once in Big Bear, there is something that I need to tell you."

Maeve raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why can't you tell me now?"

Treyton's uneasiness was noticed. "I feel it's not the right place and moment to say. Trust me, it won't be anything terrible. I promise. So Saturday?"

"Of course, I'll see you on Saturday."

The two said their goodbyes; Treyton returned to his car as he saw Maeve returning home. Once the Alpha got inside the vehicle, he sighed, frustrated. "I can't believe myself! I should've called! Damn it!" He looked back at the house and couldn't forget Laoise's scent. "Her scent smelled off." He shook his head, "It's probably nothing. I'm just a nervous wreck." Treyton turned on and drove back home, contemplating his following actions.

                                                                                                     ❄

Maeve and Laoise sat next to one another on one of the sofas. The television was turned on, and they watched a movie, 'Falling for Christmas.' Laoise didn't say anything regarding Treyton, and Maeve was relieved but knew the silence wouldn't last long.

"Well, I won't deny that your boyfriend is handsome," said Laoise teasingly.

"Mom, he's not my boyfriend. We're still in the early stages of dating." Maeve sat beside her mother as she began to eat pieces of her food. "I want to take my time since I realized that being in a long-term relationship doesn't always guarantee certainty happiness."

"Has Stephen ever tried to contact you?"

The mention of Stephen made Maeve's stomach grumble with uneasiness. She wanted to move on from him and forget the memories of the breakup. "Yeah, he did once. However, when Treyton and I were on another date, Stephen was there."

Laoise raised an eyebrow. "He was? Ó mo dhia (Oh my god)! That must have been awkward! So how did Treyton react?"

"I thought that Treyton would make a big scene, but he was calm about it. I couldn't help but feel that he wasn't happy. I can't blame him, though; seeing your date's ex can be upseting."

"You mentioned that he was divorced. If you and Treyton become a serious thing, there will come a time when, one day, you will meet his ex-wife. How will you handle it?"

It was something that Maeve didn't think about. She didn't know her reaction if she met Treyton's ex-wife. Treyton was very handsome and wondered if his ex-wife was as beautiful. A hint of jealousy overwhelmed her. "I-I don't know how I would handle it. His ex was the one who wanted the divorce; she didn't want to be with him anymore."

Mother and daughter ate their food and silently drank until Laoise asked, "I assume he has children."

"Yeah, one son."

"How old is his son?"

"He's nineteen." Maeve knew that her mother would have preferred her to date someone close to her age, but there were times when many men weren't mature or didn't know what they wanted. She promised herself to look for someone who knew what he wanted. "Treyton was honest with me initially, knowing I might refuse him. I would rather go out with an honest man than a dishonest one. The man I choose will be for me."

Laoise was silent and noticed her daughter's determination. Although it was difficult to admit, her daughter was right; a man would be for her. Maeve was an adult and had to make her own decisions even if Laoise didn't like them. "Alright, Maeve. I get the message: it is your life and your decision. However, if you two get serious, I want to know more about him."

"You will." Maeve was about to eat but noticed how her mother slowly swayed. "Are you okay? You don't look too good."

"Yes, I forgot to take my medicine for blood pressure. I need to go to the restroom, and I will be right out." Laoise got her bag, immediately went to the restroom, and closed the door behind her. She went to the sink and took out her pills; a paper fell onto the sink. Most of the paper wasn't viewable, but the bottom parts were visible. There was a large red circle around the word 'positive.' Laoise got the paper and put it in her bag. "Positive, huh." She got her pills and water and swallowed them.