SYNCHRONICITY (Dream Walker) 🖋

Cub

As soon as they turned onto the highway heading south, Sebastian handed his phone to James and asked him to open up his music and activate the Bluetooth.

"Okay, What do you want to listen to," James asked.

"Ali's Mix," his father replied.

James smiled and nodded. "Roger that!"

Alison moved forward so that she was directly between them and held out her hand for the phone. While the first selection played, she looked over the titles he had stored. "Late seventies and early eighties, hmm?"

Sebastian nodded. "Yup. If I knew you liked it or it sounded like something I thought you might like, or if it reminded me of you..."

She smiled and sat back watching him watch her in the rear view mirror.

James busied himself by playing games on his phone and Alison merely listened to the music and watched Sebastian's eyes. About an hour had past when James broke the silence.

"You know what I've been thinking?"

"What's that," his father asked.

"I'm a bastard."

Sebastian licked at his teeth and nodded. "When did you realize that?"

"This morning."

"A little slow on the uptake there, aren't you son?"

Alison's arm reach out and her fist connected with his shoulder. "RUDE!"

"OWW!"

James loosened the seatbelt and sat sideways. "Hey, don't make me separate you two!"

"You don't have to worry about it anyway," Alison said.

"But it's true," he replied. "You're not married to the old man here..."

Sebastian held up his fist and the pretended to hit at his son's jaw. "There's your old man, boy..."

James laughed and faced forward.

Alison circled her arms around her son's neck from behind. "Tell ya what? I'll marry the old man if you walk me down the aisle and give me away..."

Sebastian's face lit up and he turned in his seat to face her, causing her to push him back and James reached over for the wheel, pulling the Jeep back into the lane.

"If he doesn't kill us first that is," she said, amending her statement. She looked to her son. "Honey, maybe you ought to drive?"

James was half laughing and half crying for the next few miles and Sebastian couldn't stop smiling.

_____

After a stop at a small corner store for some food essentials, Sebastian and James reattached the ragtop and then all the doors. She returned to the Jeep with a small emaciated husky-looking puppy.

"Look what I found in the bushes guys!" She held out the pup.

James gazed at it with wonder as his father leaned in to have a closer look. "Erm Ali," he began with ease so as not to frighten her, "you didn't...erm happen to see a...mamma...around, did you?"

She shook her head. "No I didn't why?"

He nodded and sighed hard.

Then, she sighed. "This isn't a pup is it?"

He shook his head quickly. "Mm mm."

"Looks like Goliath," James said with a sigh of resignation. "I'll go take the doors back off."

"Then the poor thing is probably sick and if by some chance it isn't, it will be. It needs its mother's colostrum or it'll die," Alison said.

Sebastian had his phone out and grimaced as he poked at it and then put it up to his ear. "Hullo...yes, Sebastian Matus...I'm well, thanks for asking...listen, I've a lone cub just a few days old by the looks of it...I can be there in a matter of minutes. Yes, thanks." He sighed hard and looked to Alison. "Fancy a quick trip?"

"Why can't you take him?"

"Well, you were smart by holding him in your jacket, but he's still going to have your scent on him. With regard to human contact, less is better."

"You want me hang out here?"

He looked toward his son. "No. You head on up, this will no doubt take a couple of hours. You may even beat us there."

James nodded in agreement. "Alright," he replied quietly as he accepted his father's keys. "Hope I don't take that wrong turn at Albuquerque..." He grinned and waved as he engaged the engine and eased the Jeep onto the tiny two lane road that lead up the mountain.

Sebastian led her around the back of the building and disappeared with her holding the wolf cub to her breast.

They were met at the door, having watched them materialize. Alison groaned as they approached the man trotting off the wooden porch. "Bastian! Carrie told me you were on your way...didn't think it would be so sudden!" He looked at Alison and smiled and looked toward the pup and then back into her eyes. "Ever get your vet degree?"

"No. Couldn't find the patience," she quipped.

"Ba dum...You look good, Ali."

"Hello Travis."

"How do you know this clown?"

"First boyfriend."

He looked into Sebastian's eyes. "I remember that story. Dumb move man."

"Sorry?"

"Dumping her...dumb move."

Sebastian shook his head. "Wasn't quite what happened but yeah, I was stupid."

"Yeah, we all were. Come on, let's check this little guy out...make sure he's okay."

A woman came out the door wiping her hands on a hand towel and pulled gloves onto her hands. She smiled warmly. "Hey Bastian!" She held out her hands for the cub and smiled toward Alison as she relieved her of the cub with a hug. "Hey hon! Didn't know you were coming too," she said warmly. "Come on, you can assist while we talk shop..."