You jumped up from the coach, your heart climbing its way to your throat.

“What do you mean?” Your voice was catching in your throat, adding a telling squeak to your words. “Lon, what’s going on?”

He just looked down and away from you, running his grease-covered fingers through his already messy hair. “Markus called. She’s not doing well. He thinks- he thinks she doesn’t have much longer.”

You nearly collapsed to the ground, only Chanyeol’s arms around you kept you upright. “W-what? That’s not possible. She was fine. She should still have more time.”

“I know, (y/n).” Lon’s own eyes were glossing over.

He was barely keeping it together, trying to keep up the façade of strong older brother. Part of you wish he’d just let it out. Then maybe you could really fall apart like you were wanting to. But you were mirror images of each other and if one tried to remain strong as stone then so would the other.

“We should get going now,” Lon suggested. Like a zombie, he shuffled past you to the hallway towards his room.

“I’ll see you when you get back,” Chanyeol whispered. His eyes conveyed pity and remorse. You could tell that he wanted to comfort you, but he just didn’t know how.

“Actually, Chanyeol,” Lon stepped back into the living room. “She’d want to meet you.”

Chanyeol blinked several times, confused. You were sure that he was still cautious of your brother after their multiple run-ins. “A-are you sure?”

Lon nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Chanyeol looked down at you. “Do you want me to come?”

Slipping your hand in his, you said, “Please?”

You felt a little better at the idea of Chanyeol coming with you. He was a sturdy rock to lean on and you knew you could open up to him and be vulnerable and he wouldn’t judge, simply letting you get out whatever emotions you needed to. The real trick would be to truly let yourself be vulnerable in front of him.

“Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll come. I have to call Junmyeon real quick and let him know. Go ahead and get ready. I’ll be right outside.” He kissed you softly on the cheek, giving your hand a final squeeze before exiting out the front door.

“Mom’s going to love him,” Lon mused.

You couldn’t help but smile at his comment. “Yeah, she is.”

There wasn’t much packing for you to do. None, really.

The bag that you had made for the previous weekend was still sitting on the carpet next to your door. You never bothered to put the contents back after your trip had been canceled. It was stuffed full of clean clothes and an extra pair of shoes. Your mom’s bathroom was full of toiletries so you didn’t have to waste space with those essentials.

For a few minutes, you just stood there, staring at the bag yet unable to pick it up.

Maybe if you stayed here, nothing would happen. Maybe the longer you stayed away, the longer she’d be able to hold on and stay alive. If you staying in this room and never picking up that bag meant she was able to keep living, then you’d do it. You’d sit right there in the middle of everything that you owned and you wouldn’t move if that mean the outside world stopped and didn’t move forward. Other consequences be damned. But that wasn’t an option that you could utilize.

So, instead, you picked up the bag and waited in the living room for Lon. He came out of his room with a large duffel bag in hand a few minutes later.

“Should I pack more?” you asked, unsure of how long exactly you’d be staying up at your mother’s. You only had about two days worth of clothes. If it went beyond that, you would have to wash them and wear them again.  

Lon shook his head. “No, I think you’ll be fine. I packed some clothes for Chanyeol as well.”

That made you laugh, just a tiny bit. “Why are you so nice to him all of a sudden?”

“He’s your mate,” Lon shrugged. “Like it or not, that kind of means I’m stuck with him, too. So, I’ll be nice. As long as he keeps the PDA down to a minimum.”

Remembering how touchy Chanyeol had been the past few days, you giggled. “Easier said than done.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Lon growled. He was slipping into protective brother mode.

You rolled your eyes, turning around to head out of the apartment. “You’ll be singing a different tune once you’ve found your mate. Then you’ll be too busy to pay attention to me.”

Outside, Chanyeol was still on the phone. When he noticed the two of you, he said goodbye to his alpha quickly and hung up. No one said a word as you all made your way down to Lon’s truck.

It was a smaller, nineteen-sixty-something Chevy, but it was Lon’s baby. He rebuilt it from the ground up, saved up money to give it a nice yellow paint job with a white roof. But it was built in a time when humans were smaller. The cab barely fit all three of you, especially with two huge wolves taking the window seats and you squished in the middle.

For the first twenty minutes or so of the ride, Chanyeol kept his hands in his lap, eyes staring out the window and watching the landscape blur by as Lon sped down the highway. You were sure that he was keeping what nonexistent space there was between you two in order to appease your brother.

Well, screw that.

You grabbed Chanyeol’s hand, lacing your fingers through his. He smiled at you softly and you rested your head against his shoulder. His calloused thumb gently rubbed back and forth across the back of your hand soothingly.

For the rest of the ride, you closed your eyes and breathed in Chanyeol’s musky scent. It was overwhelming and it lulled you into a comfortable state of semi-consciousness. You didn’t ever fully fall asleep, but time moved quickly, giving rest to your anxious heart.

“(y/n), we’re here.”

You jumped at the sound of your name, groaning as you straightened up. The sun was almost completely gone from the sky, only a small sliver of purplish orange still visible on the horizon. Chanyeol let go of your hand and got out of the truck as Lon killed the engine. Your mate was ever the gentleman, grabbing the bags and waiting until you headed for the front door of the small ranch-style house before following you up.

The wooden boards of the porch were shaking slightly. When you looked behind you, Chanyeol was shaking his leg nervously, moving the whole porch along with him. It made you smile slightly, to see him so worked up about meeting your mom.

On the surface, you didn’t see the big deal. Your mom was an angel. But as you thought more about it, you really did just accept him a few days ago. You’d been on two-ish dates and he was still wary of Lon. He didn’t know your mother’s nature, not like you did. 

Yeah, you couldn’t really blame his current state of mind.

The front door was locked when you tried it. Markus opened it up before Lon could find his key.

“I’m glad you guys made it,” Markus sighed. “She’s in bed right now. But we can wake her up. Come in.”

As soon as you were inside, Lon turned to Markus. “How is she?”

Markus looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He ran a hand down his face as he blew air out from his lips. “One day she was fine. The next she woke up with chest pains and called me. The doctor only gave her a few days since she still refuses to take any medicine. At this point, though, the medicine and surgery would only prolong her life for a few months. And your mother didn’t see the point in it. Stubborn woman.”

“That’s where this one gets if from.” Lon pointed at you with a hooked thumb.

“Shut up,” you murmured.

Noticing Chanyeol, Markus stepped forward, hand outstretched. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Markus, alpha of the pack in this territory.”

Chanyeol respectfully bowed his head as he shook Markus’ hand. “I’m Chanyeol. I’m….”

“(y/n)’s mate,” Markus finished. “I can tell.”

You stared at him, dumbfounded. Chanyeol was just standing a few feet behind you, not doing anything.

“It’s the way he’s standing,” Markus explained. “He’s hovering over you, even if he doesn’t realize it. His entire body is in defense mode, just in case something were to happen. It’s only natural. After years of seeing my pack members find their mates, you learn the signs real quick.”

“Did you recognize them when you found yours?” Chanyeol asked innocently.

Both you and Lon shifted uncomfortably and exchanged a knowing glance.

Markus just smiled warmly at the wolf. “No. I haven’t found my mate yet.”

Chanyeol’s face fell. “You…. haven’t?”

Markus shook his head. “No, I haven’t. It happens. For some reason, our paths haven’t crossed. Or maybe there never was one out there for me. But that’s okay. I’ve been able to concentrate on my pack instead.”

“And the super slow aging because of that doesn’t hurt either,” you teased.

Wolves were lucky that way. Once they hit about their early twenties, they slowed down in aging. It still occurred, but thanks to their rapid healing, it went along as a crawl compared to the normal human. That’s why, even in his late forties, Markus could still pass for someone who was thirty-two or thirty-three.

When wolves met their mates, it sped up. Just a bit. Not at normal human pace, but still. You were never able to figure out the why to that one. Too many things about wolves and mates didn’t make sense to you. You gave up trying. Some things just didn’t have scientific explanations to them.

Markus motioned to the back bedroom with his head. “You guys better go see your mom.”

You nodded as you held your hand out to him. “Come on, Chanyeol.”

“I can wait out here,” he volunteered.

“Go with them,” Markus ordered. “If she finds out you’re here, she’ll get out of bed to hunt you down. It’ll make her night to meet you.”

Chanyeol relented, dropping the bags out of the way and taking your hand and letting you lead him to your mom’s bedroom.

Lon knocked gently on the door a few times before calling out for her. “Mom? Mom, are you awake?”

The door squeaked open slowly. Your mom’s eyes flickered open. She struggled to sit up once she recognized you. Lon and you both ran to help her the rest of the way. As you knelt down next to the bed and held your mother’s shoulders, Lon adjusted the pillows so she could lean back onto them. With each of her hands, she reached out to her children, cupping your cheeks in her too cold palms.

“Thank you,” she whispered in a weak, breakable voice.

“Don’t thank us,” Lon chastised as he turned the light on. “We’re your kids. Of course we’d help you.”

She shook her head. “No, I meant for coming. I know it won’t be long now.”

“Again,” Lon smiled. “We’re your kids.”

“Yes, well. I-” she stopped, staring over your shoulder. “Who’s that?”

Oh, crap. You’d forgotten about your mate for a moment. Standing up, you pulled Chanyeol over to the bed. “Mom, this is Chanyeol. My mate.”

Your mom held up her hand to him. “Come here. Please.”

Glancing at you, Chanyeol bent down. Your mom analyzed his face, gently touching his jaw with her fingertips.

“You have kind eyes,” she concluded. “Take care of my little girl. Please.”

“With my life,” Chanyeol promised.

Your mom nodded. “Good.”

For another hour, the three of you talked as she listened. It was pointless conversation. Nothing extremely important was said. But that was what made the moment so special. How ordinary it may have looked to any outsiders. In those few minutes, you could pretend that nothing was wrong as you and Lon teased each other and Chanyeol’s laughter echoed in the room as your mom told him embarrassing stories from your childhood.

All too soon, her eyelids became heavy. She needed rest.

“We’ll let you go back to sleep now,” Lon said softly.

She nodded. “You’ll be here in the morning?”

“Of course,” he smiled.

You helped her lie back down and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too.”

When you turned to leave the room, Chanyeol was already gone.

Frowning, you went to search for him, finding him sitting on the porch steps. The button down he’d been sporting was gone, leaving him in just a plain, short sleeved shirt in the frigid air. You joined him, worried as to what could be wrong.

He didn’t look at you as you sat down, keeping his face away from where you could see.

“Are you okay?” you asked.

His silvery hair flopped around as he nodded.

Exhaling, you reached out and slowly turned his face towards you. Tears were already pooling in his eyes.

“Hey, hey,” you scooted closer to him, grasping his jaw in your hands. “What’s wrong?”

“She’s just like my mom,” Chanyeol smiled, even as a tear spilled over and fell down his cheek until it hit your finger. “She was just like that.”

Taking his hand in yours and intertwining your fingers, you brought it to your lips, kissing the back of it. “I’m not surprised, considering how you turned out.” You turned your gaze up to the brilliant stars in the sky. “Maybe, on the other side, they’ll get to meet.”

Chanyeol perked up just a fraction at your suggestion. “You think so?”

You nodded. “And they’ll love each other. I have a good feeling about it.”

“I’m relieved she approves of me,” he admitted.

You laughed. “You’d have to be the worst person to ever walk this earth in order for her not to approve of you. She’s not as scary as Lon.”

“That’s true,” Chanyeol chuckled in agreement.

In the light of the porch lamp, your noticed something black on Chanyeol’s inner forearm caught your eye. Grabbing it, so you could see better, your jaw dropped.

“Have you always had this?”

Deep red blush bloomed on his cheeks. “Uh, no. Not really. I got it done soon after I did this,” he pointed to his hair. “Same day, actually. It was kind of spur-of-the-moment.”

“Wow.” You dropped his arm, scratching your scalp. “I really made you go through a crisis, didn’t I?”

Chanyeol shook his head fervently. “No, I’ve always wanted to do it! It’s just weird timing, that’s all….”

You didn’t believe him for a second. Especially with his voice fading on his insistent excuse. Your rejection definitely led him to this. But… you kind of liked it. The end results, that is. It contradicted heavily with what his personality was actually like.

“Just make sure my mom doesn’t see it,” you warned. “Then she might change her mind on approving of you.”

Chanyeol gulped. “Understood.”

Shaking your head, you eyed the tattoo once more. “What is that supposed to be, anyway?”

“It’s abstract,” he explained, holding his arm out for you to see it fully.

You tilted your head. “It kind of looks like a guitar.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “You don’t get art.”

You flicked him in the side of the head.

“Ow!”

He pouted at you and you couldn’t resist burying yourself in his chest. With warm arms, he wrapped you up and pulled you in close.

Under the prying eyes of the stars above, you let yourself stop worrying about your mom and just be, in the embrace of the one made for you. With him by your side, although you were surely going to fall apart when your mother finally passed, you knew you would come out the other side in one piece.

You thanked Fate for the first time in your life. You thanked her for giving you him.