Chapter 3: Alexander
What was the worst that could happen?
The question still haunted Larisa, because all of the worst things did happen. Her relationship with Benjamin fell apart. Larisa quickly realized that she'd never had any real feelings for him, and she'd just been trying to satisfy her parents. He started to try and control every aspect of Larisa's life. She would have none of it. Finding him with another girl drove home the fact that it just wasn't working. By then Larisa was pregnant. She had a huge fight with Benjamin and he left with an unspoken agreement that they never wanted to see each other again. Larisa wouldn't let him near any child of hers anyway.
Luke did not respond well to Larisa's pregnancy and subsequent breakup. Tara's response was even worse. There was an argument in which Larisa told her parents that this was partially their fault. They'd both put her under a lot of pressure. While the decision was still ultimately hers, she still felt as though she'd been pushed into something she wasn't ready for.
Tara would have none of it. She was only a little older than Larisa when Nikolas was born. Nikolas was younger than Larisa was then when he was married.
Larisa was not on speaking terms with either of her parents for the majority of the pregnancy. She took a taxi to the hospital and back rather than let her parents come with her, giving birth to her son without the support of family members. Larisa named her son Alexander, after Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone. She devoted herself to being a good mother, even letting her workbench get a little dusty. She refused to let her parents help her with her son.
Larisa had grown since the birth of her son. She wasn't ready for him up until the moment he was first placed in her arms.Larisa loved Alexander more than anything else. Now Larisa knew she wanted a father and brothers and sisters for her son. She just didn't feel comfortable going about finding one.
She sat in the rocking chair in the living room, gently rocking her son. er parents were in the kitchen talking. They didn't realzie Larisa could hear every word they said.
The question still haunted Larisa, because all of the worst things did happen. Her relationship with Benjamin fell apart. Larisa quickly realized that she'd never had any real feelings for him, and she'd just been trying to satisfy her parents. He started to try and control every aspect of Larisa's life. She would have none of it. Finding him with another girl drove home the fact that it just wasn't working. By then Larisa was pregnant. She had a huge fight with Benjamin and he left with an unspoken agreement that they never wanted to see each other again. Larisa wouldn't let him near any child of hers anyway.
Luke did not respond well to Larisa's pregnancy and subsequent breakup. Tara's response was even worse. There was an argument in which Larisa told her parents that this was partially their fault. They'd both put her under a lot of pressure. While the decision was still ultimately hers, she still felt as though she'd been pushed into something she wasn't ready for.
Tara would have none of it. She was only a little older than Larisa when Nikolas was born. Nikolas was younger than Larisa was then when he was married.
Larisa was not on speaking terms with either of her parents for the majority of the pregnancy. She took a taxi to the hospital and back rather than let her parents come with her, giving birth to her son without the support of family members. Larisa named her son Alexander, after Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone. She devoted herself to being a good mother, even letting her workbench get a little dusty. She refused to let her parents help her with her son.
Larisa had grown since the birth of her son. She wasn't ready for him up until the moment he was first placed in her arms.Larisa loved Alexander more than anything else. Now Larisa knew she wanted a father and brothers and sisters for her son. She just didn't feel comfortable going about finding one.
She sat in the rocking chair in the living room, gently rocking her son. er parents were in the kitchen talking. They didn't realzie Larisa could hear every word they said.
"Luke, I want to see my grandson. It's not fair that she won't let me." Tara complained.
Luke sighed. He had aged a lot in the past couple of years. He was torn between his wife and daughter. The stress it put on him was obvious. "It's her decision. He's her son. She's right about up pushing her into something she wasn't ready for."
Luke sighed. He had aged a lot in the past couple of years. He was torn between his wife and daughter. The stress it put on him was obvious. "It's her decision. He's her son. She's right about up pushing her into something she wasn't ready for."
"That's not true. She's just-"
Larisa got up and left. She couldn't listen to this anymore. She took her son up to his room, settling him in his crib and getting him to go to sleep.
Her stomach growling, Larisa headed back down into the kitchen once Alexander was really asleep. She stopped in her tracks when Tara said her name.
"Don't even start." Larisa said angrily, arching an eyebrow at her mother. She had a pretty good idea of what was coming. "I don't want to hear it."
Tara gave up being reasonable. Larisa and her mother engaged in a full-out shouting match while Luke watched, unwilling to get involved but not wanting to leave the two of them alone. It ended when Tara stormed out, going outside to hack at some weeds. Larisa had not spoken to her mother for months before this, and now she remembered why.
"Larisa, you have to remember that your mother loves you." Luke said. Larisa was silent. Luke sighed. His daughter was carrying around a lot of anger. She would need more time to calm down before any attempt at reconciliation with her mother could be made.
Larisa felt she had bigger fish to fry than her rocky relationship with her mother. It was her son's birthday, and Larisa was embracing being a single mother.
Alexander was an active little boy who loved to be outside, just like his mother and grandmother before him. Larisa liked to leave him on a blanket with some of the toys she'd built him while she raked leaves and enjoyed the crisp fall weather.
Of course it wasn't all fun and games. There was still potty training to take care of! Alexander was thankfully very compliant.
Larisa decided to take her son out to the fall festival. Spooky day was approaching, and though Alexander was too young to trick or treat, Larisa wanted to let him pick out a pumpkin.
She put him down in the patch and he immediately showed her which pumpkin he wanted, and the two more after that.
As Larisa got to work harvesting the pumpkins Alexander began to crawl away as fast as he could.
He headed right for the statue of one of the town's forefathers and started scratching it. Larisa felt sick to her stomach. So far he hadn't shown any signs of being werewolf, but this meant that he was. Larisa's condition did not affect her as much as it affected her mother, but she still worried about her son.
Larisa scooped up her son and scolded him for scratching. Thankfully no one was around to see it. As far as she knew, the Lupins were the only werewolves in Sunset Valley. The residents did not seem like they would be very accepting.
After his little episode, Larisa took her son home. She could feel her pent up energy threatening to force a transformation.
When Alexander finished, Luke came into the kitchen and told Larisa to go and take some time for himself. He'd been married to a werewolf for nearly thirty years. He knew how to tell when one of his girls needed time alone. Larisa agreed to let her father watch her son. It was the first time the two would have bonding time together without Larisa watching her father's every move. she was beginning to let go of some of her anger.
Luke read to his grandson while Larisa was out hunting. Alexander looked more like Luke than he did his own mother. There was plenty of his father in him to, but Luke knew better then to point that out to his daughter.
Larisa felt much better after her romp. She put her son to bed herself. He didn't even notice that she looked different.
Once Alexander fell asleep, Larisa and her father carved the pumpkins for spooky day. Larisa found herself being able to laugh at her father's jokes again. She decided to accept his silent apology and forgive him.
There was still one more pumpkin, so Larisa carved it while her father cleaned up the mess from the other two.
Though they didn't get any trick or treaters, the pumpkins looked very festive.
When Larisa woke up the next morning she could smell pancakes. That was odd. Normally her parents slept even later than Alexander. Larisa got dressed and headed down to the kitchen. There was a plate of pancakes and a note waiting for her on the counter.
Dear Larisa,
I'm sorry for all the harsh words that have passed between us. I'm sorry I didn't trust you to make your own choices. I hope that we can put the past behind us and be a family again. I miss having a daughter. I love you.
-Mom
Dear Larisa,
I'm sorry for all the harsh words that have passed between us. I'm sorry I didn't trust you to make your own choices. I hope that we can put the past behind us and be a family again. I miss having a daughter. I love you.
-Mom
Larisa smiled as she ate the pancakes. Maybe it was time to forgive. Larisa had gotten a son that she loved more than anything. He was the upside to her messy life. Even if her relationship with Tara never fully went back to the way it was, Larisa no longer wanted to deny her son a chance to grow up in a relatively happy family.
Larisa's breakfast was interrupted by the cries of her son. Alexander grinned and reached for his mother. Larisa smiled. No matter what, she was a mother now. She had to think of what was best for her son.