Episode 6

"Evelyn Amaris"

As I walked away from the village, my heart shattered into pieces; I never thought it would come to this, driving aimlessly with my son in my arms... Howls began to surround me, and one of them belonged to my father; my tears refused to stop falling. I looked to my son and therein summoned my first strengths as a mother. I couldn’t commit such cruelty to my baby because of my father’s whims. Miguel hadn’t asked to be here, and my responsibility for him was absolute...

I drove far enough and stopped the car by a gigantic tree as my little boy was hungry. I turned off the engine, locked the doors, and there began to feed him. I played with him a few times, even as tears continued to spill, and a lump began to form in my throat... I had a bit of money, but didn’t know if it was enough or how long it would last, my cellphone had a full battery, I had several diaper packs and clothes for Miguel, and a few things for me - it should suffice until I figured out what to do...

Two weeks had passed, and here I was near Varun's territory, yet halted by a nature reserve next to a railroad, with nowhere to go... I managed to reach out to my sister a few times, calming their hearts by claiming I was fine, but it's been three days since my cellphone battery died... Despite feeling very hungry, I drank water from a nearby spring; I'm relieved to still have milk to feed my son.

I awoke early to a fierce storm, thunder rumbling and the train's noise. I heard my son’s soft whimpers; he lay on some blankets in the back seat of my car, and I was on the floor holding him, my legs ached from the position, but I managed to rise and sit in the seat, cradling him in my lap... His cries sounded so desperate they frightened me, yet as I laid him by my chest and with tears in my eyes, I saw him settle down.

Before feeding him, I took a small container, opened the car door to collect some water, and drank. Then, I fed my son, burped him, and as I went to change his diaper, I realized this was the last pack. Looking in my purse, I had only two dollars left, no more money, and just half a tank of gas in the car. Holding my child, desperation took hold; if I returned, my father would not accept me...

Amidst the storm, someone knocked on my window. I laid my son down again, cushioning him with small clothes to prevent any falls, then moved to the front seat and lowered the window. A city guard stood there, in plastic rain gear, holding an umbrella which he angled to shield me from the rain.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you can’t stay here any longer!" he announced, scratching his head before adding, “Miss, if you don’t have a place to go, I advise you to put your child up for adoption and try to lead a normal life."

"Are you out of your mind?" I replied, my wolf's insides raging. Though I was too weak for a transformation - luckily for him - my eyes flashed the legacy of my lineage, causing him to step back. "I did not come this far, even if it is to the bottom of the pit, to abandon my son now."

"Take it easy; I was only offering a choice. But you can no longer stay here! I'm really sorry." His sympathetic look crashed me back to reality—a nod was all I could muster.

"Here, take this!" He then handed me his umbrella, offering a faint smile before walking away into the storm...

I was holding the umbrella overhead but lowered it, allowing the rain to wet me and the thunder to resound... I opened the car door and sat in the front seat, noticing my baby lying quietly. Then the tears could no longer be contained.

I covered my face with my hands, longing to scream but not wanting to frighten my child. I wept in utmost anguish; what kind of mother was I? My baby was barely born, and look at the dire situation he was in - homeless, fatherless, near hunger; what if my milk ran out and he had nothing to eat? I couldn't bear to give my child away, I didn't want that.

His soft cries snapped me back. I wiped my tears away, moved to the back seat, sat beside him, and gathered my boy into my arms... Caressing his face, his little eyes sparkled with his father’s lineage, Varun!

He needed to know that he had a son. Varun didn’t have to do anything for me, only for Miguel, till I could figure out a way forward in life... With a semblance of hope and Miguel in my arms, I moved to the driver’s seat.

I was close to his territory, so I wouldn't need much fuel. I tried to start the car, but it wouldn’t ignite, damn it. Two, three times, and still nothing... I gripped the steering wheel tight, shutting my eyes, refusing to believe this...

Miguel made a cute little noise, which made me look at him, his gummy smile making me smile in spite of the dizziness. I brushed my hand across my face and tried the ignition again; this time the car started. An immense relief washed over me as I turned my attention back to my son.