FSE

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"Alright, here's your juice and your receipt," Jamie Jeffries said, handing over a paper bag to his customer. "Have a nice day!"

As the customer left, the wolf smiled. He gazed around his store. The grand opening was two months behind him and he was still riding an adrenaline high. He owned the only vape shop within four counties. And it was a great success.

The city council didn't think it would work. The bank thought he was too young to succeed. His dad tried every day to convince him to give up his crazy dream and go into law like his old man.

'Speaking of dad,' he though, frowning as his phone went of with a distinctive ringtone. The ringtone he assigned his father. "Hey, dad."

"Hey, son," Peter Jeffries said over the handset. "How's business today?"

"Doing good." Jamie replied. "What can I do for you?"

"What, can't a man call his son just to chat?" Peter asked defensively.

"Considering we haven't really talked since mom died? No." Jamie sighed. "I can't even remember the last time you called me just to chat. So, again, what can I do for you?"

He heard Peter sigh over the phone before the older wolf began explaining. "I've been invited to a law conference in Dallas. Sandra wants to come with me, but Jack still has practice and games during the two weeks that we're going to be gone."

Jamie understood. Sandra and Jack were his 30 year old stepmother and 10 year old stepbrother. He honestly liked them. Sandra had never tried to replace his mother, which had seemed a little creepy for both of them considering they were only seven years apart from each other.

And Jack was an excitable bundle of fur who lived and breathed baseball. He was on the Little League team and would be loath to miss a single game.

"I'd have to stay at the house," Jamie told Peter. His apartment was way too small to keep an energetic, preteen cheetah in. "And he'd have to come with me to the store during the week when he doesn't have practice."

"That's understandable," Peter answered. "We haven't touched your old room since you moved out. I've always considered it yours and never had the heart to change anything."

Jamie had to admit, he was a little touched by that admission. Peter and Sandra had married when Jamie was 20 and already moved out of the house. The fact that Peter, and later Sandra and Jack, hadn't made his room into a guest room gave him some hope that he wasn't as estranged from his father as he'd thought.

"When do you leave?" Jamie asked.

He could almost feel the wince as his dad hesitated a little. "In an hour," Peter said.

Jamie check the clock on his register. A little after 5PM. "I'm still going to be here for a couple hours. The store closes at 7." He said. "This must have been incredibly last minute."

"I got the call 30 minutes ago," confirmed Peter. "Sandra and I have been scrambling to get packed and to find a sitter for Jack when he objected. I don't suppose you can pick him up?"

Jamie was shaking his head despite knowing that Peter couldn't see him. "I lose money every minute I'm closed and I'm the only employee I have or really need."

"Great," groaned Peter.

Jamie rolled his eyes. "If you can't bring him here, just leave him at the house. He's 10; he'll be fine for an hour or so."

"Good point," grumbled Peter. "We'll do our best to drop him off, but we still need to get to the airport and through security."

"I understand," Jamie replied. "Dad, he'll be fine."

"I know," Peter sighed. "Thank you, James. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Jamie smiled. His father had, knowingly or not, offered him an olive branch. He could easily do the same. "And dad, it's Jamie."

When Peter responded, he sounded a little choked up, as if he had been given the most precious gift in the world. "Thank you Jamie." They signed off. Peter still had to pack, and Jamie's next customer had come in.

***

James pulled up to his childhood home a little after 7:30. Sandra had texted him a little over an hour ago explaining that they had left Jack at the house because he insisted he'd be fine for an hour and they were already running late.

He studied the house for a bit. He'd lived here since before he could remember until he'd turned 18. To an extent, he still considered it home, but it had become less so after his mother Cloe's death when he was 14. His dad was rarely home before then, and afterwards they'd butted head over just about everything. Peter wanted his son to pick up law like him, but as Jamie got older he just wanted to start a business.

Jamie shook his head. Water under the bridge now, and things looked to be getting better. The tawny wolf unlocked the door and stepped inside. The first thing he noticed was that it was quiet. Jamie frowned. Granted, he didn't know Jack terribly well, but when he'd been Jack's age, he'd always had either music or the TV going if only as background noise.

"Jack?" he called. "It's Jamie. Where are you?" No answer.

Slightly worried now, Jamie headed upstairs. His father's, and now Sandra's, room was at the far end of the hall. His old room was immediately to the left. The room to the right had to be Jack's.

He cracked the door open, peeked in, and gave a small sigh of relief. Fast asleep on the bed was a small cheetah boy. Chuckling quietly, he came in the rest of the way only to pause. Jack either had never pulled the covers up or he'd gotten too hot and kicked the sheets away. Either way, the young cheetah was only wearing a blue t-shirt and a slightly yellowed diaper.

Oh goodness, did that bring back some memories. He was pretty sure his dad would have told him if Jack had a bedwetting problem, and even if he did, any other kid wouldn't wear them voluntarily while the sun was still up.

Shaking his head and smiling slightly, James left the room and closed the door. He'd try to get answers later.