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Francine Azeria

St. George, Utah

"How did you find us?"

My son seemed totally shocked to see me, and really, I can't blame him. The look on his face made it clear that he didn't want to let me in. "Craig, I just had to see you. I am sorry for what Hector did. I didn't know. He told me he had done something, but I didn't know what."

"I mean, I didn't figure it out either until Toby said something. But I still can't believe he did it. Or that you let him." That statement was like a knife to my heart. I could feel myself bleeding all over the tiger family's step. This was my baby! My only child. I never wanted to lose him.

"I didn't let him, Craig. I didn't know. I never would have let him, if he had told me he was siccing the Dawgs on you."

"Not sure you could have stopped him. What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you. Please."

A cougar came up the hallway and greeted me. "Hi there. I'm Harper Kat. Craig, be civil; don't make your mother stand outside in the cold. She opened the door wide and ushered me in to the living room. Toby and Craig followed us in. Craig sat down on the far end of the sofa, on the arm rest. I could see on his face that he wanted to be anywhere but here. Harper sat in an easy chair, and Toby sat between us on the sofa.

"Welcome," said Harper. "Craig is safe here. We won't let anyone harm him." There was a pause. "You're safe here, too."

"Thank you," I replied. "My husband doesn't know I'm here."

"It's a long drive, here from Cedar," Toby commented. "You won't be in trouble when you go back?"

"One of my girlfriends is covering for me. Hector thinks we're at a spa."

"So now you're lying to him, too?" Craig was pouting. I couldn't blame him.

"Madre de dios, why shouldn't I?" I asked. "He's proven himself to be dangerous. Look what he did to you."

"I'm not telling the detective. It's too much. I just can't do it," Craig said.

Harper looked at my boy. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Craig. Your father can't hurt you here."

"But what if he hurts Mom?"

"He won't be able to do that, either," she answered. "I retained a lawyer yesterday. I'm divorcing him."

"You're what?" Craig looked stunned.

"He gave me an ultimatum, that I had to choose between you or him. That's a no-brainer."

"Took you long enough," said Craig.

Harper called him out. "Craig! You may not feel it right now, but nothing overrides a mother's love. Yes, it may have taken her some time, but it takes a lot of courage to stand up to an abusive husband. Cut your mom some slack."

"No, he's right," I said. "I waited too long. I should have been reaching out right away, but I was afraid. He's never touched either of us," I explained to the cougaress, "But I was always afraid, anyway. He has a terrible temper. But I realized, after the dinner last week, that I should never let anyone get between me and my baby boy."

"Mrs. Azeria," said the cougar, "thank you for your courage. Do you need help from us? How much danger are you in?"

"I don't know. Hector will be served the papers this afternoon. That's why I'm out of town. And I will be staying with my sister, Agatha, here in St. George."

"Does he know where your sister lives?" Harper asked.

"Yes, but he doesn't know that's where I'm going. My brother-in-law works in security, and he doesn't really like Hector. Agatha and the kids want me to bring Craig over sometime, too."

"Maybe," Craig hesitated.

"When you're ready, Baby."

"It'll be a while," he said. "You did turn me out. That hurt, a lot."

"I know. I'm sorry, son. If I could undo it, I would. Take your time, just... please try."

"We'll see."

"I can't force you. But I had to try. I think I had better get going to Agatha's house, before she gets worried." The others all followed me out to the front door. "I'll stay away until you're ready to see me, Craig." I put my hand on his cheek. "I missed you, terribly. I'm glad you have good people, here. Especially Mrs. Kat."

"Call me 'Harper,'" she said.

"Thank you," I answered, then left. I could see Craig looking at me from the living room as I pulled away.

* * *

Craig Azaria

St George, Utah

"If it was that easy for her to find us, then my Dad can find us, too."

"How likely is he to come looking," Harper asked.

"I don't know. It depends whether he decides he wants vengeance, or he would rather pretend I'm dead."

"Well, the winter break is only a few more days, and then you'll be back in Nebraska, and he doesn't know you went there, did he?"

"I sure didn't tell him," said Toby, from the doorway to the kitchen. "So unless he got it from Detective Holcolmbe, I'd say you're safe, my fawksy fox."

I looked at Toby's calm assurance, and felt a lot better. It was still risky, but I felt like I could make it a few more days.

"What if you crashed at Stuart's house for a few days? Your dad doesn't know that connection at all."

"Toby, let's not start chasing him out of the house. We should be able to keep him safe, with three big, strapping tigers to guard this place."

"Point."

Teagan and Liesel came in to the house just then. "Hi, everyone. What's going on?" Teagan asked.

Toby told him what just happened, and what it might mean for my dad showing up.

"Well, Craig, if your dad wants to be a psychopath and come looking for you here, that puts Liesel and Anna at risk. And it'll be a cold day in hell before anyone puts my daughter in danger. So you have my assurance that nothing will happen while I'm around.

That made me feel better, and I told him so. Liesel nodded. "I can call for personal security if you feel we need it. All Von Kettels have the privilege to call on personal security for anyone in our households. And just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I can't eat an unruly fox or dog. I'm still a tiger, after all."

That made me laugh. "I don't think we'll need to go to those lengths. But it's good to know you're all willing to stand with me."

"Of course we are," Harper admonished me. "You're family. Like it or not, you're stuck with us, now." I couldn't help myself; I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, and everyone suddenly clustered around me in a tight hug. Just then, we heard a car pull up out front, and in a moment there was someone pounding on the door. Toby took me to the back of the house, and Teagan answered. Sure enough, we could clearly hear Hector Azaria at the front door.

"Where's my son?! Where's my wife?! I know you're hiding them from me!"

"First of all, buddy, who are you, and who are they? I don't know you from Adam."

"I know you're related to that, that Toby. You look just like him. That means you have my boy here, too. And now you have my wife! Bring her to me!"

Teagan roared loud enough to shake the walls. "First of all, buddy, once again, you better tell me who you are. Then you better step back, thinking you can just come into my house and start making demands. I don't know your wife, and whoever she is, you're the only person here who's not my family. But my wife and daughter are here, and I won't have you putting them in danger with your erratic behavior."

Then I heard Harper start speaking. "Yep, you're on very tenuous grounds, mister. We've never met you before, but you come up here acting all pushy. It's not earning you a lot of points with me, either."

"You want my name? I'm Hector Azaria. And you have my wife, Francine, and my son, Craig. And I want them back, before you corrupt them with your faggoty household." He spat the adjective out.

"Now you're just crossing the line," said Harper. "And you aren't welcome here. You can take your homophobic self and leave."

"Not without my family." I heard metal click together. Then I heard another roar, and someone being shoved, hard, against the wall.

"Harper, call the police," said Teagan. There was more of a scuffle, and then there was a hit, and the sound of a body falling limply. A little more noise, and then Teagan came into the kitchen. "Well, that takes care of that. Sorry, Craig, I knocked your dad out when he pulled a gun on me."

"He did what?!"

"Yep. The gun is down in the umbrella tree, and after I knocked your dad out, I tied him up. You stay here out of view, and we'll get him out of here as soon as the police arrive."

"Well, I'm guessing you will probably have to tell the police what he did, now," Toby said to me, wrapping his arm around my waist."

"I guess so," I sighed. "I am so sorry that he put you all in danger like this!"

"It's not your fault, Craig," insisted Toby. "You didn't make your dad go berzerk."

"Now, you two stay quiet and out of sight in case he wakes up. We don't want him to confirm that you're here. I'll go sit on him until-- Ah, there's the doorbell right now." Toby and I moved into the back of the house, and in came a local police officer. Teagan briefed him and then helped the officer take Hector out to the car, where they locked him in the back. Then he came back inside and bagged up the pistol, and took statements from each of us, promising not to leave the statements out where Hector would see them. Craig told him where to find Mrs. Azaria, and let him go on his way.

"The fun just never stops with your dad, does it," Asked Teagan when the dust began to settle again.

"He's pretty unbelievable. And thank you for risking your life for me."

"Aw, don't worry, Craig. You aren't the one who pulled the gun. It's not your fault."

"Thanks, Teagan."

"As far as I'm concerned, as long as Toby will have you, you're my brother, too."

"And my son," said Harper, "Every bit as much as the boys are."

"I don't deserve you guys," I said, my eyes welling up with tears again.

"Maybe, but you definitely don't deserve a creep like that for your dad."

"Nope," agreed Toby. "You're far better than he is. What about your mom in all of this?"

"Yeah, maybe I'll reach out to her tomorrow. She doesn't deserve it, either. I hope she can get away from him."

"We'll do whatever we need to, to help," insisted Harper. Liesel nodded agreement.

"Thanks, so much!"