Entangled Interaction by Cheyenne Meadows

asking about what happened, her condition, if everything turned out fine. Most volunteered to go back and make sure those "polecats" as they called them, were gone forever.
    I snuck to the back of the group, easing away from the melee, and headed behind the bar to grab my purse. With the leather bag in hand, I decided to get the heck out of Dodge. Spinning around, I plowed directly into Meat.
    "Where are you going?"
    I glanced up at him, then lowered my eyes. "I need to get home."
    He reached out to me. I stepped back, keeping a reasonable distance between us.
    He sighed and ran one hand through his hair. "You weren't scared of me before." A trace of exasperation and concern laced his voice.
    "I…" I closed my mouth, not trusting myself with speech. I didn't fear him, I feared my reaction to him. I'd be in his arms in a flash if my mulish attitude and stinging feelings didn't adamantly refuse. Been there, done that, had the heartache to boot.
    "Shyanne… I…" He stopped midway, as if considering his words. His face spoke of worry and sadness.
    I dropped my eyes once more. "People will be wondering where I am. I… need to go." With that said, I left the fastest way possible. I teleported home.

Chapter 8
     
    Jasmine called the next day. After graciously thanking me for the assist, she invited me to her parents' club that night. A celebration she called it.
    I declined with the excuse that I didn't feel up to socialization and I had to pick the boys up from baseball camp the next morning.
    She accepted my excuse with a promise to get together soon.
    Soon could be a long time coming in my book. I had no desire to go out on the town. Instead, I focused on the boys, the house, the yard and gardens. I wanted to stay home and be a total homebody. Peace existed in my little corner of the world, and, right now, I craved peace more than anything.
    Luckily, the bruising faded quickly, leaving just the barest of shadows by the time the boys returned home. I didn't want them to see that. They needed fun and to enjoy life as kids, not be reminded of the monsters in the world.
    They had been home not even two hours when a documentary came on TV, giving an update on the Haiti earthquake victims and where the country stood now, years after the event. The program reminded viewers that the need still existed, people still did without, and encouraged all to remember the Haitians.
    Both boys tracked me down in the laundry room, where I switched a load from the washer to the dryer.
    "Mommy?" Chance asked.
    "Yes, sweetie?" I tossed towels into the basket and reset the dryer.
    "We need to help."
    I looked at their serious faces and tilted my head. "Help who?"
    Sasha answered. "The earthquake people. From… Ha… Hay…"
    "Haiti?"
    They both nodded.
    I took a moment to start the washer, grab the basket, and gesture them back to the living room. Once we sat down, I began to fold while starting a small think tank. "That's a very noble and worthy cause. What do you want to do to help?"
    They thought about it for a while and talked a bit amongst themselves before coming up with an idea. "Clothes. They said on TV that the kids needed clothes."
    "They can have ours." Sasha echoed his brother's sentiment.
    I considered that a moment and gave them a smile. "I think that's an excellent idea."
    We huddled together and made a plan. I would help the boys go through their closets, pulling out any clothing that no longer fit. Shoes, coats, shirts, jeans, socks, hats, anything they no longer needed, were placed in a cardboard box.
    It took a couple of hours, but we managed to fill nearly four big boxes with clothing to donate. Their closet benefited from the thinning and organization, and both boys smiled with pride and excitement.
    Sasha remembered their toy box. Each boy kept a handful of items, tossing the remainder in another container for donation.
    I followed suit. The earthquake survivors needed the help, and I didn't have any hot dates lined up for the