Anna watched her father leave, and without thinking about anything else, she fell asleep with her son still in her arms.
When she woke up. She remembered her baby and was startled when she didn't find him in her arms. She thought he had fallen and, in her despair, she didn't realize that there was someone right next to her. It was only when she turned to see if her baby was on the floor that she saw two polished luxury shoes, and raised her head until she saw Beth's smiling face, wearing a black suit.
"The nurse has taken the child for a bath and a change of clothes, so you can change too."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm going to work for your father. I'm going abroad with you."
Anna smiled happily. She would have someone to talk to who didn't know another language either.
"I'm happy for you... Did he say what the nature of your service is?" She asked, making sure that her father hadn't revealed that he was a mobster. She wondered if her father knew he was handing over his only daughter to werewolves.
"I'll take care of the family's safety. Your father will also pay for my studies, so that I can graduate with you. He believes that as a student, I can do my job as a security guard without embarrassing you in front of the other students. In other words... I know what your father is. And I know who he is."
"You don't mind getting involved in something so dangerous?"
"No. What I care about is knowing that by staying here, I'll work all my life, and I'll never be more than a simple waitress. I want more for my life. Much more. And I know I can get it by taking advantage of the right opportunities."
Anna smiled softly.
"It'll be good to have someone to talk to... After all, we don't know their language..."
"They speak English, Anna, but I know Gaelic. If we go to a region where they speak that language, I could be your interpreter." She said in a disgusted tone.
Anna looked at her surprised and inquisitive.
"I took a course. I needed to know other languages to work in the best restaurants. Unfortunately, I didn't get a job in any of them."
"Beth, you've got a much better opportunity than working in good restaurants. Now you're going to be a customer of good restaurants... So I'm very happy for both of us, but the truth is... I can't let you make this decision without knowing where you'll really be getting involved..."
"As I said before. I know everything Anna. Everything I need to know. Your father explained it to me in detail. I accepted it anyway, because up until now, honesty hasn't rewarded me at all. So I'm willing to take the risk of being shot at, but earning a lot of money for it and having the opportunity to own my own restaurant one day, than stay here and risk being shot at in a war I'm not involved in."
"What about your son? Do you want him to come with us?"
She took a deep breath.
"No. He has another mother and father who love him. He's safe and I'm not going to mess with his head by taking him away from the only arms that comfort him. His adoptive parents were there with him facing the crying at dawn, the crying during the day because of colic or teething, they rejoiced at his first steps and? I love my son too much to take that away from him. It would be selfish."
Anna nodded, confirming that she understood what she was talking about, and turned back to the closet, her eyes stopping on a tray next to the bed, with natural juice and hot mix, which she liked very much. She turned back to Beth inquisitively.
"No more broth for you. That woman who knows you told your father it was your favorite breakfast... I'm going out so you can eat in peace and dress in privacy. I'll stay outside the door. If you need anything, just give me a shout." She said and left.
Anna knew that information about what she liked to eat for breakfast could only have come from Jenna. She was always very attentive and something told her that she and Genevieve had some connection with her father. Genevieve, for sure, now. But Jenna was young, she couldn't have been more than thirty-five and she wouldn't have buried herself serving Adam if she hadn't had a good reason to.
Anna wanted to forget all the people she had met during her time with the Lens family and ate all of her breakfast, content in the knowledge that she would never again have to wake up not knowing if she would get any food that day. Her father wouldn't allow her to lack anything.
She went to the closet, wondering if she would find her old clothes, but what she saw made her very happy. New jeans and a coat that must have cost a fortune. There were also underwear, a T-shirt and a pair of boots.
Happy to put on clean, new, fresh-smelling clothes, she quickly got ready. Her hair had been combed the night before, and she could feel with her hand that it reached past her buttocks. She liked her hair long, but not that long. She would ask her father to go to a salon and have it cut to waist length.
She couldn't find a comb, but in the bathroom there was a toothbrush still in its packaging, toothpaste and mouthwash. All the brands she liked. She looked in the bathroom mirror and fixed her hair with her hands.
She left the room just as her father stood with his hand raised to knock. He smiled at her and gave her his arm. The baby was in Genevieve's arms, and she stared at it in amazement. She handed the child to Anna when they arrived at reception.
"Take good care of him. I hope to meet you again... With him, of course." Genevieve said looking at her nails, but Anna knew she liked her too.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me, Genevieve. In your own way, you've protected me."
Genevieve stared at her debauchedly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Anna smiled understandingly.
"Are you going back to the States?"
"I'm an old tree, Anna. If they uprooted me, I wouldn't survive. I love the United States."
"Please don't talk to him about my son..."
"If he ever asks me, I'll tell him the truth."