Chapter 4 The sight made Calista's words catch in her throat . She stared at her daughter as tears spilled down her cheeks , emotions churning inside her . " Mommy , your timing's perfect , " Maisie blurted out before Calista could say anything . " I was just about to call you . I want to go to Willow Creek Kindergarten for preschool . " Her eyes lit up as she said it . Calista didn't understand why , but seeing Maisie so excited , she couldn't refuse . After all , it was just kindergarten . They could always switch schools later if needed . " Alright then , Willow Creek it is . " She smiled . Maisie immediately jumped for joy . Watching Maisie's happy face , Calista swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue . She unconsciously touched her stomach , then met Maisie's eyes and asked softly , " Sweetheart , would you like a little brother or sister ? " Maisie shifted impatiently from foot to foot , clearly wanting to get back to her room , but she paused to consider the question . After a moment , she nodded decisively . " Okay , " she said . " I want a brother then . " Calista's heart felt like it had been raked by claws . Through blurry tears , she asked , " What if Mommy's scared ? " The terror from Maisie's birth still haunted her - all that blood , the frantic doctors , and the fear that she might never hold her baby again . Maisie tilted her head , studying Calista's worried face with surprising seriousness . " Then don't be selfish , Mommy , " she said . " You weren't scared to have me , right ? " Calista went completely still , her face turning pale as if struck by lightning . She stood there for a long moment , her lips trembling as she asked , " You wouldn't care if you lost Mommy forever ? " For four years , Calista had shouldered all the parenting responsibilities alone - the midnight feedings , the lullabies , tending to every cry and every need . In all that time , she couldn't remember a single uninterrupted night's sleep . Now , after all that sacrifice , she just wondered if her little girl still loved her . Maisie's nose scrunched in annoyance . " I'm sleepy now , " she declared . Before Calista could react , Maisie ran off and her bedroom door slammed shut . Calista was left alone on the stairs , a cold emptiness spreading through her chest . Soon , Maisie's excited voice drifted out from the bedroom . " Miss Vespera, I'm going to Willow Creek Kindergarten ! You can pick me up after work . It's right near your office . And no babies for you and Daddy , okay ? Mommy says it's dangerous . She has done it before with me , so she can do it again . I really miss your bedtime stories and your hugs . " Calista stood outside the door , a sharp pain lancing through her chest as her wolf howled in fury - no wonder her daughter had rubbed away her kisses earlier . 11:24 6 Reigated buthe Alaba Ragama the Dook's Queen 9.7 % Chapter 4 She'd thought that no matter what happened between her and Maximus , her daughter would always belong to her . Yet now , Maisie was pushing her away too , just like her father had done . Calista finally realized that all her sacrifices and devotion had been nothing but a joke . No one cared about what she had endured . Moving like a sleepwalker , she made her way downstairs . Sheila noticed her ashen face and reached out to steady her , but Calista silently pushed her hand away . The moment Calista stepped out of Moon Mark Manor , she pulled out her phone and called Maximus . Ring after ring went unanswered . Usually she would hang up after a few tries , but tonight she kept hitting redial like a madwoman . Finally , Maximus answered , his tone clipped : " I'm busy . If this is important- " Before Maximus could finish , Calista cut him off with a low growl . " Come see me . Now . " C ( 0 ) 900 ( 0 )