Finley had been playing ‘catch the bear’ for the better part of an hour and he was still having fun. The twins would climb up to the highest point of their playset, which was markedly bigger than a human child’s swing set, and launch themselves off it. They trusted that Uncle Fin was going to catch them, so they did it with glee.

Hearing a car pull up, he waited until he’d caught the little blonde furred bear in the princess dress before turning around to see who it was.

Out of a ridiculously large SUV dropped a tiny woman who shouldn’t have been able to reach the pedals of such a massive vehicle.

The bear in his arms squirmed to be let loose and tried to run to the woman, tripping over her fluffy dress. Right behind her was Axel not stopping to help his sister since he wanted to get to momma first, shifting on the fly.

“Finley Rochon, why are my children covered in dirt?”

“Because they are always covered in something, so why not start with dirt and then add whatever food they are going to have for lunch? No use keeping them clean just to get them dirty again.”

“That’s my line,” she said kissing her dirty babies.

Cassie Rochon was his brother Cash’s mate and as different from his big brother as someone could get. The Fates sometimes had a funny sense of humor. When you saw Cash and Cassie together, you understood why there were duckbilled platypuses in the world. It’s because somehow, it just works.

“Cash working?”

“He didn’t message you?”

“Nah, with you here, it’s not necessary. Someone’s always around so it’s cool. Makes it kinda easy, really.”

Fin reached out and took Jett from her arms. His sister-in-law was sporting magenta colored hair with jet-black ends that was down to her shoulders. She also had straight, short bangs that made her look like she was wearing a very funky wig even though it was her real hair. Cassie was dressed in her normal work attire, which today consisted of a black pleated skirt worn over a pair of red and black leggings that looked like fish scales that had a metallic sheen to them. Her shirt was a ragged Van Halen shirt that was torn or, knowing Cassie, she had cut it up herself, and falling off one shoulder exposing a purple tank top. His brother’s mate was covered in tattoos, and to anyone else might look like someone you would avoid even though she was barely over five feet tall.

Yet, Cassie was a mom and a mate, and she was perfect for his brother. She had a long history and had gone through a lot to get where she was. Cassie was a fighter, and Finley hoped that someday he’d be as strong as she was.

“Who’s ready for lunch?” she asked the kids that were running circles around her.

“Macncheeeese!”

“No, corndogs!”

The kids bickered between themselves and while the adults walked them inside.

“How’s the shop?” Fin asked when they got the kids to the table in their booster seats with goldfish crackers and their juice cups to appease them until their food was done.

“Crackin’! Did you know that your big stupid brother won’t use my money? Like its tainted or something,” she growled.

“Not tainted, sis. Just not necessary. He has plenty, which means you have plenty. It’s just money.”

“That’s what rich people say,” she scoffed.

“Yeah, well, you’re rich people now too,” he reminded her.

“No, I just married well. I have a big bear sugar daddy.”

“So what do you do with the money for your shop?” Cash had helped Cassie open a tattoo parlor since she loved all things ink and wanted to keep working before they had kids. Now she just managed the shop and went in when she needed a break from twin central.

“Stuff it in my mattress, what else am I going to do with it? Actually, I’m thinking of expanding with my own money or investing in something else. I mean I could help some people out, right?”

“I like that idea. Find something you’re passionate about and then put on your philanthropy pants.”

“Those sound expensive, I prefer my cutoffs. But really, that’s a great idea. I could do something to help out foster kids. My time in care wasn’t bad, but it could have been better.”

“Then there is your answer. You know though, your man is going to take full credit that it was his plan all along to not take your money so you could donate it.”

“That big jerk will probably think it’s his master plan. He’s so dang bossy. You know his bear and I get along better sometimes? I tell him to shift just so I don’t have to see his smug ass face.”

“His bear isn’t smug?”

“No, his bear is a wonderful, clearly intelligent creature because he loves me and doesn’t talk back.”

“I can see how you’d like that.”

“I do,” she said giving him a wink. Cassie walked over to the table and put a cut up corndog in front of Jett and macaroni and cheese in front of Axel. As if she’d ever deny her babies exactly what they wanted.

“Hey, Jetty, after lunch wanna take a bath and then change your clothes?” Cassie asked in a sing-song voice.

“Yeah! Tangled!” the little girl squealed.

“Oh crap, not that long-haired twit,” Cassie moaned. “How about the new red plaid skirt momma bought you? And that cool shirt with the pretty crow on it?”

“No, momma. I’m a pwincess!”

Finley couldn’t hold back his laughter. Cassie was never going to give up trying to rock out her little chick.

“Oh shut up, you,” she hissed. “Okay baby, you’re a princess… for now.”

Fin grabbed his sister-in-law into a big hug and kissed her forehead.

“I know you helped your brother to corrupt my baby,” she said.

“Jetty is who Jetty is supposed to be.”

“You seem to be full of wise wisdom today. I should help foster kids; Jett should run for Little Miss Washington State. What about you? What’s your plan next year?”

Finley had heard that question countless times since the moment he returned home for the summer. It wasn’t that his family was being mean or trying to make him feel bad, they were genuinely worried about him. That made it worse. His family was all about love and support, yet he couldn’t help but think they were getting sick of his shit too.

“Would you be shocked and amazed when I said I didn’t have one?”

“Shocked, no. Amazed, not even. Why even go back? Mind you, I’m saying that and I never went to no fancy college and look how amazing I turned out.”

“Because a degree in liberal arts is better than no degree? I guess?”

“That’s bullshit. What do you want to do? Hell, name something you like. Look around you. Sophie loves cooking, what does she do? She cooks. Look at my BFF Effie; she likes to draw, so she does. Your cousin Angel sings. It doesn’t have to be a job with a title. It can just be something you love to do. The world needs ditch diggers as much as it needs lawyers. As long as you love spending your days getting dirty and building shit, then you have it made.”

Fin like to run, at least when he was in bear form. His animal was happiest when they were out of the city and back amongst the trees of the Olympic peninsula. He liked music, but not like Angel did. He liked listening to it. There wasn’t much that turned his crank anymore.

“I like spending my summers with the destruction crew. They don’t worry about whether or not I have a career,” Finley laughed, ruffling Axel’s hair.

“Yeah, Uncle Fin!” Jett squealed

“See, three-year-olds don’t judge,” he said with a laugh.

“So do that,” Cassie said with a shrug.

“Do what? Become a full-time bum and hang out with your kids?”

“No, become a nanny, or a manny. Whatever they call it. Didn’t I just see you last week with all the cubs piling on you outside? You were out there for hours playing with them while the rest of the adults were hiding out sucking down beers inside. You like kids and they sure as hell like you. So do that.”

“I just bet the family would love that if I tell them I’m going to be a full-time babysitter,” Fin said shaking his head.

“So, go bigger. Why not open a shifter daycare? Your family is big enough and I’m sure it would give everyone an opportunity to have more time with their mates or to pursue a career. There may even be some shifters that would want to work with you? Great job for the teenagers. Set it up so the kiddos can shift and play in a safe space. Hell, I’ve got money. I can invest in your business.”

Finley was listening to Cassie as she talked so casually about something that gave him such a sense of excitement. Could he do that? Could he really spend his days hanging out with the cubs? Everyone in the clan took turns watching everyone else’s kids and sometimes the logistics were hard to work out when no one was available. But a real daycare, one with preschool learning and lots of outdoor time, that’s what shifter cubs really needed at that age. They could mainstream into the school system when they stopped spontaneously shifting, but getting a jump-start on that learning and socialization in a formal setting wasn’t a bad idea.

What would his family think of him using his expensive education to open a daycare? Fin already knew the answer to that. They would support him no matter what. They always had, even when he acted as though he didn’t care and had no goals. There they were, backing him up and just being patient while he got his shit together.

“Cassie, has anyone ever told you that you’re a freaking genius?”

“You mean besides me on a daily basis? My mate thinks I have a few good ideas. But then I think I could draw a family portrait consisting solely of stick people and he would frame it and hang it on the wall. He might not be the best judge.”

“What do you think everyone else will think?”

“Everyone who? It’s your life. Why the hell do you need anyone else’s permission to do something you love? And it is something you love. I mean, you never seem to need a break from Droolie and Oolie over there. I love them to death, but I still need breaks. And Cash won’t admit it, but he needs breaks too. You never seem to want to be away from them.”

“Kids are easy,” he said with a shrug. “Their needs are simple and they are the most honest creatures on the planet. There are no games unless they’re fun ones. They tell you directly when they need something and there’s no guessing. I guess my bear and I like that simplicity. I never really thought about it, but my bear likes to spend time with the kids too. He’s happy when we’re babysitting.”

“Then there’s your answer. You’re not a ditch digger, you’re a bear nanny! Oh, I like that. Can I call you a banny? Or we could use your name and call you Fanny. No, that’s too easy. I’m gonna stick with banny until I can come up with something better.”

“I can always count on you to take a serious discussion and turn it into a game show.”

Blowing him a kiss, she said, “And you are most welcome.”