Faye only had 10 minutes for lunch, and she happened to spend it with her kids. The school day was already packing a heavy punch, leaving her tank completely drained, so she had bolted down the hallway the second the bell rang, desperate to catch a glimpse of the nursery room before her time ran out.
She lay flat on the play floor. Two of the pups were asleep while the others were playing with her. She was stretched out completely across the soft foam mats, letting the exhaustion sink deep into her bones while Minny crawled right over her stomach.
Then Princess walked in. The door swung open with a quiet creak, her familiar alpha scent filling the room instantly and causing Faye to lift her head up from the floor.
"Hi," she said, bending down and touching her son's cheeks. Princess dropped her school bag by the entrance and walked straight over, her eyes softening the moment she looked down at the little bundle of energy rolling around near Faye's legs.
Ranny.
