Calvin and I sat in matching rockers on his back porch, facing the woods.

"Can I get you something, Sookie?" he asked. "Iced tea, Coke, a shot of whiskey?"

I smiled back at him. "Iced tea, please."

He returned quickly with two mason jars of tea.

"Thank you."

"I've seen you working at Merlotte's. I know you are friendly and a hard worker," Calvin said as he leaned back in his rocker. "Sam is fond of you."

"Sam is a real good boss," I replied.

"Is that all there is between you?" he asked.

What an odd question. "Yes."

"What else do you do besides work and help your gran out with the house?"

"I like to read and I'm taking an office organization class at BPCC. Sam and I are going to tackle his filing system in a couple of weeks." Refiling was the highlight of my life? I even sounded boring to my own ears.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I work at Norcross," Calvin answered. Norcross is the local lumber processing plant. "I'm a foreman, worked my way up from the loading dock."

"You aren't a stranger to hard work either," I said with a smile.

"I keep up my house, tinker with my truck a little, and of course there are my packmaster duties," Calvin added. He paused, then spoke again. "I like you Sookie. I think we would make a good match."

Luckily I had years of practice schooling my features. I was stunned. Calvin Norris was in his mid thirties. He wasn't especially tall or handsome, even though he was kind and seemed honorable. Although his niece..

"I would be a good provider and keep you safe," he added as I struggled to come up with an appropriate response.

"I'm honored," I finally answered," but I'm with Eric."

Calvin opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He thought for a moment, then said, "Eric isn't known for staying with one woman for very long."

Humph. "All the same," I said in return.

Calvin nodded. "Let me know if you change your mind."

It was my turn to nod.

The sky had gotten darker as we talked. I looked out at the woods and noticed a few panthers.

"Why haven't you changed?" I asked.

"I have more control than some of the others," he answered.

"Why haven't I changed?" I asked, nearly afraid to hope.

"You aren't going to."

I sighed deeply in relief. "Sorry," I said, remembering myself. "I don't mean to offend you."

"No offense taken," Calvin replied. "You aren't blood and you didn't choose to be bitten. You would have made a good panther, but I won't begrudge you your human life."

I did like the man – but not enough to marry him.

"Carol!" he called into the house. A middle aged woman walked out. "Can you drive Sookie home?"

"Of course," she said. "Follow me."

"Good night, Sookie," Calvin said as I walked away.

"Good night and thank you."

Carol drove me home in an ancient Chevy truck.

"You aren't a panther?" I asked her.

"My husband Thomas is."

"You must have been really surprised when he told you about himself."

"I accused him of making up excuses so he didn't have to propose." We laughed.

"How long have you been married?"

"Seventeen happy years."

"No regrets about marrying a supe?"

"No regrets," Carol said. I thought about that as we bumped up the driveway.

Gran met me on the front porch. I hugged her and lay my head on her shoulder.

"Not a panther?" she asked.

"Not a panther," I answered through my tears. She stroked my back and held me tight. "I'm so glad I'm not more of a freak," I said, raising my head.

Gran put a hand on each side of my face. "You are not, nor have you ever been, a freak," she said firmly. She was the only one who thought so. Well, besides Eric and Sam and Calvin…Now that I knew not everyone was a regular human, I didn't feel so odd. And I didn't drink blood or turn into an animal. Maybe being a telepath wasn't so bad after all.

"You're right," I said.

"Have you told Eric?"

"No, I should call him." Gran stepped in the house to give me some privacy.

"You didn't turn furry?" Eric said when he answered on the first ring.

"No fur," I replied.

"Good. Give me an hour and I'll come by to see you."

"Ok." Then he hung up. He didn't have to worry about overage charges on his phone plan, did he?

I walked into the house.

"That was short," Gran said, looking up from her Danielle Steele novel.

"He is going to stop by later."

"Don't stand here talking to me then, start primping," she teased.

"I don't primp because I am going to see him." Gran gave me that look. Maybe I did primp a little.

I changed into some pretty underwear (although he probably wouldn't see them) and nice jeans and a new blouse I picked up last week on clearance. I put my hair up in a fresh pony tail and put on some light make up.

Gran gave me a knowing look when I sat on the couch with my romance novel.

"You really like him, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I do."

"Have you told him about being part fairy?"

"No, not yet," I answered, then immersed myself in my book. We were still sitting reading when Eric knocked on the door.

"How are you this evening?" he asked Gran as I let him in.

"Very well. I would ask if I could get you something, but…"

Eric grinned and sat on the couch next to me. "What are you reading, Sookie?" he asked, picking up the book I had purposely turned upside down.

"A romance novel about a Viking?" I turned several shades of red. "Do you see the resemblance?" he asked Gran, holding the book up to his face.

"Perhaps you are a little more handsome," Gran replied, trying to keep a straight face and failing.

"Sookie?" Eric asked.

"I hadn't noticed a resemblance at all." Eric just rolled his eyes at me. He flipped through the book and stopped at a particularly steamy love scene. Eric raised his eyebrows. "Mrs. Stackhouse, are you aware of the filth your granddaughter is reading?"

Gran laughed at him. "Sookie says your presentation went well." Thank goodness she changed the subject.

"Yes, I think we will get an A. You would have been proud of Sookie."

" I am always proud of Sookie." Oh.

"How is your genealogy class going?"

"Very well," Gran answered. "At our last Descendents meeting Everlee and I began training a few of our other members to use the program. We've learned a lot this semester."

"So have I," Eric said, looking at me. "Sookie, would you like to go for a walk with me?"

"I would, let me grab a jacket."

"I will probably turn in soon," Gran said. "It was good to see you Eric. Come around more often."

"It is nice to see you too, Mrs. Stackhouse, and thank you."

We walked hand in hand down the driveway.