Chapter 11: A Mother Figure
Kanan was awoken slightly before his alarm from a text notification. He sleepily opened the message and saw it was from Hera.
'Hey, I don't think I told you this yesterday, but I have today off. You'll be on patrol with Sabine today.'
'Okay, have a nice day :-)' Kanan replied.
Ezra snuggled further into his chest. Kanan smiled, then thought of something. He was being a solid father figure, but Ezra also still deserved a more maternal, mother figure.
'What were you planning on doing?' Kanan texted.
It only took a moment for the reply to arrive, 'Nothing much. I was going to pick up Ezra's present but I can always do that later in the day. Why?'
'Well, I was just thinking, that Ezra might like to spend the day with you. I think he might need a mother figure. He might want one eventually, and it might be best to get him started on trusting you better.' Kanan suggested.
'I would love to spend the day with the kid. He's so sweet.' Hera replied.
'Could you pick him up at the station at seven?' Kanan asked.
'Sure thing love.' Hera messaged. 'I'll bring him back near the end of your shift.'
'Sounds good to me.' Kanan replied. 'See you then.'
Kanan was startled, when the alarm on his phone went off while it was still in his hands. His slightly startled jump, effectively woke the sleeping teen that was cuddling up to him.
"Time to wake up already?" Ezra asked sleepily.
"Yeah, bud, go get ready." Kanan said, ruffling the teen's hair. "You don't have to pack a bag."
"Why?" Ezra asked as he climbed out of the bed.
"Hera has the day off. She wants to spend the day with you." Kanan explained.
"She actually wants to spend the day with me?" Ezra asked, searching the bed for Tobi, who had fallen out of his grasp in the middle of the night.
"Why wouldn't she?" Kanan remarked, finding the stuffed cat and handing it over to Ezra.
"Okay, if you're sure." Ezra said, leaving the bedroom to go get ready for the day.
Kanan got himself ready as well and met Ezra out in the main room. The kid had gotten changed and put his bed away.
"Cereal okay for breakfast?" Kanan asked,
"Sure," Ezra shrugged.
Kanan poured two bowls of cereal and milk and sat them on the table.
Ezra seemed a little distance as he at his breakfast.
"Everything alright bud?" Kanan asked.
"What if Hera decides she doesn't like me?" Ezra asked. "I mean she is going to spend all day with me."
"I spent a whole week with you and I like you." Kanan reminded. "What makes you think that Hera will be different?"
Ezra sighed, "I don't know. I guess I'm just being paranoid."
"If it makes you feel any better it was partly my idea as well." Kanan offered. "I figured you could use a mother figure and Hera seemed like the best person to fit the mold."
"All right," Ezra responded. "If you think it's a good idea."
"At least try for me?" Kanan asked.
"I promise." Ezra sighed, taking a bit of the cereal.
"Good." Kanan smiled, before he started to eat his own cereal.
"Any ideas what Hera's going to want to do?" Ezra asked.
"I'm not sure." Kanan shrugged. "You're just have to wait and find out."
After the two finished their breakfast they headed over to the station.
Hera was waiting in her car when they walked up.
"Hey guys." Hera greeted.
"Good morning Hera." Kanan replied. At Ezra's silence, Kanan nudged him to remind him not to be rude.
"Hey Hera," Ezra said, silently.
"Well, I'll see you tonight Ezra." Kanan bid his foster son farewell, before heading into the station to punch in.
Ezra's eyes followed his guardian until he disappeared, before moving his gaze back to the woman waiting in the car.
"Ready?" Hera asked.
Ezra hesitated slightly before climbing into the car and buckled up.
Hera gave a smile before she started her car.
"So, what are we doing?" Ezra asked.
"Well I thinking we could go to my father's for a bit." Hera suggested. "He has a small farm about half an hour out from the farm. He has a few animals. Do you like animals?"
"Yeah," Ezra responded.
"Just to let you know, I don't always get along with him, so don't feel like it's your fault if we start fighting." Hera warned.
"Okay." Ezra said.
They drove in silence for a couple of minutes before Hera tried to start up another conversation.
"How was your night last night?"
"Kanan and I sort of had a disagreement." Ezra answered.
"What happened?" Hera asked, glancing over real quick before returning her eyes to the road.
"We went to the diner for supper, and he tried to hook me up with the new waitress even though I told him not to." Ezra explained. "Later that night I was so scared because I thought he was done with me, cause I yelled at him then he ignored me the rest of the night."
Hera glanced back over in shock.
"Early this morning I went to his room and asked him if he was going to give me up, but he explained that he wasn't ignoring me, but giving me the space he thought I needed. It was just a misunderstanding" Ezra continued.
"Well, I'm glad you got it sorted out." Hera smiled.
"I guess I'm pretty paranoid." Ezra said. "About being alone again, and, I guess I'm nervous about right now."
"Did Kanan tell you that nothing you do will make him stop caring about you?" Hera asked.
"Yeah," Ezra replied.
"Well, the same thing goes for me." Hera smiled.
Ezra was shocked. "You care for me?"
"Yeah,' Hera replied. "I guess I see you as a son too."
Ezra smiled. "So, if Kanan is my foster father, and you're his girlfriend, does that make your sort of my pseudo-foster mother since you technically don't have any custody over me?"
"If you want to see it that way I guess. I'm perfectly fine just being a mother figure for you."
Ezra smiled, "Thanks."
"No thanks necessary Ezra," Hera responded. "It is absolutely no problem."
That brought a huge smile to Ezra's face.
Hera turned on the radio on lightly, loud enough so the ride wouldn't be silent, but quite enough so if another conversation started, they could easily talk over it.
Hera smiled when she head Ezra silently singing with the songs on the radio. "You're such a good singer." she commented.
Ezra blushed slightly, "Thanks,"
"Well, we're here." Hera said, pulling into the long driveway of her father's farm.
Hera led Ezra up to the front door and she knocked.
A man opened the door. He was tall and brown hair the was peppered with some gray. "Hera," he had a thick accent. Ezra wondered where he was from.
"Hello father." Hera greeted.
"Who is this?" Hera's father asked, staring at Ezra.
"If you think he's mine you must be losing it father." Hera lightly joked. "He's nearly fifteen. I would have been eight when I had him."
Ezra's eye lightly widened in shock. Hera was that young? Well then again, his foster father was only fourteen years older than him.
"This is Ezra, he's my boyfriend's foster son." Hera introduced.
"Hello sir." Ezra greeted.
"Call me Cham." Hera's father replied. "Why are you two here?"
"Well, Kanan has to work today, but I had the day off, so I thought I would spend some time with Ezra today. I thought he might like to get out of the city for a bit." Hera explained.
"This is my first time out of the city in eight years." Ezra added, both to Cham and Hera.
"I thought he might like to see the animals." Hera said.
"Well, you know where they are." Cham replied before heading back into the house.
"Follow me." Hera said, heading towards the barn.
"Is he always like that?" Ezra asked.
"No, he's usually worse." Hera replied.
"Where's he from?" Ezra asked. "He had a pretty thick accent."
"We're from Ryloth. It's a city near Paris, France." Hera explained.
"You're from France?" Ezra asked. "You don't really have an accent."
"We moved here when I was a little girl, about eight or nine." Hera replied. "My accent only really comes out when I'm upset."
They finally arrived inside the barn.
"Now you like cats?" Hera asked.
"Love them." Ezra answered.
"Oh, then you'll love this." Hera replied. "My father's Russian Blue just recently had kittens, they're only a month old."
"Kittens!" Ezra smiled.
"They're probably hiding around here somewhere." Hera said.
A large cat walked out from a seemingly empty stable, and meowed at them.
"Well, there's the mother." Hera pointed out. Ezra slowly walked over to her and held out his hand.
The cat sniffed his hand before rubbing her face against it. "Hey there girl." Ezra said softly. Sitting down he started to pet her. "Where's your babies?"
The mother cat meowed again, and five kittens came tumbling out of the stable.
Ezra's smile grew wider. The kittens came over towards Ezra to be their mother.
Ezra slowly reached out towards the smallest of them all. It shied away for a moment before coming back closer to him. He smiled and gently picked it up and set it in his lap.
"Well, you are a cutie pie." Ezra said.
The cat had gray fur that was almost blue. He gently moved it around to figure out the gender, and found it to be a girl.
"Hey there little girl." Ezra said, softly petting the small kitten. He could easily hold her in one hand, even if his hands were smaller than the average teen.
The kitten started to purr.
"She's purring." Ezra smiled at Hera.
"She must really love you." Hera said, sitting beside him. She grabbed the mother cat and set her in her lap.
"Minerva here was my pet while I still lived here." Hera explained. "She didn't like my own house, so I had to bring her back here."
"I really like cats." Ezra started to explain. "While I was on the streets, sometimes stray cats would cuddle up to me on cold nights. We kept each other warm. I don't even know if I would still be alive if it wasn't for the cats."
Hera slowly reached towards Ezra, to give pull him close to her, slightly nervous, not knowing if he would want it or not. But after she pulled him into her side he leaned into her as well.
"A few times they even tried to feed me." Ezra reminisced. "They would bring me animals they've caught, but after the first time I tried I learned to not eat the rats they brought me. But occasionally one somehow managed to bring me a stale roll or something."
He lifted the kitten in his hand up to his face and placed her nose on his, "They were pretty much my only friends on the streets."
Ezra carried the kitten as Hera showed him the other animals on the farm: a couple of horses, a few cows, and a small flock of sheep and goats, even a swan. Ezra didn't like the swan, it, calling it a devil bird, because it tried to bite him and attack the kitten.
"It's almost lunch time, how about we head inside and get something to eat." Hera suggested.
"Can I bring the kitten inside?" Ezra asked.
"Sure," Hera said. "Father usually allows the cats in the house when in it gets colder anyways."
Ezra followed her inside and waited patiently for lunch while playing with the kitten.
"You really seem to like that kitten." Cham said, suddenly appearing behind Ezra.
"Yeah, I love her," Ezra responded.
"Do you want her?" Cham asked.
"I'm not sure if Kanan would like that. Besides, I don't have any of the stuff to take care of her. I don't even know if our apartment allows cats." Ezra replied. "Thanks for the offer though."
"Ezra, lunch is ready." Hera said, coming into the room.
"Alright, no fish right?" Ezra asked.
"Yes, Ezra, there's no fish, it's Mac and Cheese." Hera responded.
"Alright." Ezra said, getting up and following her into the kitchen.
Ezra sat the kitten on the floor next to his chair, but halfway through his meal, the kitten tried to climb his leg and started to meow up at him.
"She must have really bonded with you already." Hera said.
"She's a sweet thing." Ezra replied, granting the kitten her wish and picked her up. "I wish I could keep her."
Ezra didn't notice Hera's smile.
"Well, we should probably head back into the city. We can do something else there while we wait for Kanan." Hera suggested.
"Alright." Ezra sighed, he carried the kitten back out towards the barn.
"Bye little girl." Ezra said, setting the kitten on the ground.
The kitten meowed at him.
"Maybe I can see you again, but I have to go now. You stay here with your mother. I have to go back to my sort of dad." Ezra bid the kitten farewell.
"Ready to go?" Hera asked, she was standing by the car waiting for him.
"I guess," Ezra responded.
"You'll see her again," Hera said. "I promise."