Ever since high school, your life has been nothing but mistakes. Mistake this, mistake that, and your biggest mistake was that Cat. Uurgh, what where you thinking?! That hybrid-hating, no-good, pureblood-loving, smiley little--

Ah ah ah! I shouldn't finish that sentence, you think to yourself as you sit on the round rug in your home office, examining the long fingernails you never seem to have time to cut. You glance at an analog clock hanging on the wall; it reads 11:06. Victoria should be home by now, and you are dreading the moment she finds you're home too.

You sigh and shake your head. Your luck! And if being a Tribal minority wasn't enough, handling Victoria Percelaz's aloof opinions of herself and her 'oh-so-amazing' Cat Tribe is just about all you need for a serious, perpetual headache. Hm, speaking of headache, perhaps you should get some rest to avoid the worst part of that ailment. Although your could stress 'til the sun came up if you had to, you decide to go into the kitchen and grab some sleeping pills in hope that'll work...

You stand up and step into the shadowy hallway. Moonlight streams through the skylight you convinced Victoria to let you install, but that's not the only light in the house: a bright, off-white glow shines from underneath the door to the kitchen, although you're almost positive none of the children are awake.

You carefully turn the silver doorknob and peek into the small room. It's messy in there, which is not much of a shock; your older son is quite the slob despite any and all your efforts to tell him off for it. The refrigerator is open, as well as a few cabinets, but there is no sign of anybody present... then the light shifts and you spot your daughter, holding a sandwich, with her eyes wide. She is looking straight at you, apparently frightened... But then she smiles at you; the most genuine smile you'd seen on her in months.

"Thank goodness," she says, her shoulders relaxing. "I thought you were Mother."