I woke to fingers lightly brushing against my forehead, moving hair out of my face. My eyes slowly blinked open, looking straight into Neal's. 

The corner of his mouth pulled up into a lazy smile and I threw a leg up and over his hip. I was slightly disappointed to find he was fully dressed, but I gave him my own lazy smile.

"I have meetings all day today. I am actually running late for one now, but I wanted to make sure I got to say 'good morning,' so good morning, Cynthia." He cupped my cheek and leaned in, giving me a soft kiss. 

"Good morning, Neal," I said when he pulled back. I traced my thumb along his lips. 

He kissed the pad of my thumb. "I hope you don't mind, but I did make plans for you as well. Well, I made them for you, Abigail, and your mother."

I raised my brows at him and tilted my head as much as I could with the pillows in the way. "What sort of plans?"

"I wanted you three to have a chance to be together before everything changes for you. Before everything changes for us all. I want you to be able to take your mind off the Merge and Ophelia and their pack. I booked you all into an all-day spa."

My jaw dropped and I pulled him in and gave him a hard kiss. "I love you," I said and bit my bottom lip. 

Neal smiled, "I love you too." 

He gave me one more soft kiss before he sighed. "I really am late for my first meeting this morning, so I need to go. The car will be here with Abbi and your mother in a few minutes. It will take you to the spa. It is a place my family has gone for generations. Please tell them both that I say 'hello,' will you? And please relax and enjoy the day."

I nodded and smiled. "I will."

Neal tapped my nose with the tip of his finger and then he got up and out of bed. 

"You have a good day too." I watched him as he walked away. 

"I am hoping that is the case." Neal didn't turn to look at me and his response had felt strained. 

I felt a small pull in my stomach, but I tried to push it away. There was nothing going on. He just had a lot going on. Lots of things to plan and keep in order. That was it. There was nothing I needed to worry about. 

I got up and got dressed, throwing on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. From the sounds of the spa, I wouldn't be staying in what I arrived in long anyway. 

I had just gotten dressed when the car pulled up. It was a limo, and the driver came to get me. When I got into the back, my mom and Abbi were already waiting, just like Neal said they would be. 

There was Champagne and orange juice sitting on one side of the car. Abbi, of course, was already popping a bottle open and pouring out glasses of mimosas. My mother was laughing quietly. 

That was better than I had expected given the family that owned the limo we were sitting in.

"Mama L, you want a mimosa?" Abbi handed the first one over to me and I took it carefully shaking my head and smiling at my friend. 

"Oh why not, might as well."

"That's the spirit!" Abbi shouted. 

I laughed and sat back as the car pulled away. 

We sipped our drinks and laughed and giggled. I was already feeling more relaxed than I had in months, maybe even longer. 

The drive was about a half hour, but Abbi managed to fill it with all of the gossip from our classmates that I had missed drowning in all of my own personal drama. All the way from who was cheating on who to who ended up finding their mates, and all the dramatic breakups. I was grateful for the seemingly endless supply of mimosas.

The car came to a stop and we could hear the driver get out. One of the doors in the back opened as the driver held it there for us. I went first as we piled out of the car. I thanked the man who had driven us. He tipped his hat and flashed me a smile. 

"You're most welcome, ma'am."

I blushed and smiled before getting out of the way so Abbi and my mom could get out. 

The building was large, made mostly of windows and surrounded by woods. The sounds of birds sang out around us as we walked inside. 

We were greeted by a petit blonde with a large smile and her hair pulled back tight and up on the top of her head. 

"Cynthia?" She asked in a high-pitched voice.

I nodded. "Yes, that's me."

"My name is Yalissa, and I will be taking you to the changing rooms, please follow me this way!" She turned around and started walking away. Her ponytail bobbed with every step she took. 

The three of us followed along behind her as we went down a series of hallways. She gestured to a section as we went around, "this is where you will come for your massages, but we will bring you back when it is your time." 

"Here are the changing rooms," she opened a door. "Each locker that is currently open has a robe and pair of slippers. I will have you all strip down and place your clothes in the lockers and put on the robe and slippers. We have a sauna and steam room inside here for use before or after your massages."

She led us around the corner from the lockers pointing out a hall that had the sauna on one side and steam room on the other. On the other side of the hall was a set of bathrooms, showers, and changing rooms.

Yalissa took us back to the lockers. "You have about forty minutes until your facials. You can meet us back at the front desk and we will get you right where you need to be."

"Thank you," we all said at the same time. 

Yalissa left and we started to change in front of lockers that were unlocked. I slid into the soft robe and fluffy slippers. 

"These are amazing!" Abbi shouted. "Do you think we can keep them?"

"I doubt that, dear," my mother said with a head shake and smile. 

"Should we start in the steam room?" I asked. 

"Whatever you want," Abbi said. 

"Yes, whatever you would like, dear," my mother echoed. 

"Let's do the steam room first. I saw that it said no more than fifteen minutes. If we do fifteen in both then we have some cool down time." 

"Let's do it." Abbi grabbed my arm and started pulling us in the direction of the steam room. She pressed the button, opened the door, and the three of us piled into the room. The door sealed behind us and we sat down on the tiled steps. 

The room began to fill with warm steam. 

"Oh goodness it's foggy in here," my mom said. 

We all giggled. 

The room still filled with steam, getting so thick it felt like my eyeballs were fogging over. We couldn't stop laughing. 

It was almost like we were breathing straight water. 

Right around the time we thought we couldn't take anymore, the machine turned off. 

"Oh thank goodness! Now I think it just all settles out for the rest of our time," Abbi sighed. 

We giggled again, but it was still hard to breath with all the water in the air. We didn't make it the full fifteen minutes before we had to get out and dry out in the sauna. 

We opened the door and stepped into the dry wooden box. Almost immediately, all the moisture we gained from the steam room was gone. It was a heat I didn't mind too much. I much preferred dry heat. I did not like heat where I would sweat while doing nothing. 

As we dried out, I looked between my friend and my mom. 

"Mom, I just wanted to thank you for coming today, and I wanted to thank you for having such an amazing attitude despite everything going on and everyone it involves."

My mom turned to face me full on. "Honey, I do not blame Neal for the actions of his father. The Goddess has her reasons on why she paired the two of you together. My issues should not dictate how you live your life, and I hope it did not play a factor in your decision at any point."

"That's what I have been saying," Abi interjected. "Look, how does he treat you? I know it hasn't been long since you've officially decided to make the move, but how does he treat you?"

I thought about it for a moment. "At first, I really wasn't sure, but he has been treating me really well. I mean, just look at this! He planned this. I had no idea until I woke up a few minutes before you picked me up. He had the guest house cleaned and ready for us so we wouldn't have to stay in the main house last night. Goddess! He's willing to go to war for me."

"And what are you going to do about the war?" Abbi asked. 

I could feel the tension between the two of them. No emotion, only the tension. They were locked down pretty tight. 

"My powers are limited, but I plan to do what I can to fight alongside the pack if it comes to it."

My mother slow-blinked. I didn't need to be able to feel her emotions to know what she was feeling. It was plain on her face. 

"Which sort of brings me to my other thing." I half smiled at her. "I know you kept my last name Lawson since it was your family's, pack name. If I'm going to be embracing the Mentalist side of me though, I think I should go with Everhart?"

Tears rimmed my mother's eyes. "I think that's a fine idea," she whispered. I could see the unsaid words just under her surface. We were in public, so she wasn't going to say what she wanted to say, but I did see a small hint of pride balled up in everything else.

"So, after the facials, we have an hour and a half massage. We finish by taking a shower and then we get to have our hair and makeup done," my mother said, effort to change the topic clear. 

"Speaking of, that facial is coming up here really soon, so we should probably take that cool down time," Abbi said. 

I nodded and hopped down, opening the door and stepping out into the hall. The room temperature hallway was cool along my skin, a shiver going through me. 

An awkward silence filled between us. Thank goodness we were about to take a temporary break from each other for our facials. We made our way up to the front desk and there were three women waiting there for us. One after another said one of our names and led us away to the rooms. It was dim and had a relaxing smell of lavender.

"Go ahead and have a seat in the chair, please."

A warm, damp cloth went over my face, and I relaxed into the chair.