First steps

***Ronin***

I sit tense on the edge of the oversized sofa in the center of the guest house living room, my massive frame pulled tight with a suffocating anxiety. Marta sits beside me, her posture stiff, her scarred hands folded in her lap. We spend the morning surrounded by the casual warmth of Camille, her baby Julien, her mate Nolan, and Cella's son, Kyler. The television plays a brightly color