"And that's all I have for today," I said as I clicked on my right turn signal. "I do want to say, before we hang up the call, that I am incredibly impressed with how everyone handled the integration of the stragglers from the Hollow Moon pack. I know it wasn't easy smoothing over the various personalities and pairing them with mentors."
I paused to look at my mirrors to move over one more lane on the highway. The team remained silent, as if waiting for the shoe to drop.
"Seriously, Training and Development, you really pulled off a miracle there. You managed to build trust with people who didn't exactly arrive in the best headspace—and you did it without slowing down the onboarding of our own recruits. That's not just a process, that's people work. And you nailed it."
I could hear someone let out a soft exhale of relief. A quiet chuckle followed.
"I mean it," I added. "You turned a logistical headache into a functioning team structure in under two weeks. That deserves major recognition."
A few thank-yous trickled through the speaker. I smiled to myself, slowing behind a semi truck.
"Alright," I said, wrapping it up, "keep doing what you're doing. And take five minutes today to breathe—you've earned it. Get used to the praise, though, I'm telling everyone about it at Friday's all staff meeting."
That earned me a few more laughs and I ended the call, letting the silence of the car fill in the space. It felt good to say it out loud. Even better to mean it.
"I may have had shitty luck in my personal life, but somehow I hit gold with my team," I sighed, speaking to no one in particular.
I glanced out my window and smiled. I didn't usually opt for road trips when handling intakes, but something told me I needed this one.
When Warren and I were still an item, we took road trips to every event, every gathering. It used to drive him nuts that I liked to ride in silence, just taking in the scenery.
Allie, if it's too quiet, I'm gonna fall asleep! He'd complain every time.
Back then, it irritated me. Now it just makes me chuckle. Before I got lost in the memories, my phone chimed that it was time for another check in meeting, this time with the Accounting team.
I queued up the meeting and unmuted myself. "Good afternoon, everyone. Can you hear me?" I asked. There were a few confirmations and I jumped right in. "Awesome. Collette, where are we with the Red Mesa Pack situation?"
The meeting flowed smoothly, mirroring the wide, shining river I was driving beside. Numbers, deadlines, adjustments, they were all rocks disrupting the stream but I knew that time - and my employees' tenacity - would wear them down until the river flowed with ease again.
I gave the team what they needed, said my thanks, and ended the call just as the last curve of highway gave way to pine-lined roads and snow-capped peaks in the distance.
The landscape had shifted. Gone were the dusty flats and spiky Joshua trees—now it was evergreens and sharp, crisp air.
I rolled down the window slightly, breathing it in with deep, heady gulps.
Just ahead, barely visible through the trees, stood the Ironpine border marker. I muttered a quick thanks to whatever deity was listening that I decided to bring the SUV instead of the sports car as I turned off the paved highway and onto the bumpy dirt road.
It took everything I had not to gawk at the trees and the forest as I drove. After years in the desert, it was shocking to see so many different shades of green. Don't get me wrong, the desert in the spring after a good winter rain was gorgeous, but it's always a fleeting kind of beauty. This though, this was everlasting.
Ever-green, I snorted, rolling my eyes at my bad joke.
About half a mile up, the road made a sharp turn to the right and I had to fully make the turn to see around the bend. I shouldn't have been surprised when warriors blocked my path, it was a typical checkpoint after all, but I was. I was getting slightly rusty it seemed.
The driver's side window lowered with a muted whirring noise and I smiled to the closest guard. The kid looked barely eighteen.
"Hi," I greeted, putting on my customer service voice, "I am Allison Hill, here to meet with the Alpha and Luna."
The kid's eyes glazed over as if he had a thousand yard stare before nodding. "Luna Laura will meet you up front."
"Thank you!" I replied with a wide smile and I mentally chuckled as he flushed slightly.
Hehe, the cougar still has it, I thought, suppressing a grin.
The rest of the drive up to the Pack house was uneventful, even though I gawked the whole way up. It reminded me of Starfall, but was so very different at the same time.
Luna Laura stood waiting for me on the porch, smiling as big and wide as her pregnant belly. Two little kids, a boy and a girl no older than a year, sat in her arms and watched my approaching car with curiosity.