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A happy bark was her answer, and, laughing, she walked up the short, partially wooded hill of her grounds and entered the house through the back door.

She chuckled again as Siegfried rushed past her, darted into the laundry room and was soon enthusiastically drinking from the toilet.

“Men.”

Cat put the last box in the bed of her truck, a sturdy old Chevy S-10 that she’d owned since High School. Turning, she found everyone standing on the porch

staring at her with wide, sad eyes. She smiled and shook her head as she jogged back over.

“I’m not leaving forever guys, come on don’t look at me like that.”

Her brothers all tried to give varying degrees of smiles. They weren’t as sincere as they could have been. “Now come on, I promise as soon as rookie camp

is over and I have some free time I’ll either come back or bring you boys up. So just be good, okay?”

They nodded and then gathered around her for a hug, which she was lost in, completely covered by their warm, familiar and beloved bodies. When her

brothers backed off her dad stepped forward.

“I’m so proud of you Cat. You’ve worked hard to get here. You deserve it.”

“I couldn’t have gotten here without you. I couldn’t have gotten here without my family. I love you.”

“Love you too sweetheart.” He hugged her, holding her close and kissed the top of her head. “You be good.”

“I will Dad.”

Once her father released her, Cat turned to see her mother standing alone on the porch, her eyes brimming with tears. She walked slowly over and

stepped up onto the porch, grasping her mother’s hands and holding them gently. “Now Mom, don’t do that because if you do I will.”

“Can’t help it Cat.” She wrapped her arms around her daughter. “My first born, the apple of my eye. I guess I couldn’t keep you from growing up, no matter

how much I tried.”

“We tend to do that, Mom.”

“I know.” Sighing, she pulled her daughter’s hands up to her chest. “I still don’t know if this is the life I would have chosen for you, Catherine. Filled with

so much uncertainty.”

“Mom…”

“But…I realize that you’ve grown up to be a fine woman, Cat. And any path you choose will be the right one for you. I’ll worry, but that’s what mothers are

supposed to do, because no matter how old you get, you’ll always be my baby, and I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Now you get down there and show those Badgers how things are done.”

Cat chuckled and wiped her eyes. “I’ll do my best.”

“And you better tell that Dylan Lambert to watch after you. She may be taller than this house, young woman, but my wooden spoon is still faster than

lightning and will tan her behind for her if she doesn’t.”

Cat broke into laughter at the mental image and pulled her mother close, hugging her tightly. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too. Now go, before I lock you in your room and never let you out.”

Cat backed off and walked backward to her truck, waving the entire way. She got in and started the truck and backed out of the driveway. As she pulled out

and drove down the road, she looked in her rearview mirror to see her brothers had run into the road, yelling and waving. She gave the horn a blast and

drove toward her future.

Part 2

Hodge looked at the key in her hand and at the door in front of her, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. Unlocking the door to her new apartment, she

stuck her head inside as if she was expecting someone to be home. Too many years of living with family, friends and roommates had conditioned her to be

cautious.

Once inside she looked at the bare dwelling. By her standards it was huge. She had gone for a loft apartment because the open feeling appealed to her;

she had spent way too much time in dorm rooms and she liked the idea of spreading out. The down stairs was basically one large room with a living room

and kitchen that could be set up any way she desired. The floor to ceiling windows on one wall made it bright and seem even larger.

There was a set of iron steps in the center of the room that curved up to the open second floor, where her bedroom and bathroom were. Of course right

now the place was empty. Cat looked over at the small pile of her things in one corner. It consisted of five medium moving boxes, three suitcases and two

duffle bags.

“Pathetic Hodge, just pathetic. You need stuff.” She spun around in the center of the floor. “Lots of stuff.”

Like the child she wasn’t that far removed from being, Hodge took off her shoes, leaving her in her socks, and took off running, skidding and sliding around

on the freshly waxed hardwood floors.

Sliding into the kitchen, she grabbed hold of the counter to stop before she slid into the opposite wall. She opened the door to the fridge, opened the oven

door, realizing that she couldn’t use it if she tried. Cooking was not her thing. Then she noticed the dishwasher and the microwave.

“This is good. Nuking I can do.” Catherine Hodges didn’t have a clue that she was standing in a state of the art chef’s kitchen and it was possible than

unless she got involved with a state of the art chef, she never would.