Watching my daughter grow up

"You're sure you didn't forget anything?" I asked as I saw Kasia grab her coat.

"For the third time, no, Mom. Besides, it's just the first day, it's not like it really matters anyway." Kasia replied, rolling her eyes, before smiling at me. "I'm the one entering high-school, so please don't worry."

I approached her and hugged her. "Any mother would feel this way seeing their children grow up."

"Not any mother..." She muttered, her voice so low that I wouldn't have heard it without my enhanced hearing.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. But really, relax." She continued. "You have an important case coming soon, right? Focus on that and let me deal with school, alright? I'm not a kid anymore."

I smiled warmly at her. "Alright. Have a good day, sweetie."

"You too, Mom." She replied before appearing more hesitant. "When I'm back... There's something I'd like to talk about."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"I, uhh, have something I wanna ask you..." She simply said, but then gave me a bright smile and hugged me again. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too."

On that, Kasia took her bag and left the house. I saw Marek waiting for her outside, and the two of them walked to their first day of high-school, holding hands and laughing. Seeing my daughter like this made my heart melt. I was so proud of her as her mother.

Kasia was sixteen, now. It's been eight years since I took over the old Małgorzata's life and became Kasia's mother. Eight years during which I saw her grow from a shy frail kid to a quirky but loving teenager. She truly bloomed during these years, breaking from her shell, making friends, and finding multiple hobbies. She loved animals and told me a few times she wished to become a veterinarian, a wish I wholeheartedly encouraged her to pursue. We even adopted a young cat, Salem, she pampered every day. She still loved comics, but also grew to enjoy a variety of novels, movies, and even games. She recently really got into stuff related to mythologies and the occult, something I found amusing due to my true nature.

She and Marek stayed quite close throughout the years, and even if she hadn't told me anything yet, I knew they were dating. They were at that age, after all, and I didn't mind it. Marek was a sweet boy, he's always been there for Kasia, I knew he would treat her well. She also made a few more friends recently, mainly three really nice girls from a literature club she joined in middle-school.

I still had to finish getting ready for work myself, so I went to the bathroom to apply my make-up. When I got there, I paused and observed my face in the mirror. I haven't removed Małgorzata's skin even once ever since I took her life as mine. I knew deep down that there wasn't any trace of my old, Edward self left anymore, my skin most definitely broke after all this time.

How do I look like underneath...? I wondered, caressing my beautiful face.

I had no idea what skinwalkers truly looked like once their skin was gone. Dahlia never showed me, and I never asked. But I wasn't in a hurry to check, I had no intention to abandon this skin anytime soon. I fully embraced Małgorzata's life, it was mine now. I wanted to see my adorable daughter grow up and live her life to the fullest, and I wanted to keep being part of her life and support her.

Edward is gone, there's no point wondering about things like this... Only Dahlia and Claire still know about me...

I still wrote to Dahlia fairly often, checking on her and Claire. The two grew quite close apparently, something I was glad for. Claire really needed someone by her side after I fled. Dahlia seemed glad to hear about my life with Kasia, relieved that I managed to find happiness despite my situation. I recently even invited her to visit me someday, an invitation she gladly accepted. The two of us were to meet in about a month, once she was done dealing with some issues her father's company was having.

I shook my head and focused on the make-up, flashing my friendly professional smile once I was done. I grabbed my purse and walked towards my car, my heels clicking on the pavement. I grew to enjoy wearing those quite a lot as well, alongside elegent business suits. They always made me feel so sexy~

At the cabinet, I focused on the main upcoming case I was working on. It was a fairly complex one, but I had experience dealing with similar stuff in the past, so I was absolutely confident I'd nail this one too. During these eight years, my image at work has also changed quite a lot, going from an ice queen to a skillful, friendly coworker and mentor figure for the younger members of our cabinet. I became quite popular, even to the point of going out with one of my male coworkers for a short time.

I tried to date men for a while, only stopping two years ago. It wasn't that bad, but I was mainly doing it to not cause Kasia any trouble with unnecessary rumors at school. She was the one convincing me that I didn't have to **** myself for her sake, somehow noticing that I wasn't much into men. She matured fast, telling me that I should start seeking my own happiness too instead of always focusing on hers. Since then, I had a few one-night stands with women I met online, confirming that I indeed greatly prefered the contact of women.

A month ago, though, as I decided to finally visit a popular queer bar in Gdańsk, I met a woman I hoped would like a more steady relationship. Her name was Zofia, and she was working as a tour guide and interpret for a local tourist agency. She was six years younger, but we got along quite well the few times we've hung out. She was a cute, easygoing brunette with short hair and a love for costume jewellery, hiking, and foreign cultures. The two of us quickly hit it off over the course of the first night, enjoying drinks together while Kasia was having a sleepover with a friend. We met a few more times afterwards. I wanted to ask her out properly next time we'd meet.

I need to text her once I'm done with work.

The day was overall uneventful, most coworkers tended to leave me alone when I was busy with a case, unless they really needed something. I wondered a few times how Kasia was finding her first day of high-school. I hoped she was having fun.

Once work was over, I went back home, relaxing in the living room, watching TV while doing some exercises to stay in shape. I was getting near my forties, but my body was in a much better shape than it was eight years ago, thanks to my workout routine.

The front door opened while I was nearly done, revealing Kasia with Marek.

I wiped off the sweat from my face with a towel and smiled at them "Hi sweetie, Marek. How was your day at school?"

"Good afternoon, ma'am. It went really well." Marek said, smiling politely before sighing. "Although, Kasia and I aren't in the same class, unfortunately."

I chuckled. "You can't always be lucky. But I'm sure it'll be fine."

Kasia nodded. "I'm a bit disappointed too, but we'll still see each other during breaks anyway. Do you mind if Marek stays for an hour, Mom?"

"Not at all. Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

Marek shook his head. "No need, Ms. Thank you. We bought something before coming here."

"Alright. Have fun."

They quickly went upstairs in Kasia's room and I returned to my workout for a bit longer. They were so cute together, I really hoped things would work out long term for them.