Page 8 of Bear Creek Father's Day
“Tomorrow, we have four new cubs coming to live with us. Tasha and I will need your help today so everything will be ready when they get here. Scout and Birdy are brother and sister and a littleolder than you. Then we have two more girls—Zuzu, who is four, and Rayn who is the same age as Kip.”
The idea of new playmates got them smiling and all wiggly. Shifter cubs were hard-wired to be social up to a certain age, and while they liked Orrin and Tasha, playing with them wasn’t quite the same. Orrin continued.
“Settle down, boys. I want to tell you about some people who are a little different than we are. Now, humans only have one form and can’t change, right? Shifters like us have both a bearanda human form. But sometimes people are born mostly human, with just a little bit of shifter in them—only not enough to change. Their scent is also different. It’s kind of like the brownies Tasha made for us.”
Taking her cue, Tasha pointed out four different stacks of brownies on the tray.
“It’s easy to tell them apart isn’t it? We can see the dark ones are regular brownies. The light tan ones are called blondies. And the last one is a blondie with chocolate chips mixed in. Would all of them taste good?”
The boys nodded vigorously, hoping to eat their strange lesson before long.
“Yes, they would. Each one is different, but all of them are brownies and they all taste good.”
“Now, the last pile of bars are covered all over with chocolate and look exactly the same, don’t they? Only what’sinsideis different.”
Tasha handed each of the boys a chocolate-covered brownie from the pile and gave them permission to eat it. They comparednotes, of course, and found that each of them was given a different variety. Orrin jumped back in at this point.
“Rayn is kind of like one of those covered brownies. Outside she looks just like us in our human form, even though she smells something like a shifter. On the inside, she’s different because she was born without a bear.”
The boys weren’t quite sure what to do with the information, and Orrin continued.
“Some people say things that make Rayn feel bad because she doesn’t shift. She can’t change what she’s like on the inside, and neither can you. I want you to be very kind to her, and not tease her because her scent is different or because she has no bear. Do you understand?”
All three nodded in agreement, though Orrin wasn’t sure if the message actually got through. It certainly wasn’t an issuehe’ddealt with at this age!
“Good. I want you to include her in your games and share your things. She just wants to be loved like everybody else, and there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”
Dutifully, the cubs all shook their heads. Griffin waited half a second and then asked a burning question.
“Can we eat the brownies now?”
Tasha saw that one coming a mile away, and struggled to maintain her composure.
“All right, boys, back to the dining room. I’ll get the milk.”
The little stinkers cleared out in a flash while their caregivers laughed softly. Orrin sighed as they headed out to join them.
“I don’t know if it did any good, but it was worth a try. Thanks for your help, Tasha.”
“You’re welcome. Rayn didn’t ask for all the crap she’s getting, and I hope she finds some happiness here. You’re a good man, Orrin.”
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Monday, before noon
A white passenger van pulled into the Cub House driveway, each side emblazoned with a giant bear paw print and the letters BSA. As the driver got out, Orrin stood near the front door while Tasha and the boys waited by the hall closet where they could see without getting in the way. The arrival and departure of cubs was always an emotional experience, and mixing newbies with current residents sometimes caused friction. That’s why Orrin’s policy was to spoil all of them rotten for a few days to help them integrate and settle in.
As the new group approached the main entrance, Orrin opened the door to welcome everyone inside. The driver and his companion smiled and waved—old friends by now, as they had been picking up and delivering orphans to the Cub House from the start.
“Come in everyone! How were the roads, Virgil?”
“No problem today, Orrin. Hi Tasha—good to see you again.”
The four newcomers stood gaping at the beautiful old house, waiting to be told what to do. Orrin quickly motioned Tasha and the boys forward for introductions, all while sampling the orphans’ scents. While Rayn’s was weaker, it was the most intriguing—just as the grocery store stranger’s had been. Orrinwent to one knee before the cubs so he wasn’t towering over them.
“I’m so glad you’re here! My name is Orrin, and my helper is Tasha. The boys are Kip, Griffin, and Fort. Now, I believe you two must be Scout and Birdy, next is Zuzu, and then Rayn.”
Upon hearing her name, Rayn zipped across the floor and threw her arms around Orrin’s neck in a death grip. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered, “please keep me” over and over in his ear.
