Page 23 of Emerald Moon
Hope you have a good night!
“No, you know what?I’ve decided,” Wil said, breaking Jo’s train of thought.“We both could stand to do better at asking for help.So I’m going to start and then you’re going to do it, too.”She pointed her paintbrush in Jo’s direction.“I’m participating in that big, group art show downtown in a few months and I want you to be there.Can you come?”
“Yeah, of course.I was going to come anyway, but now I’ll super promise to be there.”Jo usually went to Wil’s shows, but this was the first time she had asked for them to be there.
“Thanks.There’s someone in my artist group that’s got me a bit worked up and frustrated, and if you’re there, I’ll feel better.Your turn,” she kept pointing the paintbrush.
“I don’t need help.”
“Liar.”Wil laughed.“Try again.”
“Fine.”They thought about what could help them get through tomorrow.“I can do my shift or I can do all my chores, but I can’t do both of them well.If I do both, they’re getting done really half-assed, no matter how hard I try.So —“ Jo groaned, not wanting to finish the sentence.“Can the pack, like, figure out a way to help me with the chore part at least tomorrow?”
“Done.We’ll make it work.What do you have tomorrow?”
“Dish duty for lunch and dinner again and sweeping the hardwood because somehow, even though we’re not wolves all the time, there’s fur everywhere.”They glanced over at Wil.“You sure people don’t mind?”
Wil smiled.“No one ever minds.It’s what a pack is for, you know.”
“Thanks.”Jo smiled back and picked up their phone.They might not feel like doing anything, they might not even enjoy doing very much in their current state, but hauling their body out of bed to get a coffee with Krista might be a good idea.
Actually, hanging out sounds good
Just tell me when you wanna meet
I assume we’re drinking vampire coffee
bc it’s always vampire coffee time
“Okay, well now I have plans for tomorrow, so I’m going to bed.”
“It’s not even midnight,” Wil pointed out.
“And I’ve been ready to sleep since, like, nine, and I’m wearing comfy clothes.I’m out.”
“Need me to dim my light?”she asked, reaching for the knob on her lamp.
Jo shook their head.“Keep working.I’ll be fine.Night, Wil.”
“Good night,” she replied.“I hope tomorrow brings a better brain day.”
“Me, too.It likely won’t, but me, too.”
Their phone buzzed.It was Cass.
Thank you.I’ll check them out soon.
Sleep well.
You, too!Good night!
As they started to fall asleep, and doubts crept back into their mind, Jo clung to the knowledge that they had friends and a whole pack family.
Their brain might not be cooperating, and they might feel like hell mentally and physically, but it was an objective truth that they were surrounded by great people.Their brain might tell them they were a burden and too much to deal with, but there were plenty of people that cared for them.
seven
Jorananothersystemscheck in the morning and decided that they still felt terrible.On top of that, they had two missed calls from their mother.
