Page 121 of The Lone Wolf Café
An old, faint memory resurfaced, of my father smiling and calling her ‘Mellie’ when she was baking. There was flour on her face – and mine, since I was a young toddler helping her in the kitchen.
“Nettie! Nettie!”
Now that they’d finished reuniting with my mother, my younger twin sisters barreled towards me. They were small and wiry, not fully grown by werewolf standards, but they still nearly pushed me over with a colossal hug.
“Alice! Abbey!”
I laughed, wrapping an arm around each of my sisters, nuzzling the fifteen-year-old girls close to my chest as if I were their mother.
And I practically was. I had raised them. Our bond went far beyond that of just older and younger sisters.
When they finally broke the embrace and I gazed into their smiling faces, it occurred to me how much they looked like our mother. I was her carbon copy, having inherited her red hair, but my sisters still had her pale skin and facial features. The twins were nearly identical except for their hair – Alice’s was the same dark chocolate brown as our father’s and cut up to her shoulders,while Abbey’s had a slight auburn tinge and was even longer than mine was.
“We should all have a seat,” my father finally interrupted, ushering us into the chairs around the table. At the head of the table, Mariah, who had been watching the whole exchange with a smile on her face. “The mayor was just filling us in on your heroics, Nettie.”
I forced a smile, though I could feel heat rising to my cheeks.
“It was both of us,” I interjected, placing a hand on Rowena’s shoulder. “If it weren’t for Rowena, I would’ve never discovered I had empath powers. And confronting the werewolf frenzy was all her idea.”
I clutched her shoulder, rubbing it ever so slightly with my finger. I needed them to give just as much credit to Rowena as they did to me.
I needed them to let both of us stay.
“Oh, don’t worry, Nettie,” Mariah reassured me, adjusting her glasses as she spoke. “I’m well aware of both of your contributions to this endeavor. Now, I’ll make this quick, as I imagine you and your family have a lot of catching up to do.” She shot a quick glance in my father and mother’s direction.
“So, Nettie, Rowena,” Mariah continued. “Wisteria Grove is forever grateful for what you’ve done. And of course, just to make it clear,” She gave us a warm, motherly smile. “You are both more than welcome to continue residing here. I know many of the witches in the community are incredibly thankful for you both.”
I bit my lip. I was thrilled that it was final - Rowena and I could stay on Wisteria Grove. It was a massive weight off both of our shoulders.
But I still had a question, one that sprung to the tip of my tongue and filled me with anxiety.
“But what about those who aren’t happy with us?”
My question caught Mariah off-guard at first, but she let out a long, slow sigh. “Unfortunately, change takes time. While I would love for the whole town to welcome you both with open arms, I can only do so much to sway the opinions of others. But if anyone in the village gives you trouble, please let me know. I will take care of them.”
I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. This time, Rowena was the one to offer comfort in the form of a shoulder squeeze.
“And of course, there is the matter of the local werewolf pack,” Mariah continued, her eyes darting in my mother’s direction. “Now that we have a manner in which to control the full moon frenzy, I believe it’s best for Wisteria Grove to foster a more beneficial relationship with them. For us to see each other as neighbors and allies instead of enemies. This will take time, of course, like all change does. But I look forward to seeing positive results for both of our communities.”
My mother nodded, and Mariah smiled warmly at her. I knew my mother was feeling immense guilt for all the trouble she’d caused over the past fifteen years. But my father had explained the situation to Mariah, and the mayor seemed more keen on fostering neighbourly relations with the werewolves than dwelling on their past offenses.
Mariah then turned to me. “Of course, Nettie and Rowena, that’s where you two come in. I’d like to request your help, both with keeping peace during full moons and acting as liaisons between the witch and werewolf communities. And Nettie, I understand that your mother also has empath powers.” Mariah gestured to Amelia.
“I can help,” Amelia piped up, with eager hopefulness on her face. “It’s just that… well, um…”
“We both need assistance in honing our empath powers,” I interjected, not wanting my mother to have to disclose the full extent of her condition. “Ensuring we can use them properly.Rowena mentioned there is an empath witch in Bangor who can help us.”
“Ah, yes.” Mariah nodded. “I met her coven once, a long time ago. I believe her name was Melanie? Anyway… we can assist with contacting her coven and getting you both transportation for sessions. We’ll cover any fees as well.”
My eyes widened. “That’s quite generous of you.”
Mariah smiled. “We witches look out for each other. Not to mention it’s in the best interest of the entire village for you and your mother to hone your powers.”
“Absolutely,” my mother chimed in, an unsteady but proud smile on her face. “Whatever we can do to help.”
“Excellent,” Mariah clapped her hands together, and the bracelets around her wrists jingled. “We’ll wrap things up here for now, but I’ll be in touch. And for you two,” Mariah looked over at Rowena and I. “I look forward to stopping by your café once it reopens.”
I smiled, a small burst of happiness warming my chest. I knew Rowena and I would take the next day or two to get acquainted with our new situation – and each other. But once we were ready, I couldn’t wait to see The Lone Wolf Café swarming with customers again.
