I opened my door and Abby ran in. I laughed as she spun around. “This is just your bedroom?” She ran to the bathroom and spun again. “Wow.” I ushered everyone in and closed the door. I walked to a small closet I had next to my bed and swung it open. Abby screamed as she saw all the stuffed animals I had. I kept everything from when I was a child. My dad used to give them to me every time I left until I turned sixteen and asked him to stop. “Oh my goddess.” She ran and started playing.
I chuckled and then nodded to the other side of my room, where the other bigger closet lay. “While she is occupied, we can speak freely here.”
Shelly turned to me. “Rick hasn’t told me anything. He won’t, not in our home, because of Vince, but something is going on and I want to know what.”
I nodded. “I’m getting you out.” I cut right to the chase. “And I know you are going to bring up the fact you can’t leave because Abby is suffering from the withering, but she’s not.” I whispered, hopefully low enough that Abby couldn’t hear.
Shelly reared back. “What are you talking about?” She looked at Rick. “Is she insane?”
He rubbed his face. “Babe, listen. We went to lunch, getting Alannah and Ternen away from Brandon. Amy stood up for Tern, and in retaliation, Brandon decided to beat and fire himinstead. At lunch, I told her about Abby. Just the basics, why we were here, and why I was helping Vince.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t explain what she just said.” She tossed out.
“I know. I know.” He pulled out the napkin. “Amy has never seen Abby before today. Ternen has never even talked about Abby.”
“I swear, neither of us have. We thought you deserved your privacy.” Alannah slid in.
Shelly looked around. “Okay, she hasn’t ever seen Abby. What does this have to do with what we are talking about? Our daughter is sick, and she just said she wasn’t Rick.”
“That’s because she’s not.” I quickly glanced over at Abby. “Do you know anything about witchcraft?”
Shelly looked confused and lost. “What in the Goddess are you talking about?”
Rick handed her the napkin. “I told her about the Withering. But Amy asked how old Abby was. She said she was too old for the Withering to affect her. But there was a spell. A spell that branded the affected wolf with a mark. That is the mark she gave me.” Rick pointed to the napkin Shelly had crumpled in her hand.
“This is a fucking napkin, Rick. What does this have to do with our child?” Shelly got louder, but Rick grabbed her face and kissed her.
“Babe, I love you, and when you get protective of our cub I love you even more. But look at the napkin and you will understand.” He lifted her hand that held the crumpled napkin.
Shelly shook her head but unclenched her hand and smoothed out the napkin. She gasped and her eyes shot up to mine. “Have you never seen our daughter?”
“No.” I met her eyes.
“Have you seen any of the children in her class?”
Again, I answered honestly. “No.”
She sagged for a moment. “Please.” Her voice wavered. “Please don’t pretend that you can help us unless you actually can. I don’t have it in me to go through all of this, only to be let down once again.”
“What do you mean?” I tilted my head.
“She means she can’t listen to another person say they might be able to save me, only to be told I have less than a year to live.”
Everyone froze, but Shelly dropped down and pulled Abby to her. “Baby…” But she trailed off, because what do you say to a child who is too observant to be kept in the dark?
“It’s okay, momma. I’ve known for a while now.” She reached up and cupped her face. “I just wanted to spend the best year with you and daddy so I didn’t tell you I heard you and the doctor talking about me.” Rick dropped down next to them and hugged them both to his chest.
“It’s going to be alright.” He whispered to them, but I could tell it was to himself. He looked up at me, so ready to believe, and I nodded.
“I can’t fix it today.” I held out my hand. “But I swear I will fix it.”
Shelly looked at me. “How can you be so sure?”
“Magic.” I winked, but she shook her head. I crouched. “I can’t tell you. Not before you are away from here. You can take a vow, Shelly, but Abby can’t.”
“I won’t tell anyone. I swear.” She looked at me with slightly wounded eyes.
“Oh sweet pea, I never thought you would tell on us. But sometimes, especially some wolves, they can’t help it.”
