41 Ch 41 Family (1/2)

Dad came in as I was stuffing a few of my things in a small, plastic grocery bag. I knew I had to smell an odd mix of emotions. I waited for him to say something. He just sighed before moving away. I could hear him in the kitchen, then the door as he went out the back.

Is it weird that even though he didn't make a sound, I still heard every word he didn't say? This was home, and to some part of me it always would be. I dropped the bag of childhood mementos at the bottom of my closet and headed outside.

”Did they approve of Tammy becoming an honorary member?” Mahina asked as I made my way over to her.

”They're going to discuss it,” I told her, not really wanting to get into it. ”I told them regardless of what they decided, I would be calling her sister. She's part of my pack, right?”

Mahina laughed. Dad looked at me like he wanted to crawl in my head and figure out what was happening with me.

Running Elk came around the corner of the house then.

”Hey Uncle Black Wolf. Any sodas left in the fridge?”

”Hang on, I'll bring a few more out.”

Running Elk sat down heavily next to me, knocking his shoulder against mine, then leaning against me.

”Hey Mahina,” he said as he leaned forward slightly to wave at her.

”Hey Running Elk. What's up?”

”I got to be a fly on the wall tonight. One of the best nights ever! You should have seen the look on Grandfather's face! He...”

”What did you do, Little Wolf,” asked Dad as he handed Running Elk a soda.

”He stood up to Grandfather! It was awesome,”

Running Elk started, full of enthusiasm for some reason.

I threw him a look. ”Grandfather is an ass...owww!”

”You will not speak about your mother's father like that.”

”I tried to update the council,” I told him as I rubbed my head. Dad hadn't held back. ”Only the old ones knew. Auntie said...” I closed my eyes, the anger still eating at me. I couldn't bring myself to repeat what Auntie had said about not having children, not in front of Mahina.

”Your mother always dealt with the council.”

”Yeah, I think mom lied. She dealt with Grandfather, not the council. He hates me...us.”

”He doesn't hate you,” Dad said. He didn't say anything about himself. Nor did he say anything about my belief that mom had lied.

I looked at him, saw his slight shrug. I sighed.

”Little Sister was right, I don't know anything.”

Dad only sighed back at me, giving me a wry grin. He looked up with narrowed eyes when Uncle Two Feathers walked by, purposefully not looking our way.

”Still on lockdown?” I asked Running Elk.

”He's just mad because I know. You should have seen the look on Grandfather's face when he told me I didn't understand and I told him I understood quite well, ever since I found my spirit guide.”

We shared a look that helped heal the damage in my soul. Screw Grandfather. I still had family among the people.

”Still good cuz” we said at the same time, then busted out laughing.

”Best night ever, that one,” said Running Elk, tilting his bottle in a salute toward my dad.

Dad gave a little nod of acknowledgment.

”Now I'm feeling totally lost,” said Mahina.

”Maybe I'll tell you about that night sometime. In the meantime, there is something I can tell you that will help. You remember that story I told you about Dad? It's basically true, with one little catch. Everything I told you about me and Dad can be summed up in one word. It's that one word that makes the difference. I...”

”Room for one more?” asked Anna from the back door.

I closed my eyes and took a breath. Anyone else plan on coming by to stop me from telling Mahina what she needed to know? I wanted to tell Anna to get lost. I no longer trusted her. However, I could smell Anna's nervousness. I motioned her over.

”Did you know Anna used to babysit me? She's got to be the oldest person to hang with the teens ever! She's got, what, eight years on me? She was the only person Grandfather trusted to watch over me.”

Anna had the good graces to look embarrassed. She understood what I was insinuating, that the only reason she was here was because Grandfather had sent her.

She shook her head in a negative as she sat down. ”Auntie was wrong to say what she did, Little Wolf. If anyone would know, I would. I loved your mother. She and I often talked. I'm glad you and Mahina are together.”

”I'm beginning to wonder just what was said,” Dad said as he looked between the three of us. I saw hidden anger in him. I think he might have heard the same things when he and Mom got married.