No longing for the moonlight, no longing for the sun Who: Fable and Shyla Where: Local cafe of awesomeness When: Late morning
It was good to finally get out and about again. Fable didn’t like the idea of staying in all the time, living her life in fear, in spite of what Michael had told her. Yes, she was angelic blooded, and strongly so. And yes, that meant she’d be a target for demons. But with days and days without news of an attack, and knowing she could call Michael or Ziggy if needed, it had the elemental feeling a bit better about things. Okay, so she wouldn’t call Ziggy until the danger had passed, because knowing her brother he’d only get himself killed, but still, the fact that she could was still reassuring.
For now, though, she and Ainsley were out and about running a few errands. The baby was in an especially good mood, smiling at everyone who passed, nomming aimlessly on the little stuffed wolf she carried. Leaving the car seat behind for now, Fable had the baby balanced on her hip, diaper bag on her other shoulder, as she went into the coffee shop. “Mommy needs a coffee if we’re going to keep going like this all day,” she told the baby as she stood in line, rocking her back and forth out of happy.
Ainsley only shrieked and patted Fable’s face. “Yes, sweetie, I know. You don’t need a coffee though.” As for what Fable herself was going to get, she still didn’t know. Definitely something with soy, though.
Coming off of a thirty six hour shift at the hospital, Shyla was in need of some non-hospital food and stat. It had been a particularly rough day at work as they had been unable to save a three year old car accident victim. It was stupid and senseless and royally pissed Shyla off. The mother hadn’t taken the time or proper care to check the car seat. It was an older model and the buckle was faulty - clearly, as the child had flown out of the car window. It was Shyla’s opinion that the mother should be locked up forever for her stupidity.
Trying to shake off her awesomely bad day, she stopped in at a local coffee shop, not for the coffee of course, but for the wonderful pastries they never seem to run out of. Grabbing her purse, Shyla locked the car door and headed into the coffee shop, her stomach already growling. She was thinking that an apple tart was just what she needed.
As she pulled open the door, she noticed an adorable kitten sitting outside the shop. She smiled at it and bent to pet it’s cute little head before heading into the coffee shop. She heard a tiny high pitched voice say “Wait, wait for me!” Shyla looked around but didn’t see anyone, so she kept walking, until she was standing in line behind a woman and her cute baby. Shyla waggled her fingers at the baby, amazed at how the toothy grin of the baby soothed her broken spirit. She was so fascinated with the baby, that Shyla didn’t even notice that the cute kitten was sitting at her feet, looking up at her.
Fable might not have noticed the woman come in, or hear the tiny little voice that followed her, but Ainsley noticed. The baby grinned, waving her wolf at the woman behind them, and shrieked again. “What is it?” Fable asked, patting down the baby’s hair with her free hand - and then turned to see who was waving her fingers. “Oh, hello,” she said, juggling Ainsley so she could properly face her. “Someone’s already making friends, aren’t you?”
Ainsley giggled - and then she saw the kitten. The baby leaned down, reaching out for the little cat, dropping her wolf in the process. “Seems you’ve got a friend,” she said, nodding her head down towards the kitten as she kneeled down to grab the fallen toy. There was enough grace in Fable’s movements to show that this was something she did often - more reflex than anything else.
Shyla had the good manners enough to blush when the mother turned around. “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you!” She saw the wolf slip out of the baby’s hand and tried to catch it, but wasn’t quick enough. She bent down the same time the mother did and noticed the kitten beside her. She scooped it up and stood up, snuggling it against her. “Aren’t you a cutie,” she cooed to the kitten.
“I saw this kitten outside,” Shyla explained. “Never seen her before now.” The kitten was grey and white and had slight tigerstripe markings and was small enough to sit comfortably in Shyla’s palm. She was shocked when the kitten raised up and butted her tiny head against Shyla’s chin. “I’m here for you,” the tiny voice said again. Knowing about familiars but not wanting to assume that the kitten was her’s, Shyla looked to the baby’s mother, “Did you hear anything?”
“Oh, it’s no trouble.” Fable smiled, not bothered at all. She liked the fact that Ainsley was friendly, even if there was a kitten nearby and she was only slightly worried her little girl would shift. Ainsley was too young to be in control of her abilities, and the Morrisons had warned her about that. And now that she had her plushie back, Ainsley was a happy baby, and happy to have the other woman’s attention.
Fable was about to say something else - and then that voice was in her head too. She blinked, and then her smile grew a little more knowing. It reminded her of the morning Yoko had flown through Ainsley’s nursery window and told Fable what she was. “Actually... I did.” She took a step closer, juggling Ainsley to the other arm. “It looks like you’ve got a familiar.” She kept her voice quiet, enough so that way the whole coffee shop didn’t know the big news.
A grin spread over Shyla’s lips. She had a familiar! “Aww, yeah! I didn’t think I was getting one.” She had heard all the news coverage and had waited for her familiar to find her, but after a while, had given up that she would have one. Shyla snuggled the kitten and kissed it’s tiny head.
“And what’s your name, sweetie?” Shyla spoke to the kitten.
“Tiger Lily,” the kitten answered, her voice high and pure. She turned in Shyla’s palm and stretched a paw out to the little girl. She liked kids. “I wanted to come sooner, but I had to get old enough to leave my momma,” Tiger Lily explained.
“I’m glad you found me then,” Shyla giggled. She turned to the little girl and her mother, extending her free hand. “I’m Shyla. You are just the cutest thing,” she said to the baby.
Inside, Fable breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that the other woman - Shyla - wasn’t freaking out at the thought. Clearly, she’d known to be expecting one, unlike Fable, who’d been completely caught off guard. Even though she’d known a little about the supernatural before this year, being mated to a werewolf and all, it wasn’t like she’d known anything about elementals, or the fact that she could be one herself. Or that she was angelic-blooded too, for that matter.
“It’s lovely to meet you, I’m Fable.” And yes, she was expecting to get some sort of look or comment for her name, but she was used to that by now. In comparison to her siblings, she’d gotten one of the easier names. “And this is Ainsley, who I think wants to play with Tiger Lily.” Ainsley giggled. “Yep, definitely wants to play.”
Indeed, Shyla gave Fable a look when she introduced herself because it was an unusual name, especially for someone so young. The name Fable usually conjured up images of an elderly lady with blue hair making jelly in her country cosy kitchen. Shyla had learned very early on in her medical training not to comment on names - and she saw a LOT of weird and downright stupid names. “It’s nice to formally meet you, Fable,” Shyla said with a smile. “And you as well, Ainsley.”
Knowing the little girl wanted to play with Tiger Lily, Shyla held the kitten out so the top of the kitten’s head brushed against Ainsley’s cheek. “She’s soft, isn’t she?” Shyla held the kitten within reach of the baby, “You can pet her...just be very gentle. She’s just a baby.”
It was amazing how Tiger Lily, Ainsley and Fable had cheered Shyla up. She was definitely out of her funk thanks to the three of them. Maybe it was time to reconsider having friends. During high school, she couldn’t because there would be too much she couldn’t tell a friend about what went on in her home life. During medical school and the first part of her residency, she was too focused, too driven. And while she still maintained that focus and drive, she knew she didn’t lead a very balanced life - she had no social life to speak of. She avoided going out with her coworkers and was never around anyone else other than patients. Fable definitely seemed nice and Shyla had a good read on people usually. Shooting another smile at Fable, Shyla said, “How old is Ainsley? Are you from around here?”
Fable didn’t see her name as weird or downright stupid, just the product of a hippie family. Her maiden name was Redleaf, for crying out loud, it kind of came with the territory. And in spite of her current feelings about her family, she wouldn’t trade that background for anything. It made her who she was, and she was going to try to pass that down to Ainsley, too. It was the least she could do.
She kept a good grip on Ainsley as the baby leaned forward, reaching out for the kitten. “Gentle, Ainsley, remember?” she murmured. “Like when you pet Yoko, you can’t go too hard.” The dove had been awesome about letting Ainsley touch her, knowing the baby didn’t have any idea of her own strength. Likely she wouldn’t until she was much older, and thank god the Morrisons were around to help her deal with that. Funny, how both Fable and Shyla were offering the same advice to the kitten and the baby, and for different reasons. Ainsley was just happy to touch the little kitty, giggling the whole time.
At Shyla’s question, she shook her head. “No, we’re not from around here, we moved here a few months ago to stay with my in-laws, right after she was born. And you,” she juggled Ainsley on her hip, “are almost five months old now. Look at how fast you’re growing up on me!” Which, of course, meant that Tim had been gone for almost six months, and Fable didn’t want to think about that. She spent too much time cooped up at home grieving her husband, and she knew it wasn’t good for her. Getting out, making new friends, having Ziggy in town again, it was all helping her. She needed a little more of that.
As awful as her past had been at times, Shyla too, wouldn’t trade it for anything. She loved her grandmother fiercely and was very glad that she passed down her powers to Shyla and taught her everything she knew. Shyla missed her grandmother so much, especially because she didn’t really have parents to speak of, but she had learned to deal and move on. If it weren’t for her grandmother, Shyla wouldn’t be the doctor that she is today - or the witch that she is.
Shyla tried to hide her grin as she heard Fable tell Ainsley to be gentle as well. The baby was being very gentle towards Tiger Lily, which Shyla hadn’t expected. Must have something to do with this Yoko Fable had spoken of. “Who is Yoko?” Shyla mentally shrugged - she was a curious sort, dammit.
There had to be a story why Fable had moved here right after Ainsley was born and because she sensed it wasn’t a happy story, Shyla didn’t ask for more details. “I’m from Michigan - but not Scarlet Oaks. I moved here to go to do my residency at the University of Michigan hospital, which is close by.” A soft smile graced her face as she watched Ainsley, who was utterly fascinated with touching the downy soft fur of the kitten.
If left to her own devices, Ainsley would pet the kitten all day long. And people said canines and felines couldn’t get along. Fable was more worried that the baby would decide that she wanted to actually play with the kitten, and the last thing she needed to deal with was a baby werewolf in the middle of the coffee shop. She couldn’t walk as a human, but wolf!Ainsley was all over that shit, and it was more than Fable wanted to explain in the moment.
But asking about Yoko? Fable was far more open about her own abilities and it showed. “Yoko is my familiar,” she said. “She’s a dove, and she’s been great with Ainsley. Though I think she’s secretly afraid the baby will pull out her feathers on accident.” Ainsley was strong and she did like to tug, though mostly she did that with Fable’s hair, or the dog tags around her neck. “I’m an earth elemental. Do you mind if I ask what you are?” Hey, Shyla had a familiar! That meant she was something and Fable was curious.
“Your residency, you’re a doctor then? Or a nurse?” Fable hoped never to need a doctor for anything beyond routine check ups and the like, but having a friend in the hospital couldn’t be a bad thing. She just never wanted anything to happen to her little girl, ever. Ainsley was all she had left of Tim and she was going to protect her to the best of her ability.
It would have delighted Shyla to see Ainsley shift and really play with Tiger Lily. Since the Light of May, she had seen a few supernaturals in her work so she would have taken it well. But still, a baby werewolf in the middle of a coffee shop might not be the best idea ever.
“A bird as a familiar - awesome!” Shyla had wondered if she would get a horse seeing as how she spent much of her childhood around horses. Tiger Lily was adorable though, so she was happy. And oh, Fable was an earth elemental? “Cool!” That kind of fit her, the little that they had interacted, Fable seemed very down-to-earth, which was fitting. “I bet you have beautiful gardens,” Shyla said, her tone wistful. She had loved the grounds at her grandmother’s house and it was one thing she missed greatly.
“I’m a witch - I practice white magic. My grandmother was a master and taught me all she knew before she died.” Shyla was grateful to have had such a role model in her life and it showed, pride coloring her voice.
“I’m a doctor - I’m in a surgical residency program at UofM and I’ll be finished with that in a couple of years and hope to be able to specialize in pediatric surgery. I’m in and around the emergency room a lot, so if God forbid, something were to happen to Ainsley - just ask for me. I’ll do whatever I can to help.” And she would, even if that meant using her powers. She didn’t like to abuse her powers, but did use them on occasion.
“Yoko’s been really awesome,” Fable agreed. “I’m still a bit new to this whole thing, but I’m learning all that I can. Well, whenever she’ll let me.” She leaned in to kiss Ainsley on top of the head, who didn’t even notice, all her attention still on Tiger Lily. Babies and their one track minds. Fable just hoped that, whenever they went home, Ainsley didn’t fuss too much at losing a playmate. “And yes, I like to think my garden’s lovely. I haven’t been here long, so my greenhouse isn’t quite where I’d like it yet, but give me a year and it’ll be perfect.” That had been the hard part about leaving California, and the pristine garden she’d built there. But her daughter was worth it, and she knew she couldn’t handle raising a baby werewolf on her own. She needed help, and Fable might be stubborn and independent, but she knew when to reach out.
Fable perked up at the mention of magic, especially white magic. Naoki was a white witch and she’d seen him work before, and thought it was awesome then. Michael, too, knew how to use it, but that was because he was an angel and therefore just part of the package. She wondered if that was something she could learn someday... but she was getting ahead of herself. “That’s awesome. I’ve seen a few spells worked before, but I’ve never tried it myself.”
And Shyla was a pediatric doctor. It seemed Fable had hit the jackpot when it came to making a new friend, though she’d totally forgotten about the coffee she was going to order or the errands she still had to finish. “I will definitely keep that in mind, but I hope you don’t take offense if I say I hope I never have to.” The thought of something happening to Ainsley - like when the demon had snatched her, and Fable had been powerless to stop it - made the young mother shudder. They’d already dealt with so much, it wasn’t too much to ask for smooth sailing from here on out, right?
“I can imagine that was quite a shock to find out. When my grandmother told me what she was and what she suspected I was, I laughed. I had the fairytale evil witch version in my head and my grandmother was so not that kind of witch. When I found out she was a good witch, I spent days searching for her magic wand,” Shyla chuckled, the memory of that happy time burning brightly in her head and heart.
Her chuckle turned into a giggle as she patted Fable’s shoulder, “No offense taken, believe me. I hope I never see her there either.” The little girl was precious and Shyla would hate to see her hurting and in pain. She was certainly adorable with Tiger Lily that was for sure.
The line had moved enough so that Fable was next in line. Since Fable was facing Shyla and couldn’t tell, Shyla pointed to the cash register and said, “I think they’re ready for you.” She gently moved Tiger Lily away from Ainsley so Fable to could turn around and order. She brought the kitten to her face and snuggled her. “I think I’m going to have to go on a kitty cat shopping trip before we head home. I have no supplies for you,” she said to Tiger Lily. She didn’t mind at all, it would be nice to have some companionship in her townhouse. It sometimes felt too big with her there by herself all the time.
“Most definitely. How many times does a talking bird fly into your window and announce that they’re your familiar? Outside of a Disney movie, I mean.” Fable was a hippie, yes, but contrary to popular belief, she did not smoke pot and therefore she knew she wasn’t making any of this up. She was an elemental. Ainsley was a werewolf. It was just the way things were and the world they now lived in. “I take it real witches don’t have wands?” Fable didn’t imagine they did, but the image of a little girl trying to find one was still cute in her head.
She smiled, “Then we’ll just have to meet up outside of the hospital then, I know we won’t mind.” Fable always needed more friends and reasons to get out. Even Ziggy, who’d been in town for far less time that she had been, had already gone out and made friends. She needed to take a page out of his book, it seemed.
“Oh!” Gently, she pulled Ainsley back from Tiger Lily, giving her the wolf plushie to play with instead. Ainsley’s face scrunched up, but she didn’t cry; it was obvious the baby didn’t like being taken away from her new friend. “We’ll go back and see the kitty later, okay?” Stepping up to the counter, Fable juggled her bag around so she’d be able to grab her wallet. “I’ll have... an iced soy latte, please? A medium sized one.” She glanced back at Shyla, “Do you want anything?”
Shyla laughed at Fable’s description of her familiar. “Yes, I bet that was slightly shocking...and slightly comical too. Did you know you were an elemental before she showed up?” From news coverage, Shyla knew that happened on occasion but she couldn’t imagine it. Being a witch and practicing her magic was such a part of who she was and the woman she’d grown into. Trying to imagine growing up without that in her life was completely foreign to her.
“Yes, we’ll definitely have to meet up sometime!” Shyla was thrilled that Fable had suggested it. It seemed she was well on her way to making a new friend - a badly needed friend at that! “I’m sure Ainsley will want to see Tiger Lily again. I must warn you though, I work crazy hours...long shifts and lots of them. So if a while goes by and you don’t hear from me, it’s not because I don’t want to hang out. Life as a resident is brutal at times.” And with talk of that, a big yawn had Shyla covering her mouth with her free hand. “Like now for instance, I’m coming off of a 36 hour shift. But maybe we can swap numbers or something?”
The look on Ainsley’s face was downright heartbreaking when Shyla took the kitty away from her and Fable turned around. Yes, they would definitely have to get together again - if for no other reason than for Ainsley to play with Tiger Lily. “Oh, thanks! Yes, a no-sugar-added apple tart, please. And a decaf ice tea with lemon, please.” The order was in line with her standard food preferences - no caffeine or sugar. She didn’t like the thought that something she ate or drank could have the power to change how her body works - such as caffeine, which was a stimulant. She tried to keep her diet as pure and organic as possible. She had to be one of the only doctors or nurses at the hospital who wasn’t completely addicted to coffee.
As Fable gave the order, Shyla dug around in her bag for some cash and her iPhone. She counted out the cash for her order and checked her phone for messages. None, thank goodness. Once Fable finished ordering, Shyla handed her the money. “That should cover mine...thanks for ordering!”
“Actually, I had no idea. I just thought I liked to garden, and I knew I was pretty good at it. Needless to say between the baby and my familiar, I’ve had quite the busy summer.” And busy was good, Fable needed busy. If she didn’t have that, she couldn’t imagine what she’d be like, home every night crying into her pillow. Ainsley forced her to break out from that a little, to be strong. Now that Ziggy was here, and also an elemental, it was like the pieces of her life were starting to come back together.
Fable grinned, glad to see that Shyla was open to the idea of meeting up again. Truth be told Fable needed more friends too, and that was something she’d never turn away no matter what happened. “It’s quite all right, Ainsley here has got me up at all hours too. We’ve yet to sleep through the night, so if you ever need someone to call at three in the morning, who knows? I might actually be up.” Such was the life of a young single mother. Not single. Widowed. “Swapping numbers sounds great to me, and I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”
Taking the money, Fable added her own to the pile as the barista rang her up. She decided against a pastry - so much of it was made with things she couldn’t eat, and if she couldn’t guarantee it was all organic it was likely to make her sick. She had things at home to eat, and she just wanted the little pick me up from the caffeine. As Fable saw it, she was allowed to indulge every once in a while, and there were far worse vices a person could have. “Here’s your change,” she said, juggling things around to pass Shyla the money while still keeping Ainsley entertained. If nothing else, Fable was getting good at this.
“I would love to see your garden sometime,” Shyla said before she stopped herself. She looked sheepishly at Fable, hoping the young mother wouldn’t think she was rude for inviting herself over. It was more of an expression of wanting to see Fable’s talents, not meaning to be rude at all.
Shyla gave Fable a sympathetic look, “Poor thing!” Shyla had all the respect in the world for parents because raising a child was not an easy task in the least. Well, all the respect in the world for everyone except her own parents. They weren’t even parents, really. Just DNA contributors and an incubator. Once she was born, they showed their true colors though. “I’ll try not to call you at three in the morning...I wouldn’t want to wake you up on those random nights when she might actually be asleep,” Shyla laughed.
“You’ve definitely got the juggling thing down pat,” Shyla said, her expression clearly impressed as she dumped the change in her purse. “Let’s grab a table - that might make things easier. I’ll come back and get our order.” Luckily there was a table by the window - Shyla had been in the ER or OR for 36 hours and her skin craved the sunlight. She made sure that Tiger Lily was secure in her hand and led the way to table. Sitting down, Shyla angled herself so she could see the counter and see when their order was ready. She crossed her legs and put Tiger Lily in her lap so she could play with her phone. She created a contact entry for Fable and slid it across the table. “Do you mind entering your number so we can get together again?”
The last thing Fable was thinking was that the invite was rude - far from it, actually. The last time she’d had a friend to the house was when Lumi came over to keep her company on the full moon. The idea of having friends, someone to hang out with, was a tempting one indeed. Fable couldn’t spend the rest of her life locked away forever and if Ziggy had his way he’d be dragging her to a bar every night. “And I love to show it off. We’ll have to figure out a time that will work for both of us.”
No, raising a baby wasn’t easy, but Fable wouldn’t trade it for anything. All her life she’d always wanted to be a mother, and she and Tim had talked about giving Ainsley the kind of big family Fable herself had grown up with. That wouldn’t happen now. But Fable was determined to give her little girl the very best of everything she could, even if it wouldn’t make up for her father being gone. “You should text, then,” Fable suggested, laughing, “and if I answer, then you know it’s okay to call.” In her head, it was a system that worked.
Following Shyla over to the table, Fable took a seat and set her bag down on the floor, propping Ainsley up on her lap. The baby was still excited to be near the kitten again, reaching for Tiger Lily, and Fable just shook her head. At least Ainsley was easily entertained. To distract her daughter from climbing over the table - or worse, shifting - Fable gave her the dog tags to play with while she took Shyla’s phone. “Thanks for getting the drinks, I appreciate it,” she said, typing in her name, and then her number along with it. Everyone always raised an eyebrow at her last name, if only because they weren’t expecting a “normal” one to match up with her first name, but Fable had always liked the way her name sounded in her head.
With Shyla’s busy schedule and Fable with the baby, it would be damn near a miracle if they found a time to get together. But Shyla was going to think positively for a change. “I’m supposed to be getting my schedule tomorrow, so I’ll text you and let you know what it’s like.” This never happened to Shyla - never did she meet a random person and suddenly feel like she could be friends with them. But here she was, making plans with Fable and loving every minute of it.
After Fable sat down, Shyla chuckled at Ainsley reaching for the kitty. Shyla put Tiger Lily on the table so Ainsley could reach her and play with her. She tore a strip from her napkin and dangled it in front of Tiger Lily, who eagerly stood on her hind legs batting at the paper. Shyla tickled the kitten’s nose with the napkin and laughed when she heard a shrill voice giggling in her head, “Stop it! That tickles!” Tiger Lily flopped on her side, her paws still reaching for the napkin waving gently in the breeze. Shyla couldn’t stand it and took the moment to scratch the kitten’s cute little belly.
“No prob,” Shyla said. “I don’t think you could have carried them anyway...your hands were full of cute giggly baby.” Shyla reached over and smoothed down Ainsley’s soft hair. Once Fable was done entering her number, Shyla retrieved her phone, double checking to make sure everything was entered correctly. “Great, I’ll definitely text you or call you once I get my schedule for next week. I’m sure Tiger Lily will want to come visit her new friend, Ainsley.”
“That sounds lovely. I’m supposed to work tomorrow morning, but I’ll always have my phone in my pocket, so text works fine.” That was the one good thing about Fable’s job - she always got to be with Ainsley, and Mary Anne was always good about whatever time off she needed. Like after her encounter with the demon? Oh hell no, her mother-in-law knew better than to try and get her to go to work after that. It was all Fable could do to get out of bed and take care of her daughter, after all. She was lucky her mother-in-law owned the daycare, and that they actually got along.
Ainsley, too, had her eyes on that dangling piece of paper. Fable always forgot her daughter had better senses than she did, including eye sight, and of course something like that was going to get the little baby wolf’s attention. With something that was like a shriek, Ainsley forgot about th dog tags completely, trying to crawl out of Fable’s lap and onto the table. “Ainsley, that’s not what we’re going to do right now,” Fable chided gently, pulling the baby back. “When we meet up again, then you can play with Tiger Lily. Deal?” She glanced over at Shyla, “You definitely have a friend in her, for sure. Hopefully Tiger Lily won’t mind her constant attention.” And hopefully Ainsley wouldn’t decide to play as a wolf, either. Apparently the baby was too young to get into that whole dogs vs. cats debate.
Chuckling, Fable just gave a little shrug. “You’ll be amazed at how much you learn to multitask once you have a child. I’m almost able to get my hair in a ponytail one handed, thanks to her.” Of course, those were the days when Fable wasn’t really concerned with what she looked like, either too tired or too sad over Tim to put her best foot forward. So long as the baby had what she needed, that was the important part. Right?
Shyla did notice the way the baby was tracking the piece of paper. It was kind of unusual for a baby her age to be so focused on the moving piece of paper. It made Shyla wonder if Ainsley wasn’t supernatural in some way. Maybe after she and Fable got to know each other better, Shyla would feel more comfortable asking Fable.
Just then their order number was called. Shyla jumped up before Fable could and grabbed her tart and their drinks before heading back to the table. Once at the table, she gave Fable her drink while transferring the tart to a napkin. She took the plate the tart had been on and went to the counter to pour a little cream onto the plate for Tiger Lily. Shyla went back to the table and sat the plate down. “I hope you like milk, Tiger Lily.” She laughed when the kitten bounded over and immediately started lapping at the milk with her cute pink tongue.
Shyla dug into her tart with a ferocity that was slightly embarrassing. In between bites, she looked sheepishly at Fable. “Sorry to be rude but I’ve been 36 hours with nothing but a couple of apples. It was a really busy day.” She finished off her tart, brushing at the crumbs that had collected around her mouth. Now that her stomach wasn’t quite so empty, she could relax and enjoy her cup of tea and the great company.
“You mentioned work - what exactly do you do?” It wouldn’t be hard to visualize Fable as a florist or something having to do with plants. The young elemental definitely had that earthy look about her and lit up when she talked about her garden.
Ainsley was always amazing Fable, in one way or another. She wasn’t able to walk or crawl as a baby, but as a wolf, her daughter was incredibly mobile and she didn’t doubt that it wouldn’t be long before her human form followed suit. She’d have her hands full once Ainsley got older, but then again, that was the exact reason why she was in Scarlet Oak, so the Morrisons could help her. They were wolves, so they knew how this went.
Fable had moved to grab their order, but seeing as Shyla was on top of it, she eased back down and let herself smile. It was nice, having someone else around to help her, someone knew to call a friend. Ziggy was usually all over that sort of thing, but he also had his own life to live, and school starting up for him soon. “Oh, don’t worry about it,” she said, giving Shyla a moment to start eating. “You’ve got to take food as you can get it, sometimes. I’ve got some at the house to snack on when she naps.” She glanced down at the baby, “And you will nap, little girl.” Ainsley only giggled, and Fable shook her head.
“As for work, I work a daycare in town, Little Miracles? My mother-in-law owns the place, and it’s been great because it lets me take care of her at the same time.” Fable leaned down to drop a kiss on top of Ainsley’s head, and the little bit of brown hair she had there. “Honestly, I couldn’t imagine taking her anywhere else so I could work elsewhere. This worked out perfectly for us.”
“Oh, that’s the perfect arrangement,” Shyla agreed. “I’ve seen way too many kids come in from daycares with inadequate supervision. I don’t know what I’m going to do when/if I have children of my own... I see way too many bad things - I’m afraid I’ll make my baby live in a bubble.” Shyla laughed lightly, but was serious... she didn’t easily trust people and she couldn’t imagine trusting someone with her child.
Shyla leaned back in her chair, sipping at her tea. She watched as Tiger Lily drank the milk and then curled up on the edge of the table, closest to Shyla. “Aww, sleepy kitty now that she has a full belly.” Shyla couldn’t wait till she got Tiger Lily home and settled in. She just knew the little kitty was going to alleviate some of her loneliness. As would Fable and Ainsley.
“Trust me, I understand the feeling.” And Fable did, the look on her face said as much. When they’d met that demon, Fable had never been so scared in her entire life, knowing there was nothing she could have done to protect Ainsley. If Michael hadn’t been there... she shuddered, and refused to follow that train of thought any further. “I can promise you that we’re one of the good ones,” she said instead. “When, or if, you have kids, you’ll have to check us out.” Fable was pretty sure she’d be at Little Miracles for a long while - it would be some time before she felt okay to move out on her own again, and she wanted to stay near the Morrisons if she could. Somehow, she didn’t think they’d mind.
She smiled to herself as she watched Tiger Lily and Shyla interacting; it was completely different when your familiar was a baby, too. “The little ones all do that,” she said. “Even human babies.” Ainsley would want to be fed soon, but Fable was hoping that she’d be able to make it until they got home. The coffee shop had been the last stop of the day.
“I definitely will check out Little Miracles - although, I don’t think I’ll be having a baby anytime soon,” Shyla laughed. Part of it was no prospects for a daddy - but another part of it was that she didn’t want to repeat her mother’s mistakes. While she was already more successful than her mother had ever been, she knew that it wouldn’t take much for her to fall into the darkness that her mom wallowed in. She was very careful to avoid it, but she always felt that darkness at the edges, like fingers grasping at her, trying to pull her in.
“Sometimes I can’t imagine being a mom - it just seems so overwhelming. And seeing what comes through my OR day after day, I would kill myself worrying about my child every minute of everyday.” Shyla took a sip of her tea before continuing. “I see the worst side of being a parent. I never see the giggly babies like Ainsley. I see the babies who are in pain and the parents who are either angry or crying messes because their child is hurting.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I guess that’s why it’s nice to have a good support system.” Which was another thing that Shyla sorely lacked. But now it looked as if she had her very own little protector in Tiger Lily.
Shyla glanced at her watch and winced. She was going to have to rush around to get Tiger Lily’s supplies before sleeping a few hours and reporting back for her rounds. “I hate to eat and run but I really need to get going. I have to be back at the hospital at 6am for rounds. Do you know of any good pet stores around here? I need to buy some supplies for Tiger Lily.”
Fable only smiled. “Like I said, it’s just something to file away for the future.” After all, not everyone was as eager to settle down and have a family as she had been, but then again, she’d known she’d chosen the right man for her. Even knowing how their story would end, Fable wouldn’t trade the time she had with Tim for anything. She had Ainsley, and that was worth the world, no matter what her parents might tell her. “And the worry... it’s always there, whether you acknowledge it or not. I just try to do my best for her, every second of every single day.” For a moment, Fable touched the dog tags around her neck, reminded again of the fact that she’d have to be a mother and a father both to her little girl. No one could replace Tim, and Fable wasn’t even going to try.
“Seriously, it’s so hard to think about everything that could go wrong, but at the end of the day, it’s worth it.” Ainsley giggled, laying a hand on Fable’s cheek. “Yes, little girl, I’m talking about you.” Seeing Shyla look down at her watch, Fable nodded, completely unfazed. “No worries, I’m about to head out soon, before someone” - she glanced down at Ainsley - “gets too fussy and doesn’t let me get everything else done today. As for pet stores, I know there was a little place in Ann Arbor, I can get the address for you in just a sec.” That was the good thing about always carrying a diaper bag, it felt like she always had anything and everything you might need. After a moment, she passed an old receipt to Shyla. “That’s the address! I’m sure you can find it pretty easily.”
Shyla watched as Fable touched the dogtags around her neck. Shyla was sure there was a hidden meaning behind them but wasn’t going to pry into Fable’s life. Still, she felt the sadness that touched Fable and was curious. “I’m glad to know that I’m not alone in my paranoia,” Shyla chuckled. “If it helps, I think you’re doing a great job - Ainsley is one of the happiest babies I’ve ever seen.”
Shyla tickled Tiger Lily’s cheek to wake her up and giggled when the little kitten yawned. “Well hello sleepy head,” she cooed to the kitten.
Shyla stood up, watching as Fable rummaged in her bag before coming up with a crumpled receipt. “Wow, thank you! I’m sure I can find it.”
Shyla grabbed her purse and Tiger Lily before going over to Ainsley. “Bye, cutie pie.” She held Tiger Lily out to Ainsley so she could pet her. She glanced at Fable, “It was really nice meeting you. I hope you’ll call me sometime... I’d really love to see that garden of yours!” Shyla knew she would have a smile on her face for a few days from having met Fable and the prospect of having a friend in this town.