“I don’t think they’re going to forget I’m not a wolf.”
“But they might mind a lot less if you don’t smell so human.”
“Maybe.”
“It’s worth a try. You h
ave nothing to lose.”
“Hmm.” I give her my mug and stand up. “I should go.”
“Think about what I said.”
“I will.”
I head back into the hallway and walk down to the children’s center. It’s time for my shift playing with the little cubs. When I reach the care center, I’m greeted by eight little wolf cubs who pile on me.
“Red!” They all shout, and I’m overwhelmed. It’s hard for me not to feel overcome with joy and contentment when they greet me like this. It’s been so long since I felt loved like this.
“About time you showed up,” Ali says glumly from the corner. She’s glaring at me, but a quick look at the clock shows I’m precisely on time, if not a little early.
“Rough morning?” I ask cheerfully, trying to diffuse the situation.
“Anna threw up, so I called her mother. Leslie was late, but showed up about twenty minutes ago. She’s over there napping,” Ali points to a corner where the 4-year-old cub is curled up in a pile of pillows. She’s fast asleep.
“Were her parents up late fighting again?” I ask with a frown. Leslie has been having trouble sleeping at night. She told us her folks have been arguing. One of the reasons we offer childcare for the pack now is so that couples have time to work on their relationships. It worries me that they’re still arguing all the time. Maybe I should ask Nash to talk with them. We have many wolves who are trained professionals in various fields. Maybe someone would be willing to offer marriage counseling for wolf mates who are struggling.
“Yeah,” Ali’s face softens as she looks at the little girl. “I feel sad for her.”
“It’s a hard place to be in,” I murmur, remembering my mother’s own marriage struggles. While she and my dad stayed married, they had trouble for many years. As a kid, I’d lay awake listening to them argue late into the night. I always worried I’d wake up and my dad would be gone.
I always worried I’d never see him again.
“Um,” I clear my throat, trying to come back to the present. “What about the other kids?”
“Tam and Lia had a fight, but they worked it out together. Nothing else really has happened.”
“Okay. Did everyone sing songs and color this morning?”
“Yeah,” Ali says with a smile. “And we did a craft.”
“Really?” I’m surprised. Ali is one of the most loyal volunteers we have, but she doesn’t always like to be around the kids. I’m not really sure why she offered to work at the childcare center, but I like that she’s so willing to help out despite her obvious lack of interest in children. Who knows? Maybe she’ll learn some skills that will help her with her own kids someday.
“Yeah.” She’s cut off by the sound of a little baby crying. “Hey, Ralph is awake.” She darts up before I can move and hurries to the crib in the corner. “Hey there, little guy,” she swoops him up and hugs him close, then carries him to the changing table to get him cleaned up.
I don’t say anything as I watch her for a second, surprised at how far she’s come. When Ali and I started working together, she seriously hated kids and I almost asked her to stop coming. I’m glad I didn’t. She’s really come around.
She finishes changing Ralph, then brings him to me and hands him over. Is that reluctance I see in her eyes? Maybe she’s getting attached.
“I should go now,” Ali says. “He’s going to need a bottle soon. His mom brought a bottle of breast milk. It’s in the fridge.”
“Okay,” I smile, taking the little bundle. I peek at his tiny face and smile as the baby looks up at me. I know I’m not his mommy, but I sure like this little guy. His mother helps in the kitchens preparing food for the pack, so he comes for a couple of hours each day.
“Bye, kiddos,” Ali waves to the little ones and grabs her purse, then heads out of the room.
“Well, guys,” I settle in to the rocking chair with baby Ralph. “Looks like it’s just us now.”
The next few hours pass in a whirlwind of painting, drawing, stories, games, and snacks. Before I know it, every kid has been picked up except for Tam, so the two of us sit in the middle of the floor and play patty-cake until his parents come back for him.