Three Wolves and One Human
Chapter 12:
In It Together
...4 months later, November...
Dick pulled a plant up to find dozens of potatoes. The entire family smiled. Success! They'd finally grown something that didn't die. Eagerly, Roe pulled some up and they flew all over the place. Hailey happily dusted the dirt off them and put them in the bucket. When all the potatoes were all pulled from the ground, they all carried buckets of potatoes inside to be cleaned in the utility room's sink.
That night, they ate mash potatoes and beans for dinner. Roe happily stuffed her face, asking for more and more and more.
"Robyn, you're father and I have been talking and... well..." said Zatanna "You'll be 5 in 5 months so, we've decided, if you can prove you have control of turning into a wolf, you can go to Kindergarten,"
Roe stared at them in shock before jumping up and turning half-wolf.
"But, only if you control the change. Okay?" Dick said.
Roe's wolf features disappeared and she returned to human. She fell to the floor and continued to eat her dinner. They really needed to get a table and chairs.
Zatanna went to their neighbors and gave them all a bag of potatoes. The effort was rewarded by them giving her things they had grown in return. When she returned home, Zatanna had lettuce, tomatoes, milk, eggs, corn and weat. Megan had come with her to help carry everything.
"Thanks for helping, Megan," said Zatanna.
"No problem, Zatanna," said Megan as they walked inside.
"I'm home!" Zatanna called into the house "And I've brought Megan and food with me!"
Roe walked out of the bathroom, pulling her shorts up, and ran to her mother. She hugged Zatanna's legs and seemed to be sad.
"I'll put these in your kitchen," said Megan, taking all the bags of food and walking away.
Zatanna got on her knees and put her hands on her daughter's tiny shoulders.
"What's wrong, Robyn?" she asked.
Roe lifted her toy robin out of her pocket to reveal it had a wing ripped off and she pulled the wing out of her back pocket. Zatanna took the pieces before giving Roe a smile and a reassuring pat on the head.
"Don't worry, honey, I'll fix it for you," she said, putting the pieces on top of the shelves where Roe couldn't reach it.
"Hey, Zatanna?! Where do you want this stuff?!" Megan called from the kitchen.
Zatanna walked over to the kitchen and stepped down to it. Megan had gone to the other end of the kitchen and stepped down to the refrigerator with the food on the step beside her.
"In the fridge is good," said Zatanna, walking over to her.
The kitchen was somewhat two rooms. The half behind the front room was cabinets, work serfices and the sink that was separated from the other half by an archway. Through the archway and down the step was the fridge, oven and microwave.
"It's... so small," said Megan "I've got it!"
"This is too much!" Zatanna exclaimed.
Two men carried a full sized fridge off the back of a pickup truck and carried it in the direction of her house. Megan was directing them as Zatanna ran behind.
"Oh, uh, and, Zatanna, this is my husband, Conner, and his brother, Clark. Say hello guys!" Megan said.
"Hello," they said and continued through the house.
"This old thing was gathering dust in the shed, anyway," said Conner.
"Now, it's going to good use," said Clark.
Roe and Hailey were hiding when Roe decided to prove she had control. She turned full wolf with her hoodie tied around her neck and walked into view. The Kents were leaving when they noticed Roe.
"Since when did you have a dog?" Megan asked.
Zatanna turned around and nearly had a heart attack.
"That doesn't look like a dog. More like a wolf!" Clark said.
"Don't be dumb, Clark, that's a German Shepherd crossed with another breed," said Conner "Am I right, Zatanna?"
"Uh, well, I," stammered Zatanna.
"Hey, where'd it go?" Megan asked and they looked around.
That's when Roe came running through the house from the backdoor and stopped at the edge of the foundation.
"Hi, Mrs. Kent. Hi, Mr. Kent. Hi, other Mr. Kent," she said "How are you?"
"Ah, you and your doggie's clothes match. How adorable," said Megan.
"That's my Robyn... adorable," said Zatanna in disbelief.
Roe smiled, ran off and jumped off the foundation and out of sight. What reappeared was her wolf form. Zatanna was as white as a sheet and her heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird's wing.
"Good thing Old Man Nelson told everyone to watch out for you and your family, Zatanna, or all that food would have gone to waste," said Clark as they climbed into their truck.
"Idiot! That was supposed to be a secret!" Conner scolded.
Zatanna thought about that as she waved goodbye to them. Then she realized...
Mr. Nelson was working in the fields as the Sun went down. Someone on a bike was coming his way. When they stopped, it was revealed to be Zatanna with Hailey in a baby carrier on her back. She seemed to have been in a rush to get there as she was panting for breath.
"You-You t-told ev-every-everyone to wa-watch ou-ou-t f-for us? I tho-thought y-you di-didn't li-ke us?" Zatanna gasped, taking a bottle from her bike basket and taking a gulp of water.
"Well... better you four than some ex-businessman thinking he's signed on for the easy life," said Mr. Nelson, grabbing the handles of a wheelbarrow and pushing it away.
Zatanna smiled.
"I get why you got us to plant so much," she said "We're all in it together,"
Mr. Nelson looked at her with an eyebrow raised. She got back on her bike and rode away with her child on her back.