Chapter 2: A Very Patient Individual
"Can I get you some more hot chocolate?" Loyal Heart asked. He tried valiantly to act smooth, but his shaky voice and set-back ears betrayed his nervousness.
"No thank you, I'm okay for now." Nika spoke through her mug. "You might want to go back to the others, though. Looks like they're waiting for you."
Returning to the discussion, Love a Lot Bear was the first to speak. "You know Loyal Heart, that's the third time in less than an hour you've gone over to ask how she's doing. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had reasons other than filling her cocoa mug."
"Come on, Love a Lot." Said Loyal Heart, his nervousness returning. She's had a rough night, and I'm just trying to make her feel at home."
"I guess that would explain why your ears are so far back I can barely see them. Face it Loyal Heart, she makes you nervous because you like her!"
"Like her? She's been her less than an hour! I don't even know her!"
"Sometimes you don't need to know someone to like them." Love a Lot replied with a smug little grin. "Isn't that what they call 'puppy love?'"
Nika sipped at her hot chocolate and watched the discussion from afar. Every once in awhile one of them—there must have been 30 total—would look up at her, smile excitedly, and return to the conversation. She, meanwhile, was sitting at the other end of the table, quietly going over her very eventful night. In the course of an evening, she said to herself, I've lost my entire family, and I've lost the only human that was ever friendly to us. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, a couple of complete strangers comes down from the sky and invites me into their family! I'd swear this is a dream, but I've been pinching myself all night, and haven't woken up yet.
Looking away from the group, she noticed two smaller bears staring at her in awe. Upon making eye contact with Nika, the pink one hid behind her blue brother. It was the blue one that finally spoke. "My sister Hugs says you're one of No Heart's monsters." The little bear started, neglecting a greeting altogether. I said she was being silly, 'cause you look like us. So, which are you?"
"Well," Nika answered softly, "I'd have to say that I'm neither at the moment. But like you said, I look like you, so maybe I'm supposed to be one of you. Besides, this 'No Heart' person certainly doesn't seem like a very good person to be friends with. And last I checked, I wasn't a monster." Especially now that I look like a teddy bear. She added, giggling at her own joke.
"See Hugs? I told ya she wasn't a monster!" The blue bear announced triumphantly.
"I didn't know, Tugs!" Said Hugs, coming out from behind her brother. She is a stranger, and she doesn't even have a tummy symbol."
"Well, Hugs," said Nika, maybe I'll get one of those pretty pictures on my tummy after the others are done talking."
"Alright, my little darlings, stop interrogating our guest." Nika looked up from the little bears to see a pale purple bear, much older than the ones across the table, round up her two charges. The purple bear looked up at Nika. "You'll have to forgive Baby Hugs and Tugs. They're quite the inquisitive pair."
"Nothing to forgive." Nika replied. "How does a cub learn if he doesn't ask questions?"
Tugs looked up at the older bear. "We just wanted to see if she was a new member of the family or not, Grams Bear."
"Well, that's for the others to decide." Said Grams Bear, looking over at the far end of the table. "But if she's as patient with everyone else as she is with you, I don't see any problem."
The congregation at the far end of the table broke up a few minutes later, and each bear or cousin returned to his or her assigned seat. A purple horse stood at the head of the table and motioned for Nika to come forward.
"Each of us, before we became who we are, suffered the loss of their loved one, or loved ones." The horse began. "This poor wolf suffered no less, having lost both her family, and a human that she had come to trust like family. However, with the help of the Great Wishing Star, not only has she been brought to us, but has also been given the same gift that each of us now holds so dear."
The horse then turned to Nika. "Nika, we offer our deepest condolences for the loss of your family. A pain like that, unfortunately, never goes away. Like I said before, every one of us is under similar circumstances. However, we've discussed it, and we'd like to offer you our little family. It doesn't compare to the original, but we love, support, and care for one another just the same. We really hope you'll consider it."
Nika looked from the horse to the other animals at the table, each of whom had a look of excitement and hope in their eyes. They really wanted this, but not for themselves. They wanted it for her. She looked down at the table. This was happening way too fast.
"Only a few hours ago, I was a lone wolf running for my life," she said out loud. "Now, I'm literally up in the clouds, sitting at a heart-shaped table, sipping hot chocolate with a group of strangers. Very friendly strangers, but still strangers. But on the other hand, you're offering me a family, the one thing I've always cherished most of all. And if that weren't enough, the star I wish to every night made this all happen. Animal instinct may be telling me one thing, but my heart is telling me to say yes. And I've always been a sucker for what my heart tells me."
A cheer rose from every bear and cousin at the table as a brown bear stood up and walked toward Nika and the horse.
"Tenderheart, would you be so kind as to present Nika with her tummy symbol?"
"It would be my pleasure, Noble Heart, but we don't have a name for her yet."
A small blue paw rose from the back of the room.
"While you guys were all talking before, Hugs and I said hello to Nika." Baby Tugs said. "Actually, we didn't even say hello. We were kinda rude and asked a bunch of mean questions. But Grams Bear said that Nika was really nice when she answered us. I think she called it 'patience'. So Hugs and I think we should call her Patient Heart!"
Noble Heart, Tenderheart, and Nika all smiled at Tugs. Turning toward Nika, Noble Heart said, "So, what do you think? Does 'Patient Heart' suit you?"
Nika laughed. "It's what I've always been known for."
"Then let's make that tummy symbol!" Said Tenderheart, warming up his symbol. A red heart came from his tummy, and landed on Nika's tummy. A second later, the heart faded, and a new symbol remained—a red heart-shaped timer.
Noble Heart smiled brightly at his newest cousin. "Care Bears, and Care Bear Cousins, I give you the newest member of our family, Patient Heart Wolf!"
Although everybody applauded, it was a little blue floppy—eared dog that cheered loudest of all.