Chapter 25: Hugs that Heal and Robyn Plays Tag
It's been about a week and a half since Robyn came back (or ran away) with me to my cabin and it's been fun and oddly relaxing and peaceful. We found a nice rhythm like we have always been together.
Always been sisters.
Hearing that word always gives me butterflies and a feeling of disbelief that it's true. Sometimes I still can believe that she's my sister. Sometimes it feels like I don't deserve a sister in general. That I was undeserving.
The next day, I spoke with Robyn about my concerns and the reasons behind my tears. She gave me a hug as she comforted me, reassuring me that there was no way she would ever leave me based on my appearance or anything else.
I also worried that if I made a mistake, she might leave or grow tired of me one day. But she reassured me that she would never get sick of me, and if anything did go wrong (though she doubted it would), we'd work through it together. Then, with a playful grin, she joked that I was stuck with her forever, so I might as well get used to it. Her words made me let out a watery chuckle, and I hugged her even tighter.
The second and third day was mostly showing her around the house and my favorite spots in the forest such as my training area and the small river. I also showed her which berries are safe to eat and which one to avoid. You never know when that knowledge might come in handy.
She seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying and showing her and was clearly enjoying herself.
We ended up having a splash battle in the river, with Ivy giving me battle tips after Robyn caught me off guard after she splashed me with water when I wasn't looking. Afterwards we went back to the cabin, giggling, and she let me take a shower first. I hesitated but after some convincing I did.
Afterward, I told her to give me her clothes so I could wash and dry them while she was taking her shower. She looked at me with confusion and questioning eyes, most likely wondering how I was going to wash and dry it with no washing and drying machine, but shrugged and left it outside the door for me.
I quickly took her clothes and used my magic to conjure some water and used my telekinesis to make it go around in circles before throwing her clothes in.
I decided to check the traps, which had caught some rabbits, and gather different herbs for dinner. I quickly and humanely prepared the rabbits and stored them in the fridge.
I came back to check on her clothes, it seemed clean, I did the same thing with air before bringing her clothes back. I knocked on the door, and she peeked out, her eyes widening in surprise as she noticed her now-dried clothes. She gratefully took them from me, thanking me with a smile.
While she was getting dressed I decided to make dinner as I pulled out two of the fresh rabbits from the fridge and draining them before pulling out the rest of the what I needed. Ivy perked up when she saw what I was making and got excited. She kept me company while I worked.
Soon Robyn came out as I made the finishing touches and we talked about random things. She also asked how I managed to wash and dried her clothes which I explained. She seemed very impressed and called me the smartest witch she knew which I replied that I'm the only witch she knows. She just shrugged and said it's still true which made me look down trying to hide my blushed as Ivy snickered.
The rest of the week was mostly spent cuddling and napping. It took me a while to get used to it, but now I can't get enough of touch and hugs.
After I opened up to Robyn about most of my past life, she was furious about how I'd been treated. She wasn't just empathetic; she was livid, her eyes darkening with every story I told.
You see, not every foster parent returned me to the orphanage right away. Some of them kept me, but not because they wanted me. Some kept me for the foster money, while others wanted to project the image of a perfect family. But behind closed doors, everything changed. The smiles faded, and their true colors came out—the kindness they showed in public disappeared the moment no one was watching.
There was one house that was the worst. They needed someone to take their anger out on, someone who couldn't fight back. I was that someone. During my time with them, I never got to go to the park and play with other kids. There were no family photos, no cherished memories. I didn't even have a stuffed animal to hold onto at night. Instead, there were nights that I went to bed starving because they thought I didn't deserve to eat. Days would pass where I'd sit alone in a dark room, locked away like some burden they wanted to forget existed. The hunger gnawed at me, but even worse was the thirst—the dryness in my throat that made every breath feel like swallowing sand.
When they weren't ignoring me, they were hitting me. Not because I'd done anything wrong, but because they needed an outlet for their anger and frustration, for whatever had gone wrong in their lives. If their boss yelled at them, I felt it in bruises. If they had a bad day, I wore their frustration as welts across my skin. No one came to check if I was okay, no one cared what happened behind closed doors. To them, I was just another faceless, disposable kid.
I wasn't a child in their eyes. I was a punching bag, a scapegoat for everything wrong in their lives. And the worst part? When they finally decided to return me, they acted like they'd done their best, like I was the problem. Like I was too difficult to handle.
Maybe I was too difficult, and I deserved it? I don't know anymore. At first, I tried—I really tried—to connect with them, to be the kind of kid they might love. But after the first few screams, the first stinging hits, I stopped. I stopped hoping, stopped trying, and just did my best to disappear. I learned to stay out of their way, to make myself as small and quiet as possible, like maybe if I was invisible, the hurt would stop. But it never did.
There were others like them, but there's one house I've never told Robyn about.
I can't. I don't think I ever will. Not if I didn't have to.
"I swear," she said one evening, pacing back and forth, "some people don't even deserve the right to adopt. How could they do that to you?!" Her voice cracked with emotion, and I could see the frustration in the way she clenched her fists.
From that point on, she made it her mission to make up for all the hugs and affection I missed out on. Every day she found ways to remind me I was loved—whether it was through a random hug, a playful ruffle of my hair, or just her presence.
She didn't say it, but I knew she was silently vowing to make sure I never felt that kind of abandonment again. It was as if she was trying to single-handedly rewrite my past, with each hug, each laugh, each small act of kindness meant to patch over old wounds. And slowly, it started to work.
We did go out to collect herbs and berries but other than that we stayed inside talking and spending time together. Although the beginning of the week something made Ivy antsy which made me swarm and fidget. Robyn noticed my discomfort and asked me what was wrong. I told her Ivy was restless for some reason.
I asked Ivy what was wrong.
I feel like I need to go for a run, can we go? It's been like forever!
Robyn and I let out a sight chuckle at her exaggeration of time and sigh of relief. "Of course, we can." I turned towards Robyn. "Are you ready to see Ivy?" She beamed at me at the opportunity, being able to meet Ivy in person as she nodded her head with excitement.
We stepped outside as I told her to clothes her eyes. She looked confused for a moment before realizing that I would have to take off my clothes. She blushed as she did even turning around for extra measure.
Ivy and I shared a laugh as I began undressing, carefully folding each piece of clothing and placing it beside me. Closing my eyes, I focused on shifting into Ivy's form, and soon enough, I felt the transformation take hold. I shook out our fur, then trotted up to Robyn, nudging her leg to get her attention.
She uncovered her eyes and slowly turned around, curiosity written across her face. The instant she saw us, her eyes lit up, and she let out an excited squeal before dropping to her knees, eager to pet me. Even though I wasn't at my full size yet, I was already quite large—my head easily reaching the middle of her chest as she knelt, her hands instinctively reaching for my fur.
I grumbled in contentment as she scratched my cheeks and under my chin. She giggled when she found the spot behind my ears, and soon my leg began to kick in rhythm with her scratches.
Before long, I told Robyn that I was going to let Ivy take control for a while, so they could finally meet and play together, and so Ivy could have the chance to run around freely.
Robyn's eyes widened with excitement at the mention of Ivy taking control. "Really?" she asked, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm. I nodded and gave her a reassuring nudge before stepping back a little to give Ivy more space, closing my eyes to allow Ivy to take over.
In an instant, I felt Ivy surge forward, taking the reins. Her energy was contagious, a rush of joy and playfulness filling our shared body.
As soon as she did, Ivy stretched out her limbs, shaking her fur as she settled into the form fully, then bounced around Robyn in excited circles. Robyn's laughter rang out as Ivy playfully nudged her with our snout, darting around her like a giant, overgrown puppy.
She gave Robyn one more affectionate nudge with her snout, then bolted off across the clearing, paws kicking up dirt and grass as she ran. She watched Ivy sprint off, darting through the trees with grace and power. Ivy ran with wild abandon, our muscles surging beneath fur, the wind rushing past as we effortlessly dodged low branches and leaped over rocks.
"You're so fast!" Robyn shouted, her voice full of awe. Ivy responded with a playful bark, stopping just long enough to give Robyn a smug and mischievous glance before darting off again.
Robyn stood and watched in fascination. A moment passed before a grin plastered across her face. "Want to play?" she asked.
Without hesitation, Ivy raced back and gave her an eager nod, nudging Robyn's leg before saying, "Tag you're it, Catch me if you can!" before taking off once more.
With a playful huff, Robyn took off running after her, and for the next few minutes, the clearing was filled with the sound of laughter, giggles, playful barks, and the steady rhythm of paws and feet chasing each other.
After what felt like an eternity of playful running, Ivy finally slowed, her breaths heavy but filled with contentment. As she padded back toward Robyn, her tail wagging lazily, Robyn sank to her knees once more, wrapping her arms around us in a warm, affectionate embrace. "You're amazing, Ivy," she whispered, her voice full of admiration as she pressed her face into our fur.
Ivy let out a soft, pleased rumble before licking Robyn's cheek, causing her to giggle again. I could feel Ivy's happiness and gratitude in that moment, a deep connection forming between the two of them.
She nudged her softly getting her attention before telling her that she was ready to switch back, that it was fun, and that they should do this again sometime.
I took control again, feeling as though I'd just finished running a marathon, but with a deep sense of satisfaction coursing through me. Still in wolf form, I sat down, my chest rising and falling as I tried to catch my breath, my tongue lolling out as I panted.
Beside me, Robyn flopped onto the ground, just as out of breath, her face flushed from all the excitement. We exchanged a glance, both of us grinning between gasps for air.
I decided to check in on Ivy, only to find her completely passed out, snoring softly in contentment after her exhausting run. She was enjoying a well-earned rest.
"That… was amazing," Robyn gasped between breaths, a beaming smile on her face. "Ivy's got some serious energy, huh? I didn't know she could be that fast."
I nodded, grabbing my clothes and slipping behind a tree to shift back. Once the transformation was complete, I quickly got dressed and stepped out from behind the tree.
Robyn was waiting for me, and the moment she saw me in my human form again, her face lit up with a huge smile, her eyes sparkling with warmth and excitement.
"That was incredible," she said, still breathless with excitement. "Ivy's amazing."
I smiled back, a mix of pride and contentment filling me. "She is. I'm glad you two finally got to meet. Well, officially." We began to walk back to the cabin continuing our conversation.
"Me too, I had no idea Ivy's eyes were blue!" Robyn exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. "That's so cool—your eyes actually change color whenever you switch control!"
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it happens in human form too," I said with a smile. "The eye color change is a bit of a giveaway—it can be both a blessing and a curse sometimes."
Robyn let out a bright grin before bumping our shoulders, "Well, it's definitely one of coolest things I've ever seen."
I grinned back as a thanks.
As we approached the cabin, the sun was starting to set which casted a warm, golden orange glow over everything.
Today was a good day.
As we entered the cabin, we settled onto the couch. I pulled out my favorite book on random facts and nestled close to Robyn, resting my head gently on her collarbone. She responded by pulling me even closer, tightening her embrace as we both relaxed, enjoying the moment.
We sat there in a content and comfortable silence, with me chiming in with some interesting random facts, such as how Australia is wider than the moon, the heart of a shrimp is on its head, the unicorn is the national of Scotland, and how Venus is the only planet to spin clockwise.
As drowsiness began to overtake me and my eyes grew heavy, I barely managed to hold onto the book before it started to slip from my grasp. Robyn gently caught it and set it aside. As I gave into the temptation of sleep as I did, I felt her carefully adjust us on the couch, lying us both flat with me nestled on her stomach. As I drifted off, I felt a light kiss press softly against my forehead making me cuddle into her more, feeling warm and content.
I was so content with how the day had gone that I didn't realize my nose was becoming clogged and my temperature was rising.