Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 29:
Just as soon as Taha and I reach the picnic table to sit with Dad, Lily, Kai and Zander, Dad shakes his head no at me. I fork a bit of coleslaw, then ask, “What? No, what?”
Zander answers for him, “Chief asked about rings. They don’t make it. We got mine replaced, for if I ever stop phasing, but my original literally shattered into shards.”
I shrugged, “It’s not really a big deal to me. I was telling Taha I don’t need all that. I’d be happy with us promising ourselves to each other on the picnic island, our packs and family around us.”
The tattoo of Zander’s name on Lily’s inner wrist caught my eye, then my mind started swirling at the possibilities. I thought out loud after a minute, “Maybe… we could do something like that… get a tattoo on our ring fingers. Maybe the date and initials? I’ll have to look into that.”
I look at Taha next to me, only to find out he’s grinning from ear to ear. He pecks my lips, then offers, “I like that idea very much, Isabella.”
As we separate, I happen to see my father trying to hide his grin behind a fork full of food. I guess my suggestion works for him, too. Who knows... maybe we can do like Zander... get rings, then just save them for special occasions and when we decide to stop phasing.
I hear a small squeal to my right, then look down to see Kai with wide eyes and a mouth full of cake. Without even swallowing, the little boy nods emphatically as he garbles out, “Ss good!”
Zander scowls at Kai, but it’s Lily who snaps her fingers and whispers, “You will swallow what’s in your mouth and apologize to Miss Bella, young man. What have I told you about opening your mouth when you have food in it?”
The toddler quickly does as his mother asks, and I bite my cheek at his cuteness as he answers her with his head down, “No talking with food in my mouth. It’s not nice, ‘cuz I could spit my food on ‘em.”
Lily nods as Kai meets her gaze, so he turns in his spot to face me, “Sorry, Miss Bella. It was really good, and I forgot.”
I nod and ruffle his hair a bit, admitting, “It’s alright. I sometimes forget things, too. We just have to try harder to remember the next time, that’s all.”
He hugs me around the waist, then smiles at Lily before eating the rest of his carrot cake. Once his plate is clear, Dad silently slides his uneaten piece to Kai, giving him a wink. The little boy grins, says a cheerful thank you, and digs right in. Lily can only chuckle and say as she bumps shoulders with her husband, “You get sugar-overload duty tonight, mister. Mama needs a break.”
I take the time to go in and check how everyone is doing once my plate is empty, stopping to say hi to each of the coyotes here. When I stop at the table Greg is at, he grins, “Bella, this is my cousin, Andy. He’s a licensed electrician, but he mainly does HVAC work.”
I smile as I shake the man’s hand. “Really! Hello, Andy. If you’re up for some work, I might be able to use your services. Hold on just a sec. Let me go grab the sketch and show you.”
I pick the scrap paper up off the coffee table, then return, sitting in the open spot at the table. I hand the sketch to Andy, then say, “This is what we want to accomplish with the materials from Gray Haven. It will house 8 of the tribal representatives coming. I’ll be housing another 12 between the loft above our heads and the one above my bedroom. The main house already electrically has everything needed, except for lighting and venting for another bathroom. It’s the cabin that will need the bulk of the help. Taha was talking about placing this cabin on a pier foundation.”
He nods, scratches his chin, then says, “You’ll need a breaker box, and I don’t see a place for one set.”
I take a look at the plans, then tap the linen closet by the back door. “I don’t really need all that, so if that spot works, I can just put recessed shelves either above or below the breaker box, depending on how high it’s set.”
He nods, “Definitely below, so you might want some doors on those shelves. It can be done easily, though. Are you thinking about standard placements for light switches and wall outlets?”
I point to the bunkroom, saying, “I was thinking a four-space outlet should be between the beds here and here. One in the sitting room here near the corner, by the window. One in the kitchen between the sink and the stove for a coffee pot or microwave. Then switches for overhead lights. One near the front door for the living room, by the back door for the hall, then one each in the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedroom.”
He smiles, “Nothing out of the ordinary, and all quite doable. How far would a new line need to branch off from your mainline?”
My eyes flick toward the stairs before I offer, “Well, the main breaker box is at the bottom of the stairs, on the basement level under the entry. I haven’t really decided on the placement of the cabin yet, since I wanted Taha’s opinion of whether the land needed to be graded before they set the pillars. I was thinking out near the treeline in my backyard, though.”
He got up and went to the open living room french doors, hummed, then went to the entry and looked out from there. When he sat back down, he offered, “I’ll want to split off before it gets to your breaker box for the main house. That means making a hole in your rear foundation wall, so I can feed out a plastic pipe that will contain the main electrical line going to the cabin. The pipe is needed so the line can be protected once it’s buried. It makes no sense to run both the pipe and the line the extra couple hundred feet to go around. I can do the entire job for you at material cost, but running the extra line would run that bill up quickly.”
My hand automatically goes to my heart at the gesture, but I ask anyway, “Please, let me pay you somehow for your work… a few dinners for your family… something. The job you’re doing is no small task.”
He thinks, then asks, “Do you happen to take after your great-grandmother? If you could make a few dream pillows, I would be very appreciative. My daughter, Mae, has been having horrible nightmares.”
Greg frowns, “Mae’s dreams are back? I thought they stopped?”
Andy nods sadly, so I whisper, “Oh, no,” then remember Gran Hurit’s recipes. “If you can give me a couple of days to make sure I have the right pillow recipe, I’ll make her a tea mix, for before bed, and 2 dream pillows to promote better rest. Does she have any allergies or aversions to certain scents? Will she drink warm tea? Her nightmares, are they sudden, or does she have them around the same time each night?”
He nods seriously, “No allergies. She’s usually calmed by floral scents, so I don’t think so. She drinks a cup of tea most nights, so that won’t be out of the norm. As far as her dreams, they’re not on a predictable schedule. Sometimes it doesn’t happen until closer to morning, but other times it’s two or three times a night. They leave her shaken for a bit, which means usually my wife or I stay until she calms.”
I pat his hand on the table, promising, “I haven’t made dream pillows yet, but Gran Hurit left several recipes. I’ll find the right one and try to help your daughter.”
He nods, seeming relieved, then states, “Thank you. Just have Greg get a hold of me when you are ready for me to start the job.”
I promise him I will then happen to see Leah out of the corner of my eye. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to check on someone real quick.”
Once he nods, it doesn’t take long for me to catch up to Leah, who is at the table in the entry. “Hey, Leah. How are you doing?”
She gives me a tired grin in response, “Okay, but if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to crash after I eat.”
I shake my head, “Not at all. You literally ran all day to get here. Eat, rest up, and we’ll start fresh tomorrow. I’ll answer any questions you might have, and we could use your help getting things set for the ones coming. If you don’t mind, Zander might set you up with a patrol buddy while here.”
She nods, “Absolutely. That’s what I’m here for. Put me to work… after I crash for a few.”
I chuckle, “You’ll have all night unless one of the coyotes sounds the alarm. Then Taha and I would go, but I’d rather you and Jake stay with Dad.”
She grins, “Got it. Protect the Chief. Looks like somebody’s missing your presence.”
I turn, only to see Taha making his way to me. He pulls me into his arms, places a sweet kiss on my lips, then asks, “Everything alright, Little Coyote?”
I nod, “Yeah. I was just checking on everyone and got caught up. Greg’s cousin Andy will be doing all the electrical and HVAC work for the cabin, and the bath we’re putting in with the main loft bunk room. Because of her running all day to get here, I’ve told Leah to go ahead and crash after she eats. In the morning, we’ll put her to work.”
He nodded, offering, “I came to find you because your dad is talking to a father/daughter plumbing team. They have some questions that you would need to answer.”
I smile, “Oh, good. Let me grab the sketch, then we’ll go see them.” Taha takes my hand, and I grab the sketch from the table before exiting the house.
Just as soon as Taha and I reach the picnic table to sit with Dad, Lily, Kai and Zander, Dad shakes his head no at me. I fork a bit of coleslaw, then ask, “What? No, what?”
Zander answers for him, “Chief asked about rings. They don’t make it. We got mine replaced, for if I ever stop phasing, but my original literally shattered into shards.”
I shrugged, “It’s not really a big deal to me. I was telling Taha I don’t need all that. I’d be happy with us promising ourselves to each other on the picnic island, our packs and family around us.”
The tattoo of Zander’s name on Lily’s inner wrist caught my eye, then my mind started swirling at the possibilities. I thought out loud after a minute, “Maybe… we could do something like that… get a tattoo on our ring fingers. Maybe the date and initials? I’ll have to look into that.”
I look at Taha next to me, only to find out he’s grinning from ear to ear. He pecks my lips, then offers, “I like that idea very much, Isabella.”
As we separate, I happen to see my father trying to hide his grin behind a fork full of food. I guess my suggestion works for him, too. Who knows... maybe we can do like Zander... get rings, then just save them for special occasions and when we decide to stop phasing.
I hear a small squeal to my right, then look down to see Kai with wide eyes and a mouth full of cake. Without even swallowing, the little boy nods emphatically as he garbles out, “Ss good!”
Zander scowls at Kai, but it’s Lily who snaps her fingers and whispers, “You will swallow what’s in your mouth and apologize to Miss Bella, young man. What have I told you about opening your mouth when you have food in it?”
The toddler quickly does as his mother asks, and I bite my cheek at his cuteness as he answers her with his head down, “No talking with food in my mouth. It’s not nice, ‘cuz I could spit my food on ‘em.”
Lily nods as Kai meets her gaze, so he turns in his spot to face me, “Sorry, Miss Bella. It was really good, and I forgot.”
I nod and ruffle his hair a bit, admitting, “It’s alright. I sometimes forget things, too. We just have to try harder to remember the next time, that’s all.”
He hugs me around the waist, then smiles at Lily before eating the rest of his carrot cake. Once his plate is clear, Dad silently slides his uneaten piece to Kai, giving him a wink. The little boy grins, says a cheerful thank you, and digs right in. Lily can only chuckle and say as she bumps shoulders with her husband, “You get sugar-overload duty tonight, mister. Mama needs a break.”
I take the time to go in and check how everyone is doing once my plate is empty, stopping to say hi to each of the coyotes here. When I stop at the table Greg is at, he grins, “Bella, this is my cousin, Andy. He’s a licensed electrician, but he mainly does HVAC work.”
I smile as I shake the man’s hand. “Really! Hello, Andy. If you’re up for some work, I might be able to use your services. Hold on just a sec. Let me go grab the sketch and show you.”
I pick the scrap paper up off the coffee table, then return, sitting in the open spot at the table. I hand the sketch to Andy, then say, “This is what we want to accomplish with the materials from Gray Haven. It will house 8 of the tribal representatives coming. I’ll be housing another 12 between the loft above our heads and the one above my bedroom. The main house already electrically has everything needed, except for lighting and venting for another bathroom. It’s the cabin that will need the bulk of the help. Taha was talking about placing this cabin on a pier foundation.”
He nods, scratches his chin, then says, “You’ll need a breaker box, and I don’t see a place for one set.”
I take a look at the plans, then tap the linen closet by the back door. “I don’t really need all that, so if that spot works, I can just put recessed shelves either above or below the breaker box, depending on how high it’s set.”
He nods, “Definitely below, so you might want some doors on those shelves. It can be done easily, though. Are you thinking about standard placements for light switches and wall outlets?”
I point to the bunkroom, saying, “I was thinking a four-space outlet should be between the beds here and here. One in the sitting room here near the corner, by the window. One in the kitchen between the sink and the stove for a coffee pot or microwave. Then switches for overhead lights. One near the front door for the living room, by the back door for the hall, then one each in the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedroom.”
He smiles, “Nothing out of the ordinary, and all quite doable. How far would a new line need to branch off from your mainline?”
My eyes flick toward the stairs before I offer, “Well, the main breaker box is at the bottom of the stairs, on the basement level under the entry. I haven’t really decided on the placement of the cabin yet, since I wanted Taha’s opinion of whether the land needed to be graded before they set the pillars. I was thinking out near the treeline in my backyard, though.”
He got up and went to the open living room french doors, hummed, then went to the entry and looked out from there. When he sat back down, he offered, “I’ll want to split off before it gets to your breaker box for the main house. That means making a hole in your rear foundation wall, so I can feed out a plastic pipe that will contain the main electrical line going to the cabin. The pipe is needed so the line can be protected once it’s buried. It makes no sense to run both the pipe and the line the extra couple hundred feet to go around. I can do the entire job for you at material cost, but running the extra line would run that bill up quickly.”
My hand automatically goes to my heart at the gesture, but I ask anyway, “Please, let me pay you somehow for your work… a few dinners for your family… something. The job you’re doing is no small task.”
He thinks, then asks, “Do you happen to take after your great-grandmother? If you could make a few dream pillows, I would be very appreciative. My daughter, Mae, has been having horrible nightmares.”
Greg frowns, “Mae’s dreams are back? I thought they stopped?”
Andy nods sadly, so I whisper, “Oh, no,” then remember Gran Hurit’s recipes. “If you can give me a couple of days to make sure I have the right pillow recipe, I’ll make her a tea mix, for before bed, and 2 dream pillows to promote better rest. Does she have any allergies or aversions to certain scents? Will she drink warm tea? Her nightmares, are they sudden, or does she have them around the same time each night?”
He nods seriously, “No allergies. She’s usually calmed by floral scents, so I don’t think so. She drinks a cup of tea most nights, so that won’t be out of the norm. As far as her dreams, they’re not on a predictable schedule. Sometimes it doesn’t happen until closer to morning, but other times it’s two or three times a night. They leave her shaken for a bit, which means usually my wife or I stay until she calms.”
I pat his hand on the table, promising, “I haven’t made dream pillows yet, but Gran Hurit left several recipes. I’ll find the right one and try to help your daughter.”
He nods, seeming relieved, then states, “Thank you. Just have Greg get a hold of me when you are ready for me to start the job.”
I promise him I will then happen to see Leah out of the corner of my eye. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to check on someone real quick.”
Once he nods, it doesn’t take long for me to catch up to Leah, who is at the table in the entry. “Hey, Leah. How are you doing?”
She gives me a tired grin in response, “Okay, but if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to crash after I eat.”
I shake my head, “Not at all. You literally ran all day to get here. Eat, rest up, and we’ll start fresh tomorrow. I’ll answer any questions you might have, and we could use your help getting things set for the ones coming. If you don’t mind, Zander might set you up with a patrol buddy while here.”
She nods, “Absolutely. That’s what I’m here for. Put me to work… after I crash for a few.”
I chuckle, “You’ll have all night unless one of the coyotes sounds the alarm. Then Taha and I would go, but I’d rather you and Jake stay with Dad.”
She grins, “Got it. Protect the Chief. Looks like somebody’s missing your presence.”
I turn, only to see Taha making his way to me. He pulls me into his arms, places a sweet kiss on my lips, then asks, “Everything alright, Little Coyote?”
I nod, “Yeah. I was just checking on everyone and got caught up. Greg’s cousin Andy will be doing all the electrical and HVAC work for the cabin, and the bath we’re putting in with the main loft bunk room. Because of her running all day to get here, I’ve told Leah to go ahead and crash after she eats. In the morning, we’ll put her to work.”
He nodded, offering, “I came to find you because your dad is talking to a father/daughter plumbing team. They have some questions that you would need to answer.”
I smile, “Oh, good. Let me grab the sketch, then we’ll go see them.” Taha takes my hand, and I grab the sketch from the table before exiting the house.