Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 30:
The father and daughter team of plumbers ended up being Devon’s dad and older sister. Thomas and Jasmine were great to talk to, and neither seemed to think the job was more than the pair of them could handle. We weren’t asking for extravagant showers with 10 different sprayers or anything, so they stated that the work needing done was standard for any home being built.
After nodding to each other, Thomas said they’d do the work for material cost, so I stated, “Please, let me do something to compensate you for your time.”
I look down and see Jasmine absent-mindedly rubbing her fingers over a cut on her hand. I ask softly, “Does that happen a lot? You both have cuts on your hands.”
Jasmine blushes slightly, but nods, “Yeah. We wear work gloves most of the time, but if they wear out or we forget them at home, sometimes we get nicked by the edges on the cut pipes. Then it takes longer to heal, since we’re constantly working with water.”
After a negative answer when I ask if either of them are allergic to anything, I look at Taha with a grin. He asks, already knowing what I’m thinking, “Which ones would you like me to get?”
I reply right away, “On the healing shelf, grab 2 tins of the salve with the yellow label, please.”
He kisses my shoulder, then jogs into the house. When he returns only a couple of minutes later, he places the tins in front of me. I tell Jasmine and Thomas as I place a tin in front of each of them, “This is for use with cuts and burns. It’s all-natural, and should be good for a year or 2 if stored in a cool, dry place. Dip a clean finger into the tin, spread a thin layer of salve onto the cut, and bandage it while working, just to keep it dry. It works pretty quickly, so you should start seeing a difference within 48 hrs.”
Thomas looks curiously at the tin, then asks as he opens it and sniffs the salve, “This works on burns, you said? Huh, it smells nice.”
I nod, “Yes, burns and cuts. This was one of my Great-grandmother’s recipes. It’s supposed to promote fast healing and has a mild pain-relieving quality.”
Jasmine smiles at Thomas, “Momma. The burn she got from that pan falling.”
At my questioning, look, Thomas nods, “My wife, Ava, turned in the kitchen, and the cast iron pan got caught on her apron. The pan fell. It didn’t hit her foot, thankfully, but the food in the pan did. Burned the top of her foot.”
Taha is up before I can even ask him, saying, “I know. I’ll be right back.”
Jasmine giggles a bit, so I smile at them both, “If he accurately predicted what I was going to ask for, he’ll be coming back with gauze pads and wraps, to go with that salve. Gently put a thin layer on the burn, cover with the gauze pad, and wrap it all the way around with the wrap. For sleeping or walking around the house, have her wear a sock over the wrap. Don’t wrap it too tight, but tight enough that if she takes her sock off, it’s not going to feel loose. Tell her to try to leave it open to the air for 30 minutes to an hour, clean of salve, at least 4 times a day. If you wouldn’t mind, please bring her by after you’ve been doing this for 3 days or so. I’d like to make sure it’s healing well. If not, we’ll have to try something else.”
Right then, Taha comes back, a small paper bag in his hand. He hands it to me. I grin as I open it, then my grin widens as I show Jasmine the contents of the bag, “Do you think I should keep him?”
She chuckles and nods, so I laugh in agreement, “Yeah, I do, too.”
Taha grins proudly, then links his fingers with mine as he asks, “Did you have enough to eat?”
I nod, “Yeah. I’m getting used to knowing the difference now, plus I’ve been keeping a close eye on my energy level. A hunt is definitely in order tonight.”
Just then, Jake plops down beside me, asking, “Mind if I join? It wouldn’t hurt for me to top off, since it’s been a while since my last actual hunt. Leah hunted twice on the way, so she’s good on energy reserves. Her muscles are just overworked from the run.”
Taha and I both grin, knowing Jake just wants to run with me, then we both say at the same time, “The more the merrier.”
Devon grins as he hugs his sister and pats his dad on the back, “Really? If you guys are headed to Glacier, I wouldn’t mind tagging along.” Then he looks at my dad and says, “Greg’s got the night shift, Chief Swan, so he’ll be around. You’ll have Leah in the house, and I think Shiloh roaming the property.”
I nod, “Sounds good to me. We’ll probably be heading out at around 10 or so.”
I tell Thomas and Jasmine that I’ll have Devon let them know when we’ll be ready for plumbing work to be done. We talk for a few more minutes, then Kai comes walking up to me.
Zander grins successfully, knowing he’s worn his son out of his sugar high. Lily is inside with the other imprints, so when Kai looks up at me, I automatically pull him up into my arms. As his head rests on my chest, his fingers play with the ends of my hair, but it doesn’t stop my conversation with those at the table.
After less than five minutes of rubbing his little back, Zander comes over, whispering, “Want me to take him?”
I peek down and see that Kai is fast asleep, so I shake my head no, “I have him if you want to go spend a few minutes with Lily. She and the girls did an amazing job with dinner, Zander.”
He grins, kisses the top of my head, and offers, “Thanks. I’ll go take some of the cleanup duty off her hands.”
It’s only a few minutes later that people start to disperse in different directions after waving at us in the backyard. Careful not to jostle Kai, I stand and move to the living room with Taha, knowing it would be easier for others to say their goodnights. Dad says he’s off to grab his shower for the night, and he plans on watching a DVR recording of a game afterward.
Though my instinct is to find a rocker, I know I don’t have one in the living room. I sit in the chair and think as I continue to rub Kai’s back. When Taha notices my thoughts are elsewhere, he asks, “Are you alright, little coyote?”
I smile, then say softly, “I was just thinking about Ahanu’s words when we spoke… about using the internal renovations-”
He nods as he looks at the sleeping toddler with a smile, “For future wolves or coyotes we may have?”
I nod in agreement, “It would make a good nursery, you have to admit. There would be room for a quiet rocking and crib area, a play area, and there would be a bathroom connected to it. Though I would like our bedroom loft opened back up, I think we should wait on the one over the dining room. We’re already going to need to take out the pocket door to the main loft, to frame out a door to the new bathroom.”
Lily smiles as she stops next to me, then says, “I’d have done anything for a little more room in Kai’s nursery. If you have the okay and you’re good with losing the loft space, dedicate that area as the nursery the moment there are no shifters occupying it, Bella. Seriously, a good nursery is prime real estate.”
I chuckle at the look on her face, promising, “There are a few things that need to be done before it becomes a nursery, but I’ll come talk to you as soon as we have this Volturi issue settled. How does that sound?”
Nodding her head, she looks down at her sleeping son, then offers, “The kitchen is straightened back up, the placemats have all been placed in the washer with the round tablecloth and table runners, and the tables have all been wiped down. I locked your laundry room door again. I left you a small bowl of everything that had leftovers, in case your dad or Leah wanted something later. Enjoy your hunt. I was promised a foot massage, just as soon as this little man is put to bed, so we’re going to head home. Thanks for looking after him so Zander could help me. Tomorrow is shopping day, so I’m going to Browning, which is further toward the center of the rez.”
As I stand, she expertly takes him from me. I promise, “You have a willing babysitter in me, anytime you need a break. Just give me a call. He’s absolutely adorable. Thank you so much, again, for all the work you girls put into dinner tonight. If I give you money, can you pick up some things for me? We’ll do burgers and dogs on the grill here tomorrow night for everyone. Some chips and a few cases of soda. I should really fill my chest freezer downstairs, with all the people coming. That’ll have to wait, though.”
She grins, “Absolutely. We can have our men handle the grills, and we can kick our feet up. Sounds like a plan to me. So buns, burgers, dogs, chips, sodas, and juices. Meats for the deep freezer are always a plus.”
I nod and turn, but Taha is coming out from the bedroom, having already heard our conversation. He hands me an envelope, and I pull $400 from it, handing it directly to Lily. She nods, saying surely, “I’ll be able to do your freezer right with this. Don’t you worry. How are you on pantry goods? Most of what comes from donations will be fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, bottles of water, personal care items, and things of that sort.”
I tap my finger to my nose, then say, “The staples… I’m going to need things like canned tomatoes, canned cream soups, rice, pasta, flour, and sugars. I prefer to cook fresh, but if I get an overflow of donations for the shifters coming, I’ll preserve what we can’t eat before it spoils, to extend the shelf life.”
She nods, hugs me even with her arms full of a sleeping toddler, then I guide her to the front door. Zander has started both of their vehicles and has the back door of her car open for her, ready for her to place Kai in his seat. I wave, then tell Lily, “Make sure he puts my number in your phone. If you’re stuck and want a yes or no from me tomorrow, feel free to call me. I’ll just be here marking off things coming in.”
She nods and promises she will, then Taha wraps his arms around me from behind as I watch Lily place Kai in his seat.
Once both vehicles are heading down the street, I shut and lock the front door. I feel Taha whispering into my neck seconds later, “I can sense your hunger, Isabella. Please tell me you haven’t postponed hunting, just to get everyone else through the night.”
I shake my head no, then turn in his arms, cupping his face in my hands, “No. I honestly didn’t think my hunger would rise so quickly after dinner. Let me check on Dad and find Jake. Do you want to get a hold of Devon?”
He smiles, offering, “I can hear them both watching a game on tv with your father.”
I listen, then smile at Dad cheering a referee call, while both Jake and Devon call insults at the referee. “Let’s go break up the fun. I’m starving.”
The father and daughter team of plumbers ended up being Devon’s dad and older sister. Thomas and Jasmine were great to talk to, and neither seemed to think the job was more than the pair of them could handle. We weren’t asking for extravagant showers with 10 different sprayers or anything, so they stated that the work needing done was standard for any home being built.
After nodding to each other, Thomas said they’d do the work for material cost, so I stated, “Please, let me do something to compensate you for your time.”
I look down and see Jasmine absent-mindedly rubbing her fingers over a cut on her hand. I ask softly, “Does that happen a lot? You both have cuts on your hands.”
Jasmine blushes slightly, but nods, “Yeah. We wear work gloves most of the time, but if they wear out or we forget them at home, sometimes we get nicked by the edges on the cut pipes. Then it takes longer to heal, since we’re constantly working with water.”
After a negative answer when I ask if either of them are allergic to anything, I look at Taha with a grin. He asks, already knowing what I’m thinking, “Which ones would you like me to get?”
I reply right away, “On the healing shelf, grab 2 tins of the salve with the yellow label, please.”
He kisses my shoulder, then jogs into the house. When he returns only a couple of minutes later, he places the tins in front of me. I tell Jasmine and Thomas as I place a tin in front of each of them, “This is for use with cuts and burns. It’s all-natural, and should be good for a year or 2 if stored in a cool, dry place. Dip a clean finger into the tin, spread a thin layer of salve onto the cut, and bandage it while working, just to keep it dry. It works pretty quickly, so you should start seeing a difference within 48 hrs.”
Thomas looks curiously at the tin, then asks as he opens it and sniffs the salve, “This works on burns, you said? Huh, it smells nice.”
I nod, “Yes, burns and cuts. This was one of my Great-grandmother’s recipes. It’s supposed to promote fast healing and has a mild pain-relieving quality.”
Jasmine smiles at Thomas, “Momma. The burn she got from that pan falling.”
At my questioning, look, Thomas nods, “My wife, Ava, turned in the kitchen, and the cast iron pan got caught on her apron. The pan fell. It didn’t hit her foot, thankfully, but the food in the pan did. Burned the top of her foot.”
Taha is up before I can even ask him, saying, “I know. I’ll be right back.”
Jasmine giggles a bit, so I smile at them both, “If he accurately predicted what I was going to ask for, he’ll be coming back with gauze pads and wraps, to go with that salve. Gently put a thin layer on the burn, cover with the gauze pad, and wrap it all the way around with the wrap. For sleeping or walking around the house, have her wear a sock over the wrap. Don’t wrap it too tight, but tight enough that if she takes her sock off, it’s not going to feel loose. Tell her to try to leave it open to the air for 30 minutes to an hour, clean of salve, at least 4 times a day. If you wouldn’t mind, please bring her by after you’ve been doing this for 3 days or so. I’d like to make sure it’s healing well. If not, we’ll have to try something else.”
Right then, Taha comes back, a small paper bag in his hand. He hands it to me. I grin as I open it, then my grin widens as I show Jasmine the contents of the bag, “Do you think I should keep him?”
She chuckles and nods, so I laugh in agreement, “Yeah, I do, too.”
Taha grins proudly, then links his fingers with mine as he asks, “Did you have enough to eat?”
I nod, “Yeah. I’m getting used to knowing the difference now, plus I’ve been keeping a close eye on my energy level. A hunt is definitely in order tonight.”
Just then, Jake plops down beside me, asking, “Mind if I join? It wouldn’t hurt for me to top off, since it’s been a while since my last actual hunt. Leah hunted twice on the way, so she’s good on energy reserves. Her muscles are just overworked from the run.”
Taha and I both grin, knowing Jake just wants to run with me, then we both say at the same time, “The more the merrier.”
Devon grins as he hugs his sister and pats his dad on the back, “Really? If you guys are headed to Glacier, I wouldn’t mind tagging along.” Then he looks at my dad and says, “Greg’s got the night shift, Chief Swan, so he’ll be around. You’ll have Leah in the house, and I think Shiloh roaming the property.”
I nod, “Sounds good to me. We’ll probably be heading out at around 10 or so.”
I tell Thomas and Jasmine that I’ll have Devon let them know when we’ll be ready for plumbing work to be done. We talk for a few more minutes, then Kai comes walking up to me.
Zander grins successfully, knowing he’s worn his son out of his sugar high. Lily is inside with the other imprints, so when Kai looks up at me, I automatically pull him up into my arms. As his head rests on my chest, his fingers play with the ends of my hair, but it doesn’t stop my conversation with those at the table.
After less than five minutes of rubbing his little back, Zander comes over, whispering, “Want me to take him?”
I peek down and see that Kai is fast asleep, so I shake my head no, “I have him if you want to go spend a few minutes with Lily. She and the girls did an amazing job with dinner, Zander.”
He grins, kisses the top of my head, and offers, “Thanks. I’ll go take some of the cleanup duty off her hands.”
It’s only a few minutes later that people start to disperse in different directions after waving at us in the backyard. Careful not to jostle Kai, I stand and move to the living room with Taha, knowing it would be easier for others to say their goodnights. Dad says he’s off to grab his shower for the night, and he plans on watching a DVR recording of a game afterward.
Though my instinct is to find a rocker, I know I don’t have one in the living room. I sit in the chair and think as I continue to rub Kai’s back. When Taha notices my thoughts are elsewhere, he asks, “Are you alright, little coyote?”
I smile, then say softly, “I was just thinking about Ahanu’s words when we spoke… about using the internal renovations-”
He nods as he looks at the sleeping toddler with a smile, “For future wolves or coyotes we may have?”
I nod in agreement, “It would make a good nursery, you have to admit. There would be room for a quiet rocking and crib area, a play area, and there would be a bathroom connected to it. Though I would like our bedroom loft opened back up, I think we should wait on the one over the dining room. We’re already going to need to take out the pocket door to the main loft, to frame out a door to the new bathroom.”
Lily smiles as she stops next to me, then says, “I’d have done anything for a little more room in Kai’s nursery. If you have the okay and you’re good with losing the loft space, dedicate that area as the nursery the moment there are no shifters occupying it, Bella. Seriously, a good nursery is prime real estate.”
I chuckle at the look on her face, promising, “There are a few things that need to be done before it becomes a nursery, but I’ll come talk to you as soon as we have this Volturi issue settled. How does that sound?”
Nodding her head, she looks down at her sleeping son, then offers, “The kitchen is straightened back up, the placemats have all been placed in the washer with the round tablecloth and table runners, and the tables have all been wiped down. I locked your laundry room door again. I left you a small bowl of everything that had leftovers, in case your dad or Leah wanted something later. Enjoy your hunt. I was promised a foot massage, just as soon as this little man is put to bed, so we’re going to head home. Thanks for looking after him so Zander could help me. Tomorrow is shopping day, so I’m going to Browning, which is further toward the center of the rez.”
As I stand, she expertly takes him from me. I promise, “You have a willing babysitter in me, anytime you need a break. Just give me a call. He’s absolutely adorable. Thank you so much, again, for all the work you girls put into dinner tonight. If I give you money, can you pick up some things for me? We’ll do burgers and dogs on the grill here tomorrow night for everyone. Some chips and a few cases of soda. I should really fill my chest freezer downstairs, with all the people coming. That’ll have to wait, though.”
She grins, “Absolutely. We can have our men handle the grills, and we can kick our feet up. Sounds like a plan to me. So buns, burgers, dogs, chips, sodas, and juices. Meats for the deep freezer are always a plus.”
I nod and turn, but Taha is coming out from the bedroom, having already heard our conversation. He hands me an envelope, and I pull $400 from it, handing it directly to Lily. She nods, saying surely, “I’ll be able to do your freezer right with this. Don’t you worry. How are you on pantry goods? Most of what comes from donations will be fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, bottles of water, personal care items, and things of that sort.”
I tap my finger to my nose, then say, “The staples… I’m going to need things like canned tomatoes, canned cream soups, rice, pasta, flour, and sugars. I prefer to cook fresh, but if I get an overflow of donations for the shifters coming, I’ll preserve what we can’t eat before it spoils, to extend the shelf life.”
She nods, hugs me even with her arms full of a sleeping toddler, then I guide her to the front door. Zander has started both of their vehicles and has the back door of her car open for her, ready for her to place Kai in his seat. I wave, then tell Lily, “Make sure he puts my number in your phone. If you’re stuck and want a yes or no from me tomorrow, feel free to call me. I’ll just be here marking off things coming in.”
She nods and promises she will, then Taha wraps his arms around me from behind as I watch Lily place Kai in his seat.
Once both vehicles are heading down the street, I shut and lock the front door. I feel Taha whispering into my neck seconds later, “I can sense your hunger, Isabella. Please tell me you haven’t postponed hunting, just to get everyone else through the night.”
I shake my head no, then turn in his arms, cupping his face in my hands, “No. I honestly didn’t think my hunger would rise so quickly after dinner. Let me check on Dad and find Jake. Do you want to get a hold of Devon?”
He smiles, offering, “I can hear them both watching a game on tv with your father.”
I listen, then smile at Dad cheering a referee call, while both Jake and Devon call insults at the referee. “Let’s go break up the fun. I’m starving.”