Faunus Wolf

Chapter 2 "Happy Birthday"

"Hurry, could you be any slower?" Maggie complains.

I literally drop the Tupperware I am washing. I slowly turn on my heal to face her. "Diana Magdalen Fuller, I'd like to see you do it faster, bossy,"

"I already did what I was supposed to do. Mom will be awake any minute and we want her to see a sparkling clean house,"

"Yes, I understand, but bossing me around won't make it happen any faster," I turn back to the sink.

"I know, I know, I just want it to be perfect," Maggie sighs.

"I know you do, I do too. I don't have superspeed though," I point out.

"Okay, true but you are faster then the average person," she states.

"This is true, but I'm also a lot stronger, so do you want clean dishes that are whole or broken ones?" I state.

She grumbles, "Fine just hurry."

           I shake my head at her. I peep over my shoulder and I see her roll off into the living room. Our Mom is the number one person in me and Maggie's life. She always has been, even more so after our Dad just straight up disappeared on us when I was five. It hurt our Mom the most, she was devastated. Maggie was not old enough to really remember him and I only have a few memories, but even since then it has just been us three. Oh, and Uncle Josh, almost forgot about him.

I feel something touch my shoulder and I instinctively spin around and grab it. My eyes widen as I stare at my mothers shocked expression.

"I'm so sorry Mom! Happy birthday," I apologize.

She rolls her eye, "thanks honey. I guess I caught you in some deep thought?"

"Maybe a little," I confess.

I spread my arms wide and gesture her to come in for a birthday hug. She smiles warmly. She gently wraps her arms around me and rests her head on my chest.  She releases a heavy sigh.

"You alright Mom?" I ask concerned. I can sense something is off.

She pulls back to look at me. "My little man is all grown up." A bittersweet look briefly passes over her face. "You look so much like your father."

I'm unable to respond, she never talks about dad. Not even just a brief mention like that. She continues to stare up at me.

"You miss him?" The words slip out before I could even filter it and decide if that was a good idea. I see Maggie out of my peripheral vision with an expression that almost seems like she's trying to say, 'why on earth did you say that you, dumb ass?'.

Mother sighs again. "Every day."

My heart sunk. I had no idea it still weighed on her so much. He abandoned us yet she still cares.

A few tears escape her eyes. She pulls me back into a hug.

"Is something going on Mom?" I ask still genuinely concerned. I can still see Maggie watching as if she is trying to decipher exactly what's going on.

"I'm okay Colt. I have just been holding that in for an awfully long time and couldn't anymore," she reassures me.

I hug her tighter. I have never seen her this way. I mean she was upset when dad just went poof, but it was more anger than anything. Now, now it is just grief.

She slowly backs out of the hug wiping her tears away. She pushes all of it, all of her emotions back down inside and puts a smile on her face. "The house looks immaculate, I don't think I have ever seen it this clean. You even mopped. I'm impressed."