Loving A Wolf

Carry You

⚠️TRIGGER WARNING⚠️ mentions of bruises and abuse!

The following morning, Winona walked down the stairs with her sketchbook tucked tightly beneath her arm.

Addison looked up from the kitchen table, where she was halfway through her breakfast.

"You're smiling." She said. "...Am I?" Asked Winona. "You are." The cheer Captain looked at her best friend.

Winona laughed softly. "I remembered something." She said quietly. Her best friend's eyes immediately lit up.

"The dress?" Winona nodded eagerly before opening the sketchbook. "I still don't have all of it..." She flipped to the newest page. "...But look."

Addison studied the drawing. The outline of the dress looked much more detailed than before.

Most noticeable were the delicate embroidered vines climbing around the sleeves. Her eyes widened. "Win...those weren't there yesterday."

"I know. I remembered them last night." The wolf was clearly excited, and almost jumped. For a long moment, Addison simply stared at the drawing. Then she suddenly stood up. "Oh, we're solving this today."

Winona blinked. "...What?" "If one memory came back..." She grinned. "...we're getting the rest of them back too."

Before Winona could object, Addison had already pulled out her phone. "What are you doing?" Winona almost stuttered when she asked. "Calling everyone." Answered Addison quickly. "Addie—"

"They'll want to help." Smiled the blonde girl. "It's kind of personal." Winona almost whispered. "And they care about you." A few minutes later...

The mayor's dining room had somehow turned into an art studio. Sketchbooks, coloured pencils, fabric samples, and old fashion magazines. Everything had been spread across the table.

"I still don't understand how this became my afternoon," Zed laughed as he carried in another stack of paper. "Because you answered your phone," Wyatt replied. "Fair enough."

Bonzo placed an entire box of colored pencils on the table before proudly giving two thumbs up. "I brought snacks!" Bree announced as she walked in carrying several bags from the bakery. "You always bring snacks," Wynter teased.

"I support emotional breakthroughs." Bree defended herself. "By feeding people?" Asked Willa. "Exactly."

Everyone settled around the table. Winona looked from face to face. "I don't know..." She smiled nervously. "...I feel bad making you all spend your afternoon doing this."

Willa immediately shook her head. "Win." She reached across the table. "This isn't just about a dress." Everyone grew quiet. "It's about your mom."

The room fell silent, and Winona slowly nodded. "...Yeah." She took a deep breath before placing the sketchbook in the middle of the table. "Okay." he smiled. "Let's find my memory."

Ideas flew around the table for nearly an hour.

"What if the skirt was longer?" Asked Eliza. "No..." "What about lace?" Bree suggested. "I don't think so." "Maybe flowers?" Zed seemed to question himself. "There were flowers..."

Winona closed her eyes. "...But not there." She picked up another pencil. Slowly...She added another line. Then another.

The room became completely silent. Nobody interrupted, nobody rushed her. They simply watched. "...Gold." She whispered.

"The embroidery was gold." She quickly added another detail. "And..." Her breathing caught. "...The belt."

Everyone leaned in. "I remember the belt." Her smile grew. "I remember..."