Tender Mate

Noelle's Disquiet

Author's Note

              So, I have never been to Gillam, Manitoba, or to much more than one stop on the coast of Canada for about 3 hours. I know they like maple leaves, beavers, milk in bags, moose, hockey, bears, invented the vaccine for polio, say sorry a lot, let their geese invade the US at regular migratory intervals, and have Mounties that dress snazzy instead of police. About Gillam specifically, they most likely do not have a werewolf population or the exact description I am giving this town apart from a few business names. It's a place I saw on a map and decided it would be as good a place as any for this story to happen. 

              The werewolves in my story are the Nelson Pack because of the Nelson River that runs through this area into Hudson Bay, and while they are beastly beasts as wolves are they are also highly developed beasts as wolves are. There will be themes of psychological healing and the stages of accepting yourself and allowing others to accept you, because it's my story and I find these themes relevant to relationships in general as well as living a life beyond yourself or your significant other. I love the werewolf genre, but what I find being written about most of the time is Stockholm Syndrome, kidnap, sex, dominance, threats, and fear and power plays in general. The world is a bigger place than all of that, and if werewolves are to be based off of the human race in all the leaps and bounds it has made toward progress and validating ourselves as a species and crossed with the highly developed and beautiful lupine social system and deeper communication that would come from this cross, then I hope this story touches on that. 

               Thanks, and enjoy Tender Mate. :)

3 PM

              Noelle

              "How on earth are things going so well?"

               Upon checking into the Nelson Suites, I'd found out that an emergency renovation was being done on the room we'd reserved. Instead of another studio apartment or a one bedroom I found myself now standing in their largest 2 bed and bath suite in awe of the amenities and gifts they'd left for us at no additional cost. Emma was claiming her room, which had come with an array of stuffed animals and dolls somehow, and ooh-ing and ah-ing at the large bathtub in the master bathroom. I couldn't get over the double ovens and the semi-stocked fridge and freezer. There were treats in there, that upon discovery I'd assumed would have a price tag, but when I called the front office to ask about the price the girl had said they were complementary.

                "Momma, do we getta live hewe?" Emma came into the living room (yes, a living room) holding two baby dolls and a stuffed monkey.

               "We get to stay here, but we're going to have to start looking for a real place to buy once Mommy finds a job."

                "Why do you havta find a job?" 

                "Well, sweetheart, Mommy has some money she's saved, but Daddy...Well, he didn't let Mommy save anymore. So, now Mommy needs another job, baby."

                "But den who will play wiff me?"

               "Don't you worry, sweetheart. You get to go to preschool remember? You get to make new friends with other kids. No more ideas of only staying at home and home school, we both get to have friends now." I smile to myself as I really remember how much we have to look forward to now.

                "Will they like me?"

                I leave our bags where I dropped them in the entryway and scoop my baby girl up in my arms. We sit down on the couch and I stroke her soft curls, "Do you remember what I told you about Grampa, Emma?"