Old Habits

Conor: early April

I flipped Brian back onto the mat, grinning when he groaned and stayed down. Tish clapped delightedly from her position on the workbench.

"I hate you," he muttered. "Fine, I concede; let me up."

Ralph moved my name up on the wall; this was the third tournament that I had won. Even Casey couldn't pin me. I was sure that if Tish was fighting with us still, we would be evenly matched, but she had decided that it was a poor idea to fight while pregnant. She was growing out her hair; the red pulled back into a stubby ponytail.

"It's almost dinner anyway," Keith replied. "Katie will be sad she missed you landing flat on your back, Brian."

"No, she's put me there before," Brian grumbled as I helped him up. "I just can't fight my girl. She takes these tournaments so seriously, and I don't want to hit her."

Daria clapped him on the back, but he winced. I offered my hand to Tish so she could hop down from the workbench. We all headed out of the shop and up to the house.

It was still chilly all the time, but the snow was melting and afternoons would get warm now. Tish squeezed my hand and sighed.

"It's so nice now that's it's not negative two," she said, looking around. "Congrats on beating Brian."

"You and I both know that I was going to beat Brian," I laughed. "I'd love to fight Mel at some point; I'm curious how fast she would beat me."

"Someday," she agreed.

The other half of the pack, those who had lost early in the tournament, were up at the house grilling burgers. Mel had brought one of the card tables out onto the lawn and had opened a jar of our pickles. Katie grinned, looking up expectantly for news of the tournament.

"Conor trounced me," Brian admitted begrudgingly. "Which wouldn't be so galling if he weighed more than a small sack of flour."

"He weighs more than he did in Chicago finally," Tish remarked. "I would hate to have to feed you on my own, Conor."

I shrugged. "I could always hunt more. Catch some rabbits for you, Tish."

She wrinkled her nose. She had discovered last full moon that she hated rabbit. I thought it was weird to hate meat; and rabbits didn't really taste like anything to hate.

I thought things had found a new, calmer normal for the first time as a pack. And, for the first time, I was here. I had gotten to know the others better. I was doing well in my classes. Peter called every now and then, but it seems like the worst of the changes of last year had passed for now. I planned to enjoy every minute of the time we had, knowing full well that Stefa could pop up at any time and ruin all of it.

Susie Lynn flounced down with tea and lemonade in pitchers. I opened the jar of pickles and we crowded around the picnic table. Keith was making another one so we would fit more comfortably but for now, Tish was on my lap and we squeezed in.

"Carol and Steve called; they're all moved in," Mel said as we were all building our burgers. "And want to cook dinner for us tomorrow."

"Is their TV set up?" Susie Lynn asked. "They have a huge television."

"We could watch a movie," Daria said hopefully.

"I'll ask," Mel laughed. "Conor won the tournament again, I hear."

"It's not fair," Aidan complained. "He's faster than we are."

"I'm not faster than Grant," I pointed out. "I beat him last time."