Page 46 of Have a Bear-y Little Christmas

I braced myself, ready for them to tell me off for risking our safety, but the elders all shared some pretty heavy looks before Grand Auntie Annette answered.

“Wi.”

“Yes?” I repeated in disbelief.

“Sim,”VovoGabriela added in agreement.

One by one, all the elders agreed, and I stared at them, utterly gobsmacked.

“Really?” I had expected more of a struggle. “You’re all fine with it?”

“Why not? As long as she’s nosoumoun, I ain’t got no worries. ’Sides, I no think you like someone like that.”

“No, she’s not a busybody,” I said, my heart pounding for an entirely different reason. “She’s really quite lovely.”

“I believe you, Cuz. She, of course, be needin’ a babysitter most of the time, which ye can do, and we can have Emelie and Bob switch cabins with you so yous can be next to where her ‘n’ her son be staying.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, half wondering if I was dreaming. “This means a lot to me.”

“Pa dous, ma cher.” That was Uncle Baptiste. “Is not like you be askin’ for anything ever.Pou’m di ou sa, we all be a bit worried about ye ‘n’ kin. Since Zara been gone, you ain’t much reached out. We all’r been here for you,ou konnen sa,yeah?”

“I do know, I do. I didn’t mean to isolate myself. I honestly thought that Iwasreaching out for help when y’all helped watch the girls and feed us right after. And some of y’all still visit from time to time.”

“Oy, just some visits and you think that’s all?” Cuz argued. “Those humans be rubbin’ off on you too much. We is family and always be family, ye? But we no kin offer a helping hand if you dun let us,sha.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, my voice threatening to crack. I supposed it was one thing to know I had this huge familial unit of literally hundreds of other shifters from the long, long lines of both the LeBeaus and the Desrosiers as well as everyone else who had married in, but it was another thing to feel the effects of it in real time. And after learning that Jeannie and her son were completely alone, I appreciated it all the more. “I will do better in the future. I promise.”

“Asire w ke ou fè.”

Make sure you do.

“I will. I promise. Again, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this will mean to them.”

Honestly, I was so elated, I could have done a cartwheel. My leg started to bounce, and it was growing more and more difficult to sit still. I’d gone into the call hoping to convince the elders to see my side, but I’d never expected them to agree so easily while gently chiding me to ask for help more often.

Huh.

Lesson learned.

“Ain’t no problem, chile.”

“Be well!”

“Buh-bye!”

There was a chorus of other positive dismissals, and I grinned dopily, so proud of my people. “Merry Christmas. I’ll see you all very soon.”

There were a few more goodbyes and after a bit more conversation, I hung up feeling like I was on top of the world.

This was going to be anamazingChristmas.

Chapter 13

Jeannie

Family or Cult? The Orphan’s Gambit

“Holy guacamole,”I said as Remy pulled his mommy mobile to a stop in front of a large lot made of dirt. Quite a few vehicles of various makes and models were already parked. Trucks. Jeeps. Vans. Basically, anything but a tiny car. Briefly, I wondered if all of Remy’s family was as tall as he was.