He snorts.
"Really," Sunny breathes.
I nod. "He broke it to be with me. After I got your voicemail-"
"Yes, I'm so sorry, darling. It just shook me."
"Of course." I hug her. The teapot whistles halfway through, but we remain in our embrace until Tank clears his throat.
"Right, silence," Sunny mutters. She serves the tea in traditional Japanese service, which means we get about a thimbleful each. Tank looks at his dubiously and doesn't touch it.
"So, Sunny, about these men-"
"They were very coarse, darling. I had a bad feeling and left in the bus immediately after talking to them. I came back to get my things and the place-" She gestures. My poor mom, all alone.
"Do you have any idea who they might be?"
"No, darling. I asked Mr. Biggs about them and he said the matter was all settled, there must have been some mistake. It was all very strange."
"Huh," Tank says. "But you say they asked after Foxfire?"
"Yes. Perhaps they thought she had the money, if I didn't."
"Excuse me. I have to make a call." With a nod at me, he rises and leaves.
"Mom, I have to ask you something. It's about Dad."
"Your father?"
"Yes. How did you meet him?"
"The street festival. He manned a booth near mine. We spoke quite often and, well." She shrugs.
"Did he tell you anything? About himself or his family?"
"Only that they were very private. He grew up on a compound up in Utah. Sounded quite secretive. They weren't at all welcoming to outsiders."
"Did he…" I pause. I don't quite know how to say "turn into a fox every full moon?"
Tank returns to sit with me.
"Ms. Hines, your daughter is very special."
Sunny bobs her head. "Oh yes. I know."
"We're wondering what traits she might share with her father."
"Do you mean his wild energy?"
Both Tank and I sit up straighter.
"Yes," I say slowly.
"You definitely share the same soul color. Sort of red…with gold. Vibrant. Pulsing energy."
"Yes, all right."
We give each other a glance. She doesn't know anything.
"Funny. But we had the wildest time together."
I clear my throat.
"Once we partied and he disappeared, and in his place-well, in his place was his spirit animal. At first I thought it was a bad trip. But your father was in tune, very in tune. What makes you ask about all this?"
I try to think of a logical way to ask without telling her I shift to a fox. "I want to know more about him. Recently, I-"
Tank shakes his head.
"Um, I'm going through a spiritual awakening. Finding my spirit animal, too."
"Ah." Sunny nods.
"Ms. Hines," Tank cuts in. "After you called, Foxfire was afraid for you. I thought it might be good if she learned more about her father."
"I just want to know if I have any family on that side, and I don't know anything about him, really."
"Of course. You just never cared to hear about him."
I blink. "I thought you didn't want to discuss him."
"Oh, I don't mind. Your father was very special. I'm glad our energies aligned to make a child. No, whenever I brought him up, you changed the subject."
"He abandoned us," I croaked. My throat is suddenly dry. I swallow my tea and reach for Tank's. He scoots it closer to me, and I down it, too.
"He didn't. His sensitive nature didn't allow him to live around people for long. All his kin were very secretive. He was the only one brave enough to venture out to market. The rest of them lived off the land. Before he hitched a ride to the market, he had never ridden in a car. But he was more modern than all his relatives combined."
"Did he ever ask about me?"
"I sent him notes and a few pictures. He only sent back money."
I pull out the envelope and set it on the table.
Sunny nods. "Darling, if I'd known you wanted to meet him-"
I turn away from her. "I looked up the address. It belongs to a Johnny Red."
Sunny nods. "Yes, that's him."
"That's him? My dad? He was in Moab all this time?"
"No, darling. He moves around quite a bit. At least, he used to."
"But he has a post office box there?" Moab. A wilderness. Good for fox shifters.
Sunny hesitates. "Darling, are you sure-"
"Just tell me. Is my biological father currently residing a mere six hours away from here?"
My mom bites her lip and nods.
Suddenly the trailer, with my mother's scent and items from my childhood, is too close and stuffy to bear. "I need a moment," I whisper, and leave. Tank stirs but lets me flee.
Outside the chilly air has a bite to it, but I don't mind. I walk quickly to the edge of the woods and stop, chewing my lip. Sunny doesn't know I'm a shifter. Maybe no one does. All my life, I've marched to the beat of a different drummer. But now I really am alone.
My skin itches, like I could shift and run. Life is simpler as a fox.
"Foxfire," Tank calls. I don't turn around, even when his heat hits my back.
The wind picks up. I wrap my arms around my body but refuse to move.
Tank sighs. He stands beside me, keeping his eyes on the forest. His profile blurs out of the corner of my eye.
"My mom left, too," he says. "When I was nine. My dad was a wolf, had a good place in the pack, but she… she was a loner."
The wind blows along the trailer with a slight howl. I don't know whether it's creepy or comforting.
"Did you ever see her again? After she left?" My voice is brittle.
"No." Tank moves and puts his hands on my shoulders. "Whoever your dad is, he cared for you. He's been sending money all these years."