Chapter 288

“She was happy to be your mom, but I think with Oakley and even Ben, she reveled in what she didn’t have when she was having you. She also demanded that Oakley and Ben be born at home, she refused to go to a hospital… again… knowing what I do now it all makes sense,” I didn’t interrupt just sat listening as I worked on Oakley’s drawing – I had plans for this one. “We all loved Norine and in our family we just – we didn’t understand her just leaving but as her husband Pat was the one with the right to report something. That night when he came home, he called all of us frantically, worried, and when we questioned Oakley she was just – spacey. It was so different, I mean her answers just made no sense, but she repeated them over and over. Yet it was her behavior after everything that set off alarms – Oakley never asked for momma too much. Again it’s hindsight but loud noises – clacks or bangs – would throw her into tantrums.” “Pat retreated and Oakley in a way she did as well, but she hung on his every word, the love she had for her daddy. It was disappointing to watch so we all chipped in, but again it’s not the same thing – getting attention from your uncles and aunts when what you really are craving is just something from your daddy. He’d give her a smile and you’d think he’d spent the day with her showering her with attention, then Sarah came around.” “You don’t have anything against her?” I realized. “Naw – of course not, she was no Norine, but again it was nice to see her pull him out of his shell and my mom and dad, Lillian thought it was amazing that Sarah would help Pat be a better father with Oakley and Ben, but when he said he was moving her in. My parents offered right away to let her move into their home instead, if she was having a hard time, but Pat said that he couldn’t embarrass her that way and then, it was like all the things we wanted to see him do for Oakley he began doing for Amelia. No amount of telling him differently made a lick of difference, and then it got worse, but he was already too deep in, but I mean now… things are going to get much harder for them.” He said regretfully, but then continued, focusing back just on Norine, “she was an excellent cook, she’d make all these dishes and when you’d ask her how she did, she’d say she saw it on T.V.,” always had an explanation… Everyone once in a while I’d stop working and close my eyes, concentrating on the images – thoughts that Grant was thinking of specifically, until finally, I went back to where we started before leaving, “I know you’re worried about her having her mate, but this is how he see’s her,” I showed him the drawing, it’s not just a physical thing, yeah they’ll find each other attractive, it’s not like they're going to be sexually active or anything like that Grant. Kieran… even Oakley, she doesn’t seem like the touchy feely type, and him for wildly different reasons, but from his thoughts I think…” I said slowly, “Oakley finds that he is easy to talk to,” he sat up shifting his body to face mine, his eyebrow high arched on his forehead. “I know he doesn’t speak,” I smiled, “but Oakley's used to people that speak, and not listening to her, this is different. I’ve already prevented anyone from telling them they're mates; let them figure it out on their own, in their own time. Rushing or declaring that I think it’ll get her hurt, not physically though by Kieran. He doesn’t even understand why he keeps coming down here to get the information, he’s frustrated,” I said with a smile. “He has seriously told himself that he won’t come down here three times in the last 10 days… grumbling… after fixating up on his mountain, he comes down and waits until either Gabriel or I tell him that she’s okay,” I realized it was more so his wolf than his human side. The wolf wanting to make sure he heard it from someone with authority and no one had more authority here now, than Gabriel and I – in Kieran and his wolfs’ eyes. “He comes everyday,” Grant deadpanned, I shrugged, “You can monitor Oakley… I mean obviously no more scaling the mountain to see him or lying about it. Although I don’t think she even knew why his scent was calling out to her-” “Really?” I nodded quickly, “After climbing all she did was talk about herself I think, and she began reading something, Kieran keeps replaying her reading. He likes it…” I hated speaking for him but I knew that Grant was only concerned about Oakley. He snorted, “Of course, an island full of people that want him to shift back into his human form, Oakley probably didn’t even question that, just sat there reading out loud,” she’s a good girl… one day Julia and I… he thought with no animosity, and I almost wanted to mention me changing him and Julia, wondering if that was something they’d be interested in, but I held off. Instead, I nodded standing taking my supplies and going closer to Oakley’s still form, “I’ll be back later,” I whispered near her ear – even though I was sure she couldn’t hear me – as I always did, before avoiding Grant’s gaze. Heading up the stairs I dropped my supplies on kitchen counter – picking up the canvas for Kieran – walking outside, the children all planning a simple game of ‘Tag’ in the backyard, Kieran - his jet black coat dirtied near his paws - stood on all fours his grey eyes focused on me. However instead of telling him from a far, how Oakley was recovering, I was going to do so up close and give him a little gift, “Here I made this for you,” I turned the canvas towards him, showing him the drawing of Oakley I had created with a bright smile. “We’re going to be waking her up pretty soon, but since she can’t come climbing up that mountain anytime soon, I thought you’d maybe like a picture of her to take back to your… home,” he growled his eyes narrowing but I held my smile in place.