The blonde tried to push him out of the doorway, but he didn’t even budge. She screamed through her teeth and contemplated calling the cops again. “How dare you come into my home and start looking down your nose at us? So what if I can’t afford a house? I’ve worked my ass off to make a home to raise Nella in, and she has never been without. I put every cent into a college fund for her ‘no matter what she studies’.” Frankie put his hands up, realising he’d insulted Ruby.
“Your home is lovely, but very soon Nella is going to need more, erm, space and the support she will get in Glenn Valley is second to none. As great a job as you’ve done providing for her so far, surely you want her to have the best opportunities in life? Even if I’m the one to give them to her?” Not only that, but Nella’s scent was undeniable. It was strange to find a born wolf over the age of 15 who hadn’t had their first shift yet, but it wasn’t unheard of. Late bloomers did exist. The spicy scent that irritated his nose would soon build over the next week as she got closer to her first full moon as a mature werewolf.
The first shock of finding out he had a daughter had occupied his mind. Overjoyed and intimidated by the prospect of suddenly being a parent dominated his behaviour so far. He kept looking at Nella and yoyoing from mourning all the birthdays and milestones he had missed. Riding her first bike. Wining her first medal. Learning how to tie her own shoes. Did she like sports? Would she enjoy fishing with him? Or maybe she played an instrument or preferred books? Would Nella find his job as a firefighter interesting? Everyone at the station would shower her with gifts and practically want to adopt her when they found out Frankie had a daughter.
Then, he felt his heart swell and his tail wag. She was still young and there was still time for them to bond. There were things he could teach her. He would make boys think twice about breaking her heart. Or girls. He didn’t care who or what came a-knocking on his door as long as they asked permission to date her and treated her right. He would still get to see her graduate and go off to college. Who knows? She might become a firefighter.
However, now he’d had a moment for that to sink in, being a father, he stopped dwelling on what was gone and what was still to come, to worry for her safety. Nella was a wolf on the verge of her first shift, and she had no idea. Ruby was human and there wasn’t the scent of any other werewolf coming from her apartment. If Nella shifted for the first time in either this tiny apartment or out on the streets of Portland, her feral mind could cause her wolf to kill someone. Possibly even her own mother.
Even more worryingly, she is living in Bazin pack territory. An undeclared wanderer, technically. She could be dragged before the Pack Master and punished for the slight and forced to move on. If they thought her mother had figured out what Nella was, they’d bite her or kill her to protect their secret. I can’t let that happen. Bazin are old school and brutal. Besides, Nella is mine, and she’s not belonging to another pack where I can’t even see her without Pack Master consent each time. Caleb had to jump some serious hoops just to get permission for me to come looking for a human in their territory.
“Mum, I kind of want to hear what he has to say?” Frankie zoned back in and chided himself for not noticing Ruby had shuffled away to talk softly to her daughter. Their daughter. Nella had her arms folded and she was huddling with her mother in what they thought was a private conversation. Nothing they could whisper in this tiny little apartment, as lovely as it was, from his werewolf hearing.
“I’ve heard enough. I don’t know that man, and his DNA is not enough of a reason to hoik you out of school and move you to a place I have never heard of.”
“Mum? I get it, I do, and I’m not saying we jump in his car and drive off into the sunset or anything, but can’t we hear him out?” Frankie smiled and pretended to focus on his cell so they didn’t realise he could hear them. “Start small and build up to it?”
“He’s not asking to start small Nella. Shared custody means you would spend half the week living with the guy. A stranger, Nel? No. I won’t allow it.”
“A-actually the idea of starting fresh somewhere new with a free ride all the way to college sounds-”
“Nella I am not going to let that man take over our lives.” Ruby furrowed her brow, surprised at her usually sensible daughter. There was something sheepish about the way she kept looking at Frankie. “If…if you want to get to know your…father, then I’m not against that, but I want to control it. Public places with me present, at least for a while. I’d be okay with that. But shared custody and moving into a house he’s paying half the rent of? I don’t think so. What would I do for work? You’re already a term into 11th grade and-”
“I’ve been excluded.” Nella blurted out and Frankie raised a brow. “I…” Nella closed her eyes and bit her lips together. She turned her back to Frankie and remorsefully handed a piece of paper from her back pocket to her mother.
“What are you talking about?” Ruby hurried to open the letter and scanned her green eyes over the text as quickly as she could. Worried she’d misread it, she read it again. “…Nella…?” She looked at her daughter and the younger woman wiped a hand across her face to hurridly remove her tears. At least she knew why Nella was home early from school today. “…why? Why would you do that?”
“Does it matter?” Nella shrugged bitterly. “I’ve been kicked out of school. If we go to Glenn whatever, I can start fresh right?” Nella picked her sleeves over her elbows. “A new school? No one who knows about…you know…and a chance to go to college? Please?”
Frankie looked up from his cell. Sure, he was a little concerned that his daughter had done something to get herself kicked out of school, but the way she shook and cried made him also want to tear someone’s throat out.
“Baby, what happened?” Ruby whispered even more softly. “Is it to do with the last time you had time off school?” She tried to ask cryptically because Frankie was there. “Because if so, I’ll march right down to the principal’s office and-”
“Don’t make me go back there.” Nella begged. “I’ve hated it for years and after today, I won’t go back. Please Mum?” Ruby pulled her daughter into her arms and rubbed her back to soothe her.
“Okay. We can try it, but I’m putting rules in place.” Ruby was behoved to admit it, but Frankie may have very well come to their rescue. The other schools in the area were either prestigious, and wouldn’t accept Nella based on her school record after today, or quite frankly may be worse than the one she’d been attending so far.
People were cruel. Whatever pushed Nella over the edge today, she was sure her daughter was pushed. “Frankie?”
“Yes Mam?” Frankie made a show of pretending to be oblivious. “Is Nella okay?” He had his hands in his back pockets and nodded to the poor girl weeping into Ruby’s shoulder. “Is there anything I can do?”
“You can come in and sit down, but if you try anything I don’t like, I’m calling the cops.” Ruby bit her own tongue at the end so she didn’t cuss at this horrible turn of events. She’d relied on no one else since the moment she became pregnant with Nella. In one day for reasons she did not yet understand, she was going to have to take Frankie up on his offer. Her daughter’s education was almost as important to her as her safety, and not just any school would be a safe place for her. “Go to your room sweetie. Put your earphones in. I’ll come get you and let you know the plan once we’ve settled it.”
“…okay.” Nella nodded and fussed with her long brown hair. She rubbed her face on the sleeve of her sweater and gave her mother a sad smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…to do it.” Frankie walked over and smiling, wishing he could reach out and hug her. It was a strange sensation, the sudden influx of paternal instincts. This morning he was contemplating if he should buy a new TV. Now he would need to look for a house in Glenn Valley to rent for his daughter and her mother to live in. “And erm?” She spoke to Frankie and his smile grew.
“Yes?”
“…” She looked to her mother and nodded with a frown. “You should tell him.”
“I don’t have to tell him anything you don’t feel comfortable telling him yourself. Nor do you have to.” Ruby answered defensively.
“Tell me what?” Frankie raised a brow, confused, and looked to both women for the answer.
“He should know what kind of kid he’s getting.” Nella looked down with shame, and Ruby rushed to her to cup her cheeks.
“A fantastic, clever, kind young lady. If he’s lucky and I don’t bury him under the porch first.” Frankie chuckled and boldly approached them to put a hand on Nella’s shoulder.
“Listen, I’m a laid-back kind of guy. Are you gay? I don’t care. Anger issues? I can help with that. And if I can’t, I’ll get you someone who can. Autistic? Same applies.” Nella gulped and Ruby watched him like a hawk. “I took one look at you and knew you were my kid. That’s all that matters.” Nella opened her mouth but couldn’t find her voice. “Your mother’s right. You don’t have to tell me anything else if you don’t want to.” He wondered if maybe she was in the closet, or rather understandably, thought he was a stranger that didn’t deserve to know her baggage just yet.
“…trans…” She finally whispered and swallowed thickly. Funnily enough, that movement drew Frankie’s attention to a very subtle adam’s apple at her throat. “I-I’m trans.” Ruby held her breath and resisted the urge to push Frankie out of her apartment. If he reacted badly she knew it would shatter her daughter’s confidence.
For a long time no one knew Nella was trans. She had always identified as a girl, and looked like a girl, until she went to lower school and it was time to get changed. The school was aware, of course, and the other kids didn’t understand why Nella had to use the unisex toilets to get changed. Around 13 years of age, all her peers studied human reproduction in detail and the bullying started. In the end, Nella was excused from Physical education, sports clubs, or dance class. Anything that required her to change her clothes.
The last time Ruby had been to her daughter’s school was in response to Nella’s class deciding to refer to her as a boy and male pronouns. They drew male genitals all over her books and bag, and put their arts and crafts lesson to the purpose of making tampons and sanitary towels to also look like genitals.
“I’m not familiar with that. What’s trans?”
“Oh my God.” Ruby hissed under her breath and prepared to go to battle for her daughter again.
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