by Sky Winters
When she was the size of a house, Luke took his tools into the nursery and started building a crib and some shelves. He painted the room a pretty sea green color with yellow highlights. Maggie imagined that a little sailor or mermaid could live in there, and then she smirked a little. Naturally a bear would gravitate toward marine colors. She should imagine streams and rivers instead of oceans.
She had to have his help in order to go up the stairs, but it turned out to be well worth the effort. The nursery was lovely. He’d purchased a large white wooden toy box that matched the crib that he had crafted by hand. They, along with the shelves, were the only white parts of the room. The walls were sea green with a yellow wooden border all around the top by the ceiling and another yellow border on the bottom by the cream-colored carpet.
“You have really outdone yourself,” Maggie said, impressed and smiling at Luke while he put the finishing touches on some of the border paint.
He smiled back at her, another of his shy smiles even though he had absolutely nothing to ever be shy about with her. “You think so?” he asked, setting down his paintbrush and scratching the back of his scruffy head. “I mean, I know that he is not going to care about what his bedroom looks like for a long time probably, but I want it to be cozy.”
She smirked then.
“What?” he asked, eyebrows raised in concern.
She shook her head. “You are convinced it’s a boy, aren’t you?”
Luke’s blush deepened. “A girl would be nice, too.”
Maggie laughed. “Whatever our cub is, he or she will be awesome. Because his or her father is awesome.” She reached up and rubbed his strong back, kissing his cheek.
She was not laughing long afterward when she went into labor. As usual, she was sitting on Luke’s comfortable couch, reading a book. Suddenly, she felt a wetness in her sweatpants and a sharp pain in her lower belly.
“Owww, fuck!” she shouted. “Luke! I think it’s happening!”
He was doing what he usually did – obsessing over every last detail of the room he had created. When Luke heard Maggie’s yell, he rushed out of the room and down the stairs. “You think so?” he asked her, panting and excited.
“Well, I did not just pee myself,” Maggie said. Then she thought about it. She had been awfully close to peeing herself lately, but no. This was more than pee. She gestured to her crotch.
“Okay,” Luke replied. “Well, the first thing we’re going to do is get you out of those pants. Probably the shirt, too.”
“Now is not the time to strip me, you pervert,” she said, then smiled faintly. It had come out like she was angry, but she was not. She was just suddenly in a lot of ungodly pain.
Luke was surprised at first by her irked tone, but then he smiled back at her. Carefully, he took her sweatpants off of her, along with her demolished panties. Maggie removed her shirt but left her black bra on because she wanted some dignity, god dammit.
She wondered if there was time for them to go to the hospital and deliver the baby there, but then she realized that a normal, human hospital would likely not know how to handle a werebear baby. Also, she knew that if she stood up, she was going to want to rip someone’s head off. So she stayed there, nestled into the couch where they had conceived this impatient little cub.
While she lay there, waiting for the contractions to come closer together – joy – she got her phone and texted Trish.
You’re probably going to want to come over soon. But not currently because I am in labor and I might kill you, lol
Maggie set the phone back down and closed her eyes as another wave of contractions struck her. “Come on, baby, be nice to me. I’ve done really well for you so far.”
Luke gathered up a bunch of towels, a bucket full of warm water and some pillows for Maggie to lie on while they waited. It seemed like he had been preparing for this all of his life. With the size of his house and the mantle just asking to be filled with photographs, perhaps he had been. Maggie should have seen it as a sign.
The contractions started coming faster and stronger five and a half hours later. She was not sure if the labor had been sped up like the pregnancy itself had been, but she was glad she would not have to wait around in agony forever.
After a relatively smooth labor, Maggie held her baby son in her arms. She was crying happy tears and smiling down at him. Luke was sitting with them on the couch, happily sniffling along with her. He petted her hair. “See? I knew it would be a boy,” he said.
“I guess Papa Bear knows best,” she replied.
Their son had lots of dark brown hair and the gray-blue eyes of his father. Maggie hoped his eyes would stay that way. It was one of her favorite features of Luke’s, along with all of the rest of him.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you,” she responded.
Leaning down over her, Luke kissed her and then kissed the top of their son’s head.
For the next two days, Maggie and the baby slept. She could not even think about having guests over or doing any activities beyond relaxing, eating and feeding her cub. Also, she was having a difficult time figuring out a name for him. She had taken to calling him Cubbie, but that was not a name that was meant to last.
“What are some of the names you like?” she asked Luke.
Maggie wondered if that was really something that they should have talked about earlier on in their relationship. She had always thought it was such a cliché to meet a man and make lists of future baby names. Who did that? And now, here she was, wishing that she had such a list. All of her creativity for things like that seemed to have been drained out of her.
She thought about asking Trish for ideas, but she really wanted the baby to have a name before people started coming over to meet him. It would not be good if people asked her what his name was and she came up with nothing. As a matter of fact, Trish had already asked her and she just did not respond. New moms were too busy to answer texts…
That was a good excuse, right?
Luke looked pensive. In typical Luke fashion, he took her question very seriously, almost as if he was being interviewed on 60 Minutes or something. Maggie watched his expressions change as he kept thinking of the different possibilities that entered his mind.
Finally, with a grin, he was ready to answer.
“I really like the name Sebastian,” he said. “Not because of the crab; because of Shakespeare.”
Maggie chuckled. “Well, obviously. You’re too old to have any attachment to a Disney movie from 1989.”
“Watch it!” he laughed.
Smiling, she thought about Sebastian. She liked the sound of it, though she did always think of a little, red crab. She was not sure if it was because he had mentioned it or because that name was just attached to the image since her childhood. “I like it,” she said at last. “What if we called him Bastian for short, because of another ‘80s movie that I love?”
Luke kept on beaming at her. He nodded. “Sure. I’m glad you chose that and not Atreyu.”
“Hmmm,” she said, pretending to think about changing her mind.
Once she had rested up and gotten used to being a mother, she invited Trish to come over and meet Bastian. She was able to fit back into her jeans, though she still wore Luke’s button-up shirts because she was shy about her tummy. Maggie had lost weight since delivering the baby, of course, but there was still some excess that she had not had a chance to work on losing yet.
Again, that was largely just an excuse, but she would work on it.
Before her friend’s arrival, Maggie went around the house, tidying things up that she had not been able to get around to post were-battle and pre-Bastian’s birth. Luke helped her, of course, and he mainly handled the fun part, which was entertaining the baby so that he did not cry and fuss the whole time. Luckily, Luke lived for being the Daddy Distraction. She smiled as she brought out some glasses, a bottle of wine and some snacks. His silly voices and her baby’s laughter was her favorite sou
ndtrack.
The doorbell rang and Luke went to answer it, holding little Sebastian in his arms. Maggie came over and took over the door-opening duties since it was her friend to greet.
“Sorry,” he said, moving out of the way but staying close. “Force of habit.”
She appreciated that he was always there, looking out for her. There was a peep hole in the door, though, so she used that and made sure it was Trish on the porch and not Keith or some other villainous axe murderer. Even the cameras showed Trish. “It’s okay. After everything that’s happened, it’s better to be overly cautious versus not caring.”
Luke smiled and bounced Bastian in his arms. “Overly cautious!” he shouted triumphantly
Maggie opened the door and hugged Trish, so glad to see her again after the last time they hurriedly said goodbye to each other. “How’s it going, Magpie?” Trish asked as they embraced. “You look great.”
“I’m tired, but also really happy,” Maggie replied. She invited her friend inside and introduced her to Bastian. “This is Bastian Shaw. And this, finally, is Luke. Also Shaw.” She smiled a bit, feeling silly.
Trish smiled a friendly smile at the baby and took his little foot, giving it a wiggle. “Hello, Bastian. I’m Patricia.”
“It’s so good to meet you at long last,” Luke said.
“You were probably starting to wonder if I was imaginary, huh?” she said with a laugh.
Even though Trish was speaking to Luke, she obviously could not take her eyes off of Bastian. Finally, she looked from Luke to Maggie and gave a sideways smirk. “So is he going to start turning into a bear soon? That’s going to be exciting for his babysitter.”
Luke wrapped an arm around Maggie and they all laughed together. Bastian even smiled a little, though he had no idea what was so funny. They all knew that Trish was going to be that babysitter.
Once a part of the craziness, always a part of the craziness.
THE END
ComeShift: Nicholas
That son of a bitch! After five long years of busting my hump for his stupid ad agency, he fired me with nothing more than a “good luck in all your future endeavors” letter. The walk of shame through the halls of the office was the most painful one I’ve ever had to make. I kept my head up, but I could feel every pair of eyes glued to me as I marched my way out the door with my chin in the air. Crying would have to be saved for later.
Getting fired was just the cherry on the shit sundae that was my week. I guess that’s what I get for telling my boss I didn’t want to be his undercover sex toy anymore. After nearly a year of secret rendezvous and lunch break trysts, I had grown to have feelings for the selfish bastard. I wanted commitment, he danced around the issue, and I pulled the plug.
Shortly after our commitment conversation, I had come to the realization that I had just enough dignity and self-respect left to understand that I needed and deserved better than some lecherous chubby-chaser. That was on Friday. Here it was, Monday, and I was no longer welcome at the ad agency of Johnson, Decker, and Fuller.
Deep down I knew that I was better off. Both the position and the man were painfully toxic, and had been corroding my sanity for years. I was going to take a week, decompress, and throw myself a pity party before launching into a job search that would hopefully, be very brief.
I lived in Chicago. You couldn’t throw a rock in this town without hitting an ad building or an exec glued to his phone. The market was competitive here, but I wasn’t afraid to slide down the ladder for a little while if it meant that I’d have bigger opportunities later.
I got halfway to the parking garage when my phone vibrated in my pocket. A photo of me and my best friend, Mia popped up on my screen. “Hello?”
“Nicole, tell me you don’t have plans tonight.”
“Seriously, I don’t have plans tonight. Why?”
“Get yourself sexied up because tonight because Bear Knuckle Brawlers is playing downtown, and I have an extra ticket.”
A night out with my favorite girl catching an amazing local band sounded tempting, but the warning signal went off in my head reminding me that I was now unemployed and shouldn’t be spending anything. “That sounds like so much fun, Mia, but I’m going to have to pass. I just got let go today, and I need to be careful with my money until I can find something else.”
“You got fired? I thought you just found out you were in line for a promotion.”
Way to rub salt in the wound. “I was. I blew it when I told Anthony I didn’t want to play anymore unless he committed. He saw my call, and raised me my salary. The best part of the whole thing is, he could have called to tell me over the weekend, but instead he waited until I already sat through our stupid Monday meeting to drop the ax.” Ugh, that thought depressed me even more.
“So come out anyway. You don’t have to buy a ticket and chances are, if you turn on the charm, you won’t have to buy your own drinks either. Please come out with me? Please, please, please?”
I could practically hear her pouting through the phone. She did have a point though. Even if I ended up buying myself one beer, going out with Mia tonight wouldn’t break me. “Okay. I’ll come along. What time is the show?”
“Yay! The doors open at eight, and the band goes on at nine. I think you’ll have a really good time tonight, and by the sound of your day today, you need to blow off some steam.”
“Boy do I! There’s a part of me that thought about suing for wrongful termination, but the agency is lawyered to the rafters. I wouldn’t stand a chance against them in court.”
“I’d still look into it. Even if you don’t personally get anything out of it, you could still get a lot of attention on the firm and the situation in general. Who knows, by speaking up you might help give other women in a similar situation the power to speak up and change a few things.”
Every now and then, Mia would find a point so profound that it would throw me completely for a loop. “You’re right. I’ll consider it. Thanks. See you around seven-thirty?”
“Yup. And don’t be tardy bitch! Later.”
And with that sign off, she went right back to normal.
After unlocking my car and tossing my box in the backseat, I sat behind the wheel staring off into outer space. I didn’t want to contemplate my next move, but I knew that I would have to. I had enough in savings to get me through the next five months; six if I committed myself to eating rice and beans for the entire time. That might not be such a bad idea. It’s not like I couldn’t stand to lose a few pounds.
With a sigh of frustration, I turned the key and backed out of my parking spot. For now I’d have to file all that away into the Scarlett O’Hara part of my brain that would handle it tomorrow.
“Nicole! I’m over here!” The only part of Mia I could see was her well-decorated hand waving around over everybody’s heads. The woman dressed like a gypsy when we went out, and tonight was no exception. Her wrists jingled from the stack of bangles she wore and she was wearing a hair accessory that was part headband and part chain that lay down the part of her straight black hair and around her head. She had a distinctive look and I had to admit, it suited her well. Of course she had that to-die-for olive complexion too.
When I caught up to her, Mia hugged me tight. “I am so sorry about your job. That prick had no right to fire you. You’re better than that.”
We broke apart before I answered. “Thank you. The blow still stings, but it’s nothing a cocktail can’t take care of.”
We chatted about nothing in particular as the line inched closer to the door, but Mia kept taking out her phone and texting while we talked. After a while, it got annoying. “Who are you talking to?”
“I’m sorry, Nicole. I’m just a little nervous. I have a guy coming to meet us here in a bit and he is molten lava hot. Like, the kind of hot that you thought only existed in Photoshop. I was keeping him updated on the line.”
“You met a guy? Where? And when did this happen?” Mia’s admission hurt a lit
tle. Not only did I think we were having a girls night, but we talked everyday, and she never once mentioned a man to me.
“I met him last month on this dating app called ComeShift. We’ve been out a few times and he’s very different than anyone else I’ve dated.”
He’s different. Sure. “Mia, you say that about every dude you meet and no offense, but they all were pretty much the same person.”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “I know I’ve said that very thing before, but I’m serious this time. He’s not quite human.”
“Not human? What does that mean?”
“I mean, he’s human, but he’s not human-human. You know?”
I blinked at her while I processed what she was saying. Human-human? What was he then, half duck? “No I don’t know. And please explain this to me as if you were talking to a five-year-old.”
“Fine. ComeShift is a dating app for those who want to meet shifters. You know, people who can change their form at will. Have you ever been with one, Nicole?”
I understood the words she was saying, but my brain still couldn’t rationalize the information. “Like a shapeshifter? I’m not sure. I never thought to ask because then I’d look like a crazy person!”
Mia grinned. “So says you. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, honey. Since the first time Jason and I boned I haven’t been able to keep my hands off of him. He’s the best I’ve ever had and I’ll never go back to a full-blooded human.”
“You’re fucking with me aren’t you?” She had to be. There was no such thing as shape shifters. She seemed so sure though and I couldn’t tell if maybe she did know something I didn’t.
Her face grew serious. “Nicole, I’m not kidding. There are people out there that look just like us, but have evolved so far beyond where we are that I’m not surprised you don’t believe. Jason will be here in about ten minutes and you’ll see for yourself. I think you should give the app a shot and see what happens. I promise you that you at least won’t be disappointed in the sack.”
