Timber was finally beginning to adjust to her new life with her aunt and uncle. There was something comforting about having a steady and predictable routine every day. She liked knowing what time every morning the sound of Emily's little feet would hit the carpeted floor to play catch with her before breakfast. Timber knew what time she would walk out of the front door for the school bus across the street, and what time she would be home. She knew when her uncle would leave for work and what time his car would pull into its spot in front of the living room window. Timber had an unchanged routine for the first two weeks in her new home and she found that it was essential to her comfort.
Chad had been kind enough to attach one of her rope toys to the bottom of the kitchen bar so Timber could have something to pull on when she got up for her nightly romp in the living room. He also attached a thick wooden scratching post to the bar next to the rope so Timber could keep her claws under control since she couldn't retract them and they were longer than normal wolf claws. Timber was grateful for his thoughtfulness because having toys to play with made up for her unusual confinement. Her parents had always allowed her to play outside at night as long as she stayed inside the quarter-mile parameter Daniel had set and she didn't cross the river. Here, she was forced to remain indoors, with the exception of the small patch of dirt in the back, but Timber didn't mind the change so much since she was able to keep busy.
She was still unwilling to let anyone but Grace pick her up. However, she eventually allowed Chad and Emily to touch her and after a week, her fur stopped standing on end. Even with her progress, she would snap her teeth and growl if she was touched without being able to see who had approached her. She was territorial over her food and refused to let anyone near her plate until she walked away from it.
She was also difficult during her daily baths. Grace had several shallow scratches on her arms from wrestling Timber back into the tub after trying to rinse the shampoo out of the fur around her eyes. After a few days, Grace began using baby shampoo on Timber's head and face. Timber calmed down some. Then Grace discovered that Timber liked the shower head because it helped keep shampoo out of her eyes. Grace had no further problems bathing Timber.
Moreover, Timber was still unable to shift to human form, so the family had no idea what she looked like, or what size clothes to buy her. The biggest problem that Timber had unintentionally provided was grocery shopping. Grace needed to go to the store to restock the almost empty pantry but she couldn't leave Timber at home by herself for longer than a few minutes. Despite knowing Timber could defend herself if she had to, Grace also knew the law regarding children so Grace had to make a choice. Timber was small enough to fit in her largest beach tote if she lay in a ball, but she had not seen the outside of the apartment with the exception of the backyard since she moved in two weeks before.
"Timber, Honey. I have to go and get food at the grocery store, but I can't leave you here alone. You have to come with me."
Timber didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay inside where she knew she was safe. There could be hunters at the store. What if they were waiting to get her and kill her like they killed her parents? What if she was captured and caged again? She didn't want to go anywhere. She ran and hid under Emily's bed, shaking like a fuzzy maraca. Her mom and dad hunted meat and her mom gardened so there was no need for trips to the grocery store. She did not know what to expect and it frightened her so she snarled at her aunt.
"Timber, I don't have time for this." Grace's irritated face appeared under the bed. "Either you come quietly, or I will have to force you."
Timber stared at Grace for a moment and realized obedience would be the better option. The last time she challenged her aunt, she lost so she crawled out of hiding, but she was by no means silent. She growled in protest.
"There. I put your small blanket in my bag. You can stay in there."
Timber sniffed the purse and smelled her blanket and her favorite slice of meat so she jumped in and curled up. She was not claustrophobic at all so being confined to the tote had a soothing effect on her. Grace picked up the bag and Timber yelped a little when she didn't feel solid ground beneath her feet all of a sudden but she could see her aunt if she looked up. She knew she was safe as long as she was with Grace in her bag, though she didn't care much for being handled in such an unusual manner.
After a quiet car ride, Timber was placed on the toddler seat of a shopping cart. She stayed hidden but she hated the way the cart shook as it was pushed over the uneven pavement. She growled lightly so Grace knew she didn't like it. Grace chuckled and told her to be patient a moment longer. When they got into the store, the ride was smooth and Timber's nose was sent into overdrive. She smelled baking bread, different kinds of meats, sweet fruits and vegetables, different types of flowers, and so many more unfamiliar scents. She poked her nose out to smell better as Grace went through the bakery section looking for sandwich bread, and french rolls. She chuckled at her niece. Timber wanted to go and smell everything but was still too afraid to leave the safety of the purse. She moved her head in all directions with her nose just poking out of the bag.
Grace took her time in the bakery. Timber watched her curiously. She was reading the packaging on a loaf of bread with a look of concentration. She was seemingly dissatisfied with what she had picked up because she put it back and picked up a different color packaging of what looked like the same product. Again, Grace read the packaging and this time, she put the bread in the shopping cart. She began pushing the cart to the other side of the bakery when someone called out to her.
"Grace, how are you?" said an unfamiliar female voice.
"Hello, Susan!" said Grace, and the cart stopped moving. "I'm doing fine. Thank you!"
"We were worried about you on Wednesday when you missed girl's night. You usually call if you're going to miss a night. Are Chad and Emily alright?"
"I'm sorry, Dear. Yes, they are both doin' fine. I had to miss it because we have a new addition to the family."
"Oh! My goodness! Are you pregnant?"
"No, nothin' like that," replied Grace with a small laugh.
She opened her bag and Timber's eyes were flooded with light. She blinked twice and looked up to see a face with such a genuinely happy glow that it was hard to be afraid.
"Oh, she's so cute, Grace! Can I hold her?"
"I'm sorry. She's a rescue and she's still afraid of people. She might bite. You can let her sniff you, though. She's still a puppy so be careful."
"I understand." Susan looked at Timber kindly. "I love her blue eyes." She held out her hand and Timber poked her head out to sniff. The woman's hand smelled strongly of peppermint. Her ears perked up a little. "She must like my lotion." Susan laughed. She turned her hand over and went to pet Timber, but stopped when Timber flattened her ears and showed her teeth. She pulled away slowly. "My apologies, Puppy."
"It's alright," said Grace, putting a hand on Timber's back to calm her down. "She's still afraid, but she'll warm up."
"She is very cute and big for a puppy. What breed is she? She looks a little like a wolf."
"She's a mixed breed," explained Grace.
Timber felt a giant hammer smash her pride and she gave Grace a scathing look of disapproval and huffed out of her nose.
"Excuse me," said another woman rather rudely. "Dogs are not allowed in the store."
Timber turned her head and saw a scowling woman approaching from behind Susan. She was thin and tall with a heavy layer of makeup and overdone eyes. Timber was reminded of one of Emily's Barbie dolls. She would have been lovely if she did not look like there was a sewer pipe under her nose. Beside her was a nine-year-old blonde girl who looked just as snobby. Timber hid her head back in Grace's tote bag and remained still.
"I just brought her home," said Grace calmly. "She's not ready to be alone yet. She's still a puppy."
Timber wondered how Grace could be so calm. The blonde woman was at least seven inches taller than her without heels.
"I don't care," said the woman contemptuously. "If you don't take that mutt home right now, I'm going to get the manager and make him throw you and your stupid dog out."
"Bless your heart. You think you have the right to do anythin' of the sort," said Grace with an air of false politeness. Her accent was thick as the words rolled off her tongue.
"Do you not understand English properly? If that's the case, go home to whatever country you come from."
Grace's expression changed and she grew stern.
"I'm an American. I'm from Louisiana," Grace informed her.
"Well then get your redneck ass out of this store," said the woman. "We don't have room for white trailer trash like you."
"I don't know what your problem is, but I'm guessin' it's hard to pronounce," said Grace firmly. "You have no right to come over here and tell me what I can and cannot do."
"I can do whatever I want. People love me around here."
"Jesus might love you, Sweetheart, but everyone else unquestionably thinks you're an idiot," said Grace. Timber heard Susan fight back laughter. She snickered too.
The woman turned a deep shade of purple. She had nothing to say in retaliation so she reached for the tote. Timber, sensing what was happening, let out a low growl to warn the woman to keep her distance.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on her," said Grace. For the first time, Timber heard the anger radiate loudly in her aunt's voice.
The woman ignored Grace, grabbed the handle of the bag, and lifted Timber and the tote out of the cart. Timber stuck her head out and attacked with a loud snarl. She bit into the woman's hand, drawing blood and scaring her enough to drop the bag. Timber yiped as she hit the hard floor. She slid out of the bag slightly and Grace grabbed her and held her shaking body protectively against her chest.
"Oh, that's it! I'm calling the cops. I'm going to sue you for all you've got."
"I would like to see you try," said Susan, who had watched the exchange from the sidelines. "I'm a lawyer and I personally heard her tell you not to touch the dog after you administered a series of verbal abuses. The dog was defending itself. If you sue, I'll make sure you pay her. I've got the whole exchange recorded on my phone."
The woman stared in angry disbelief. She stepped forward one step but saw Grace's face and decided against any further action. She huffed away with her nose in the air, dragging her daughter with her.
"Thank you, Susan," said Grace with clear relief. She leaned over, abandoning her usually straight posture, and exhaled with Timber wrapped tightly in her arms. "Can you really make her pay me?"
"No. I didn't record anything either. It was an empty threat but it worked," laughed Susan. "I've got to run. My brother will be in town soon. I'll see you later."
"Goodbye, Susan. Thank you."
When Susan was gone, Timber whined to get her aunt's attention and licked her nose to tell her she was thirsty. Grace looked her over carefully, feeling for injuries before putting her back in the tote. Then she took her to a drinking fountain near the restrooms. She turned on the water and Timber came halfway out of the tote. She twisted her head and lapped up the water until she was satisfied. Then she lay back down in the bag and continued to sniff and watch as Grace walked around the store. Timber observed her as she read boxes and examined meats and eggs. She squeezed the produce and put down what she didn't want. She bagged the vegetables she wanted and headed back to the dairy section to grab a carton of milk.
Timber studied her aunt. She was protective and caring and Timber was reminded of her own mother. Grace was tough and gentle and Timber admired her greatly. She knew then that as long as she was with her aunt, she would be safe. She had not felt truly safe for over a month and she savored it with deep appreciation.
After an hour, the shopping cart was filled to the top with meats, fresh fruits, veggies, grains, and a few boxed items. Grace checked her items before going to the checkout lines. Timber heard the beeping of the register and watched the groceries get bagged and placed back into the cart. Temporarily forgetting her fear, Timber poked her head out when the tri-tip steak went into the cart and the cashier laughed. Timber looked at him with wide eyes and went back into hiding.
"Favorite food, huh?"
"Oh yes," said Grace. "She's a steak lover."
"You know, we usually don't allow dogs in the store," said the old man.
"I know," said Grace apologetically. "She's a rescue and she's still very afraid."
"Well, I can allow it this time, then," he said. "She will have to either stay home next time or be on a leash. I am sorry, but it's store policy."
"Thank you, Sir," said Grace.
She said goodbye and left for the car. She loaded the trunk with all eight bags of groceries and then put Timber in the front seat next to her. Grace buckled her in and then got into the driver's seat. As soon as Timber and Grace were back at home, Timber went to the bedroom she shared with Emily. She grabbed a marker from the little desk where Emily liked to color and draw and took it to Grace, who was starting to put the food away into the refrigerator and the cabinets.
"What's this?" she asked when she saw the purple marker in Timber's mouth. "Can you write in this form?"
Timber nodded so Grace got a sheet of paper from a drawer in the side table next to the couch and put it on the kitchen floor. She opened the marker and gave it to her. Timber set to work. It took a few minutes but when she was done, the words "I am sorry" were written sloppily on the paper.
"Are you talkin' about bitin' the woman?" Timber nodded. "I did tell her not to touch you. Instead, she tried to take you. It's really not your fault, but feelin' sorry is good. It means that the next time you'll be more careful not to bite. Though, in this case, it was justified." Grace sighed. "I didn't expect to have to do this. I'm goin' to have to leash train you. You'll also have to wear a collar when we go out. It's the law for dogs. I know you're not a dog, but I can't tell that to others. If people knew you're a wolf, you could get taken away and euthanized." Timber tilted her head in confusion. "It means you'll be killed."
Timber gulped and vowed to learn to accept being called a dog. She knew dogs came from wolves centuries ago, so in her mind, she was the superior being. As she sat and thought about what Grace said, she realized she was going to have to humble herself and not let it affect her pride so much, though she knew she would always be proud of her heritage.
The next morning, Timber received a surprise. Chad showed her a pink nylon contraption he called a collar. He held it out for her to sniff. She lifted her ears in curiosity. Then he strapped it to her neck. Timber felt like she was being tortured. She tried in vain for two days to get it off. She couldn't get it off with her paws so, feeling desperate, she stuck her head under the couch and tugged. It not only failed, but it also hurt. After trying several ways to get out, Timber realized she was stuck and began yiping wildly for help until Chad lifted up the front of the couch. Timber never stuck her head between anything again.
At the end of the second day, she found she could no longer feel the collar, so she gave up trying to get it off and tried to look at it as a necklace. Grace leaned a mirror against the coffee table so Timber could see what she looked like with her collar on. After seeing herself, she decided it didn't look too bad. It didn't pull her fur, and it didn't choke her, so Timber surrendered and allowed Grace to take it off and put it back on several times until it felt normal.
On the third day, a matching belt-like rope was attached to the collar and tied to the leg of the couch for two hours. Timber tried to get away but after a certain length, it choked her and she fell to the floor. She bit at it, pulled at it, barked, whined, growled, and still, it was attached. The next day, Grace took her to the side yard where the cars turned around and Timber tried to bolt and chase some butterflies. She reached the maximum distance and she was choked and she fell. Grace had called her entrapment a leash. Timber hated it. After an hour of trying to go the way she wanted and fighting over control of the leash with Grace, Timber figured out that it hurt less if she obeyed the way the leash wanted her to go. She realized that it wasn't worth it to fight over power with her aunt, and she accepted the leash as a part of life.
By the end of the week, Timber was completely leash trained so Grace took her to pick up Emily from Redwood Elementary School. To her great surprise, no one was scared that there was a wolf at the front of the school. Timber suspected that the leash and collar gave others the impression that she was a dog. It was then that Timber completely accepted Grace telling others she was a mixed breed, even though it still hurt her pride. Everything was worth it to see Emily's face light up when she saw that Timber was at her school waiting for her.
"Timber! Timber!" cried Emily happily.
She ran to Timber and hugged her. Timber found that her fur didn't stand when Emily hugged her, so she gave in and nuzzled her head into the crook of Emily's neck. Emily was warm and loving and Timber realized, as Emily sat holding her, how much she really did need her little cousin.
For the walk home, Timber's leash was given to Emily. They walked side by side together up East Chestnut Street all the way to Dana Grey Elementary. They turned left on South Sanderson Way and they all smiled while Emily told Timber and Grace all about a game she had played during recess called Sharks and Minnows.
"It was so much fun," she said happily. "Ishmael and Leila wanted to be the sharks first so me and Kayla and Monique and Jordan and Matthew were all minnows. It was so hard to not get tagged but Ishmael tagged Monique first so she had to get off of the jungle gym and be a shark. Leila got me next. I got Jordan. I was a little sad when recess was over but we're all going to play sharks and minnows again during recess tomorrow. Oh, Mommy? Can you pack an extra cookie in my lunch tomorrow?"
"Why?" asked Grace.
"There's a new girl in my class who started today," explained Emily. "She's from ... France. I want to be her friend."
"That's a wonderful idea," said Grace proudly.
"Thank you," said Emily. "Where is France, Mommy?"
"It's on the other side of the world," said Grace. "I'll show you on a map when we get home. Do you have your homework packet?"
"Yes," said Emily proudly.
"Yes, what, Dear?"
"Yes, Ma'am," said Emily.
"Good girl."
They turned onto Ness Avenue and Timber stopped. She smelled something interesting. She walked slower and saw a pair of eyes in the bushes. She barked at it and an orange tabby cat darted away. Timber felt pleased with herself. She despised cats. A light tug on her leash told her that she had done wrong in Grace's eyes, so she lowered her tail in apology.
They went into the small two-bedroom apartment and Timber sat in her usual spot next to the coffee table while Emily sat down to do a page from her homework packet. Timber liked to watch Emily do her homework and Emily liked to show Timber what she did. Timber found this to be her favorite time of day. The sun was shining in from the front window and it flooded the living room. The white walls and brown carpet seemed less dull and the navy blue couch and loveseat that formed an 'L' shape were brightened up. Straight ahead from the front door was the kitchen bar and the small kitchen.
Between the kitchen and Timber and Emily's bedroom door, there was a closet where Grace stored her vacuum and broom. Emily and Timber's bedroom was just big enough for two twin beds on either side of the room with a toy chest in between and a tall dresser at an angle in the corner between the window and the closet doors. The door opposite the girl's room was the master bedroom. The window overlooked the front and Grace had managed to fit a queen-sized bed, a dresser, and a vanity in the room. Between the bedrooms was the only bathroom with one sink, a toilet, and a bath and shower combo.
Timber liked this place in a way. It was a little bigger than what she was used to with her parents. What she liked most about it though were the people in it. She liked Emily, her contagious laughter, and her seemingly endless energy. She liked Grace and her gentle nature and her desire to give her family the best she could. She liked Chad and his silent strength and his kindness. If she had to be dropped within any family in the world, she was glad it was this one.
"Timber?" said Emily, bringing her out of her thoughts. "What do you think?"
Emily was holding up her color-by-number sheet she had just finished. Timber looked at it, made sure everything was correct, and barked her approval.
That night, she was given a new kind of food she had never seen or tasted before. It definitely was not meat. It smelled sweet and repulsive at the same time. It was orange and oblong with a green leafy garnish. It reminded Timber of a carrot from her mother's garden, but this looked nothing like a real carrot. She pushed it around her plate with her claw and looked up at the table with skepticism. Emily was eating them happily. Grace and Chad were eating them too.
"It's a baby carrot with parsley," said Emily. "It's yummy."
A baby carrot? This must be what carrots looked like before they were plucked from the earth. Timber trusted Emily to be honest, so she tried a baby carrot. She bit into it like she would a piece of steak and hurt her jaw as her teeth crashed together. She sneezed and shook her head to get rid of the mild pain in her jaw. She bounced on her front paws as she backed up shaking her head. She glared at the carrots with determination as she circled her plate and snarled at her food as if daring it to hurt her teeth again. She approached her plate again slowly with her head and chest low to the ground and her tail straight up in the air. She tried one more time to take a bite and this time, she was gentle as she closed her jaw. She looked at the baby carrots in surprise as her taste buds celebrated. It was soft and surprisingly good. Timber found herself thoroughly enjoying them. She liked the way they mashed up between her teeth and the way they slid effortlessly down her throat. She ate them ravenously, completely forgetting her manners.
She finished every last baby carrot on her plate, picked it up in her teeth, set it on her uncle's lap, and whined at Chad for more. He took her plate, laughed, and filled it up with the last bit of orange goodness. She didn't wait until it was down on the floor to start eating. Several vegetables rolled onto the carpet as she went after carrots on the plate that was still in Chad's hand. She chased them down and ate every one of the escaped prisoners before going back to the ones still on the plate. She was so busy enjoying her baby carrots that she didn't notice everyone was watching her with silent joy. For the first time in almost three weeks, Timber was wagging her tail.