by Melissa Haag
* * * *
After almost a full week of silence, Gabby finally answered one of Sam's calls.
We were in her room sitting on the bed reading, as usual, when her phone rang. She stared at it for a moment, sighed, and picked it up. I stayed where I was and listened to the stilted conversation. I wanted to know if he'd push the Introductions again.
After he asked if she was feeling better, he asked if she'd come back to the Compound over the long Thanksgiving weekend. She avoided a direct answer, and he tried apologizing for his actions. She made non-committal noises, obviously still mad and not yet ready to forgive. Then, he asked what had happened to her during the last visit.
Our gazes met briefly, and she answered vaguely that she had been sick. A long moment of silence passed. When he spoke, he didn't comment on her answer but asked again that she consider coming "home" over holiday break. She said she'd think about it then hung up.
I thought that call was a signal that life as we'd known it would resume. However, for the next few weeks, no challengers approached me, and Sam continued to call Gabby daily. Most of their brief conversations touched on weather, school, or investments. Anything pack related stayed off limits. He was genuinely concerned about her, but Gabby had lost whatever trust she'd once had in him.
She talked to me often, trying to reason out her ability. She felt certain that the answer lay in the transfer. So I kept a close eye on her to ensure she didn't pull that stunt again. I didn't leave for work until she left for school, and I made sure I returned home before she did. I was tempted to follow her, too, but resisted. It seemed less likely she'd use her abilities on someone at school. She wanted to study the effect. That made Rachel the most likely candidate. So, when Rachel was around, I stayed in my fur. Mostly because I could get away with more as a dog. But partly because I thought she'd eventually notice the missing "dog" when I was around. Plus, that woman talked too much when I was a man.
On one of the rare nights Rachel stayed in, she started talking to Gabby about me. I lay curled on the floor next to Gabby, listening and amused.
"You are so weird about him. What is it about the guy that keeps you coming back?" Rachel sat on the couch, folding her clothes.
Gabby smiled slightly and turned the page of the book in her lap before answering.
"You don't know him like I do."
"How can you know him at all when you two don't talk?"
"You don't need to talk to get to know someone. You just need to listen," Gabby said.
I watched as her eyes stopped moving over the words in her book. Her gaze met mine, and a smile twitched her lips. I wondered what thought put it there.
"But that's what I'm saying. He doesn't talk. What are you listening to?"
Gabby laughed. "Actions speak louder than words. He's there when I need him, he's kind and caring, he keeps me safe; and as you've seen, he cooks and cleans. What's not to like, Rachel?"
Yeah, Rachel, what's not to like? I wanted to hug Gabby. Rachel's grumbling told me she disagreed with my suitability for Gabby. So I stood, walked over to her, and lay down on one of the blouses she was trying to fold. Take that.
She laughed and tried to move me, but I just laid my head on my paws. I caught Gabby's wide grin and winked at her.
Shaking her head, she went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. I was glad she was looking for more food. She didn't eat enough. I'd been stopping at the store after work trying to tempt her with different things. Mostly, what I bought went unnoticed. Tonight, though, I was pretty proud of what I'd found, a big double-chocolate cake. Sure enough, Gabby honed in on it.
"Can I have a piece of your cake?" she asked.
"I thought it was yours. It was here when I got home," Rachel called back.
I moved off Rachel's clothes to watch Gabby. As she continued to stare at the cake, her expression softened.
I smiled. I just needed to be patient a little longer...