Aislin put Toffee on a leash and left her house for a walk. She was with her new friend and Toffee’s brother. It was really neat having a puppy, but she felt more so about having a friend that wasn’t one of her sisters. She was too young to really connect with Paige and Iris, and too old to really connect with Thea. So a connection with someone in her own age group was incredible. “Come on, let’s see if Mabel wants to hang out with us.” Mabel Stanley was a little older than they were, but fun anyway. She was in jeans and a sky blue top with runners ith good traction on her feet.
Catherine Beaulieu was so excited to have a new friend. She hadn’t always made friends easily back in St. Pierre. There were the school kids and the church kids and often they crossed over. Cath new her mother wanted her to go to church but she just found it so boring. So Sunday school was too. And a school her academic struggles made her stand out. She got in trouble, she got taken out of class or sent to the office to work with assistants sometimes and it made the other kids stare at her at recess instead of inviting her to play. Aislin was kinder and she appreciated it. She also had Taffy and they were meeting a friend of Aislin’s. She hoped this Mabel was as nice as Aislin. She hoped this town would be different. Cath skipped along with Taffy but had to stop often because Taffy found so many things to sniff, sometimes Toffee’s butt. “Taffy, that’s so rude.” She giggled. Cath was wearing purple sweat shorts and a white t-shirt with a big mutlicouloured butterfly on it and her little white leather sandals. Her dirty blonde hair was in a messy ponytail. Then they approached a house where a wild eyed girl was half way out her window but waved to them and climbed back in. She had seen this girl who she assumed was Mabel on Canada day. Rene had been talking to a whole group and she was in it.
Mabel Stanley had been about to try to get up on the roof again. Now that her new friend Aislin had given her a new way down she was fearless again. Butto her great joy Aislin was walking up the sidewalk with another girl and they each had their puppies! The siblings of her puppy! Mabel had wild brown hair that she tried to contain with plastic headbands but it flew out behind her and all around. She was wearing a navy blue tank top that saidI love my guinea pig with an image of a guinea pig and rolled up red capri jeans. She waved madly at the girls “Puppy party! Let me get Dipper!” She disappeared from the window and minutes later popped out the door with sparkly little sneakers and a black and white puppy on a leash who was as excited to see his siblings as Mabel was the girls. She hugged Aislin, if she was able to “Hi hi!” And then stepped back and smiled at the other girl “Hi I’m Mabel. You’re Rene’s sister aren’t you?” She blushed just a little as she asked.
Aislin hugged Mabel and stood back as Mabel introduced herself. She watched the puppies greet each other and start playing right in the mile of the sidewalk. “Hi Dipper. Hi Mabel.” She looks around her towards the house. “We were going to take the puppies for a walk. Wanna come with?” she glances up. “Maybe visit their parents? Are they working today or do they work every day?” She knows Mabel has the same love of adventure as she did.
Cath smiles “Hi I’m Cath. Your name is Mabel and you have a puppy named Dipper?” She looks delighted. “Oh and this is Taffy.” Then she looks really excited about visiting more dogs and the parents of their puppies “Ohhh we can just go see them? Sasha told me they’re a police dog and a fire station dog.”
Mabel beams “You betcha Aislin.” Then she snorts at Cath “Yes it’s like Gravity Falls. My brother is Mason, and my baby brother is Robbie. My mom is Wendy, my dad is Ford but not Stanford and I have a guinea pig named Waddles. The only names we planned after watching that show were Robbie and Waddles. The rest is just a fluke. I can’t explain it.” She nods about the dogs “Well I can probably get us into the fire station if my Grandpa is working. He’s the chief. And the police are pretty nice about letting kids meet Daisy. Let’s do it!” She starts walking.
Aislin smiles and starts walking. The three puppies come along, of course, but they do seem to be having fun. “That’s cool. In my family almost all of us are named after something to do with eyes.” she rolls her own. “Except for my sister Paige … she’s just Paige Page.” she shudders a bit. “My parents were weird …” she offers.
Mabel looks curious about the eye names thing and then sympathizes “All parents are weird. Paige Page...that’s funny though. Can you imagine if she got a job where they page people. Paging Paige Page….” She laughs hard at her own joke and then looks again at Cath “Hey you never answered my question about Rene.”
Cath giggles about Paging Paige Page and then shrugs “Yeah he’s my brother. Do you know him or something?I have an older brother Sasha and an older sister Genevieve too.” Taffy gets a little wild and tackles Dipper to the ground rolling around with tiny playful puppy growls “Taffy!” She pulls Taffy off Dipper only to have Taffy then tackle Toffee “Come on Taffy, we’e walking now…..Taffy.”
Aislin cracks up. "Oh my god, that’s funny. I mean I wouldn't DARE tell Paige that one, but that's funny!" he looks between the girls as they pass the house of the crazy religious lady on the corner. She grins at the puppies. "Oh my..." she moves around Mabel, trying to untangle the leashes.
Mrs. Norris comes around from the back of her house with her watering can in hand to tend to the flowers in her front yard. She sees the three girls with wild puppies laughing and untangling leashes and scowls at them. They were awfully loud.
Cath tries to help Aislin and undoes Taffy’s leash for a second to untangle her side and the little puppy makes a break for it and runs up to the old woman with the watering can and jumps on her lower leg, grabbing them hem of her skirt in his mouth and shaking his head back and forth playfully.
Mrs. Norris shrieks and drops her watering can “Get this animal off me….Away down….bad dog!” She sort of swats at it.
Cath races for Taffy “Don’t hit him! He doesn’t know better!” She scoops uf Taffy but Taffy still has her skirt in his mouth so she ends up pulling the skirt and revealing the woman’s very modest slip and stockings.
Now Mrs. Norris swats at Cath “Where are you manners girl?!” She manages to grab her skirt back and smooths it roughly “Harumph! You need to teach that dog some discipline and you could use some yourself! Who are your parents?!”
Mabel pulls back on Dipper’s leash and then winces as Taffy and Cath get into an an alteration with the dreaded Mrs. Norris. She begins to move closer, unsure if she can help.
Aislin watches disaster unfold in the form of a very unpleasant woman. “You could use some discipline too!” she snaps, moving to try and help get Taffy off of the women. “And don’t hit my friend or the puppy. We can have you up on charges!” she has no idea of that ould ever be a thing, but she’s got her back up.
Mrs. Norris now rounds on the black haired girl with glasses “Charges? I’ll have you up on charges young lady. You’re trespassing, the lot of you and your mutts.” She pulls a cell phone from her pocket and glares at the three girls “Get off my lawn now or I will call the cops!”
Cath looked impressed and gratefully at Aislin but as soon as the mean lady threatens to call the cops she scoops up Taffy and retreats from the yard trying to make it to the edge of it so they’re not technically even on the property looking totally freaked out. Her parents had already been called down by the police for her sister and her boyfriend. She didn't dare become call number 2.
Mabel suppresses a giggle and coughs after Asilin tells off Mrs. Norris but then scoops up Dipper too “Come on let’s go.” She suggests and runs after Cath “Bye Mrs. Norris.” She chides at her, emboldened by Aislin’s ferocity.
Aislin scoops up Toffee. She almost says more, but Cath looks like she’s about to panic, so she only glares at the old woman and heads for the corner, puppy in her arms. “Mrs. Norris?” she looks at Mabel. “Wow what a bitch.” she tucks Toffee under her arm and looks concerned at Cath. “You OK?” she asks. “I told you I had your back remember?” she smirks. “Maybe we can train these guys to pee on her lawn … or her leg.” she appears to be considering this carefully.
Cath exhales and then laughs a bit “I’m ok. Yes they can pee on her. Mon dieu she’s almost scarier than my Tante Marie Claude and that’s saying something. Thank you Aislin. You were amazing!”
Mabel explains as they walk “She’s a horrible old woman. She hates kids. She’s crazy religious in a bad way and she’s racist and homophobic. She will call the cops and I don’t think they like her much but if they come at all, they will call our parents and I’m in enough trouble all the time. I don’t want you two in trouble either. Best just to walk by fast and avoid her. But Aislin that was awesome!”
Aislin is glad to hear that Cath is okay. “Pee or poop … either works and both is better.” she giggles and then winces. “Your aunt is a religious …. Ell … I mean .. in the good way or the bad way.” she looks at Mabel and giggles. “You’ll be fine once I teach you how to repel yourself down again .... unless you’re like a cat …” she grins. “Thank you. I won’t let my friends be bullied. Not even by some religious nutjob.”
Cath giggles and then makes a face “She’s a scary hairy mean aunt. Lots of my family are religious. I mean we’re Catholic which is usually just boring. My grandparents are a bit strict and Grandmere is cranky but Tante MC is worse. Honestly I’m a little glad we moved. I don’t have to go to church except for online, but it’s in my house so at least I can play with Taffy and there’s no Sunday school. I will run by Mrs. Norris’s house from now on.” She nods at Mabel.
Mabel looks polite but clued out about all the religious stuff. “I think my mom and dad’s religion is coffee. They really worship it. Other than that we’re undefined, agnostic maybe? I won’t rule it out, but I dunno….it seems to make people treat each other badly a lot.” She jumps around a bit “I am so like a cat….or a monkey!” She calls out “Aislin Page, the youngest Avenger!” Like her new friend is a superhero vigilante.
Aislin winces at the description of Cath’s family and religion. “But Sasha is so cool. But he’s not real religious. I’d be scared to have that in my family. Our family isn’t religious. I mean it’s just us and our Dad.” she looks at Mabel. “Yea .. agnostic .. or atheist.” then she laughs as Mabel jumps around. “The only monkey in the woods that can’t get back down.” she teases and then hugs Mabel’s arm if she can. Once she does, she’ll strike a superhero pose. “Man I WISH I could fly like a superhero.” she sighs and heads down the incline towards the firehouse.
Cath shrugs “I dunno it’s just what we do. Sasha and Gen not so much, not even my Dad….as much. Honestly where I come from everyone did it. I didn’t know many families that weren’t Catholic. It’s like school, you just have to. I kinda hate school though. I wish we didn’t have to go.” She beams at Mabel and Aislin “You are a monkey and she is an avenger!” She eyes Aislin after “Maybe you can be like Wonderwoman with an invisible jet? I always thought that was weird...I mean you can see her flying it….” Now they’re in front of the fire hall and she looks at Mabel.
Mabel nods at Aislin, relating to her family being non religious. She feels a little sorry for Cath about that. “Or maybe you just need a suit...or web shooters.” She turns and points at Aislin “You’re not Wonder Woman, you’re Spider Gwen!” She beckons the other two and walks into the fire hall through the open garage bay door like it’s nothing “Come on!” Dipper is already excited and wagging and yipping a little. She is greeted by a curly haired fireman and a blonde guy who walks over from the ambulance in a paramedic uniform.
“Oy Mabel, girls….tha’s a we herd of dogs you’re bringing in here..” He’s cheerful about it though.
“Hi Tom. Hi Gareth. This is Aislin and Cath. And this is Dipper, Taffy and Toffee.” Mabel introduces the humans and dogs.
Gareth squats down to meet the puppies while smiling up at the girls. “Hello…...oh hello puppies..” He gets jumped on and licked and chewed on and appears to be absolutely loving it. Gareth is a dog person and he pets all three and laughs.
Aislin understands Cath's pain with school. "My father was homeschooled and he hated it." she tells her. "But maybe you'd like it?" she smiles at Cath. "Oh an invisible jet and ..." Mabel mentions Spider Gwen and she beams. "Yes, please!" in the firehouse, she smiles at the firemen and laughs when the one called Gareth is piled on by the pups. “We’re here to see their …. Is it father or mother?” she doesn’t know which is which. Only that one is the police dog and one is the fire dog.
Tom laughs at Gareth getting happily mauled by the puppies and smiles at the girls “Aye,,,ye want Henry….let me go tell the chief.” He walks off to Hank’s office and pokes his head in “Chief….your wee girl is here with some mates and their pups. Can we bring ol Henry out to have paternal visitation?” He looks very amused by the idea.
Gareth just sits down on the floor “Ow their nibbles are getting harder eh? Fun that you can keep the siblings in touch….my brother Theo is the vet that helped deliver these pups. Did you know they were born in the back of the grocery store?”
Cath had looked thoughtful about the homeschool idea. She watches the fireman named Tom walk away and the guy named Gareth get mauled some more and tell them about where the puppies were born “Really? Cool.” She looked at Mabel and Aislin.
Mabel nods “Yep I knew that.” She clarifies for Aislin “Henry is their father. He’s the beagle. He’s probably asleep.’
Aislin giggles. “In the back of a grocery store? Oh, that’s cool! Then Taffy and Toffee are named right.” She looks towards where Tom vanished. She only knows the Chief because her sister Paige has mentioned him a lot as having helped her some with her own burns.
Hank Stanley looks up from his paperwork when Tom O’Leary walks in with his odd request. Looking at Henry who is indeed asleep, he chuckles. “Why not? He should be a more involved father.” he goes and picks the sleepy beagle up, who gives a half hearted bark and walks him out through the kitchen to the vehicle bay. “Ahhh three of your kids.” he moves and sets henry on the bay floor, where the dor looks around, sneezes and goes back to sleep. Hany rolls his eyes. “Hello, girls. “I’m Chief Stanley. Mabel’s grandfather.” he looks at her. “I’m glad to see you with both feet on the ground.”
Tom goes back to a work task after delivering the message and doesn’t return to the girls and dogs. Hank’s on it after all.
The puppies see their father and abandon Gareth entirely and pile on Henry, sniffing and nipping and tugging at his ears and tail. Henry rouses briefly and wags and then gives a tired growl like a bombarded father and tries to sleep again.
Gareth laughs at Henry as he gets up “Oh my god Henry….how can you go back to sleep.” He starts back for the ambulance “Cheers Mabel….nice to meet you girls.” And he too goes back to work.
Mabel walks to try and hug her Grandpa “Aislin helped! Hi Grandpa, Hi Henry….he’s so sleepy! Oh he’s awake….and asleep again….Henry...your babies!” She sighs “Did he ever play, Grandpa? Oh and this is Cath.”
Cath stares at Chief Stanley's scars with a moment of surprise. She’s never met anyone in person who had anything like them. But then he is Mabel’s grandpa and he’s nice. She suspects they’re burns and feel sad for him, She composes herself and smiles politely at the chief and watches Henry the beagle get put down, sneeze and then sleep and then get piled on, wake briefly and sleep again. She blinks and laughs and then looks up “Nice to meet you Chief Stanley.”
Hank shakes his head at Henry, then looks at the girls. “Cath, it’s nice to meet you too.” he grins, his blue eyes twinkling in his scarred face. He looks at Cath with understanding. He’s seen it all before. “Do you like to climb in high places and terrify your parents and grandparents?” he asks, laughter in his voice. Then he looks at Mabel and hugs her, kissing her on top of the head. “Not really. We sometimes use that rope toy .. he grabs it and we drag him from one napping place to the other.”
Aislin winces. “But Chief Stanley, I can help Mabel get down better. I’m good at repelling up AND down things,” she assures him. Then she looks at Henry. “How can he sleep while he’s being piled on like that? And will his babies grow up to love sleep?”
Cath smiles back and then looks wide eyed and shakes her head “Oh no Monsieur. I do not like to be up high at all. I don’t even like ferris wheels, waterslides that are too high up….I need to take medicine to fly on a plane. My feet are best on the ground.” She looks amazed at the sleeping dog still asleep with puppies going wild.
Mabel laughs and lets go of her Grandpa “That’s such a sad game. Oh Henry.” Then she points at Aislin “She’s Spider Gwen!” She looks critically at the puppies “They don’t seem very sleepy now Aislin.” Then she listens to Cath “Oh that’s kind of a bummer. I love ferris wheels and water slides especially the tall ones.”
Hank listens to Cath and looks a bit hopeful. “Well there’s nothing wrong with staying on the ground.” he tells her and then looks between Aislin and Mabel. “Well, Aislin, while I’m glad to hear that, I still worry. It’s part of my job.” he looks at Mabel, meaningfully. “Maybe a climbing buddy would help. I have no idea. All I know is I can’t stop Mabel for love or money.”
Aislin looks at Cath and considers. “Well we will find things to do with you on the ground and maybe someday you can reach for the skies with us!” she nos at Mabel drafting them to friendship on the ground with Cath. He looks at the Chief. “I am very careful when I rappel.” she insists.
Cath looks thoughtfully at all of them “Have you folks been those climbing gym places? With wall climbing? We have one in Manitoba called Vertical Adventures. My brothers and sister went. Well we all did but I didn't climb. I did a little but I didn’t go high up. You could also zip line. There’s a big corn maze place where I come from that has one of those. I didn’t do it. My parents took turns with me and both went with my brothers and sister. They also had a petting zoo with goats! That was much better.”
Mabel smiles sweetly at her Grandpa and then nods at Aislin “Yes climbing buddy, and spotter on the ground? But we’ll make sure you don’t get left out Cath.” Then she listens to Cath and looks very excited “I’ve always wanted to do both of those. Can you zipline while holding a goat? Because then you’d get that awesome goat scream…” She looks like she’s plotting.
Cath looks touched that she won’t be left out. That was something that happened to her too much in her old life. Then her eyes go wide at Mabel “I don’t think they let you do that…”
Hank looks interested in the idea of the park. “That sounds fantastic, Cath.” he looks at Aislin. “Have you ever considered flying? Like a helicopter or something? Much safer.” which wouldn’t matter if this girl was just an adrenaline junkie. He looks sharply at Mabel. “One or the other, Mabel. Not both at the same time.” he looks amazed her mind would even go there.
Aislin squees and claps. “All of it .. yes, please. Sounds great!” she looks at Mabel. “Oh no! The poor goat!” she elbows Mabel. “You’re joking … right? Making a goat scream? Right?” she looks worried.
Mable throws up her hands like everyone’s being terribly unreasonable “I wouldn’t hurt the goat. Geez. Anyhow Grandpa, we were going to take the puppies to see their mom too if we can visit her. Thanks for bringing Henry out…..aww…..oh look at that!”
The puppies, having played themselves tired, have all curled up either beside and one on top of Henry and are napping with him in a sweet family pyramid.
Cath looks at Mabel warily but then can’t help but melt at the napping dog family. She takes out her phone and takes some pictures of them “That is so cute!”
Hank shakes his head at Mabel. She was a handful and a half. Then he grins at the family napping together. “It’s been oo meeting you, Cath and seeing you again, Aislin.” He’ll ait to see what the girls do with the puppies before he’ll pick up their Father and plop him on a couch someplace.
Aislin looks at Mabel. “How could….” and then she is completely distracted by puppy cuteness, then takes out her phone and snaps a picture. “Oh my o that’s so precious!” then she realizes they are sort of in the way. “Should we … just ,... pic them up and go?
Mabel picks up sleeping Dipper from the top of the pile “Yeah. See you later Grandpa.” The puppy continues to sleep on her and for a moment she looks like a sweet girl who’d never dream of zip lining with a screaming goat cuddling her sleeping puppy. When the ther girls have theirs she’ll start walking towards out.
Cath carefully scoops up Taffy who wakes and licks her face “You too Chief Stanley. Thanks for letting Taffy and his siblings meet their Papa.” She’s right behind Mabel.
Aislin picks up Toffee. “See you later Chief Stanley.” she follows Mabel out and looks across the street. “Now for the Mama.” she grins. “Keeping families together one litter at a time.”
Mabel leads the way almost like they’re a little puppy marching band “You betcha.” She looks both ways and then begins to cross and then fearlessly opens the door of the police station to go in and ask about Daisy. She holds it open with her foot for the next person coming behind her.
Cath gulps a bit at the words keeping families together. Her parents had been a bit rocky lately. They had had a nice family dinner until that terrible face time call and then her mother had gone away. She would be home today and she really hoped things would finally stay good between her parents. “Yes family together is a good thing.” She affirms and goes in the door behind Mabel, holding it then for Aislin.
Mabel will walk up to whomever is at the desk “Oh pardon me, hi. Would it be possible to see Daisy, the police dog? We just want to let her babies have a visit.”
Aislin walks into the op shop and stands while Mabel took care of everything. For someone who got into so much trouble, she sure seemed at her ease talking to the police.
Frank Sharp looks up from signing some papers to see three teens all with three puppies. She can’t help but smile. “Hey Mabel.” she knows that one. “I … guess .. hold on.” she grabs the phone and punches in a number. “Yea, Chief. Mabel and some friends of hers are here with Daisy’s kids. Think she could get a coffee break?” she nods. “Yes, Sir.” she hangs up and nods to a door in the corner. “Through that door, ladies.”
Mabel beams “Thank Lieutenant Sharp!” She looks back to Aislin and Cath “Come on!” She heads into Chief Greene’s office and greets him “Hello Chief Greene. Thanks for letting us see Daisy.”
Cath smiles awkwardly at the Lieutenant Mable seems to know and passes her following Mabel. The police station made her a little nervous. She’d never been in trouble with the police but there were a lot of big ideas in her imagination about them. She follows into the office behind Mabel “Hi there.” She offers and then belatedly after hearing Mabel “Chief Greene, Sir.”
Aislin follows Mabel a little more nervously, even though she hasn’t done anything wrong, holding her puppy protectively.
Josh Green looks up as his door opens. Daisy is laying on a pillow in a corner. She isn’t asleep, just laying down. He stands as the girls enter. “Mabel.” he nos to her and looks at the other two. “And you two must be …” he considers. “You’re Catherine Beaulieu.” he nods at Cath. “And you are one of the Page sisters … let me try and guess. I’d guess Aislin, right?”
Aislin smiles when she sees the shepherd and then blinks as the Chief guess who she is. Thea would call it magic for sure. “Yes sir. I’m Aislin Page. Very nice to meet you.”
Cath looks even more nervous as he knows her name, her full name. She looks at Daisy and then back at the chief. He knows who Aislin is too “Yes, that’s me. How do you know everyone’s name?” Her question is curious but also wary. But she gives a little smile after. She really does want to meet this dog.
Mabel is completely comfortable and leans down to the floor releasing Dipper to his mother “Daisy your babies are here!”
Aislin smiles and places the puppy by Daisy, who sniffs them and licks Dipper hard enough to tumble the baby. She looks at Cath, curious herself.
Josh smiles as Daisy meets her kids. “Well I am the Chief of Police.” he tells Cath. “It’s my job to know as many people in town as possible. Your father is the new dentist and, when I went in to introduce myself AND make an appointment, we talked in his office. He had a picture of the whole family on his desk. I asked about them and he told me your names. “Sasha, Genevieve, Rene and Catherine.” he shrugs. “I have a very good memory.
Cath looks satisfied with this answer and a little more comfortable “OK. That makes sense.” She leans down now and lets Taffy go to his mama. The puppies do much the same to ehr as they did to Henry except the mother is more alert. They also nose under her belly to see if they can nurse but that ship has sailed so then they just play.
Mabel watches the puppies “Aww….no you can’t do that anymore.” She laughs “Well at least she’s awake.”
Aislin takes out her phone again and snaps a picture of mother and babies. “She has to get ready for the next litter.” she explains to the three pups.
Josh watches them, amused. “No … Daisy won’t be having any more litters.” he tells them. “We had her fixed.”
Mabel protests “No more puppies? Oh but they’re so cute……” She sighs “You girls will send me your pictures right? I completely forgot to grab my phone.”
Cath nods at Aislin and also takes some pictures. Then she too looks sad about no more puppies. “So we really have to bring her babies to see her then. It’s ok Daisy. They’ll always be your babies.”
Aislin looks at Josh. “Oh WHY?” she nearly wails. She nos to Mabel. “I will, I promise.” she watches Daisy with her babies. “And we’re taking good care of them, don’t worry.”
Josh looks at the girls and holds up his hands, defensively. “It should have been done years ago, but it got delayed. She can work longer without any more litters, plus we were lucky to find all of her puppies homes. That might not always be the case.”
Mabel sighs “Ok…..working mom.” She smiles about the shared pictures “Thank you.” She then gets right down on the floor and sits in the chaos “How could anyone not want puppies?”
Cath nods in understanding. “It is a big job, but yeah we’re being good puppy homes.” She finds a little sliver to sit down into by Daisy’s tail and does.
In the meantime, while Cath pets Daisy, Taffy wanders off past Josh’s desk and finds a small enough garbage can to knock right over. He starts rifling through it like he’s found the greatest treasure.
Aislin grins. “Oh, that makes sense. Thanks for explaining it to me.” she shrugs at Mabel. “The world is a very strange place.” she shakes her head.
Josh shrugs. “Puppies are a lot of work. And some people can’t handle it. But you girls look up for it, plus all of you have help at home.” he hears the wast basket fall and turns. “Oh no you don’t.” he picks the puppy up. “I know that burger wrapper smells fantastic, but it is not for puppies.” sighing in mock exasperation, he holds the puppy out like an offering. “This one apparently has Mama’s nose.” he jokes. “But Mama is trained not to rifle through the trash without orders.”
Cath takes her puppy with and embarrassed look “Taffy….no sweetie.” She holds onto him for a bit but close to his mom “Sorry Chief Greene.”
Mabel sighs “We could fill our house with puppies and guinea pigs and I’d be happy as can be. And maybe a goat…” she ponders.
Cath chimes in “I like goats, but they eat anything. They’d really get into your garbage.”
Aislin looks at them both like their crazy. “I’m happy with Toffee, to be honest about it.”
Josh looks at Mabel. “You haven’t had enough of goats the last three years?” he asks and turns. “Anyway .. ladies, I have an office to clean now.” he tells them. “Let me know ahead of time and I can arrange for you to see Daisy when she’s off duty.”
Mabel laughs “Nope not sick of goats. Thank you Chief Greene.” She picks up Dipper now who’s started wrestling one of Daisy’s feet. “Say bye bye Mama…..we’ll see you soon.”
Cath takes the hint too “Sorry about the mess. Thank you again.” She also collects Taffy and carries him so there’s no danger of a garbage run again “I’m happy with just a dog too Aislin. I like to visit goats. It was nice to meet you Daisy.” She starts towards the door.
Aislin giggles and pick up Toffee. “It was nice to meet you, Chief Greene. Daisy.” she is the last to leave the office, closing the door behind her. “Well that was a fun afternoon! It’s almost dinner time.”
Mabel beams “It was great. Like the all dogs tour. I guess it is. I didn’t even tell my parents I was going...shoot!”
Cath smiles at Aislin, whose house she was at for dinner anyway and then looks wide eyed at Mabel “Oh no...will you get in lots of trouble?” She has to smile a bit “I think my brother Sasha wins for the all dogs tour. He got to meet them ALL with the police looking for which dog was stealing shoes. It’s how Aislin and I have our puppies now too.”
Aislin gapes at Mabel. “Oh or fucks sake, Mabel .. let’s get you home.” she smiles as they begin to walk. “Yes. I heard the story and I’m jealous, I won’t lie.”
Cath walks too “I was so jealous, the only cure was a puppy. You know he got to slide down the fire pole too? And ride in a police car ….not in a scary way.” She gulps thinking of her sister and Dante.
Mabel walks a little faster “Oh I’m sure it will be fine. But I really should have brought my phone. He slid down the fire pole? Oh we’ve only gotten to do that once or twice and I feel like we’re getting too big to ask. How old is your brother?”
Cath giggles “Seventeen. He’s too big to ask. But he’s also a big kid sometimes.”
Aislin giggles. “That’s incredible. Nothing exciting ever happens to my family.” she rolls her eyes. “And he is a big kid. He plays with my little sister. Captain Sasha he’s called.”
They’re in front of the Stanley house now and Mabel is dawdling on going in, still chatting “Captain Sasha sounds fun. Is Rene as fun?” She seems to be asking a pointed question and has asked a few about Rene.
Cath looks between Aislin and Mabel “You want to know about Rene? You asked me about him earlier.” She narrows her eyes suspiciously “Well let’s see he’s really into frogs and reptiles of all kinds….he was all about zombies but not as much lately. Don’t let him cook anything. Seriously he’s not just bad….he sets fires. But he’s smart in school….the big show off. And he’s nice. Sometimes he pretends he’s not but he is. So not really like Sasha. Sasha is more everything in your face here it all is. I guess Rene holds back. Unless he’s kicking your butt in a video game. Then he’s the meanest brother in the world.”
Mabel swoons a bit at her two friends “I think he’s dreamy. Sorry I know he’s your brother.” All of a sudden her mother opens the door and screams her name and she gulps “Gotta go! Bye girls!” And she’s of with her puppy to face the wrath of a worried mother.
Cath looks at Aislin and makes a horrified face “Ewww…….did she just say Rene is dreamy? Mon dieu…” She laughs “She has not smelled his farts.”
Aislin listens to the skinny on Rene, as she doesn’t know that brother as well. Mabel calls him dreamy and she sighs. “Yes, she said dreamy.” she heads for her house. I guess she likes boys obsessed with frogs and fires.” she rolls her eyes. “Who cut nasty farts.” she scoffs.
Cath giggles “Mabel is funny.” She walks along with Aislin and their puppies “What boys do you like?” She asks curiously now. She’s thinking of sharing a secret of her own but still thinking about it considering all factors.
Aislin shrugs. “Well I haven’t met any boys I like .. like that.” she rolls her eyes. “How about you?” they enter the Community Garden. “Or do your brothers sare them away?” she giggles.
Cath seems slightly unsatisfied by Aislin;s answer but then distracted by the confrontation of her question. “Oh….oh well it’s stupid. Especially now that I know. It’s a stupid crush but I can’t get rid of it.” She sighs “Seamus. I know he’s dating Iris and he’s too old to even look at me. He was just really nice to me, still ism and most boys back home barely even looked at me or talked to me. I’m the weird kid. I always have been. I don’t make friends easy and I don’t need my brothers to scare anyone away because they seem like they already think I’m scary. But Seamus talked to me like I wasn’t.” She shrugs “I’ll get over it eventually.”
Aislin listens and nods, making an O with her mouth as if it all makes sense now. “Well, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a crush.” she proclaims. “And you an even fantasise about what it would be like if you ere older and he wasn’t .. you know .. taken.” she shrugs, not sorry that Seamus was with her sister, because her sister was deliriously happy. “I LIVE in a fantasy world.” she rolls her eyes and stops across the street from her house and sits on one of the large planters, letting Toffee down and as free as the leash would allow.
Cath blushes a bit at the thoughts and she has had all those dreams and fantasies. Then she sighs “I know, but i also know it’s not real and I’m being a little silly.” She sits down beside Aislin “How do you live in a fantasy world?” Taffy runs to Toffee and chomps playfully at her tail.
Aislin grins. “You obviously haven’t lived with my little sister.” she giggles. “Just use your imagination. It’s not real but it’s not a bad thing to know that. Then … he won’t burp or fart or stink up the bathroom or say anything stupid like boys tend to do. He’ll be the perfect man.” she shrugs. “You really don’t fantasize? About … boys?”
Cath smiles “I’ve met Thea. I know it’s all pirates all the time with her.” She laughs “Yes, perfect boys only in our minds?” She then looks a little wary “Well a bit I guess….but if I have impure thoughts I have to confess.” She says it like it’s just matter of fact.
Aislin half scoffs. “Perfect people are only in the mind … and in books.” she counters. Then she arches her brows. “Confess …. Impure thoughts?” She clearly doesn’t have a lot of knowledge about religions but has heard of confession. “OK … how is that a sin? I mean isn’t that better than … um … sex I guess?”
Cath nods, conceding the perfect people thing. Aislin was smart, very smart. Then she looks awkward and unsure “I dunno it’s just what they told us in Sunday school. I guess thinking it leads to doing it so we have to watch our thoughts? I mean I don’t really think about the sex stuff. It’s still kind of gross to me to be honest. Like someone sticking their finger up your nose. But I do dream and thinking about holding hands and hugging and kissing. Sometimes I think it’s too bad people have to do the rest to get a baby.”
Aislin looks down at the puppies playing. “That makes sense. You’re Catholic, right? So a lot of stuff leads to confessing.” she bites her lip. “Well, holding hands and the hugging and kissing isn’t so bad, but I guess if he rules say confess … you confess.” she laughs. “Well, yea … the whole sex thing seems gross to me too .. but I mean .. I guess if you’re in love it’s OK, right?”
Cath nods “Yeah Catholic. I have to confess a lot. Even when I want to punch my brother and I haven’t done it. “She sighs “Well for us we’re supposed to be married too…..but that’s for old people. So are you into pirates like Thea? I went through a pirate phase but it seems like more with her. I just reread the Narnia books though. I’m a slow reader so it took me all year. But I like those stories. Going through wardrobes to other places….What do you like?”
Aislin arches her brows. “You have to confess for just THINKING?” she blows out a breath. “Well … I mean … single women have babies all the time.” she then shrugs. “No she’s obsessed.” she coincides. “I … read it but I had a friend who said there was a really strong Christian overtone .. or undertone … one of those. I can live with going through a wardrobe to other places …. But that being said … you know that book IS fantasy … so you get the idea, right?” she moves her arms dramatically. “A land of muscular redheaded bodybuilders with no girlfriends .. all yours for the picking!”
Cath nods a bit sheepishly “It’s dumb I know. I don’t always love the church stuff. One time I just confessed hating confession. Our priest laughed at me.” She looked thoughtful about the single women and babies. She knew it was true but in the town she came from it was still considered relatively odd. But on movies and TV and in the bigger cities, life was different. Clearly it was here too. Cath blinked “Really, I never thought of it as a Christin book. Maybe that’s why my grandparents gave them to me. Huh. And yes it’s a fantasy.” She laughs “Oh my goodness Aislin, you’re too much! OK so who lives in your fantasy then?” Now she’s letting her mind crack open as her friend’s is clearly as vast as Narnia.
Aislin looks at Cath. She was raised not to lie, of course, but she wasn’t sure how her Catholic friend might react. “Do you want to live in my fantasy world?” she laughs and teases. “Find your own, Cath!” she playfully pushed Cath’s shoulder, not answering the question.
Cath just rolls her eyes and laughs “Fine. But I choose Narnia. I actually kind of like Turkish Delight and snow.” She gets jumped on by Taffy and giggles “Do you want to come up Sweetie?” She looks out at the houses “I wonder why they took that one down?” She looks at the now empty space curiously.
Aislin hides a feeling of relief that she has deflected her fantasy world from her friend. She looks at the building space. “I don’t know .. they take buildings down funny here. Then don’t bring in those big balls that just knock them down. Like the community center.” she sighs. She’d hoped to climb that building but with the place all blocked off and the work begun, she’ll never get her chance.
Cath shrugs “I guess we could ask someone who’s lived here a long time. Yeah everyone was so weird about that earthquake. I was in the backyard and the neigbour was super stressed. I stayed away from the trees. All her foster kids dove under the trampoline like it was a bomb. I’m getting hungry. What kinds of things do you eat at your house?” Cath is not shy about her love of food.
Aislin listens to Cath and blurts out “The mayor’s wife.” before Cath elaborates. “Oh … right. Huh .. that is strange.” she smiles. “All kinds of things.” she reports. “Dad makes the world’s best tuna melts. Unfortunately its ALL he makes well. But I can cook anything. Paige and Iris taught me. I want to be like them when I grow up. Strong and independent.”
Cath tilts her head “The mayor’s wife? The mayor lives on our street. Seamus broke his window. I think I told you that. He seemed nice. I’ve seen her with their little girl. I guess we could ask her.” Cath beams “I like tuna melts. But I’d like to learn more cooking. Maman just does stuff. I mean I get to make candy with ehr but I want her to teach me the harder stuff like Tartiflette. I think maybe she’s wary because Rene started a fire a while back…..I mean we still have a house. Sasha put it out. I’m not very strong and independent.” She sighs a little.
Aislin blinks. “Oh no … I mean we could .. I as just … she’s .. really pretty and all.” she happily jumps back on the cooking subject. “So ask her to. I mean, it sounds like Rene isn’t much of a chef. She can teach you instead. Or your older sister, maybe?” she looks at Cath and pats her on her arm. “Well I am and you can borrow mine anytime you want.” she runs her hand down Cath’s arm and then snatches it back.
Cath thinks about it “Yeah she is pretty. I like her hair. They’re so much younger than the mayor and his wife in our old town.” She nods “I think I will ask. She comes back tonight but I’ll ask her tomorrow. I don’t know if Gen likes cooking Maman is a bit control freaky about the kitchen. Every now and then Sasha makes poutine but he pickles weird times, like not meal times. Papa doesn’t cook much but he can. I don’t know, we’re weird.” She watches the arm patting and then the hand running down and smiles at the affection. “Thanks.”
Aislin nods. “They are really young. I think it’s cool.” she listens about the cooking and who does it and who doesn’t. “I remember before my mama died, she would cook sometimes, but by then she was getting worse, not better. Mostly it was Paige and Iris who did the cooking. They taught me and I remember Mama watching sometimes.” she sighs
Cath looks sad for Aislin “I’m so sorry about your mom. You must miss her so much.” She takes Aislin’s hand if she can and squeezes it. Taffy has climbed into the garden with Toffee and they’re both puppy sprawled in a sunbeam with squash leaves all around them.
Aislin nods. “I really do.” she looks at Cath hen her hand is taken and squeezes it right back. Then she holds it for a bit and finally sighs, looking at the puppies. “Oh my god .. look at them.” she puls out her phone and takes a picture … and then stands to get one from two different angles.
Cath giggles and takes a few too “I want to draw that later. Pumpkin puppies. Aren’t those pumpkin plants? We used to go to a pumpkin farm and pick ours. Hey silly question, do you like Halloween?” She laughs.
Aislin smiles. “You draw? I can make my pictures LOOK like drawings but only on the computer.” she beams at the puppies. Then she looks at Cath strangely. “Yea … do you? I mean .. I heard it was sinful or devil worship or some shit like that.”
Cath nods shyly “I like to draw. I’m trying to get better at it.” She nods “Well not costumes and candy. Do you still trick or treat? Sasha declared last year his last year. He was 16. Some people won’t even give teenagers candy. I think that’s rude. I mean he had a proper costume and everything.”
Aislin turns her head. “I’d still like to see them sometime. And I’ll show you mine.” she nods. “Yea. I am hoping this year I don’t HAVE to take Thea, but ith the older girls gone I’ll probably have to take Thea.” she giggles. “We should go together. Me and you and Mabel. And adults can just be so fucking shitty.” she rolls her eyes. “But I see his point. I’m thinking mayne 4 or 5 years. Fifteen or sixteen .. in there somewhere. So far most of the people on this island seem really nice .. except that Mrs Norris.” she snorts. “I agree with Seamus, even though I don’t think he knows I heard him. The lady desperately needs to get laid.”
Cath gives a little nod “Ok. I’d love to see your pictures.” She smiles “Let me guess, Thea goes as a …” She pauses dramatically “Pirate?” She giggles. “I’d love to go trick or treating with you two and Mabel.” She looks both shocked and delighted by the swearing. Cath knew swearing was wrong, but she kinda loved it “So fucking shitty.” She repeats like a mantra. Then she makes a face about Mrs. Norris and looks scandalized but laughs about what Seamus said that Aislin is repeating. She laughs though “Oh my goodness…”
Aislin widens her eyes. “How did you guess?” she wonders about Thea being a pirate. “Trick or treating would be cso cool for us!” she listens to Cath swear liek she was new to it. An dher words at what Seamus said. “Hey your hot redheaded fantasy works in a sex shop and swears a lot .. didn’t you know that?”
Cath was grinning but at the reveal about Seamus her jaw drops and she almost falls off the planter’s edge “He works where?” She looks honestly a bit overwhelmed. The swearing part is happy to her but the sex shop is breaking her little not quite there yet brain.
Aislin doesn’t get that she is from a far more progressive sort of a family. Her sisters and father already explained about sex and her sisters followed that up with things she could to and NOT have sex, which she was all about considering her overall interests in that department. So she nods. “That pink and purple store. They sell vibrators and condoms and books and …” she looks at Cath’s expression now. “Um … do you know about this stuff? Like … playing with yourself and all, or is that a sin too. I really don’t get the whole being Catholic thing.”
Cath just looks totally floored. She was a sheltered girl from a very sheltered community. “Wow.” She shrugs “Sort of but I know for us it’s all a sin. I don’t really want to so I don’t care. I mean I might someday. I haven’t even had a period yet. Maman calls me a late bloomer. I’m not sure I want to grow up. It’s complicated.”
Aislin blinks. “Wow … I mean. I got my period when I was nine.” she laughs. “I actually woke up Paige, because you don’t wake Iris up unless it's the end of the world. “She made me coffee and we talked till Dad got up and I told him and finally Iris. They took me shopping for pads and whatnot.” she smiles. “I guess it's complicated but we have no rights as children.” she shrugs. “Well when you DO get your period, we’ll go out and celebrate.”
Cath looks amazed and then listens. “Celebrate? Doesn’t it hurt? I mean I know how it’s supposed to go and it doesn’t sound nice at all. Maman swears that chocolate helps though so I would celebrate an excuse to eat that.”
Aislin shrugs. “I was a WOMAN! Like my first step since boobs to being an adult. And well cramps are no fun. Iris’s are hell but mine are more like Paige’s .. and if it goes that way Thea’s will be like Iris’s.” she winces. “But yea CHocolate helps. And tea and massages if you have someone who will. But its part of being a woman … I mean you’re Catholic .. isn’t it all punishment because Adam couldn’t say no to Eve and not eat the stupid apple?”
Cath looks down at her barely budding chest “Yeah late bloomer. Mind you my sister didn’t get much. And I overheard my mom saying to one of her church friends that she didn’t have much until after kids. I don’t have to wear a bra yet though. And stupid Adam, how come he didn’t get the period? He’s as much at fault. I’m glad yours don’t hurt too much. Sorry for Iris. Maman is somewhere in between and Gen too I guess. They don’t tell me all the details. Iris is the one dating Seamus right?”
Aislin giggles and looks at her chest which is not flat but not huge. The small side of normal. She looks at Cath’s chest and giggles. “More than a mouthful is a waste.” she can’t help but murmur. Then she shrugs. “Or so say guys that like small chests.” she smiles. “Because religion is created by men for men and their male god.” she sighs. “Sorry … I let my mouth run away with me sometimes.” and she nods. “Yes, Iris is dating Seamus … her chest is like mine, I think. She's my sister so I don’t look too close at her boobs.” she laughs.
Cath’s eyes go wide again “Why would they want to…” She shakes her head around. “Um ok….apparently a lot of things are all about what men want.” She gulps, overwhelmed by ideas that are still beyond her. “And no I don’t imagine you would.” Then she leans in “Can you keep a very very big secret?” She needs confirmation before she can dare tell.
Aislin shrugs. “It’s a male dominated world. Not much to be done about it.” she smiles and nods. “I sure can! I have two older sisters.” she giggles.
Cath groans a bit “I’m sure we can do something.” Then she drops her voice “OK…..my sister got a tattoo….a gigantic tattoo on like her entire chest…” Cath shows the distance on her own with her hands but it’s exaggerated from the real thing “Her boyfriend Dante did it. He’s studying with the tattoo people. She said his name means everlasting and it’s the everlasting cross….basically it’s a big ass cross…..seriously her entire chest. Maman and Papa don’t know. But what’s she going to do when we all go swimming?” Cath offers this all with hushed excitement.
Aislin’s eyes grow big at the news of a tattoo. “Sick!” she exclaims in a hushed tone. “Man that must be love then, right?” she giggles when Cath asks about swimming. “She’ll have a lot of explaining to do.” she suggests. “Especially if your parents don’t approve.”
Cath throws up her hands “I don’t know. I mean they don’t have any that I know of. My older brother…..I don’t think I’ve seen anyone in our family with a tattoo. She said the pain wasn’t that bad. And yeah I can tell she loves him. He has tattoos on his fingers that say Fuck Life. He told me he did them when he felt really sad. His mom died….so it makes sense. I thought he looked a bit scary until he came over for dinner and we got to know him. Paige was there too. I showed her all my puppets Sasha and I made.”
Aislin smiles. “Oh wow .. that’s a statement.” she sounds awed. “Oh … I can see that…” she sighs. “I was so young when mama died .. I can see wanting to memorializing her with a tattoo or something someday. Especially since I don’t really remember her. Few memories like when I jumped off of the wardrobe and onto the bed. She was pregnant with Thea … and she died a couple of weeks after she was born…” she sighs, then clears her throat. “But maybe someday i will do something to help me remember her.”
Cath nods “I think the one with her name on it in a heart was the memory one, not the fuck life. So you were really young...I don’t know which would be worse. Not remembering or remembering a lot and having more to mourn.” She sighs sadly nad takes Aislin’s hand again if she can.
Greyson Page wanders out onto the porch with a dish towel over one shoulder and waves across the street “Aislin, Cath!” He calls out “Are you girls hungry for some tuna melts?” It’s after work so he’s in his loose grey cotton pants and a navy and white striped t-shirt.
Aislin lets her hand be taken. With Cath it’s an innocent thing. “I don’t know. I know Paige and Iris get real sad and they were teenagers when Mama died…” then her father comes out on the porch. “Food!” she exclaims and hops up. Scooping up Toffee. “None for you, but plenty for us! Come on, Cath!” and she will lead her friend into the house where it's cosy and comfy.
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