Chapter 16
Winny
"Winifred, what's new with you?" Ty asks. That question has made its way around most of the table by this point in the meal.
Ty and Bram have been up with a colicky cub and two toddlers, so I can't fault them for being sleep deprived, but sky’s sake, I do not want to give everyone another opening to tease me about Gillian. Or try to pry more details out of me.
My new relationship buzz is all mine to savor and I want to keep Gillian to myself for a little longer, as much as possible. At least until I’ve dealt with the move logistics and settling into the day-to-day reality of her to balance the fantasy moments we've shared so far.
"Sis, haven't you been keeping up with the group chat?" Briony teases Ty. Bram’s genderfluid mate goes by whichever pronouns match her presentation. Tonight, they came to dinner in a cute vintage dress, so it’s a she/they day.
Briony flaps her hand dismissively toward me.
"We all know what Winny's been doing. We just want to know more about the who. "
"Little ears," our alpha mom chides my sister. Briony ducks her head and mutters a vague apology.
Myra rolls her eyes. "We're not that little."
“Uh oh, potty!” Kyrie belies that statement with a wail for help. Bram leaps from his seat to help them before it’s too late.
"Yeah, and we all know Winny is dating someone. At swimming, Gracen said they saw her at the diner with the octopus shifter Leighton tangled with at the pool,” Cory adds, licking a bit of sauce off his spoon. “For dinner and breakfast the next day."
“It’s not a secret that I had a sleepover.” I roll my eyes since my meddling family refuses to drop the subject.
I’m glad Bram stepped away so he’s not reminded of that damning detail about me dating the shifter who had a role in his cub's poolside misadventure. In our group chat, he seems to have reconciled with the information, but I still want to check in with him one-on-one. Later.
"Yeah, Cory. Winny doesn't want to share more yet, so we're supposed to be polite and not bring that up, remember?" Briony swats at Cory with her napkin.
"Ravens don't keep secrets." Cory sticks his tongue out at her.
"Anyway, Win, you don't have to share," Briony repeats.
It's hard to be mad at her for sharing my personal stuff in the first place when I'm also grateful to her for listening to me and reinforcing the limit I set on any further sharing for now. Irritated affection is a whole mood with my siblings. I wonder what color that is for Gillian?
Guess I'll probably find out for myself now that she's going to be my roommate. And that's actually the perfect segue to deflect from any speculation about Gillian. Other conversations continue around us, so at least not everyone is listening to Cory's speculation and Ty’s questions.
"Actually, thanks for asking Ty, I do have some news to share. I'm moving out. This week. Before the solstice." My announcement brings our family dinner to a screeching halt.
I'd be lying if I said I don't savor the uncanny silence that follows my words as every head in the room turns to face me on my terms. My entire family stares at me as if they suddenly forgot how to use human language, mouths hanging open like hungry chicks demanding food.
That frozen moment lasts about two wingbeats before Amari steals the spotlight with a loud, very startled, bird squawk.
Everyone turns their staring to Seb and Rollie's precocious four month-old baby taking to their feathers for the very first time. Bram was just asking about that since his youngest finally got their feathers a few weeks ago and he's been waxing poetic about preening fluffy baby down.
"Oh, Seb, they got your form too!" Rollie crows, reaching for his baby.
Amari makes another plaintive sound, beak working and talons scrabbling at the slippery tray of their highchair.
They flop belly first into the smashed up banana and rice cereal they were playing with more than eating before the shift.The hatchling hunkers down, wings fanned out in distress and wails for their parents.
Poor little mite seems very startled to take their raven form for the first time. Rollie is getting all emotional about their baby sharing Seb's form as well as his. There are tears welling in his eyes. Seb looks like he isn't sure if this is real and not a cruel prank.
"Well, don't just stand there gaping; shift and go to your child, Sebastian!" Our omega mom stands and points my brother toward his kid. The command in her tone has Seb obeying with alacrity.
Our alpha mom goes to Rollie, helping him gather up his mate and their child in their feathered forms and ushering the little family into the nearest available bedroom.
Mine and Briony’s, but it's fine. They need a moment to process and bond away from the general chaos of all the siblings and cousins gathered around the table.
As soon as Mama gets back to the table, all bets are off.
I get bombarded with an onslaught of exhausting questions about why I'm leaving, and if anyone in the rave was making me uncomfortable.
It seems endless and I resent the heck out of Seb for leaving the room at the moment I most need him in my corner.
Which only makes me feel guilty for being jealous of baby Amari needing their dad more than I need my brother.
Bram notices I’m flailing under the onslaught when he and Kyrie return to the table. My nibling is wearing a different floral romper so I don’t think they made it in time. For once, Bram doesn't bull in to fix things for me without bothering to ask my opinion on the matter.
"Hey, everyone? I’m not sure what we missed, but should we let Winny talk for a minute instead of asking all our questions at once? Win, what were you saying?"
"I was just trying to say that I talked to Clara about moving into the empty side of her duplex to help out with Luca. He’s had great results with his new trial medication, but it means a lot of appointments and she needs more flock around to help."
"We could—" Bram starts, and I know he has all the best of intentions, but it's not helpful when he won't listen.
"No," I cut him off, shaking my head. "She asked me because I get what it's like to feel like an outsider in our own flock.
Luca has it worse than I do. I'm not leaving to get away from anyone or anything.
This is about moving toward something I want.
A roost where our feathers don't define what makes us avians, okay?
It's not about any of you. I love all of you, and I don't know how I'd have gotten through all of the medical stuff and surgeries and PT and the mental side of things without your love and support...”
“But you’re ready to leave the nest?” Mom offers when I trail off.
“Yeah. You prepared me for this. Now I need to stand on my own. None of you questioned it when Bram and Seb moved out, so it sucks that you don't believe I'm capable of doing the same."
"You're more than capable," Mama says.
"We worried about them too, but you're right, we didn't make our worry about them into your brothers' problem, and we shouldn't make it yours either, Winifred,” Mom says. Both of my parents exchange knowing smiles. “You tell us the time and we'll get you moved in two shakes of a tailfeather."
"Dibs on her room!" Cory calls.
"Briony still lives here, featherhead." Elric bumps his shoulder with their knuckles.
"Um, actually, I'm moving out too.” Briony announces, taking the heat off me. When our moms look ready to object she hastens to add, “Not out of the building! Just to a bachelor unit on the third floor. With school and work, I don't want to worry about waking you all with my weird hours."
"And you want a place to kiss girls," Cory says.
"That's none of your concern." Briony lobs a crumpled napkin at him, a flush coloring her face.
I have a fairly good idea who she's been kissing.
Her co-worker at the diner looks at her the way I've been looking at Gillian, but Briony's right that it's none of our business until she's ready to share.
"Anyway, I'm not the one who stayed out all night, remember? "
"Ouch, way to throw me under the bus, Briony! But yeah, I fell asleep…uh, watching movies with Gillian after our date." I glance at my niblings still eating their food. Myra and Cory exchange eye rolls. The toddlers seem totally unconcerned.
"That's what we're calling it?" Elric teases.
"Hush, you. It was a captivating movie. Couldn't keep my eyes off it. And, um, you're going to be real damn chill and not scare her away when you visit us on Solstice because she's moving into the other room of my apartment, so we're keeping our vigil there. Together."
"Whoa," Bram says. "Win, did you just command us to show up to your housewarming party so we can meet your mate on Solstice?"
“No, you’ll meet her when you help me move my stuff in and assemble the furniture her sister insisted on ordering for us.” I shove his shoulder. Hard. He pouts, because we both know he'll never retaliate in kind, even if it would be nice if he didn't treat me with kid gloves.
“So bossy,” Bram chuffs, then he steps around the table to hug me. Not the careful ones that make me feel like porcelain, a real hug that makes my bones creek. Not that he's reckless with my bad shoulder, just, he puts his arms around me in a way that accommodates my needs without going overboard.
It feels so good for him to embrace me like I was never broken. Like when we were young enough to believe in impossible dreams together. "Feathers, Winny. I've missed your thrice-cursed bossy streak. Wasn't sure you'd ever demand we follow your plans again."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"