Were in the City Ch. 08

When I was about 12 it got really bad. She watched everything I did, she even pulled me out of school and home-schooled me for two years until my parents had a huge fight, my father insisting I go back to regular school. My father would take me places, just the two of us. We went to the zoo, movies, hiking, things like that. My mother never came with us. She was very smart, well read, she would discuss all sorts of things with my father and edited the papers he wrote, she helped me with my schoolwork all the time. She was artistic, could draw beautiful things, and loved gardening. I would help her in the garden all the time. She wasn't a monster, but she was really troubled."

Helen asked "Did she ever tell you anything about her family?"

"I never heard her say anything about her father at all. I remember she talked about her mother once when I was younger. She was cleaning out some boxes stored in our basement and she showed me a really faded old photo of her mom in what looked like a fancy ball-gown. I asked if she was still alive and my mom said no, she'd died many years ago. That was all she ever said about her mom. Oh, I almost forgot, my mom was married to someone before my dad. He died, and my father said my mom was very sad for a long time. Then she met my father and they got married."

Helen asked "Do you know where your parents met?"

"Yes, in England. My father was in London for a conference and he met my mother there. I have no idea what she was doing there, she was living there though. She came to Canada and they got married here. I don't know if Durand is her maiden name or the last name of her first husband. It's the only surname for her I know of."

Jessie heard Helen sigh. "Well Jessie, you've given me a couple more things to investigate but it's not a lot more to go on. Do you think the picture of your grandmother that you saw is in the things rescued from your family home?"

Jessie nodded. "It might be, I'd have to go through everything and look. It could take a while to find, but I can try."

"Good, do that when you can, thanks. From the way you describe your mother's behaviour when you were 12, it could be that she was really worried about you as you hit puberty. That's when Were children start to be able to change, if they are not a type that can change before puberty. She was probably expecting you to do so and didn't want it to happen in public. And then you should have started going into heat sometime after age 18."

"But I never did either of those things. And she never stopped hovering over me, wanting to know everything I was doing all the time. Sometimes she acted scared, like someone was going to hurt me. Why?" Jessie asked.

"I don't know why she was so worried Jessie, except that she could have had bad experiences as a shapeshifter and didn't want the same things to happen to you. If your father was not Were and your mother was, then you are half-and-half. This is rare, but does happen. Generally though, a half-Were still is able to change, and you don't. I have no idea what that means."

Jacob and Liam had been listening to everything being discussed. Liam asked "Helen, what should we all do now?"

Helen laughed, "Whatever makes you think I have the answer to that Liam?" She sighed. "I will give you some advice, from one friend to another, for what it's worth ... What's happening to you three is unusual, but it isn't the weirdest thing I've ever heard of in the Were world, so accept it and start figuring out how to live with it, if all three of you agree you want to try ... and work on being honest and open with each other from now on please. You two rogues need to start by telling Jessie who you really are and what has happened to you. Jessie, you need to look Liam in the eyes before you go home tonight and get over what happened - you both enjoyed it, don't lie. There are going to be a lot more unusual and uncomfortable moments for you all, so as the saying goes "suck it up and move on people!""