zg_shadows | A cause for celebration

Five years ago...

"Hi, Mum," Sulien said into the phone as she struggled to zip up the bulging lid of the suitcase. The zip broke. She stopped, breathing deeply for a moment not hearing her mother's response. The important thing, she reminded herself, was not to get angry. "Mum; do you have a few minutes? I've got something rather important to tell you."

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Selene Tremilin asked delightedly. "You know your father and I would love to-"

"No," Sulien said hurriedly, giving up on the suitcase for the moment. "No, no, I'm not pregnant. It's..." She hesitated, then realised that there was no way to prepare for this news. "I First Changed. I'm Garou."

There was a long silence from the other end of the phone. Sulien prowled the cottage, checking through cupboards and drawers. Under the double bed she found a pink bunny, given to her on Valentine's day a year ago purely to watch the look on her face. She stuffed it violently into a black bin bag. "Mum?" she prompted.

"You're... Garou," the voice said heavily from the other end of the phone. "Well, that's... Who'd have thought it? There's not been a Garou in our family for generations. What does Robin... wait. You're both Garou?"

"Yes." The unfamiliar fury rose like bile within her at this entire stupid situation, and she fought to swallow it back down again.

"Oh."

She took pity. "I'm moving out. This was originally his place, and, well..."

"Right, right." Selene moved on quickly. "How did... I mean, it wasn't you two arguing, was it? Robin's always seemed very even tempered, considering... well, I suppose he is a Ragabash..." her voice trailed off. "You're Ahroun."

"No, we didn't argue," Sulien said tiredly. It wasn't strictly true - hell, it wasn't true at all - but how to explain to her mother about the anger that had built in her like a thunderhead, until she was so swollen with rage that anything could have triggered it? What did it matter what actually had?

"You're Ahroun," Selene repeated, panicked horror joining dismay in her voice.

"Yes."

"I... oh, Suli, I don't know what to say."

Sulien picked up the half-closed suitcase and looked around once more at the bare surfaces, the flattened rings of carpet where furniture had stood, the empty hangers swinging in the wardrobe. "I believe congratulations are traditional," she said.