Chapter Text
The living room of the academy’s private quarters was bathed in the warm, muted glow of a rainy afternoon. Larissa Weems settled onto the plush velvet sofa, the fabric rustling softly as she smoothed down her skirt. Marilyn Thornhill sat beside her, her bright cardigan a stark contrast to the deep jewel tones of the room.
Between them—yet distinctly in her own little world on the rug—was Enid. At barely two years old in her headspace, the world was a massive, overwhelming place, and she was currently tucked into a soft, oversized pastel pink hoodie that made her look even smaller than she was.
Marilyn leaned forward slightly, her eyes crinkling with a warmth that felt entirely genuine.
"Would you like to sit up here with us, sweetheart, or are you happy on the floor?" Marilyn spoke in the sweetest voice Weems had ever heard from her. "We have the fluffy blanket right here if you get chilly."
Enid looked up from her spot, her large eyes wide and blinking slowly. She sucked on her lower lip for a moment, her fingers twisting the edge of her long sleeves.
"Stay down here," Enid spoke in a timid voice. "Floor is... floor is safe. Got my spots."
The trio went to the living room, the adults getting comfortable on the sofa, watching the little werewolf meticulously arrange her surroundings.
"You look very cozy down there, Enid," Weems said, her voice dropping into a low, soothing cadence meant to anchor the little girl. "But if the floor gets too hard, you let us know immediately. Understand?"
Enid nodded quickly, her blonde curls bouncing. "Otay. I tell you. If my knees get the... the crunchy feels."
Weems adjusted a throw pillow, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Very well. Just keep your toys close so nobody trips over them."
Enid suddenly froze, her eyes going wide as she heard a faint rustling noise from the hallway outside. Raising a finger to her lips, she looked up at the adults with absolute gravity. "Shh! Listen! The monsters are making the squeaky shoes outside!"
Marilyn reached into her tote bag, pulling out a fresh package to distract her. Clutching her new coloring book and crayons tightly against her chest, she offered them forward. "Look what I brought just for you, Enid. Would you like to do some coloring with me instead?"
Enid’s eyes locked onto the bright box of crayons, her apprehension instantly melting away. "Can... can we do the puppy pages? The ones with the big floppy ears?"
"Of course we can," Weems said, leaning down slightly to see the cover. "Did Marilyn manage to find the glitter crayons you like so much?"
"I certainly did," Marilyn said, opening the book to a page of a cartoon wolf cub and setting it on the coffee table. "Only the brightest colors for our best artist."
Weems looked toward the heavy oak door of the suite, a subtle shift in the air catching her attention. "Did you hear someone at the threshold, Marilyn? I thought the hallways were cleared for the afternoon."
Marilyn didn't look up from her neat arrangement of the wax crayons. "Oh, it's probably just the delivery from the greenhouse. They promised to bring up the new soil samples before dusk."