löwenherz

“If you offered to knit me some mittens, I’d be grateful and not judge at all,” Gerry laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, it was the same when I lived in Surrey. I definitely feel the difference since moving here. Your dog might not be able to see her own feet though,” he joked. 

"I am pretty sure Shelley doesn't care about her feet, it's pure strength of will that keeps her moving at this speed", the little puppy jumped into the snow, clearly enjoying this strange new world full of white, "I fear it will clog up her fur though and she'll carry even more dirt and water into the house. But well, I spent years cleaning after my kids, now I can clean after her, too. Surrey, you say?" She looked from the dog to him, biting her lip a little, "What made you move to Woodcrest? Work?"

To say today was a good day was definitely an understatement. Snow had fallen and surprisingly settled, he was able to leave early from work to make sure he could get home and his sister randomly rang him to give him an update on his nieces. Today was pretty great. Only way to top this would be skating! “Do you think there is a lake that’s frozen enough to go skating on? Or… Or am I asking too much for Britain?”

@woodcreststarters​

"A lake to skate on?", Isla raised an eyebrow, that sounded way too dangerous for her and she dearly hoped her son would not get an idea like that. "I cannot remember the last time we had a winter this cold and I have not lived long enough in this place to know for sure... but maybe there's some skate park close by?"

“Oh it’s not all bad, it was pretty exciting the first time I saw it,” he laughed a little. “It definitely slows things down though. Traffic does not like snow,” he nodded. “It does look beautiful, especially watching from a window. I don’t mind that too much. I would like it more if my hands didn’t feel like they were going to fall off.”

"I’d offer to knit you some mittens, but I do not want to sound like my grandmother", Isla rolled her eyes at her own terrible joke but then fell in step beside him. Shelley was in front of them, almost disappearing in the heaps of snow, "I agree with you though, it is terrible for traffic. A problem I felt in London much more than here in Woodcrest. In this small town you can at least get somewhere by your own feet"

“I don’t think this Australian will ever get used to snow,” Gerry laughed, crunching the fresh white snow under his feet as he walked. “I’m so cold.”

“Well, I cannot help you with getting used to it, but I must admit it has some good sides to it, too. And there is always a way to help with the cold”, Isla smiled. Her day had been rather eventful with the library closing down due to no one gettting there and her kids staying home at school. “I am often angry at snow because it takes so much out of my day, but you know, it does look kind of beautiful does it not?”

“Yeah, yeah, D’Artagnan and the Musketeers,” he replied. “It is a great classic. Both. I read some, I’ll openly admit I’m not the biggest reader but I did enjoy it because my grandad did.” Simon smiled as he talked about his grandfather, he’d always been the person he could rely on in his life. “She will, naturally. She’s still so young, if you think, she’s like a baby. She’ll settle more and more,” Si nodded, hoping to reassure her. “Hey there, crazy girl.” He laughed, watching his own dog wag his tail in excitement. 

"Stories matter more when we are able to share them with others", Isla agreed with a nod, "And I have always thought that reading together makes it all a little more enjoyable. We see that with a lot of kids that come to the library" She listened to his reassurance as she watched him and Shelley. He was good with dogs, he seemed calm and kind. Something animals always picked up on. And Isla realised that she was becoming calmer, too, believing him that it would indeed get better with time. "I will give her time to grow up, to enjoy being a little whirlwind. I always tried my best to make my kids' childhood as enjoyable as possible and I shall do the same with a dog. Although I need to often remind myself that Shelley is indeed a dog and not a kid. She needs different things" For a moment Isla watched both dogs greet each other and the smile on her face became even bigger. "But honestly, I am glad she won't grow up to be as big as D'Artagnan"

Stepping into the bookstore, Colton adjusted his glasses as his eyes scanned the rows of shelving. Taking in a deep breath, he basked in the smell of books, one of his favorite scents in the world. He’d come to check out the store’s selection of young adult novels, hoping to find something exciting to choose as his students’ group read project for the semester. “I hope they have something- I’m sure they do.” He signed to himself before turning towards a nearby figure. Using his voice, yet still signing simultaneously, he asked, “Excuse me, but you wouldn’t happen to know where I’d find the Young Adult section?”

@woodcreststarters​

Isla had gone to the bookstore to pick up an order for the library after her visit to the dog school and, as always, found herself browsing through the shelves. Just a minute, she told herself, aware that her dog was still waiting outside in the car. When an unfamiliar voice approached her, she turned around, the three copies she had ordered under her arm. "Oh, the Young Adult section?", a friendly smile appeared on her lips, "It's over there. You turn right when you reach the fantasy books and go over to the wall, it's plastered with it", she gently pointed into the direction before shaking the books under her arm, "If you're here for the new Jodi Meadows book though, I must disappoint you because I bought all the copies they had for our local library. It takes them usually only three days if you order through the store though"

“Now you’re talking my language, a mother support group.” She smiled gently. “Mine has just gone off to uni. It’s a bit weird living in a quiet house if i’m honest…” She felt like she could talk about this with the woman. “I am Penny… by the way.”

"I am here if you need me, if the quiet becomes too much", she winked before she bowed down to grab Shelley's collar and attach it to the leash, "It is nice to meet you Penny. I am Isla and must admit I am still scared of being all alone in the house. I have another year with Marius before he leaves for university, well if all goes well, and I am already scared about it" 

“Oh definitely easier.” She smiled tilting her head at the fellow woman. “I think they swap. Boys are easy as teenagers, but tough as toddler’s. Girls are definitely the opposite. Mine was an angel as a toddler. But oh now she’s older she has me up worrying.” She laughed gently. “That is definitely enough thank you. I need to do something.”

"You're welcome", she replied before calling to her dog. It was getting rather late and she needed to be home before Lyra got back from school. "Maybe we should start a self-help group then. For the exhausted mothers of teenagers and puppies alike", Isla joked but there was an ounce of truth in her words. It was nice to finally meet someone who seemed to understand her own struggles. "Well, my daughter is only five so I can compare only their toddler age. And yes, she was definitely easier than Marius, now that I think about it. I shall let you know about puberty, once we reach that point. If I survive going through all this again"

Amy gave her a warm, reassuring smile as she returned with the hot cup of tea, sugar and cream packets included. “Here you are. And I hope it’s okay, but I got little miss an apple juice?” she offered, handing her the small bottle of juice. She shook her head. “Trust me. This is nothing. Just last week a woman came in, frantic, and begging me not to let them amputate her child’s hand, that had a papercut on it. I promise you, you are mild compared to others. A breath of fresh air, honestly.”

"Thank you", Isla repeated herself before taking the cup of tea. Feeling the warmth on her skin immediately started to calm her down a little. "And of course, she loves apple juice" Isla gave her daughter an encouraging look and Lyra, apparently deciding to be well behaved for once thanked the receptionist, too. "Oh, that sounds as if your work is truly exhausting. I am not sure I could deal with so much drama on a daily basis. I hope all your great work gets recognised around here, I am already feeling so much calmer thanks to you" Isla took a sip of her tea before handing over the papers she had filled out. "I am usually not this confused and overreacting but the last year has been rough for us and I am sure that's the only reason our little friend here", another side look towards her daughter, "Is acting up like this. She's way too old to be eating marbles"

“Yeah, me too. He’s a big fluffy baby really. Even if he takes massive poops in people’s gardens,” Simon laughed, shaking his head at himself. “Thanks, I used to love the Musketeers as a kid. My grandad’s influence,” he said, finding it easy to talk like he always did. “Nonsense. All digs are a little crazy and she’ll grow. And she’s yours, you learn to love all their little traits,” he smiled. “No, of course not.”

"The musketeers?", she looked at him over her shoulder before smiling again, "A great classic. Have you read the book or did your grandfather prefer the movies?" Isla loved to talk about books, were that not the case she would have been terrible at her job, "I hope she will grow to be at least a little... how can I say that? Calmer. I would like a little calm. But I can't be angry with her if she sounds like this" She waited for him to close the door before opening the one she stood before, letting her little fur ball bounce into the hallway with one last exhausting squeal. Shelley bolted towards the door where she had heard the voice of the stranger, where the smell of another dog was coming from, more excitement drenched in fur than a dog her entire body wiggled as she looked for their guest. 

Amelia rested her chin in the palm of her hand as the woman explained. “Don’t you worry, she is going to be just fine. Just both yours and her’s name and insurance and reason for visit is truly needed. We can deal with the rest of the stuff later, okay?” Amy had always been good at keeping a level head when things went crazy, and it always seemed to help the people coming into the ER. “I’ll be right back with your tea. There’s a waiting area right over there,” she said, pointing to the room across the hall from her desk, before getting up to make the tea.

"Thank you", Isla replied once more, still trying to calm her breath. She could feel her daughter's hand on her leg and it took all the strength she had to keep herself together. The calm demeanor of the receptionist helped her immensely in that task and so she finally managed to smile, before nodding and turning towards the waiting room. "Come now, darling", her free hand reached for her daughter, slowly guiding Lyra who still seemed more than fine, while her other hand clutched the papers to her heart. Isla sat down, Lyra still beside her, quickly filling out the form as she waited for the receptionist to come back. And all the while she breathed. In and out. In and out. She was strong enough to get through this, strong enough to survive a crisis without her husband. She could do this. Lyra was the first to notice the receptionist's return as Isla was still lost in the lines of the paperwork. But she looked up, at her daughter's whispers, and smiled once more. "Tea was really a great idea, thanks for that. I guess you are used to people loosing their minds in here, aren't you? I am so sorry for making such a fuss, but I just can't help myself when my kids are involved"

Amelia sat behind her desk, a computer in front of her as she updated patient paperwork into the system. Soon, the doors slid open to the ER and a woman was frantically trying to tell her that she needed to see someone. “Oh, honey! Don’t even worry about it, we have been slow, thankfully, all day. You’re okay, tell me what happened,” she said, her eyes scanning the little girl on her hip. As she waited for the woman’s response, Amy got all the paperwork she would need to fill out ready to go, as well as a pen. “Get these filled out for me, and I’ll have a nurse come get you as soon as possible. Would you like some tea to calm your nerves?”

Isla took a deep breath, trying her best to calm down, to listen to what the young woman in front of her was saying. She had always been terrible when it came to weathering a crisis, back in London her husband had taken care of such things. But she could already feel Lyra becoming uneasy, tears welling up in her daughter's eyes. She needed to get herself under control, to stop scaring her little girl. So she nodded before explaining: "I was on the phone, in the kitchen. Lyra was in the living room playing. She's old enough to play on her own most of the time but she somehow just... I don't know, she somehow just decided to eat some marbles. There were several missing when I came looking why she was caughing so hard and now, I don't know what to do" She set her daughter down, reaching for the papers she was handed, her eyes quickly scanned over the formalities. Isla had not been in a hospital since Marcus' soccer accident two years ago. "Yes, I'll do it as quickly as possible, thank you so much for this. And... tea?", her eyebrows rose up as she processed the words. One short gaze to Lyra, she was fine, not choking, no reason to freak out. "I guess tea would be great" Slowly but surely Isla realised that she might be totally over-reacting. It was almost worse than the fears, but only almost so she decided to stay. 

“Excuse me?”, Isla almost yelled, her voice carrying the sharp edge of panic. She had Lyra on her arm, car keys still in hand, as she rushed into the hospital, facing the first person she saw, “This is kind of an emergency? My kid swallowed something and I...” She was lost for words. Part of her knew that this was not too bad, that this could be fixed. Lyra was after all five and no baby anymore, the marble had been big but not big enough to block her windpipe or anything like that. Her own mother would have told her that it would be best to wait, let nature do its thing. But Isla was tired of waiting, she was tired of feeling as if everything slipped out of her control. She was tired of being afraid. “I don’t want to bother anyone, but I am freaking out over here and I just need to know if she is all right, if it’s truly not as bad as it feels like right now” She had failed her daughter, again, and she hated that. Bouncing her off her hipbone it was hard to ignore that Lyra was now truly too heavy to be carried around by someone of her mother’s size. “I need to see a nurse, or a doctor or...”, Isla was talking so fast she realised the person in front of her - the receptionist? - barely had no time to reply to her. “Sorry”, she mumbled, “We’ll wait”

Belle gave a soft laugh, smiling sympathetically at the woman. “It’s not a stupid idea, they’re hard work but she’ll be worth it in the long run. She’ll get bigger and she’ll learn. And she’s going to be the most amazing dog,” she nodded, hoping to reassure her. “You just have to tell her no for the chewing and make sure she can’t reach anything.” She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Honestly. I do not think you’re mad at all. I think you’ve just moved, you’re settling in and things can get on top of us. We’re human. You can let it out to me.”

"I truly hope she will end up being an amazing do, because I already have one rebellious teenager and another kid waiting for her turn", Isla said with sniffing. But it was true, talking to Belle already helped her deal with all this mess in her head. And it made her realise that what seemed dire now may not stay that way. "Sometimes it just all seems too much", she admitted, "And I need a gentle reminder that it will turn out good. I guess my kids aren't the only ones missing their friends from London" Another sigh, "Thank you. For listening. That is very kind of you"

“It’s why I couldn’t have a dog, as much as I’d love one. I work long hours and live alone. Wouldn’t be fair on the little thing. But I am sure if you’re just popping out, he or she will learn,” he offered with a smile. “A little crying won’t harm her, you can’t stop living.” Gerry nodded. “Definitely don’t worry about the money, I’d happily take her out for a walk on my night off. Though you don’t have anyone you know better?”

She knew he was right, but she just could not stop feeling bad. "It was the same thing with my kids, I have to admit as much", Isla put a hand to her forehead as she slightly shook her head, "My mom always told me to let them cry for a while, but my heart just breaks at that sound" Another sigh left her lips. She had no time for a dog either, why had she thought it was possible? Work, Marcus and Lyra, and now Shelley? But she had commited and now Isla was more than commited to pull it off. There was no bringing Shelley back to that shelter. "Honestly, if you take her off of my hands for one evening so I can fill in at work, it would trly help me a lot! And I must say, there aren't many people I have met here in Woodcrest and really got to know for now. I haven't been here for too long and making friends takes a lot of time. But if you aren't comfortable with it I can totally understand that. You do deserve some rest on your night off, too, I would hate to take that away from you" Asking for help was something Isla had never really learned, so this was more than hard for her.

Penny laughed. “She’ll cause you problems then.” She smiled down at the puppies, they were biting eachother with innocence. “I think you can handle it then. I have a teenager daughter… i think the puppy is easier.” She smiled at the fellow dog lover and parent. “That sounds awesome… do you have a card?”

"I have yet to decide if puppy is easier than teenager", Isla tilted her head as a crooked smile appeared on her lips, "I'd say both have their ups and downs. But I only have a teenage boy at home and I am often told they are a lot easier than girls. I highly doubt that" Especially in their current situation she could not be angry with Marcus, no matter how much he acted up. "Yes, I do think I have a card somewhere", She turned slightly, grabbing for the phone in her backpocket. Isla had left her purse at home, "Well, I have a picture of a card, with the number. If that's enough for you?"

“You are too nice to me, I know he’s a big dog,” he laughed a little, glad to see it was the familiar redhead he’d met a few days earlier. “Well, speaking of myself, I definitely didn’t. D’Artagnan though, wouldn’t trust him,” he joked. “I’m sorry to disrupt your night though. How is your little doggy doing?”

"I always preffered big dogs over smaller ones", Isla replied, "And D'Artagnan is a beautiful name for one. I am sure I won't hold it against him in the future" She was about to turn around and grab her garage keys when a whining sound from behind them emerged. Almost as if someone was dying back there. "Right on cue. My little one is growing fast but she's also becoming more dramatic with every day. My son always jokes that it's because of me, I am only able to raise terrorists" The whining turned into a wail and Isla rolled her eyes. "Excuse me for a sec" She stepped towards the door, knocking on it lightly. "Just a minute, baby girl" And then she looked to Simon and the open door, "Do you mind closing that? I'll be out in a minute to clean the driveway"