Showing Her Everything

*Hezzlie*

“What is it?” Mom asks.
I take a deep breath, not sure how to tell her the truth, that I can shift into a wolf at will. I remember how difficult it was for me to believe it when I was first told. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would’ve never believed it.
“Come sit down,” I tell her, and I direct her to the chair near the one where I was sitting a moment ago. She comes with me, and I let her settle into the chair near the window and sit across from her, collecting my thoughts before I speak again.
“You’re scaring me, Hezzlie. Is everything okay? You’re not pregnant are you?”
“God, no, Mom!” I blurt. “What?”
She shrugs. “Well, I was your age when I got pregnant with you,” she reminds me.
“That’s true.” I didn’t mean to offend her, and I don’t think I did, but it’s hard for me to think about having a baby right now. I have my whole life ahead of me, and now is not the time to become preoccupied with a child. “I wanted to tell you something else,” I begin. “But it’s going to be very difficult to explain, and it’ll be hard for you to believe, I think.”
Mom laughs. “Harder than the balls of light we just produced in our hands?”
“Good point.” Maybe the fact that she already knows we aren’t exactly human will make it a little easier for her to believe. “Mom, have you ever noticed how many pictures of wolves there are here? Pictures, sculptures, that sort of thing?”
She nods. “Yes. They seem to be slightly obsessed with them. But then, I’ve seen a lot of wolves out my window at night. I hear them howling to one another. Especially last night. Do you think it’s dangerous?”
I’m not sure how to answer that. It could be dangerous, considering my father’s people are also wolf shifters, and they want to kill basically everyone who lives here. “It’s not just an obsession, Mom. You know I dreamt about being a wolf, right?” She nods. Of course, she knew that. “Well, that’s because… I am one. I can turn into a wolf. Whenever I want to.”
Mom stares at me, unblinking, for several seconds, and then she bursts into laughter. “That’s a good one, Hezzlie. Oh, man. You almost had me there, baby.”
“Mom, I’m telling you the truth,” I say without laughing at all. “All of us can turn into wolves–well, not you, I guess. But my father is also a wolf shifter, so that’s why I can shift. I guess that’s not usually the case, but I can–probably because of your magic. I don’t know. Anyway, it’s true. I’m a wolf shifter. So is Rowan, and Aiden, and Dean, and… everyone. Even Wilma.”
Mom’s not laughing any more. She’s just staring at me. I’m afraid there’s something wrong with her, like I’ve broken her or something. But then she whispers, “Show me.”
“What?” For some reason, I wasn’t really expecting her to say that.
“Show me!” she insists. “I want to believe you, baby, I really do. But you were in a hospital for a long time because you seemed to think you were capable of turning into a wolf, so if you’re going to say you are one, I’m going to need to see it.”
“I didn’t think I was a wolf before,” I correct her. “Only when I was asleep.”
She shrugs. “Whatever, baby. If you’re saying you are actually a wolf, I want to see it with my own eyes so I can comprehend it.”
She’s right, of course. I wouldn’t have believed it either if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. “Fine,” I tell her. “I have to get undressed, though, or else I’ll ruin my clothes. May I use your bathroom?”
Mom nods without a word, still looking shocked. I take a deep breath and walk into the bathroom. I grumble to myself as I undress and grab a clean towel and wrap it around me. I walk back into her bedroom, and Mom’s eyes pop. “You’re still a person, honey.”
I chuckle. I can’t help it. “I know, Mom. I thought you’d want to see me shift.”
“Oh, right.” She backs away from me.
I take note of the space I have and move over in front of the bed where I’m sure I’ll fit. I’m not such a huge wolf, but I do take up a lot of space. It still boggles my mind that I can just think about becoming a wolf, and it happens. I let myself fade to the background and hear my wolf say, ‘It’s about time,’ and the familiar feeling of my body rearranging itself takes over.
In a moment, I’m standing in front of my astonished mother, watching her cover her mouth, and I have to lower my head slightly to see her because my wolf is taller than her.
“Wow,” Mom murmurs. “Hezzlie–that’s you?”
I nod my wolf head and slowly take a step closer to her. She takes a deep breath and extends a hand. Carefully, she pats me on the nose. I don’t smile because I think that would look creepy.
I realize then that I can see myself in her mirror, and I’m a little taken aback at seeing myself like this. I’ve only ever looked down at my wolf before. I’m pretty, that’s for sure. I can see some of my own characteristics in my eyes and the color of my fur being the same as my hair. I bet I can look scary if I want to, being jet black, but I don’t want to scare my mom.
Mom finishes petting me and says, “Okay. I believe you. Switch back.”
My mom has seen me naked before, but not since I was much younger. I have no way to tell her to turn around, so I head back into the bathroom, brushing into her as I go. Once inside, it’s difficult for me to get the door closed. Mom catches on and rushes over to close the door. I barely fit in the bathroom in this form, so I’m glad to get back into my human form, even though my wolf isn’t happy she didn’t get to go for a run. I get dressed and walk back out. Mom is sitting in a chair with her hands over the lower part of her mouth. I sit down across from her. “Are you okay?”
Slowly, she nods. “I am. I’m just… a little shocked.”
“I know.” I reach over and take her hand. “Mom, I’m still me.”
“I know.”
“Just like you’re still you even with that ball of light you can make in your hand,’ I remind her.
“Right.” She blinks a few times, and I think she’s starting to come around.
“I love you, Mom,” I tell her, starting to tear up a little.
“I love you, too.”
I move to her and wrap my arms around her, and we just hold onto one another for a long time until I hear a voice in my head.
‘Hezzlie, can you meet me outside in the back yard?’ Rowan is asking me. ‘I need your help.’
‘I’ll be right there.’