Furry Humans

❝I thought you were healing me but no, you broke me even more.❞

“So what I can tell, you’re about three weeks along, going on four weeks. So you’re definitely pregnant,” the nurse states, moving the scoop around Mom’s belly.

My eyes stay glued to the little small screen that sported a black and white screening of the inside of Mom’s belly. There inside, was a little oval sized bean.

“Is that the baby?” I ask aloud.

The blonde haired nurse, named Barbra, turns her head toward me a small smile on her face.

“Yes, you were like that once,” she says, and all I do is stare back at the screen.

Nurse Barbra moves the small microscope on Mom’s lower belly, that was covered in gel. After a minute, she pulls the thing away from Mom’s stomach and packs everything away, grabbing a clipboard that has paperwork on it.

“Well, seems like your baby is healthy. In about two weeks, come back and we’ll have another check up to see how your progressing.” Nurse Barbara stated, giving us a smile.

“That went well.” Mom commented as we walked out of the clinic.

I shrugged, “Could have been better if dad was there.” I mutter, looking off to the side, watching a few people glance our way.

Their eyes flickered back and forth from us, and to what we were doing, we then past by a couple with a child. I didn’t miss the way the mother pulled her son close by her side when we strode by; this caused me to frown.

I finally tune back into whatever excuse Mom was making as we arrive at the car.

“. .so that’s why he couldn’t make it.” she finally finishes, looking up at me over the windshield. “Understand now?”

I blink at her, tilting my lips to the side. “Um. .” I trail off, unsure what to say.

“You didn’t hear a thing I said, did you?” she asks with a sigh, a soft breeze blowing her brown hair over her shoulder.

“Y. . ye. . No.” I say, laughing a bit at her expression.

She waves her hand in a dismissing manner. “Whatever. Forget it.”

Unlocking the car, we both hop in, and I buckle up the same time Mom puts the car in reverse and backs up before placing the car back in drive and zips down the street.

We sat in a comfortable silence, the soft hum of the SUV flowing in my ears. That’s when a thought passes through my head.

“Hey, Mom?”

“Hm.” she hums, keeping her eyes on the road.

“Have you ever wondered why people haven’t approached us?” I ask, glancing at her.

Her eyes cut over to me before gazing back on the road, turning the car to the left.

“What do you mean?” her eyebrows furrowing together

“I mean,” I start, licking my dry lips. “Why hasn’t anyone come to greet us when we moved into town? We’re new, I at least excepted someone to knock at our door.” I explain to her.

My head swimming with conclusions and assumptions, I continue to stare at her watch her eyes tighten around the edges and her lips thin.

“W-well there was Logan.” she stammered, her eyes flickering from me to the road anxiously.

“More like an enemy than a friend.” I utter to her seriously, “You guys act like I didn’t notice the tension when we sat at the table and how nervous you both were.” I tested.

Her hands tighten around the wheel.

I continued. “Why do I have a feeling you and Dad are keeping something from me?”

She was silent for a full minute, my eyes burning into the side of her face before she opened her mouth.

“It’s. . complicated.” her voice was low as she spoke.

The car turned down a familiar street, and I knew I didn’t have much time left before we arrived at the house.

“Then tell me,” I plead. “cause if you haven’t noticed, this town doesn’t seem to like us from the stares we’ve been getting.”

“Abigail, don’t do this.”

Two houses left before we pulled up.

“Don’t what? Don’t ask about how I feel like I’m being watched in my sleep?! or is it the part that the whole town hates us?” I ask frustratingly.

Swerving into the driveway, the car comes into a jerking stop, she put in park and neither of us made a move to get out. The only thing heard in the silent car was our breathing.

I sighed, “Mom—”

“Look Abigail!” she snapped, cutting me off, her eyebrows furrowed together angrily. “I don’t have time for this! If want you want answers, you’ll have to wait cause you’re asking the wrong person.”

I blinked, wide eyes at her outburst before I relaxed my face and stared at her blankly.

“Fine, be like that then.”

And just like that, I was out the car, walking up the porch steps.

Later at night, dinner was awkward. I could tell Mom told Dad about our conversation on the way home by the way he wouldn’t meet my gaze. I stirred my fork in my peas, not bothering to look up when I heard a bit of shuffling.

“So,” Dad starts, his deep voice breaking the silence. “How was the appointment?” he asks.

’If you were there, you would know.′ is what I wanted to say, but kept my mouth shut.

Mom took this as an opportunity to lighten things up, “It was great! They told me to come back in three weeks for another check up.” she tells him, a smile on her face as she gazes at him.

“You’ll make it next time?” the hopefulness in her time causes my heart to squeeze a bit, Dad reached across the table and tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” came his soft, loving reply.

I felt kind of awkward watching them stare into one another’s eyes like the world around them didn’t exist. Heat rose to my cheeks when they started to lean in and I took that as my cue to leave.

The chair scraped against the floor when I stood up a little too quickly, and it snapped them out if they daze and they both turned toward me.

“Where are you going, sweetie?” Mom asked, leaning back from Dad, her eyes twinkling. “You barely ate your food.”

I looked off to the side, “I wasn’t that hungry. Thanks for dinner.”

I turn to leave, thoughts instantly swimming in my head when Dad’s voice stopped me, as I stood on the threshold of the walkway.

“You okay there, kiddo?” he asked, once I looked over my shoulder at him, to see his brows raised and eyes shining with concern.

“Never better Dad.” I lied smoothly, “Goodnight.”

With that, I slowly make my way up the wooden stairs, their voices muffled by the time I made it to my room. I shut the door, softly behind me, inhaling deeply with my back leaned against it. The familiar shiver of being watched ran down my back had caused me to move towards my window, pulling the lace curtain back and gazing out.

My eyes swept over the backyard, the chill air slipping through the cracks of the window, at the bottom of an oak tree stood a shadowy figure. I sucked in a sharp breath when bright blue eyes collided with mine.