Topanga enjoys having me at her side. I know the Volkshalberd’s names and where everything is, which makes her job easier.
When Mama finds Perry, Topanga has them talk in the main hall. I notice blood on the walls and floors from the battle last night. Perry seems aware of it, too. If he wasn’t afraid of the Executioners before, he definitely is now.
Despite his fear of the biker men, he mostly seems angry at Mama. Their conversation gets heated very quickly. Normally, Perry is weak with Mama. Today, he wants to blame her for all his failings.
“We’re supervising,” Topanga explains to me as we stand just outside of the main hall and eavesdrop.
Inside, Perry puts the blame on Mama. She was too rude to the elders. She never learned the rules. Her children were greedy. Now, he’s become a pariah with the Volkshalberd. He accepts no responsibility for the situation he currently suffers.
“You brought shame to my bloodline!” Perry yells.
Topanga frowns hard when he says that, and I want to go inside to help Mama. How dare Perry attack her? When I went missing, they beat Mama, but her helpmate shows no signs of punishment. Coward!
“You were willing to sacrifice our children to appease a tyrant!” Mama yells back, feeding her monster and standing up for herself.
“Marks wanted those girls, and they are not my children!”
“Vile, cowardly man!”
Topanga whispers, “I hope she hits him.”
The main hall falls quiet, and I wonder if Mama’s rising temper scared Perry into silence.
Suddenly, he yells, “Future’s blood is tainted by your involvement. He can never be a true Volkshalberd!”
“Good riddance to your failed fatherhood! Pathetic cretin!”
Mama storms out of the main hall and right past me. She’s so angry she forgets I was nearby. Yet, I’m relieved she doesn’t waste more time talking to Perry. He’s always been weak. Now, he’s cruel, too.
Topanga looks at her clipboard and nods. “Perry is getting a whole bunch of extra crap assignments.”
“Can we do that?” I ask as she and I return to our inventory.
“Of course. The Volkshalberd have been ordered to create a new committee. I’ll act as one of the Executioners’ representatives. After the Volkshalberd allowed John Marks to take over, I get to be as big a dick as I want to them.”
“Thank you,” I say, hugging her in the way she often wants to hug me. “You are a good friend.”
Topanga smiles softly. “You know, Anders pissed off plenty of men in the club when they found out he was sneaking around with you. But the man knew he’d found someone special. You’re a keeper, Pixie Yabo.”
Grinning, I glance at Anders, who stands nearby with Mama. I see him pat her shoulder as she wipes angry tears from her eyes. They’ve begun to bond. Once we can enjoy our vacation, I feel as though the five of us will create a comfortable life.
And I’m right!
Over the next few days, Anders needs pot a lot. Not for stress, but to deal with the pain. Unaccustomed to people making a fuss over his suffering, he acts embarrassed when we pamper him. Except he’s our family now. His suffering affects us. I don’t think anyone’s ever felt Anders’s heart. They get distracted by his body or even his handsome face. No one dug deeper. Now, four people care more about him than he could ever care about himself.
After the trip to the Village, we visit the supermarket. Mama, Dove, and I buy too much food—vegetables, fruits, grains, and meats. I’m amazed by the number of choices. Mama has big ideas for future meals. I warn her how Anders is used to eating from restaurants, and we can’t expect him to give up his routines completely. She promises we won’t overwhelm him with changes.
At the Walmart, Anders has us find shoes, both for warm and cold weather. He insists we buy jackets and other clothes. We only get a few things each. I know people in this world like collecting items, but Dandelions don’t believe in excess.
Compromise will prove important as we merge our ways with Anders’s. We can’t twist up his mind with too many changes. However, Anders can’t expect us to give up our beliefs either.
“I want you to be you,” he says that night in an almost-panicked voice. “If you change, your feelings for me might change, too.”
“Then, I won’t change,” I promise as I nuzzle his jaw. “I never want to stop loving you.”