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The next day, Aunt Prue and her daughter Charity arrived from Preston, much to my delight. It meant Father's promised punishment was now deferred- though I knew it would only be worse once Aunt Prue left.
Aunt Prue was my favourite relative, and not just because she treated me like a decent person. She was also a werewolf, but she hadn't let that get her down, and now she was well respected in her family - except by my parents, of course. She would always be a half-breed in their eyes, and it was one of the many reasons why they'd fought so hard to keep her from meeting me, lest I gain a friend, or, even worse to them, an ally. But Aunt Prue had fought just as hard, and had threatened them with child services if they tried to keep her from meeting me.
My parents had begrudgingly agreed, as they'd begrudgingly agreed to everything in my life. My schooling, my food, my clothes, my essential supples, my medical care - all of it had to go through my parents. I had no say, of course, and Father had warned me that if I ever complained about what I got, I'd have it taken away. He was the type to do it anyway, just to spite me, but I kept my head down, and made sure to thank him for everything he and Mother provided - as if they were doing more than just the bare minimum in raising me.
Aunt Prue got me, though, and so did Charity, so I was delighted when her red Volkswagen Beetle rocked up. It was about as old as the hills, but Aunt Prue had worked tirelessly to keep it in good condition, and she claimed it was better than most modern cards these days. Looking at it, I had to agree. It looked a bit of a mess, but the engine was in trim condition, and it ran like a dream.
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Father's face was like stone, as always, but he managed a small, stiff smile when Aunt Prue and Charity got out. Mother had the look of one going to her own funeral, but she too managed to put on a polite smile as she hugged her half-sister and niece. Adopted sister and adopted niece, in fact, since Aunt Prue's father had been sterile, and therefore unable to sire any children. But he'd raised Aunt Prue like she was his own daughter, and had been her staunchest ally. I liked Great-Uncle Richard, and when I was finally permitted to speak, I asked after him.
"Still kicking around," Aunt Prue said, smiling as she hugged me. "Oh, it's so good to see you again, dear."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DT5zCt2iy
"Same," I said, hugging her back with equal warmth, and I meant it. She smelled of coconut, and when she kissed me on the cheek, I thought there was no more wonderful feeling in the world to get a kiss that was actually genuine, unlike the ice cold kisses I got from everyone else.
Then it was Charity's turn to hug me, and she all but bowled me off my feet. "You've got to come to Preston," she said, and I laughed as we finally detached ourselves from each other.
"I might just have to," I said, though Father would never permit it, and if he did, he'd insist on sending Patience with us. I hated Patience, and she, like the rest of my family - barring Great-Uncle Richard, Aunt Prue and Charity - heartily returned the sentiment. I pushed the pain away and hugged Charity again, both for the sheer joy of seeing her, and also for a tiny amount of comfort. Charity got the message and hugged me just as tightly.
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Father cleared his throat. "You two go and keep yourselves busy," he said brusquely. "I've got far too much business to deal with this afternoon."
Charity and I shared a look and nodded. "Yes, Father," I said. "May we use the pool, please?"
There were no parties scheduled for tonight, and normally the pool was off limits to me during the day, but all my other cousins and siblings had gone out, and weren't due back until tonight. With Aunt Prue there, Father had no choice but to concede. "Very well," he said. "Just keep out of our way."
"Thank you, Father," I said, and he nodded before turning back to Mum and Aunt Prue, the latter of who blew me a kiss. Charity gave my hand a squeeze as we scampered inside and upstairs, and I had to smile again as I returned her squeeze, relieved to have a small handful of family members who treated me like I was a human being - of sorts - rather than a freak, or a half-breed.
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