He moved his hands out from in front of my face, “Alrighty. Let’s open those eyes and tell me what you see?”
All I saw in the mirror was my own tired eyes staring back at me, “I’m not adopted am I?”
He shook his head and mumbled under his breath. “I wish.” He then waved a hand in a circle, wanting me to elaborate.
I narrowed my eyes at his reflection before looking at myself again, “Too bad, you’re stuck with me… is it me? A Michael with long hair? White fur?”
He rolled his eyes, “More specific. What is that? Not who.”
I looked again, “Uhm…a nonferal albino fox? A mirror?!? You? My father? My reflection is adopted.”
“...Ok maybe less specific…” He sighs and gestures to the mirror, “A person! One with humanity, confidence, passions, and history. One that will stand for what they know they must do.”
I glanced at him and folded my arms, “I thought rule two was to not stand out. That wasn’t a trick statement was it?”
He puts a hand to his face and tries to hide a quiet grumble before speaking, “The rule was to not stand out, not that you can’t stand up. Plus that's rule one, not rule two.”
I raised an eyebrow at him, “I thought rule one was that I wasn’t adopted.”
He took out his phone from his pocket and opened a text document, “Ok. Your first phone has this too. It’s on your lock screen so all you have to do is hit a button anywhere on it and you can reread it whenever you need to. Let's go over the rules one last time.”
I reached into my own pants pocket and pulled out my first phone. Picking a button at random, it brought up the rules on the screen behind the current time.
I followed along as he read over them outloud, “Rule number 1. Don’t stand out. This means like making a scene or something like that. Got it?”
I nodded. No more theaters.
He continues, “Rule number 2. Don’t break or lose your phones and don’t use any other phones. None of the other phones will have your rules or scripts on them.”
My empty hand reached into my other pocket to pull out the second phone, “So that’s what the other phone is for? The script?”
He scratches the back of his neck, “Yeah… you couldn’t get a hang of the whole unlocking the phone thing so this is what we have to work with. You’ll only need them for a month anyways.”
I put the second phone back in my pocket.
He enunciated the next rule for emphasis, “Rule number 3. Follow the script exactly! Every word on there is there for a reason.” Having reached the end of the rules, I gave a stern final nod and hid the first phone away in my pocket. He gestured to the door for us to go with a smile, “Come on, we don’t want to miss the bus.”
The bathroom we were in was a bit cramped so I headed out first. We stepped into a small cafe and quickly walked out to the street. It was dark out already with the streets illuminated with lights from the windows of the buildings around us. He cleared his throat before he said anything else. His words left a sense of unease in the air, “Now Michael, you know me and your mother love you very much. But I also need you to know that there’s going to be people out there who aren’t.”
We walked down the sidewalk towards the bus station while I put my hands in my pockets, “Well yeah, I’m like 25. I should know by now that everyone isn’t my mother or my father.”
A frustrated grumble leaks out from him again, “No. That’s not what I meant. I mean that not everyone will love you. People out there aren’t going to give you definitions, tell you how to act, or even protect you from getting hurt. That’s all up to you to learn on the fly by yourself. No one is going to stand up for you.”
Walking was quiet until we reached the bus stop a block away. The bus stop was small with an overhang wrapped around a long bench. A few other people stood in silence around the sidewalk near it. We stopped as my father grew more anxious.
I spoke up the closer the time for the bus came, “So is she not coming?”
He shook his head, “Your mother had that job interview. You know how she is.”
The engine roared around the corner as the bus pulled into view. The other people around us looked in its direction. The few seated now stood in preparation.
There wasn’t any nervousness in my voice, “I’m going to miss you guys. I guess this is goodbye.”
My fathers hand hesitated before resting on my shoulder. He started to say goodbye back but paused before taking his hand away again, “I’m sorry.” A slight strain behind his tone.
Screeching breaks filled the quiet as the doors opened. People piled into the bus and I followed in after. Watching as people handed the bus driver money and kept their bags with them. I followed suit. I found a window seat near the back where I looked out the window.
It wasn't a sad goodbye. He knew I was going to be more than fine and yet he cried like he lost me. He turned away and ran like this was the end.
A stranger sat next to me as the bus moved on. Now taking in my surroundings, the bus ride stuck in my mind for quite a while. The seats had patterned carpet like textures. Everything smelled like outdoor food. The street lights flashed through the bus like spot lights from time to time. Everyone was facing forwards away from me, some with taller ears gently swayed with the bus as it took turns. People kept their tails out of the floor boards and folded in their laps with any personal belongings close by. Though I was the only one with a rolling suitcase. I kept it in front of me against my knees. My tail was now resting in my lap as well.
I was now a fish out of water again. The awkward quiet of the ride had gotten to me and I tried to distract myself. In the side pocket of my bag was a small paper pamphlet I got out to read over again.
“Welcome to Wickerwoods.”
The golden title hung over an image of a colorful and old styled town much smaller than my own. Brick buildings sat like book ends with masses of people in between. They all looked to be happy and talking while sharing food.
“Enjoy our food festivals and country hospitality for your next vacation! With our low prices you can get countless handcrafted gifts to take our rich culture with you. Not into crowds or carnivals? Don’t worry! Our town is also home to a vast landscape of woods full of many unique and exciting sights. From our abundant plant life to the vast array of wildlife, even the outskirts of the town are full of adventure. So pack your bags and get ready for a visit of your lifetime! Book your stay at one of our many hotels and lodges today!”