Jen and Elizabeth arrived at Moon Lake's local K-Mart shortly after it opened. The building was of an older architectural design that K-Mart had used, but like many things in Moon Lake, the building was still very well maintained. Both women made their way in fairly quietly, pulling the swinging doors open as they reached them.
"I can't thank you enough for helping with this," Elizabeth spoke as they made their way in, "Both you and your son..."
"As I said... this is something big and can be both pleasant and frightening for every were," Jen gave Elizabeth an assuring smile, "Pleasant because it's a sign of your sons growing up and frightening for the same reasons."
"Our concern has always been with the pain and discomfort that could come," Elizabeth said weakly, "I don't want my boys getting too hurt."
"Getting hurt shouldn't be a problem if we do this right," Jen again assured Elizabeth, "the first transformation may be a bit uncomfortable... but with the right coaching, pain should not be a problem. And that's why we're here."
Elizabeth nodded and the two walked along quietly along the front end of the store as they made their way toward the aisles that dealt with bedding and other supplies. They then paused for a moment and Elizabeth turned to Jen before they got fully into one of the aisles.
"So which do you think would work best?" Elizabeth asked.
"That will depend on the type," Jen answered, "the cheapest would be to get a sort of bath mat that would be reasonably thick, as that might endure their claws pushing out... the most expensive would be to get actual floor mats that have a thick fuzzy cushion to them and aren't just about providing a separation from the surface of the floor. They'd be thicker and better able to endure lengthening claws."
"And we'd have to by several," Elizabeth gave a sigh.
"To protect your floors, yes," Jen nodded, "but think of it this way, if we get through your sons' first transformation okay, they won't have any further problems and you can feel safe about them transforming indoors as they won't have the discomfort and won't potentially dig their claws in... and whichever way you go, you'd then have material for either spares or something you can take to the beach or just to use for rags if need be."
"So... which would you prefer?" Elizabeth asked.
"It'd be preferable to me that this be done outside, as my husband, Jeff, and I did with Tad," Jen commented, "but if cost is a concern, it'd be best to go with the beach/floor towels. They'll need to be thick and sturdy, which will mean they won't the cheapest towels they sell, but they'd be less expensive than getting actual floor mats."
Elizabeth nodded and then spoke, "I think I'd agree... I mean we just moved, and while I've got time off to get things ready for everything... but Gary does still have to work."
Jen nodded and the two made their way up the aisle where they had their towels on display. It was a fairly decent aisle with bathroom towels, beach towels, hand towels, and even plastic wrapped packs that included entire sets on one side while shower curtains and other accessories were on the other side. Jen's ultimate prediction that the ones that could withstand the lengthening claws of a werewolf transforming for the first time were not the cheapest towels on sale, but they were cheaper than the actual floor mats and that it wasn't as though they could fully escape the situation. Jay and Leon had their first transformation coming soon and they had to be ready.
"What do you think of these?" Elizabeth asked as pulled out one, a deep maroon color with now special pattern to it.
Jen slowly ran her fingers over it and then nodded.
"Yeah, ones like this will work," Jen told her, "and if they survive... you can use them again."
"I'm mostly glad that these ones are all simple with now dramatic colors and patterns," Elizabeth answered as she began pulling a few more of them off the shelf, "I don't know if Jay or Leon would accept using a floral patterned one or one with Disney's princesses on them as floor mats..."
Jen looked back at a couple of the towels the two of them had rejected and chuckled. She privately figured that that was just a case of boys being boys. It didn't matter if they were normals or weres. On the occasion that she and Jeff had stayed at one post long enough for Tad to make friends with other kids on the post, many of the boys that Tad made friends with often had the same opinion that floral prints and princesses were for girls.
"Boys will be boys," Jen reminded Elizabeth.
"I suppose," Elizabeth then shrugged with a chuckle, "again... thank you."
"It's no problem," Jen assured her.
With that, the two then made their way back toward the registers to pay for their purchases.