A few more rides down the slope on the toboggan; Roxy felt the need to use the washroom, her hoping and covering her fury crotch in a vain attempt to hold it in gave Michael all he needed to know to pick up the sled and walk to the club house. The sound of his hooves crunching on the hard packed snow while Roxy continued to dance and race towards the structure.
“Wait up,” Michael propping the sled by the entrance as the two walked inside. Michael paused briefly as the warmth from inside the building enveloped him; his attention was brought back when his fury tigress cub tugged on his arm and gave him a pleading look. “Okay,” Michael scanning the area and noticing the sign for washrooms; Guiding Roxy to the area she makes a beeline to one of the toilet stalls.
Michael notes that only a few of the toilets have stalls; some don’t, and there are a few of those squat style toilets that are prominent in various Asian nations. Feeling that he has to pee; the stag-deer fury walks up to a nearby urinal and begins to paint the porcelain fixture with a spray of yellow water. Like all other public restrooms, this one was remodeled after the fury pandemic. Unlike humans, fury’s had no shame in urinating or defecating in front of others; be they the same or opposite gender. The dividing wall between the washrooms that once separated the male and female rooms long gone; and the newly remodeled washroom renovated to be more communal. Michael noticed the usual signs; no smoking, no rutting and no horseplay. The last one was a result of several furies using magic to play harmless pranks. Michael did find it curious that the no smoking signs were still up; he rarely saw anyone lighting up a cigarette, as most furies who did smoke at one time when human managed to kick the habit after being given the gift.
Michael feels his bladder finally empty as he shakes the last few drops out before flushing the urinal and walking to the bank of sinks. Washing his hoof-hands, he uses the mirror to watch as his daughter opens the stall door and quickly walks towards him.
“Did you wipe,” Michael helping his daughter up so she can wash her hand paws; while he is certain that Denise did teach their cub the finer points of keeping her entrance clean, Michael felt obligated to remind his five year old daughter about proper hygiene.
“Yes,” Roxy answering as she finishes washing; being let down and guided to the towel dispenser to dry off.
“Then let’s go find your mother,” Michael opening the washroom door; “she promised us hot chocolate.”
“Can we go down the hill again,” Roxy asking as she is lead to the club house exit; pausing as the stag-deer collects the toboggan.
“We’ll see,” was all Michael said as he picked up the sled; “perhaps mom will want to have a few rides with you.”
It wasn’t long before the two saw Denise approaching with a tray of drinks. The tigress fury passing the small cup to Roxy while she and Michael enjoyed the medium cups of hot chocolate.
“Was there a long line,” Michael sipping the lukewarm beverage; noticing that it was a little watery and slightly bland.
“That and I had a phone call,” Denise scowling as she took a sip of her drink; “the new president wants me in Washington after the new year.”
“That snake,” Michael shaking his head; “I thought he excepted your letter of resignation.”
“Apparently the former senator from Tennessee lied,” Denise recalling how the water moccasin fury all but planned to use her as a launch pad for his bid for the oval office. Scuttling the plan by outing herself as the mastermind behind the fury pandemic that struck during the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday. “His excuse is that I’m more popular than all the other politicians,” Denise growling; “I would have chalked it up to stroking my ego, however I saw the polls and it seems I am well liked as the head of the CDC. “Despite the fact that I hate traveling to Washington,” Denise finishing her hot chocolate and chucking the cup into the trash bin; “biggest den of vipers if I ever saw one.”
“You think he is going to try and seduce you again,” Michael not liking the man when he visited the town during the 2028 election campaign; despite fury’s being bisexual and ambivalent to sexual dalliances, Michael has become somewhat possessive of his mate. Not wanting to share her but with those he trusts and has formed a friendship with.
“You know he will try,” Denise sighing; “but he is going to walk away disappointed. I’m just not into him.”
“Can we ride down the hill now,” Roxy tugging on her mother as she tries to get the tigress fury’s attention and changing the conversation that she doesn’t understand as well.
“A few more runs down the slope can’t hurt,” Denise taking the toboggan from Michael; “daddy can watch while we have a girl’s only moment.
***********
Several rides later, the young tigress cub was looking exhausted and starting to yawn; Michael seeing the time on his cell phone and noting that they have been outside for nearly the entire day. Skipping lunch, Michael assumed that his daughter was also hungry; so they left the ski slope and walked towards his car. The 1999 Saab turned over with little difficulty; however Michael noticed a slight squeal from one of the belts. “Going to need to get a tune up soon,” Michael checking the rearview mirror before backing up to pull out of the parking lot.
“You should consider getting a new car,” Denise putting on her seat belt; checking to see that Roxy is already starting to nod off in her car seat; “one that has modern safety features instead of this pre Y2K clunker.”
“Hey,” Michael looking hurt; “this car may be old, but it has soul. Plus they don’t make cars like this anymore.”
“And with good reason,” Denise smirks; “no one has a cassette deck anymore, and cd players are being phased out.”
“This is one of the few vehicles that made airbags and side impact beams standard,” Michael countering; “it has ABS, fuel injection, cruise control and air conditioning. What else does it need,” Michael smiling as he pulls onto the highway and starts the drive home. “The tape deck is something Victoria enjoyed,” Michael feeling a moment of melancholy as he spoke his deceased wife’s name. The mother of his twin boys, Jimmy and Jake passed away during the last Covid lockdown; not from the virus, but from being hit by a drunk driver as she walked to the bank to deposit the receipts from the restaurant.
“Get a new car,” Denise seeing her mate’s sadness creep through; “make new happy memories with it instead of clinging to the past.”
“Won’t get much of a trade in value,” Michael sighing as he loves this car despite the baggage attached; he knew that the car was nearing thirty years of age and already had a complete engine replacement.
“If I have to suffer heading to Washington,” Denise placing a paw on her mate’s fury thigh; "you can suffer getting a new car.”
The rest of the drive home past in relative silence between the couple as they listened to the radio. The weather report stating that a cold front was on the way and bringing with it more snow. National news noted an uptick of cold and flu cases as well as the upcoming trial of Reverend Simon; the leader of the Vicksburg militia. Being charged with citing an insurrection, supporting and condoning murder, each charge having a hate crime enhancement attached to them; the man refusing to acknowledge the new courts as he believes fury’s were demon’s sent by Satan and the fury flu was the rapture as written in the book of revelations. International news noted student protests in France over tuition costs as well as cost of living. The new united Korean Peninsula celebrated landing the 2036 summer Olympics; opting to host the games in both Seoul as well as Pyongyang; the games doubling as a holiday to commemorate reunification and an end to the demilitarized zone.
Pulling into the driveway, Michael looked at Roxy through the rear view mirror and noticed that she was fast asleep. Checking the time to see that it was an hour away from supper time, he helps Denise undo the safety belts so she can carry their cub inside.
“Let her sleep on the sofa,” Michael commenting as he wipes his hooves on the mat; “I whip up a quick supper as we all seemed to skip lunch today.”
“I forgot about lunch,” Denise putting the tigress cub down in the living room before joining her stag-deer mate in the kitchen; “thanks for bringing it up as I’m starving.”
“As much as I am loathed to reach for this,” Michael pulling out a couple boxes of macaroni and cheese; “it is quick to make.”
“But you’d rather make pasta from scratch,” Denise pulling out a pot and filling it with water; “or make something else more substantial.”
Denise didn’t want to wake Roxy, but supper was ready and she knew the cub would be starving; so the tigress mother was not surprised when her cub woke up feeling cranky and struggling to get up. The smell of food did help to make the cub more amenable to heading to the dining room as Michael began spooning the box pasta into bowls. Feeling the need to make it more filling; Michael added some pancetta and mixed up a garden salad to go with the carbohydrate bomb. Adding extra to Roxy’s bowl as the cub began to devour the food, noting that she must have been really hungry.
“Perhaps I should have made more,” Michael putting the now empty pot down as he and Denise sat down to eat.
“We have the yule log in the fridge,” Denise responding; “so dessert after supper should help.