The Siren and the Wolf

Mishka walked along the downstairs hallway and then down to the basement with quick steps.

“I must have a quick breakfast before work, otherwise I’ll not be able to manage that training group full of excited teenagers,” she told herself as she neared the nursery.

She could already smell the scent of freshly cut flowers before she reached the room.

“Seems like Milla is quick with picking flowers. Maybe I’ll even find her in the nursery,” Mishka told herself hopefully.

The nursery door stood half open, so it wasn’t necessary to knock.

Mishka walked in and the scent of the flowers grew stronger. Her eyes immediately fell on the huge bunch of lilies already on the table. Milla was nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe she’s done picking because that’s a big enough bunch of flowers for today,” Mishka whispered to herself.

“But then why hasn’t she put them in water yet?” she asked out loud. “Don’t say that she went out for more? That’s crazy. Why would Grandma want so many flowers? Is it really simply to keep Milla too busy to come to me?” Mishka asked herself, shaking her head.

She walked over to the mirror to check her hair again and a thought struck her.

“Grandma can’t actually afford to be disciplining me after she knows that I’m aware of her doings here last night,” Mishka said to herself as she looked around, trying to spot something unusual.

“Unless she has an answer ready and prepared to give me,” Mishka told her image in the mirror.

“Well, in that case, she should begin to think again because I’m not that easy to convince anymore, “ Mishka declared with her chin raised as she began to walk out of the room.

A huge bunch of flowers brushed against her face as she walked out the door. She immediately jumped backwards into the nursery again.

“Oh, my word!” she exclaimed in shock. “Milla, is that you? My makeup must be a mess now,” she complained.

“Oh, my gracious me! I didn’t expect anyone to be in here so early. Are you alright?” Milla asked with a frown as she peeped around the bunch of flowers in her hands.

“Come in quickly. I was looking for you,” Mishka declared in a hurry as she whisked Milla in and closed the door behind them.

“Oh?” Milla responded with a frown as she placed the flowers onto the work table, next to the others.

She then turned around and walked to the sink where she filled a bucket with water.

“Yes, tell me, did you tell my grandma that I was wondering about what she did here last night?” Mishka asked, just above a whisper.

“No, I didn’t get a chance because she wanted to know why I didn’t inform her when you came in from your first outing,” Milla responded as she placed the lilies in the bucket of water.

“I said you were out with Gillian,” she continued.

“No, I went out with Gillian for my second outing. I went to the lake and the woods in the morning, remember?” Mishka asked looking at Milla steadily.

“Yes, but then you showed up here with Gillian, so I assumed that you were visiting her,” Milla explained as she poured water into another bucket.

“Okay, so she thinks that I was with Gillian all day,” Mishka declared, studying the flowers in front of her.

“Yes, she thinks that you and Gillian had planned to take the day off together,” Milla replied, frowning at Mishka.

“Gillian won’t just stay away from work like that. I went to her mother coz it began to rain in the woods,” Mishka explained.

“Oh, so were in the woods until it rained. That’s long,” Milla stated as she stared at Mishka in concern.

“Forget about that. So, Grandma doesn’t know that I don’t want her coming here at night?” Mishka asked.

“No, she was just going on about you being reckless, running around with Gillian,” Milla responded as she studied Mishka’s face again.

“You must just touch up your makeup slightly. It’s not really messed up,” she declared before returning her attention to the flowers.

Mishka checked her face in the mirror quickly and then turned around to face Milla.

“On second thought, don’t tell Grandma that I know about her coming here at night sometimes. Let her think that it’s just between you and her,” she told Milla in a low tone of voice.

Milla stared at her, frowning in confusion.

“Why should I do that?” she asked.

“Just do it and I will tell you why later,” Mishka replied.

Milla smiled at this. She clearly thought that it was an intriguing situation.

“Very well. As you say, then,” she responded as she carried on arranging the flowers in the bucket.

Back upstairs, Mishka poured her coffee into her cup just as Myrtle entered the breakfast room.

“Good morning, Grandma,” she greeted immediately.

“Good morning, Night Owl,” Myrtle responded. “And they say that you didn’t go to work yesterday? Your father is very worried about you,” she continued as she took a seat at the table.

“I wasn’t well in the morning, so I went for some fresh air in the woods without my phone,” Mishka declared.

“I thought I would find Dad here at the table. Is he having a business breakfast again then?” she asked.

“He was expecting to see you here yesterday morning. Then again he expected to see you at dinner, but you weren’t there either. And your phone just kept on ringing,” Myrtle declared in a droling tone of voice.

“Oh, goodness! I forgot to check my messages,” Mishka exclaimed. She immediately began to search in her bag for her cell phone.

“Heavens! Do you have a boyfriend now? How do you manage to forget about your phone?” Myrtle asked with her eyes popping big behind her glasses.

Mishka checked her phone and immediately saw all her father’s missed calls. She decided to send him a brief message.

“Sorry, Dad. Didn’t they tell you that I wasn’t feeling well? I went for a walk in the woods to relax and recover my strength yesterday. I’m feeling better today. Will be at the office shortly,” she wrote and sent the message off to her father.

“You’re sending a text message?” Myrtle asked. “I don’t believe it. You’re not even phoning to talk to him, but he’s your own father,” she added with her eyes stretched even bigger.

“He’s at a breakfast meeting, isn’t he?” Mishka responded. “Anyway, I have an early training class, so I should be going right away,” she added as she finished up her toast and bacon.

She then wiped her mouth and touched up her lipstick while Myrtle began to pay attention to the food on the table. She shook her head as she began to pile up her toast with fried onion rings, bacon and cheese.

“By the way, Grandma,” Mishka began as she gulped down the rest of her coffee and rose from her chair.

Myrtle looked up at her curiously.

“I’m still not eager to have a boyfriend. I’m too busy for that,” she added with a tight grin on her lips.

“Oh, yes. You and Gillian were up to heaven-knows-what yesterday, right into the night,” Myrtle responded as she looked steadily into Mishka’s face.