Chapter 28
When Jules was a boy and just starting to change every month, his mother would call the monthly gathering at the warehouse the ‘teddy bears’ picnic.’ She said it with a smile and a touch of laughter and would have him ready at the door when his father, or Remy’s father, came to pick him up. As he grew older, he began to notice the pain in her eyes whenever she said it. The laughter hid it well for years.
It wasn’t exactly a picnic, but it had something in common with the children’s song. There were certainly wonderful things to eat, and they were hidden in the barrels making the finding a sort of entertainment. They wrestled with each other, bellowing in halfhearted displays of dominance. They were a well-settled clan and everyone knew their place.
Afterwards, they changed ba
