I adjusted the piles of the fabrics I had made the last time I was here before I moving over to one of the unoccupied tables and grabbing some sketch paper. I needed to plan out the quilt and the pattern before I started cutting anything out. It was best to plan it out in blocks, especially with the daffodils taking up a bigger portion of the middle, I needed to figure out what type of background blocking to use and what pattern to start with. I grabbed a pencil and sketched out a rough outline of the quilt before doing a quick sketch of some daffodils. They didn't look the best but they didn't need to, at least not for now.

"Menza!" At my name I snapped my head up and smiled as I spotted Ellie as she rushed through the building.

"It's Minnie, dear." Lisa said it almost half-heartedly and I glanced at her before Ellie came around the table and gave me a big hug. I smiled as I hugged her back. It felt good to wrap my arms around her. I hadn't seen her in what felt like forever. It hurt my heart to be barred from seeing her and Simon but I had to accept Brochan's rules of who was allowed to come over to the house.

Ellie let me go before kissing my cheek. "I heard you were being dropped off here and I wanted to come for a visit without that male barking at us." Ellie made a face as she said it and she looked so much like Simon that it made me giggle even as a pang struck my chest at the fact I hadn't seen him in so long.

"Be respectful, Ellie." It came from Lisa as she made her way over to the table. I was surprised she was even wanting to come near me. I moved away from Ellie out of habit and clasped my hands in front of me.

"Hello, ma'am." I greeted her as respectfully as I could and she waved me away, a small frown at her face as she reached out and snagged the sketch pad and turned it to look at it.

"What is this for?" She reached over and grabbed the pencil as well and I glanced at Ellie but she was looking at Lisa with a suspicious sort of expression.

"I told Brochan I would make a memorial quilt for him and Maeve out of his late female's clothes. He requested daffodils." I watched her almost warily and she made a small hum of acknowledgement before she tore the page I drew on out of the sketch pad and crumpled it.

Ellie let out a gasp as I flinched, "Mum!"

Lisa waved her off before she looked up at me, "We made a baby quilt for Dana's youngest when she was born. Dana wanted blue bells on it. Remember?" At the question I frowned slightly, looking at the top of the table before I nodded. I did remember that quilt.

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded and she gestured to me and I jolted before heading for the patterns. I sorted through them before pulling out the pattern and returning to the table with it.

Lisa was looking at frames and over the fabric I had chosen for the bulk of the quilt. "Those are good sized frames for both the quilts. Good choice." She moved over to the piles of fabric, rubbing the various fabrics between her fingers, making slight expression for each one she touched. "Working with the different fabrics will be difficult but if we make the pieces smaller and edge them with more common fabrics they won't stress the edges."

She glanced over before coming back to the table and grabbing the pattern. "It's easier to base it off one that you already worked on. This one is smaller, yes, but we can use it as a good base. Just replace the blue bells with the daffodils. It will require some restructuring a bit but it's doable."

She unrolled the pattern and set the blue bell patterns off to the side. "It's better than starting fresh." Lisa glanced up at me, her expression rather unreadable. "Remember we used the base of Aubrey's wolf quilt for this blue bell one." Lisa gestured and at the reminder I felt my shoulders slump slightly. I had forgotten about that.

"Don't mope, Minnie!" She snapped it out and I pulled myself straight. "Just put away the sketch book and get me some pattern paper. I'll start the daffodil pattern for you, you work on the border blocks and the background." At the order I nodded and quickly grabbed the sketch book and put it away before grabbing the wanted paper and handing it to her before taking some for myself.

"Is this the baby?" Ellie's voice pitched upwards and I glanced over as she bent down closer to Maeve, cooing at her.

"Yes, that is little Maeve." I smiled softly as Ellie reached out and grabbed Maeve's little hands as the little girl cooed back.

"Can I take her?" Ellie looked at me, the excitement clear and I nodded. She gave a little squeal as she quickly unbuckled Maeve and picked her up. "Such a cute baby! A happy baby!" She cooed the words at Maeve as she held her close. She bounced her slightly as she patted her back.

"Do your block patterns, Minnie." Lisa's voice had an edge and I jolted before nodding.

"Yes, ma'am." I turned back to the table, content with the knowledge that Ellie would be careful with little Maeve while I worked on the blocks. Plus I knew the females of the pack would want to gush over Maeve and I knew they wouldn't come over to me to do so. They would with Ellie though and I knew it was good for Maeve to be socialized early. Shifters were very family and pack orientated, very social. It was good for her development.

I looked over the patterns from the blue bell quilt before frowning. It was a simple line and square background but I wanted something a little different for Brochan. Line and square blocks were easy enough I could practically do it in my sleep. "You have a look." Lisa's voice had a bit of an edge and I frowned slightly.

"What about honeycomb?" I glanced at her and she made a faint hum as she sketched out a big petal piece on the block.

"Doable." She tilted her head as she started to sketch the various pieces that would make up the petal.

"What about smaller honeycombs near the bottom and green for grass before getting bigger for the sky?" It would be a nice type of pattern to make it look like a field. I knew it would look pretty.

"If you want to spend the time making those small honeycomb pieces, then by all means." Lisa waved me off slightly. "Find the Getts' quilt pattern. Edith did increasing size honeycomb on that one." At the instructions I went over to the pattern shelf and sorted through until I found the right quilt pattern. I brought it back to the table and unrolled it. I found the honeycomb blocks and pulled them out, setting them aside before I rolled the pattern back up.

I glanced up and Ellie had carried Maeve towards where some of the females were restoring some old thrifted furniture. They were smiling at the baby and grasping her little hands. Secure with the knowledge that Maeve was safe with my little sister I started to draw out the proper block using the old pattern as reference. The quilt would look nice with a dark blue frame and then the background looking kind of like grass and sky. I knew the honeycomb pattern would be a bit more difficult but I didn't care, it would look nice and that what I wanted.

Time passed as I and Lisa sketched and for a moment it felt like things were back to how they were. Lisa might have been strict with me growing up bit I had honestly loved quilting with her. It was the one time we could work quietly together and have her talk to me in a tone that didn't show her dislike. Plus it was nice to have someone help me with the project, it was a big one.

Ellie made her way back over to the table and I looked up at her from my fourth block. "Do you have diapers? Little miss here dropped a stinker." Ellie smiled at me and I nodded as I smiled back.

"Diaper bag is by her bounce chair. Everything should be in there." I had made sure to pack everything I could for the day because I didn't want to bother Brochan needlessly while he was training. I was still not quite as used to using a phone as I would have liked. I was grateful for him thinking about the fact I couldn't mindlink, it was really sweet of him and I knew he didn't have to do it at all so it was very nice to have the phone. It was just a little confusing to use.

"She's blessing to the pack." Lisa motioned towards where Ellie was carrying Maeve towards the diaper bag. "To have a pup survive after so many didn't, it's a blessing. An utter shame she lost her mother though. Chrissie was a good female." She turned back to making her blocks as I nodded and turned back to making mine.

It was a difficult and almost neck breaking process to draw out each individual block. My hand was nearly cramping by the time I finished with the last outer block and I set my pencil down, stretching my back and rubbing at my neck. Maeve was sleeping in her bounce chair and I reached upwards stretching out my back. I knew it was getting late but I wasn't sure just how long we had been at it.

I glanced towards Lisa and she was still diligently blocking out the stems and leaves of the flowers. I went to look away when I saw Brochan walking into the building. He looked sweaty and tired but in a good way, as if he had stretched out a painful muscle that had knotted up. He caught my eyes and lifted his hand in greeting. I set the pencil down and got off my stool, giving another stretch. If he was here then it meant we would probably be going home.

"I just finished up. It's almost six so I figured we should head out." He spoke as he got closer and I nodded. He went over to Meave and smiled down at her. "She was okay?" He glanced at me and I nodded once more. "Good. That's good." He got her out of the chair before tucking her against his shoulder and moving towards the table. "Making progress?" He glanced over the stacks of blocks and everything else and I clasped my hands in front of me.

"We are making the block patterns for your quilt. I finished the outer edges and ma'am is working on blocking out the daffodils." I figured another day's work and we could be fully done and ready to start making the pieces.

"I will be done them sometimes tonight." Lisa's voice was even and I glanced at her in surprise. She never really stayed out passed supper time, certainly not for projects.

"Don't stay too late on my behalf." Brochan's voice was a little stiff as he rubbed Maeve's back and Lisa gave a small shrug.

"It has been a while since I had a difficult project and I don't want to lose my stride. Don't worry about me." She didn't raise her head to look at him as she focused intently on the block she was making.

Brochan looked at her, his eyes narrowed slightly before he shrugged. "Suit yourself." He looked at me and I looked back at him expectantly. "Grab the diaper bag, we should head back." I nodded and moved over to grab the bag quickly. "Supper might be a bit late. I need to shower when I get home." He ran his hand through his hair as I put the strap over my shoulder and settled the bag against my hip.

"I can make supper tonight. I don't mind." I honestly would have preferred if he didn't make supper at all but he insisted on alternating days. I didn't like how useless it made me and I honestly didn't him wanting to think I wasn't pulling my weight.

"Thanks. Just don't try making buns again. I nearly chipped a tooth on the last ones you made." The words were slightly teasing and my cheeks flushed hotly as I nearly stuttered.

"I don't know what happened!" I had followed the recipe exactly as it had been written and they just didn't turn out. I didn't know why and I didn't know where to start to figure it out.

"It's okay." Brochan gave me a half smile and I let out a small sigh of relief.

"Pre-rise your yeast next time." Lisa said it in an almost off-hand manner and I looked at her quickly and she glanced up at me. "Two cups warm water, a third cup sugar, two table spoons yeast. Mix it together, let it rise for twenty minutes. It negates the need for kneading the bread. Which is why yours was probably tough." She looked off to the side of my head before she turned back to her block. "Pre-rise the yeast, then mix in your third cup oil, your two eggs and your six cups flour., roll it out, form into buns, rise like I do with the linen cover and the over door."

She set the finished block aside before grabbing a blank piece. "Rise fifteen minutes then spin your pan around, another fifteen minutes to rise, then bake for another fifteen. They should turn out." At the instructions I was a little confused but all together floored. Lisa never jut gave out advice like that to me and I found myself blinking at her, wondering just who the female was. "Here." She held out the now written on empty block. "This recipe was the one I used to make when I was first learning as well. It should turn out." She didn't look at me as she held out the paper and I found myself reaching out and taking it.

Her writing was neat and it outlined her verbal instructions along with the measurements. "Thank you." I meant the words with every bit of me and she merely made a sound of acknowledgement and waved me off. I looked at Brochan and he gestured with his head for us to leave and I turned and followed him.

I didn't know what Lisa was doing but I was glad. It felt almost like an olive branch.

I found myself smiling, it was an olive branch I would be sure to accept.