Considering the way the world is, one happy day is almost a miracle.

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

Sunday, July 11th
Mid-aftenoon, The Park

"So... the fair Prince had defeat the wicked Faerie, cut away at the thorn bushes until the path was clear, then raced up the stairs of the castle that lay in slumber for the past one hundred years.  At at the top of the northern tower, there she lay; Princess Aurora, the Briar Rose.  She was so beautiful, even in slumber that the Prince felt a stiring in his heart he had never known before.  What had started as a quest for glory and honor had been forgotten.  All he wanted to do was look into her eyes and see Princess Aurora smile.  He knelt down beside the bed, leaned over, and kissed her.  After a moment, it seems as if the world shuddered.  The sun broke through the clouds and Princess Aurora's eyes fluttered open---"

My story gets interrupted right at the happy ending.  Rose all but 'harrumps' at me, and flopsy get tossed at my head.  "Rose, now that is not polite."  I scold her, picking up the stuffed bunny and hopping it back across the blanket we are sitting on by the pond near the park.  We have the shade of the tree we are under to keep the sun off our heads, and I have Rose propped up enough so she can watch the ducks in the pond and smile at the people passing by.  But now my little darling is cross, and scowling at me.  "What is the problem, little miss?"  I ask as her little hand takes possession of her cherished bunny again.

Wrong!  You are telling it wrong!  Tell it right, Momma!

I arch an eyebrow at her as I pop a strawberry into my mouth and offer her a small piece of banana to gum on.  "I am telling it right.  Sleeping Beauty is awoken by true love's kiss and..."  Again, I am interrupted, but this time, instead of a coherent thought, I am bombarded with images from the grand dream, and how Valmont could not wake up the princess, and how I helped and Chester and Zann and Damien...

Well.  "You are not wrong, Rose.  That happened too.  I was telling you an old story.  Rose sulks a bit longer, then stuffs a rabbit eat into her mouth with a sigh.   "Would you like me to tell it again, the way you remember it?"  I ask, reaching out to tickle her toes.  She finally giggles and squirms, loosing that stern look that reminds me so much of her father.  No, she is done with stories, she wants a song now.  Which I am more than happy to supply.

Who said that every wish
Would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me

(open)

Comments

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

Fine day, ayuh, brightest in a while, an' I worked all day at the market yesterday so I got money in my pocket an' an inclination to be lazy. Buy myself a cup of iced coffee an' a box of pretty little cakes from the bakery - ain't nevah had a huge sweet tooth, but they is as pretty as summah, all glistening an' golden.

Spot Wanda an' her baby in the park.

"Aftahnoon," I say, walking ovah. "How you girls doin'?"

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

I am just finishing up a song about sitting on the middle stair of a staircase when Flopsy starts moving about in a rather animated way and Rose points past me and gurgles. I turn to see what has her so excited, and my smile splits into a huge grin.

"How you girls doin'?"

"Can't complain on a day like today." I say, looking up to the sky. "We're doing well. And you?" I ask, shifting over on the blanket to give them some room to sit. "Please, join us."

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

"Gettin' by," I say, an' settle myself down. "Heah, I bought some cakes. If youah sharing your blankets, seems fair I pass them round." Smile. "Rose is getting big," I note, an' I pick her up. "Heavy too," I add, and I sweah the baby looks smug.

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

Nu joins us and opens a little box of...

"It hardly seems fair to offer fruit in trade." I grin, setting the bowl of berries between us, then easing a small cake from the box. I take a bite and roll my eyes in contentment as Nu takes up Rose.

"Rose is getting big, Heavy too,"

"She grew a bit faster that I thought she should, but I think it's leveled out for a bit." I sigh, offering my sweetling a bit of frosting from my finger. "Have you had any experience with..." Well, I can't say I know exactly what Rose is. "...with extraordinary children?" I ask as she gummy the icing from my fingertip, then smacks her little lips, clearly wanting more.

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

"Fruit's a gift of the gods," I smile. "I should know, I met some of them, ayuh." Grin an' bounce Rose on my knee.

"Have you had any experience with......with extraordinary children?"

"Ayuh," I say. "Including some of my own, you ken?" Jounce Rose some moah. "Seen a lot of strange things in all my time, Wanda, don't you go thinkin' Miss Rose heah is the strangest." Kiss the top of her baby head an' she laughs. Makes me feel good to heah it. "She done anything new?"

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

Nu doesn't seem too put off by the fruit. "Fruit's a gift of the gods, I should know, I met some of them, ayuh."

Chuckle at that as I drag a strawberry thru the icing on the small cake. "Do you mean outside Excolo? In town I am up to..." Do a quick mental count in my head. "Seven, not including Rose's father or the demon that was in Lucien." I have an inkling that Nu is much older than they seem, especially when they tell me their own children have been special.

"Seen a lot of strange things in all my time, Wanda, don't you go thinkin' Miss Rose heah is the strangest." I grin and shake my head. "Never thought her strange, just unique." Rose laughs happily which just makes my smile split my face.

"She done anything new?"

Now I laugh. "What, bringing me back from the brink of death is not enough? Well... lets see. We've made a postcard from the library appear in the bedroom. Mr. Flopsy hops around the room all by himself, which still makes mummy scream..." I grin at my daughter and hand her the lavendar piece of fluff. "Granted, I think it only hops around now to make mummy scream and jump out of her skin." I swear Rose smirks at that. "Oh, and butterflies and fireflies love to land on her. Isn't that right sweetie?" Almost to prove a point, her little fingers stretch out and a lovely Monarch butterfly flits over and lands on her hand, slowly fanning it's wings.

"Show off." I say to Rose dryly, and she gurgles in delight.

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

"Do you mean outside Excolo? In town I am up to... Seven, not including Rose's father or the demon that was in Lucien."

Snort.

"This town," I say, "is one of the strangest places I evah been, ayuh, an' if you knew my life you'd know that was sayin' a lot." Must be five thousand yeahs since I was in a place wheah gods walked around so freely.

Wanda talks about her daughtah's gifts, an' I watch Rose watchin' us, an' I wondah.

"All seems harmless so far," I say. "She got in a snit yet an' done anything naughty?" Raise my eyebrows.

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

"This town, is one of the strangest places I evah been, ayuh, an' if you knew my life you'd know that was sayin' a lot."

I laugh and shake my head. "I'll trust you know whereof you speak." And I give them a broad grin and a wink. I am still betting I should up my "god count" to eight.

The butterfly flits away, and Nu asks if she's done anything bad. I consider it, latching Rose for a moment, then shake my head in the negative. "Oh, she get's into snit's, and they are ittitating... but just that. Irritating. When she's miserable, she makes sure everyone knows it..." But that's not the question, is it?

"No, she's never done anything to truly worry me. Yet at any rate. Suppose not having..." I catch myself before I say it, let Rose catches me speaking about her absent father and grows sad. "I suppose being a single parent helps in that regard. No bad influence there everyday." Manage a small smile at that. Doesn't hurt as much, but it still aches more than I'd like it to.

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

"Ayuh," I agree, and I pat Wanda's hand. "Sometimes it's bettah to be alone, even if it's hard. Got to protect our young, you ken? That's our greatest duty. Luckily it's also fun, most of the time," I say, bouncing Rose a bit moah until she giggles. "But you let me know if she does anything alarming. Might not be I can do anything, but you nevah know."

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I am rather used to being on my own. That's not so hard. It's the not having someone around that's hard... that's the difficult part." I joke and wink, laughing a little to show them that I am joking. Yes, I know I have options for that, it's just not what I want, not right now. Soon, probably. Soon Jarmyn willl look good...

Okay. I will never be that hard up.

"But you let me know if she does anything alarming. Might not be I can do anything, but you nevah know."

"What I am hoping for, if she does anything like that, is that I have come come inform you. That you won't hear it or see it from across town." I sigh, bobbing Rose's tiny nose with the tip of my finger. "I would much rather come visit you just to visit. I want to take Rose over to the Carnival to see the lights and the ferris wheel... but I am not sure how many people over there know who Rose's father is, and if I should worry about that." I admit hesitantly. "I know I can protect her, but it helps knowing before hand if I need to."

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

Grin at Wanda's comment, though - "bet you wouldn't have trouble finding company if that was all you wanted, ayuh."

"I would much rather come visit you just to visit. I want to take Rose over to the Carnival to see the lights and the ferris wheel... but I am not sure how many people over there know who Rose's father is, and if I should worry about that. I know I can protect her, but it helps knowing before hand if I need to."

"They ain't big fans of her daddy ovah that way, I tell you that," I say. "But I doubt anyone will attack you. Not from the goodness of their hearts, mind you, but cos they ah worried what her daddy might do if she got a scratch, you ken? So I doubt everyone would be all smiles, but I don't think anyone will touch you. 'Sides, you can say you'ah coming to see me. Not many people mess with me, ayuh," an' I smile a little.

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

We both have a good laugh over my wanting company, as it were. Still... I have to set an example. Can't really go back to the way I was before, can I?

Nu confirms my fear that she won't be welcome over there, but tolerated out of fear. Not exactly a comfort, that.

"'Sides, you can say you'ah coming to see me. Not many people mess with me, ayuh," Oh, that grin. "Hmmmm.... I went at a God of Night, sparred with a God of War, and even slit my----" I stop mid admission, lest I upset Rose. "And I've done worse to my ex-husband... and yet I would think twice about coming after you." Now I smile, a little. "Much happier having you as a friend, and probably healthier too." Chuckling, I pass them a dish of honeydew melon.

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

I laugh an' take a piece of melon.

"Ain't so sure that I'm scariah than a god of war, but I'll take it as a compliment. And I'm glad to call you a friend too, Wanda." Girl needs friends, for one thing, but I don't say that. 'Stead I lie back on the grass and balance Rose on my belly, which she seems to like. Pleased to know that no mattah how unusual Rose is, like any baby she thinks I'm swell.