NOVEL NEXT 218: Fairies and Fireflies
RORY
"I've got Bitsy."
"I've got Switch," Slydar replied.
It was our usual schtick, 'cuz we had gettin' the kids rounded up down pat. Four-year-old Switch was at the age where he wanted to do everything himself, which was fine by us, but we still had to keep tabs on him and make sure he got in the porter so he didn't get left behind.
Who was I kidding? There's no way my son was gonna let us go off and leave him when we were taking the whole family to The Cabin for the first time. The kids hadn't even known about our hideaway by the river until we started telling them stories about a fun place with water and pretty hillsides that lit with magic fireflies at night. But once we'd started talking about it, it was Cabin fever all day and all night.
Sly finished packing everything in the porter, and both kids accounted for, we plugged the destination in and were off! We got there just fine on a sunny afternoon, and Susette, Rhianne, Lena, and Sal joined us soon after.
The first thing we did was our ritual of lighting the memorial candlestick for Borden and Annika Sloan and our Aunties and Uncles, explaining to the kids all the people we wanted to honor. They knew the stories, of course, but that was the first time they got to see the candlestick, and they joined us in blowing out the flame.
The next item on the list was setting ground rules for the kids about only going near the water when a parent was with them and anyone who broke the rules would have to stay inside the rest of the day.
They seemed to understand the seriousness of the moment, and everyone wanted to get down to the river straight off. So, we changed into swimsuits and waded along the edge, turning over rocks and looking for fish or creepy crawlies. Switch loved pulling squirmy worms outta the dirt and holding them up for Lena, and she squealed in delight at everything he did which only encouraged him.
Sal the mirka sniffed her way around the banks, but didn't look keen on the water. Instead, she followed close behind Bitsy wherever my daughter went which was adorable and gave me another layer of reassurance that someone was watching out for her. Not that Sal could do anything to actually help Bitsy, but she could give a warning to Susette in a heartbeat if one of the little ones needed something.
That had actually happened more than one time with little Lena. A year ago, Susette'd been awakened in the night by a telepathic alarm from Sal just seconds before her daughter screamed from a nightmare. Susette had no doubts that Sal knew exactly what was going on in Lena's dreams, and she trusted her bonded creature completely.
The day passed quickly, and we had a picnic along the river bank, spreading out blankets and munching sandwiches and apples. It was slow, quiet, and peaceful, and we put the kids down for naps after lunch.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Lena was too old to sleep midday, but she was used to having a quiet time break by herself, so she had no problem reading books in the window nook while the adults unpacked, got dinner started, and generally did the things of life that having three little kids required. Sly and I even had enough time to sneak off for some one-on-one time which was good, as always, if quick 'cuz we didn't want to be mid-passion when the kids woke up.
Of course, once they were awake, they wanted to go back outside, so we all trotted down to the creek's edge, this time taking some of the water toys with us. Switch and Slydar knelt along the riverbank pushing little toy boats into the water and watching them float lazily downstream, but Lena and Bitsy circled around Susette who kept telling stories about magical forests filled with friendly fairies who left kisses on cheeks and chocolates on the bedside tables of sleeping children.
Note to self: see if Susette brought the promised chocolates and eat some whilst putting them out for the kids tonight. Slydar looked up from the river bed, seeing the thoughts in my mind and grinning at me. He had some ideas of what to do with chocolate once the kids were asleep tonight. I laughed at him 'cuz he was always good for a chocolate joke.
When it was getting close to dinner time, Rhianne and I went inside to get it made while the others all stayed out playing. It was just a simple meal of spaghetti which all of our kids liked and a big salad with lemon bars for dessert, and we ate it outside on the picnic blankets.
The evening cool set in as the sky darkened, and we all gathered on the blankets and under them as Susette regaled the kids with stories of forest fairies again. I don't know how she came up with so many tales, but she coulda given my dad a run for his money she was such a great entertainer. It seemed like she enjoyed bringing her troubadour past back to life in the form of story teller to children far and wide.
Not long after we noticed the first blinks of fireflies coming out, the kids jumped up in delight, chasing and catching them. Switch wanted to put them in a jar like he'd seen in a cartoon, but Susette told him a story of fairy princesses with magic wagons pulled by fireflies who would cry if their best friends were sealed in a jar. So all thoughts of putting bugs in containers were quickly abandoned.
Sly whispered into my mind, Don't the fairies have wings? Why do they need magic chariots pulled by fireflies if they can fly?
Because our son needs a reason to NOT put innocent bugs in jars, and that one seems to work. Let's hope he doesn't have your logic, Dah. We chuckled at our own private joke as I elbowed him in the ribs, and he caught that arm with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. Yeah, he was lovin' cabin life and having more adults than kids present.
After that, it was bath time and bedtime, so we picked up everything and recruited our tiny helpers to carry small items indoors where everyone got clean and dressed in jammies. Yep, it was story time again, and all three kids were in one room, so it went on for as long as you'd imagine, but they fell asleep after the long day of playing, and the three of them bundled in one room was a priceless picture.
As for the adults? Well, we got the house tidied up, then Susette broke out a surprise from the cooler: Slim's Lemon Sparkle. Yep! She'd located some of the girlie drinks we'd had back on Trauton 4 and brought them especially for this weekend, so we downed a few fruity adult beverages and laughed away the night reminiscing about old times on far away spheres.
Then it was time to say good night, and time to get naked in the shower with Slydar, and that went exactly as you'd expect: steamy, long, slow and worth every second we'd spent getting the kids exhausted. Cabin trip with children in tow, what did Sly say about it?
"Helluva first trip, babe."
