Fairy Tale: Winter's Bite

Chapter 14: House Guests (Part 1)

Chris awoke to the dull sound of piano music. The digital clock on the nightstand read 5:30. He'd slept through most of the afternoon, and it was already dark outside. He sat up and flipped on the bedside light.

Morgan then landed on the pillow beside him. "Daddy! You're finally up."

"Sorry, kiddo. I'm a little tired today. Hey, where's your brother?"

"There he is. See?" Morgan pointed to a small blob in the corner of the room by the ceiling. "Are we going to find Uncle Joe now? And the princess? Do you think they hear the music, too?"

"Uncle Joe is probably playing the music." Chris waved Ryan over to the bed. "Yeah, we'll go see them, but I want to talk to you first," he said as Ryan landed next to his sister on the pillow. "Why don't you two sit down?"

It was time to tell them about their mother, but he didn't know where to start. He looked down at his two fairy children. Sitting, they were no larger than half dollars with wings. Their eyes, though, were as thoughtful and expectant as always. They may have known more about what was going on than he'd initially thought. Chris was just too preoccupied with his own misery to notice theirs.

"Is this about Mommy?" Ryan asked with the threat of tears already in his voice.

"Yes."

Morgan was sniffling, but it wasn't enough to control her sobs. "Did the bad men in our house hurt her?" she choked out.

Chris nodded, not able to speak the words.

"Is she dead?"

Chris was caught off guard by Ryan's question. He had not been sure if his children were old enough to understand the concept of death. That was why he had hesitated to tell them in the first place. But they were growing up fast, maybe even faster due to all the things they'd seen and heard. And they had a right to know the truth. Chris nodded again, this time with tears in his own eyes. "I'm sorry. You just have me now."

Ryan looked angry, disappointed maybe, but Morgan flitted into the air and hovered beside his face. She cupped one of Chris's tears and lifted it from his cheek. For a moment, she held on to the bead of water as if it had mystical powers. "Don't cry, Daddy. She'll always be with us."

He smiled ruefully and wiped the lingering tears from his eyes. "I hope so, and that's just what I needed to hear." He opened his palm for Morgan and Ryan to land on. "I love you," he said as he lifted them to eye level. He kissed his free pinky finger and touched it to their rosy little cheeks. "And don't you two forget it!"

After that, they all needed a few moments to compose themselves. Longer than that, really, but they had to continue to carry on like nothing was wrong. Chris had to admit his children were much better at the façade than he was.

With his kids in his front sweatshirt pocket, Chris followed the music to a den behind the main stairs. He went inside and leaned on the side of the grand piano.

He stared at Joe's fingers gliding across the keys until everything went blurry. He zoomed back in when he spotted movement on the piano's music stand. Cassie was sitting there with her legs dangling in front of her.

Chris then directed his attention to the doorway. He waited for some sign Gretchen was nearby and there wasn't one.

"Look who finally decided to join us," Joe said.

"Sorry, I fell asleep. I didn't even hear the piano until a few minutes ago. What'd I miss?"

"Not much. Gretchen had to run an errand and then was going to pick up dinner. I'm just entertaining the princess here. What do you think of jazz, small one?"