Part Six
"Come here," Clare held out her hands and wiggled her finger, trying to catch Cara's attention from her father's shoulder.
"Do you want to go to mama?" Ares looked at the four year old in his arms and kissed her messy brown hair.
"Mama!" Cara leaned over Ares' arms and reached for her mother.
Laughing, Ares walked over to where Clare sat on the picnic blanket at the edge of the stream with Cara hanging from his arms upside down. He swung her by her ankles, making her giggle and turn red in the face before flopping down beside his wife and sitting down the little girl on his chest.
"Again, daddy!" Cara bounced up and down. "Again."
"Luvy, you just ate," Clare frowned with disapproval. "Do you want to throw up and get your pretty dress dirty?"
Cara looked down at the white sundress she wore, "I like my pretty dress, mama."
"I'll let grandma know," Clare smiled.
"Cara," Ares called to his daughter as a small movement caught his eyes from the other side of the stream.
Clare looked up and followed the god's gaze. She spotted the nymphs in between the branches, sneaking around with excitement. They stared at Cara and waited for Ares permission to proceed.
As Clare sat tucked her long hair behind her ears, Ares beckoned for the nymphs to come forward and meet his daughter. He sat up slowly and placed Cara on his lap, tucking her under his large arm. The smile on Clare's lips grew wider as she watched the playful nymphs dance forward gleefully, skipping over the running water in the stream or swinging through the vines.
Cara was too busy with the string on her dress to notice her parents. She fiddled with the small bow and beads as a nymph landed in front of Ares and tugged on one of her dark strands. Ares chuckled as Cara looked up with annoyance.
"Daddy," she said with disapproval like her mother. "You're not being nice."
"That wasn't me, baby," Ares held up his hands.
"Did mama do it?" Cara asked.
"Wasn't me," Clare shook her head.
"Ow!" Cara jumped up as the nymph tugged on her small ankles. "Daddy, something hurt me! It bit me!"
Ares howled with laughter. He held out his arm as his daughter buried herself in his protective embrace to shield herself from whatever was after her. She curled up on his lap and pulled her legs up to her chest, peeking around the god's arms to see what had pulled her leg.
"Mama," Cara said with worry. "Come here."
Clare moved closer to Ares on her daughter's request. She ducked under his other arm as Cara reached for her hand to hold.
"It's okay," she said, pushing back Cara's stubborn hair. "They just want to play with you."
"Who?" Cara asked.
Clare's lashes lifted and she looked up at her husband. Ares was already looking down at them two in his arms with a smitten smile all over his face.
"What do you say?" He asked Clare. "Do you think it's time?"
Clare nodded, "Yes."
"Alright," Ares sighed with a grin on his face.
He scooped up Cara and held her in the air in front of him. Her tiny legs dangled as she struggled to reach for her father. Her laugh filled the meadow, causing more nymphs to come running.
