Flames

Creating and Evolving, part 1

Becky grinned as she examined the briefcase. "I can ask her for a bodysuit in your size."

"Troi texted and said he's got a bunch of stuff on the way," Seth said quickly, "so I'm good."

Roux looked at the case in her hands and the larger one Becky was holding. "Where's yours, Dada?"

"This is his, sweet girl." Becky gave the prototype an affectionate pat before handing it back to Seth. "But I'm sure he'll let me borrow it if I ask nicely." Then she kissed his cheek and leaned close to his ear. "Did you get any of the cookies?" she whispered.

"Yes." It was truthful and he was sure Becky suspected Roux of cookie theft anyway, given how their daughter was giggling. "Is that what you're going to put in your case, Roux? Are you going to use it for taking snacks?"

Roux opened her mini-case and peered inside. "You could put a lot of cookies in here, Mama...."

Becky chuckled and crouched down by her daughter. "You could, could you? Let's see." She looked inside and nodded. "Yeah, you could fit a lot of cookies in there. Enough to share...."

Roux started to lower the lid. "Who do I have to share with?"

Seth almost laughed at how quickly the enthusiasm in his daughter's voice dimmed. She was a good-hearted kid overall, but she still had to be prodded to share her snacks from time to time. "No one today, sweetheart. But we're going to visit Uncle Joshy and Auntie Jen tomorrow, remember? I bet they'd love to try the cookies you made with Mama."

"We'll share with them!" Roux snapped her mini-case shut and went back to the box, pulling out an envelope—which Seth quickly saved from the floor, so it couldn't get lost—and sheets of bubble wrap. "Why doesn't Mama get one?" She emptied the box completely and even tipped it over as if another whole briefcase could somehow be hiding in there.

Becky quickly went over and hugged her daughter. "It's okay, Roux. This case is Dada's sample. It shows him what the real one will look like. When they have everything ready, then I can get one." She shot Seth a quick look before adding, "Maybe I'll be lucky and get one like yours and it can be my new purse. We could match!"

Roux lit up at that. She still loved playing around and being goofy, but she was starting to enjoy going to the salon with Becky too, so Seth wasn't surprised that she was excited by the idea of having something matching her mother's. "Mine can be a purse too!" she declared. "It's not just for cookies!"

"That's right. It can hold cookies or toys or art supplies...." Seth stopped before he could give her too many ideas. Sometimes it was a struggle to get her out of the house because she wanted to bring all her favourite things with her. Then the doorbell rang, mercifully giving him an out. "I'll get it," he said quickly, kissing Becky on his way out of the room. "Could be another prototype."

Seth hurried to the door before Roux could decide to tag along. When he checked the doorbell camera, he saw a courier driver holding a box almost as big as the one WWE had sent him. "Roux Lopez?" the courier asked.

Seth shook his head, heart sinking a bit when he took a good look at the box. It was yellow. Bright yellow. And unless he was mistaken, there was a definite aura of sparkles about it. "That's my daughter," he said. "She's four and a half—"

"Understood." The courier held out a tablet so Seth could sign for the package. "Have a good day, sir."

Setting the box down so he could lock the door, Seth sighed when he noticed some sparkles already clinging to his black t-shirt. "Roux," he called out, trying to keep his voice upbeat, "you got mail!"

"Don't open it, Dada! It's mine!" Roux's admonition was barely audible over her stomping down the stairs. Becky followed at a somewhat more sedate pace, carrying Roux's mini-case in one hand and the empty cookie plate in the other. The shriek that followed once Roux spotted the box made both her parents jump. "AUNTIE GLOW-MI!"