Life is Stranger

A Chance Meeting

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with...L."

"Duh. Too easy Daddy! Lighthouse!" said Chloe excitedly as she walked along the beach, hand-in-hand with her father.

"You're just too clever for me, my beautiful little princess."

"Uhuh. You're making them really easy so you can let me win. Cheater!"

"Darn! You got me. You know me too well."

"Sure do Daddy. Now give me a tough one."

"Hmmmmm. Let's see now. I spy with my little eye something beginning with...C."

"Sea!" joked Chloe.

"Haha." laughed William. "Next guess. A proper one this time."

"C...c...hmmmm...cloud?"

"Nope."

"...cop car."

"No. Sorry."

"Coyote."

"A coyote? Where?"

"There. On the sign silly!"

"Nope, but well-spotted."

"I dunno then. I give in."

"I can't believe you didn't get it." William gently tickled his daughter's midriff. "I was thinking of my Chloe."

"Heeeeey! That's not fair!"

"I could see you. Of course it was fair. Okay. Your turn then."

"I spy...with my little eye...something beginning with B."

"Beach."

"As if I would pick one that easy."

"Boat."

Chloe shook her head.

"I'm stuck. Give me a clue."

"It's blue."

"Hmmmm. Blue beginning with b...nope. You've stumped me."

"Butterfly. There, on that bush. Look. Daddy, it's soooo pretty."

"Not as pretty as you, my beautiful princess." As William approached the insect, memories suddenly came flooding back to him of a moonlit night several years before, blue rays of moonlight beaming through a hospital window and shining down upon the tiny little baby girl that he held cradled lovingly in his arms. It could have been the very same butterfly. As father and daughter got closer, the butterfly flew into the air and came to rest upon the tip of the small girl's outstretched finger. William noticed his daughter's eyes – they were full of wonder and lit from within by a beautiful blue light. He almost gasped.

"Wow! Look Daddy. It came to me."

"Yes, it did, didn't it? You know what it means when a butterfly does that to you, don't you?"

"No Daddy. What does it mean?"

"It has blessed you. When you are blessed by a butterfly, it means that someone loves you very, very much, and thinks you're really special."

"Well, yeah. You and Mom."

"Of course we love you, but we don't count. This means someone else loves you loads and loads too."

"Someone else? Like who?"

"I don't know Princess. Perhaps you haven't met them yet. But I'm sure you will one day. Maybe today. Maybe tomorrow. Or some other time. But you will definitely meet them - the butterfly knows. It knows your destiny."

"My destiny? What does 'destiny' mean?"

"It means the butterfly can see into your future, and knows what's going to happen to you. You're very lucky to receive her blessing, Chloe, very lucky indeed. I always knew that you were special." As William spoke the butterfly left Chloe's finger and ascended into the air. Father and daughter tilted their heads backwards and watched until the insect faded away into the azure sky.

"That sounds really silly, but..." Chloe's voice trailed off. She angled her head, as if she were trying to hear something faint and far away.

"But what?"

"I...um...I dunno...it made me feel sorta tingly and warm all over...it felt real nice, like ripples all the way down to my toes. My heart was fluttering too. It was weird, but...awesomesauce at the same time. What did it just do to me Daddy?"

"Like I said, it blessed you. It's nothing to worry about, Princess. Now then my little baby, how's about we fill your belly? Are you hungry? I know I certainly am."

"Yeah. I'd love some of Mom's starfish pancakes. D'ya think she'll let me have the full-star ones today?"

"I should think so. We've had a good long walk today, so I don't see why not."

"Cool. Oh wow! Look Daddy! Pirate outfits! Can I have one? Pretty please?"

"How can I refuse you when you ask like that? You're simply adorable."

"Love you too Daddy! You're the best!"

William bought the outfit and helped his daughter put it on. Chloe immediately began to prance around her father, prodding him with the sword and giggling furiously.

"Kill the Kraken!" squealed Chloe.

"Oh no. I am no match for Pirate Princess Price!" William made a great show of fake death as he slowly crumbled to the floor. Chloe placed one foot upon her father in a victory stance and raised the plastic sword high into the air.

"I killed the Kraken! I killed the Kraken! I can beat all the monsters in the world! I am awesome!"

"Yes. You most certainly are."

Chloe helped her father get up from the floor and gave him a massive hug. "So are you Daddy. The best daddy ever!"

"Thank you sweetheart. You're the best daughter a daddy could ever wish for. Anyway, come on. You never know – your destiny may well be waiting for you inside the diner right at this very moment. Let's go and find out, shall we?"

"I hope it is. I'd really love to have a best friend. Someone else to play with would be majorly brilliant. I wonder what they'll be like?"

"Just as awesome as you are, of that I have no doubt."

Chloe burst through the door of the diner, waving the sword around excitedly. "Mom! Look what Daddy got me! Do I look awesome?"

"Wow! Look at you my pirate princess! A sword and everything. Hi dear. Take a seat and I'll get to you soon. I have a VIP to take care of first – a very special birthday girl."

"Okay love. Come on Chloe, you know where we sit."

"Sure do Daddy. Race you slowpoke!"

Outside, the old woman who had been watching the pair of them through the fence went back to her favoured spot in the alley behind the diner, sat down on her tattered and fraying sleeping bag and began to hum to herself softly. The blue butterfly descended from the bright blue sky and came to rest in Elanor's outstretched hand.