Evening On The River

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Before Branch could finish his sentence, however, Hickory had already built a fancy raft with a coffee maker!

“Cappuccino, anyone?" he offered them.

“Cappuccino? Cappucci-yes!" Poppy accepted, as she and Biggie headed aboard the raft. Flower looked up at her father, whose jaw dropped.

“I do want one, but I am not happy about it!" Branch grumbled. Flower giggled as he carried her.

🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺

That night, as Hickory cooked his new friends a hot meal over a fire, Branch spied on him with a pair of binoculars while sipping his cappuccino.

Poppy, meanwhile, was just putting Flower to bed. She sang a sweet song to her about sunshine and lollipops as the toddler drifted off to sleep.

“G,night, Mommy," she mumbled.

“Goodnight, my little princess," Poppy replied, kissing Flower's forehead.

“Let's get our grub on!" Hickory announced. “Food's ready!"

“Well, I'll bring more kindlin'!" Poppy said in a Southern accent, holding a couple sticks.

“Poppy," Branch whispered, “maybe it's just me, but are you getting a weird vibe from Hickory?"

“What? No. Why? Are you?" she asked.

“I just– I don't know, I don't trust him," Branch replied, looking through his binoculars again. Hickory just waved at him.

“Well, yeah, but you don't trust anybody, Branch," Poppy pointed out.

“Hey, I just want us to be safe," he said defensively. “And you know what's not safe? Putting too much trust into a complete stranger!"

“Oh, I see," Poppy said, feeling offended. “It's not Hickory you don't trust, it's me. Do you not think I'm a good queen?"

“Wait, what? I didn't say that!"

“I thought we were friends, Branch," she argued. “I'm starting to think you don't even know what that means."

“We are friends," he assured her. “And sometimes that means speaking up if I think you're making a mistake."

Before Poppy could let that sink in, she suddenly heard smooth jazz music.

“Do you hear something?" she asked Branch. They turned to find the water full of soapy bubbles and floating candles. A Troll with wavy red hair and chest hair cut in the shape of a heart emerged from the water and floated towards them in midair, playing a clarinet.

“Look at guy's cheeessssst haaaaiiiir..." Poppy sighed, falling under a trance.

“Poppy, I can't feel my face..." Branch said, his voice slowing down.

“It's... it's like being paralyzed by its smoothness," Poppy said dreamily, her voice echoing.

Poppy and Branch began imagining themselves on a beach somewhere in outer space wearing fluffy bathrobes. A man poured them each a glass of Fizzie Blues Juice and they clinked their glasses together, smiling at each other. Poppy heard a phone ringing and went to answer it.

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