The Sun and Moon and Stars

Chapter XII

Frances woke up with a start, the image of the barn on fire searing through her mind. The bellow of cows still rang in her ears. As the haze of dawn shone through the window, the nightmare abated. Frances rubbed her eyes and glanced towards the window, spots of dust floating through the golden air.

Throwing off her blankets, she stood up on shaky legs. Then it hit her. The house was quiet. And the sun was already rising.

The sun was supposed to still be in hiding. The children were supposed to be up and raring to go. Disregarding her wrinkled dress, bare feet, and unkempt hair, she rushed out into the hall and burst into the children's room. It was empty, the beds unmade.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she raced through the upstairs bedrooms. What had she done? She had left an intoxicated man alone with the run of the house: a house with three innocent children in it. No matter that Julian was a good father when sober: the drink had far stronger powers.

Helena's room was undisturbed, the covers rising steadily with deep breaths. Frances quietly shut the door and turned to Julian's room. Empty, bed unmade.

Frances' heartbeat raced and she tumbled down the staircase. The parlor was free of bottles, the fireplace swept free of ashes. It was as if the scene from the night before had simply been prequel to her nightmares, existing only within the folds of her troubled mind.

She ran through the kitchen but skidded to a stop as her eyes skimmed over the netted door. A hand pressed against the screen, she could make out Julian sitting on the top step, Winnie's mass of curling hair at his side.

Frances pushed the door open with a creak.

"—that's why flowers smell sweetly, even when its bee is gone far away."

"I love smelling flowers..." Winnie chirped. "What about the sun? Who does the sun love?"

Frances stepped onto the wooden boards of the porch and let the door shut quietly. She walked up to the stairs and leaned against the post. From there she saw Jem and Rebecca, each cradled in one of Julian's arms, the baby fast asleep with her padded chin resting gently on her chest. None of them looked her way.

"The moon. The sun loves the moon. They are long time lovers, their faith and devotion spanning every year since the world began."

"Like you and Mama?"

Julian paused. He glanced up at Frances. His eyes were clear and deep. He did not smile. "Yes, Winnie, just like Mama and I."

Winnie smiled and nestled deeper into her father's side.

Julian turned back towards the sunrise. "Although the sun and the moon are never together, they show their love for each other by sharing their power with the earth. The earth is the bridge between them.

"During the day, the sun shines down upon the grass and dirt of the world, filling it with warmth and light in memory of the warmth and light the moon brings into his life. At night, the moon shines gently on the earth, covering it with a blanket of peace and quiet, just as the sun's love gives her peace.

"At the end of each day, the sun burns out just beyond the horizon, dying so that the moon can live. Each morning, the moon dies, fading away into the abyss of the sky so that the Sun can be resurrected. Both forever in a cycle of sacrifice and selflessness."

Winnie sighed and Jem yawned.

"Papa?" Winnie asked. "One day, can I go with you to the horizon and watch the moon be born? I want to tell her know that the sun's love will never go away, even if he does."