Four sets of preschool registration forms were spread out on the table in front of Hannah and Aspen. Their designated task for the afternoon. There was a knock at the front door, Hannah went to answer it, already having some idea who might be on the other side. Having two top guesses.
Both of Hannah's top options for a knock at the door were actually there together. Cara quickly blurting out, "We didn't plan this," Holding up a similar bundle of forms in her hand, looking confused.
Judy was also there, looking sheepish, holding out her own bundle of paperwork. "Things have changed a lot since Maxxie was little." She said. "It's just preschool, why so much paperwork?" Hannah chuckled softly while shaking her head. Wolves she had learned, were actually very bad at paperwork almost as a rule.
Several rounds of tea, before a final celebratory glass of wine for the final checks, it seemed like everyone's children were ready for their preschool enrolment. Cara and Judy went home, separate play dates set up for the quints with Cara and Bryan's son Branson, and another the day after with Judy and Colton's son, Hannah and Max's half brother biologically, little Luke. Making Luke the quints uncle, even though the girls were two months older.
After finally finishing the lengthy goodbye with Cara and Judy, Hannah went back to the table to give the forms one last final check with Aspen. Finally satisfied she attached a paperclip to each set. Looking through the new record of her children. Cassiopeia Music Greenrivers, dragon, magic box ticked. One last glance through and everything was in order. Penelope Kate and Pandora Hattie Greensleeves, both had the box for wolf ticked, no magic. Finally Lumi Oaklyn Greenrivers, big check on the magic box, big check on the box for powers emotionally linked, and a small paragraph written in the available space.
Lumi was a sweet and thoughtful small person, with a big sense of fairness, and a lot of very big feelings. She was apparently an electric Fae. First known of her kind. Hannah had done her best to compress all her children into the forms. Checking boxes and answering questions that seemed both too hard and too vague at the same time.
"I don't like official paperwork very much." Aspen said, tidying up the dishes from the snacks from the impromptu form study group. Hannah felt stressed and agreed with Aspen, and then she felt lightheaded. It still seemed like only yesterday she had somehow managed to give birth to four, perfect, healthy wonderful baby girls in this very house. Four amazing kids who had kept her busy every single day since. Caspian had been doing almost all the work for the resort that had flourished since opening. Almost every weekend booked to capacity, often more than three quarters full on weekdays.
Hannah still was involved with the direct talent management. Though in a much less hands on way than she had been before her children were born. She looked at the completed forms. They represented hours of her day that her sweet girls weren't going to need her anymore. She wasn't sure what she would do with herself. She loved being with the girls, seeing everyone's first milestone.
Loved convincing Cassi that no fire was not the answer to most problems. Not that the tiny spark she was capable of at this point was much of a true fire risk. She wouldn't ever say it out loud, but she was always amazed watching Pandora and Penny wrestle and tumble across the house. They were so passionate and lively and so far hadn't broken anything. Anything important at least. They never really wanted to hurt each other. They just had a lot of movement in their tiny bodies they needed to get out.
Then there was Lumi. Hannah looked towards the window where the smallest and quietest of her children had set up a small window garden of seedlings. Tiny, toddler made picture symbols on wooden craft sticks highlighted her current plant experiments. Lumi saw her sisters, saw how they seemed to mirror one or in the wolves case, two of their dads. Lumi was alone. She wanted to be a dragon like Caspian, or a wolf like Holland and Max, or hear the forest like Aspen and her mother could. Aspen did what he could to keep Lumi's plants healthy. The forest Fae couldn't perform miracles, no matter how much he wanted to keep his daughter happy.
Instead, her magic had manifested almost immediately in electricity, and at the age of four, she had already realised that she wasn't fitting in. At pack play groups, Lumi had already figured out that her sisters easily made friends, and she wasn't. The only thing all four girls agreed on, was the games room at the main pack house, that had recently become more of a free arcade. Holland heard that all the girls liked video games, and the other different games. Lumi didn't want to play the games, she liked looking at the screens and lights. She could see something in magic, but she didn't have enough words to explain herself. Caspian wasn't able to see into her thoughts.
Hannah didn't know what to do about her special daughter. Aspen had finished loading the dish washer and went to Hannah, wrapping himself around her back. "Lumi will be Lumi, and know she is loved." Hannah nodded. Doing her best to hold back the tears she knew were waiting to escape. She worried, she couldn't help herself. She didn't want her sweet Lumi to get hurt by the world.
She had been much more ready to cry since having the girls. Pregnancy truly was no joke for the changes it caused in a body. Commercials were enough now sometimes to make Hannah cry when before she had become a mother, she had thought she was made of sterner stuff.
Hannah leaned into Aspen. "I can't believe my babies are going to school soon." She said quietly out loud for just her and Aspen. He squeezed her a little tighter in his arms. Kissing her head.
"Me either." Aspen told her. No experience before or after had been more important to Aspen's soul than being the one to first welcome each of Hannah and their children into the world. Seeing the magic in new life, the first breath taken by four, perfect, beautiful daughters as cloudy newborn eyes saw real light, saw Hannah for the first time. He still got weepy thinking of how beautiful that night had been.
He had sketched memories of Hannah's face as she met each of her daughters for the first time. Had carved each unique expression she had made when she saw each child, an immortal representation of her reaction and each newborn baby, remade to be as close to Aspen's memories as he could make it. It had taken him so long, he had only recently finished the project and now that the girls were going to school, he wasn't sure where a memory of the day were they born fit in anymore.
He knew that someday, it would be the right day to bring out his saved, memories remade in wood. Hannah and Aspen were saved from getting too lost in their own thoughts as the door burst open, Max, Caspian and Holland all returning from the mall with the girls. Having promised them a shopping trip before school.
Penny and Pandora and Cassi came at a run, several large bags in each of their hands slamming into Hannah and overwhelming her with chatter from all three about their time at the mall, what they had seen and what they had bought. No doubt all had been more than spoiled. Her daughters hadn't yet learned Hannah's restraint against the generosity of their daddies.
"Go try on your most favouritest outfit for mommy girls." Hannah told Cassi, Penny and Pandora who all took off giggling to change into their personal favourites from the shopping haul.
Hannah went to Lumi who had quietly gone to stand next to Aspen while her sisters were around. "What did you get sweet girl?" Hannah went down on her knees. Meeting Lumi at her level and height. Now that the space was quiet, giving Lumi the time she needed.
Lumi showed her haul. Three new books, children's first encyclopedia's from National Geographic. A new pair of sneakers, a giant BOY size 12T pasted on the side. The sneakers had her favorite hero on the side. Hero's weren't just for boys. Last a bag with three pairs of plain leggings, one pair of dark jeans, two t shirts and a sweater. "I can't wait to read the books with you Lumi." Hannah told her daughter, as the other three bounded back into the kitchen.
They had hats, and shoes, glittering socks, embroidered and embellished pants, branded shirts, costume jewelry, and to Hannah's horror, several glittering body sticker fake tattoo things. Instead of saying what she truly felt, Hannah gave a brief, very pointed look at Holland, Max and Caspian. Before turning back to her girls. "You look like CEO's at glamorous companies, tell me about what you're wearing." Cassi loved her shoes the most, not a surprise considering the number of shoes in the house seemed to grow every week thanks to Caspian.
Penny loved the glitter. All the glitter, anything that sparkled. There had never ever been a happier little girl than Hannah's shinning little Penny. Last Pandora, "I like that Lumi didn't get anything like we did." Hannah frowned. Just for a second. Taking a moment to think about Pandora's feelings not her imprecise words.
Pandora liked order, and she liked rules. Lumi sometimes didn't fit into Pandora's toddler world order. "Mommy loves that Lumi and Pandora, and Penny and Cassi are all different. Rainbows are better with all the colors." Hannah watched as her words settled into Pandora's developing mind.
"I still like Lumi." Pandora said with a pout that was very much like her father.
"And mommy loves all her daughters, mommy's girl." Feeling that might be the most positive place to leave this already painful area of conversation. "Now go change back into play clothes for dinner so that gorgeous outfit is ready for school." Hannah looked past Pandora to Penny and Cassi. "You too girls, go change and we will have dinner soon." Hannah turned and smiled, towards Lumi. "You can go put your new books away too Lumi. Dinner in a couple minutes." Lumi went to her mommy, and hugged her once before going to her room to put away her new things. Much more quietly than her sisters had gone down the hall.
Hannah knew the books were going to take Lumi a few minutes to sort into her already very full bookshelf according to a logic that wasn't apparent to anyone who could read fluently. Hannah had an announcement for her family tonight. Things were going to change again, not just the girls going to school. Hannah knew she was pregnant again. Tonight she would tell her family.
**Hannah's family story continues in, latest book "Light in a Storm", Focusing on Lumi and her own adventure. Now complete.**
***Oh hi, I have started a second sequel, The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch, currently a work in progress. Featuring Alex and August, the Alpha twin wolf sons of Hannah and her Happy Harem.***