Hugs & Blows

Princess

It was a few days after what Odette was fairly certain was the most merry christmas she would ever witness throughout her entire existence. Andrew and Breeleigh were out doing something with Ethan's parents, Jimmy had gone home and Odette and Ethan were babysitting. Ethan was playing with the twins, rolling tiny toy racecars and making the appropriate accompanying noises. Ellie was asleep, Odette smiled as she gazed at Ethan. He looked happy, carefree, innocent and childlike. Odette's heart swelled.

Odette had a pottymouth, and there really was nothing quite like being around children to make you realize that, expletives slipped from her mouth like the air from her lungs when the newly awakened Ellie came running out and plopped herself down on to Odette's chest.

Ellie was giggling and telling her about her dream, she just smiled and nodded for fear of saying something inappropriate.

Ellie was a very clever girl though and quickly realized that Odette wasn't speaking. "Why are you being so quiet?" the young girl questioned.

Odette searched her brain for a reasonable answer, coming up with something from her childhood. She reached across the child and grabbed her purple feather topped pen and pastel pink legal pad, both gifts from Ellie, and wrote

"Ursula the sea witch stole my voice. Wait, can you even read?"

Ellie read the note softly mouthing the words, her brow furrowed in indignation. "I can read!" She said with a huff.

Odette shrugged and then smiled a half wince. Ellie got off of Odette and ran to Ethan, she tugged on his arm and he stood up, picking up the girl and perching her on his up. Ethan tousled her fine hair and said "What are you doing up?"

"Not tired. We have to save auntie Odette."

The sight made Odette smile, so did being called "Auntie." Odette decided right then that she most certainly wanted to have kids with Ethan. He was just too precious holding one for her not to want them. She knew he would make an excellent father, she hoped her mothering skills would be up to paar.

Ethan looked confused and carried Ellie over to his love. "I here you need to be saved." He said with a head nod and a smirk. Odette didn't say anything and Ellie urgently signaled to be set down. Ellie looked up at Ethan and said "She lost her voice! You have to kiss her and be her true love or she can't stay human!"

"I can do that." Ethan said with a wink leaning towards Odette, until he was interrupted by Ellies' shriek of "Wait."

She turned to Odette and with the seriousness of a child who has barely begun to understand the world around her said "Do you want to go back to being a mermaid?"

Odette shook her head "No." and Ellie smiled and whispered "Okay. Go on."

Ethan chuckled deeply and whispered "I'm glad you don't want to be a mermaid, princess.", before he leaned in and kissed Odette on her cheek.

"Not there!" Ellie sighed, so Ethan kissed Odettes' other cheek. This continued, with Ethan kissing Odettes hands, eyelids, forehead, neck and even the tip of her nose until Ellie huffed a sigh and pulled a face that was the closest expression to "Are you fucking kidding me?" that she had ever seen plastered on a childs' face.

Odette had to stifle her laughter.

"That's not where you have to kiss her!" She said as if it was obvious.

"Well El, I am running out of places to kiss her." Ethan said.

"Kiss her mouth!" Ellie ordered.

"Fine." Ethan laughed, holding his palms up in surrender.

Ethan lightly kissed Odettes lips and Odette giggled and blushed when Ellie exclaimed "True love."

"Find your voice?" Ethan asked and smiled, flashing his teeth and dimples.

"Of course." Odette whispered smiling and kissing him again.

Ellie ran off to do whatever and Ethan returned to the game of racecars. Odette laid back on the couch and mouthed the words "True love" to herself.

A few minutes later Ethan walked back over to her, "How long until Ellie realizes that you had already spoken and were human and obviously didn't sell your voice?"

"Hopefully never." Odette responded,

she didn't realize how serious she was with her desire that Ellie never lose her innocence until after the words had grazed her tounge, it was why later when Ellie had tired herself of giving Odette and Ethan princess and prince makeovers, including some hideous and odd eyeshadow on Ethan, a tiara for Odette, because she was "Princess beautiful without makeup" according to Ellie, and bows in Ethan's mess of brown curls because apparently he needed all the help he could get in the little girls opinion, that Odette sat on Ethan's lap during a tea party that Odette looked into the girls' wide eyes and made her promise that if Ellie ever needed anything, no matter what, that she would call Odette, because Odette would always be there for her.

Odette remembered that day and Ellies' laughter throughout her entire plane ride home with Ethan.