Say You'll Share With Me | Phantom Oneshots

POTOber Day 21 - Little Lotte

day 21 prompts: backstory/beginnings/the red scarf 

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"Mama, can I go play in the snow now? I'm all ready, I have all my winter clothes on."

Christine stepped out of the kitchen and couldn't help but laugh to herself when she saw how bundled up her young son was; he looked rather like a marshmallow in his large winter coat and boots.

"I can see that," she said, only to frown slightly. "Are you not wearing a scarf?"

"No," Gustave said softly. "I couldn't find mine, I don't know where it is."

"Well, we can't have that," Christine replied, stepping over to the cabinet in the foyer and opening it to search through a basket that contained her family's winter accessories; hats, scarves, mittens, the like. She smiled a moment later as he pulled out a red scarf from near the bottom of the basket. Worn though it was, it was still warm and she knew that Gustave would need the warmth with how long he would be out playing. Besides, the thought of her son wearing the scarf that her father had given to her so long ago warmed her heart.

"Here you are," she said as she crouched down and wrapped the scarf around her son's neck, then tucked the ends of it into his coat. "This used to be my scarf, you know. My Papa gave it to me when I was only a little girl like you."

Gustave's eyes seemed to light up as he looked at her. "Really?" he asked, reaching up to touch the scarf. "It's nice and soft."

"It is, yes. That was my favourite scarf when I was younger, and I still wore it a lot as I grew up. Now, though, I want you to get to wear it," Christine said with a warm smile, kissing his cheek. "Go ahead, go have fun outside."

"Thank you, Mama," Gustave replied with a giggle, wrapping his arms tightly around her neck before he opened the door and hurried out into the backyard.

Christine smiled as she straightened up and watched her son playing out in the snow, glad to see the boy enjoying himself as much as he was with that red scarf around his neck. It reminded her so much of herself when she was young, and she could practically see her father out there with him.

And then Gustave's father came into her view. She laughed quietly as Erik rushed off of the deck where he had clearly been waiting for the little boy after he had finished shovelling, then scooped up their son, who she could hear shrieking even with the door closed. Both had wide smiles plastered on their faces as they played, making Christine glad that her red scarf would be part of yet another beautiful childhood filled with the doting care of a loving father and that her son would never have anything less than that.