What if We Rewrite the Stars?

Act 8: The New House:

A couple of months later, Phineas had a surprise for Charity and his girls. They rode in a carriage, but instead of horses, it was zebras. 

It was the P. T. Barnum experience. 

Phineas had been going over the top with his new life. The life of a circus ringleader. 

He enjoyed the attention. The crowds. The money. 

He was now a showman.

Charity was blindfolded with a scarf while Phineas guided her up to a house. Amelia held Helen and Caroline's hands while they petted the zebras. 

"And right this way." Phineas smiled, looking up at the house he had promised Charity would be their dream home when they were younger. 

"Don't you think there's enough blind trust in my life?" Charity chuckled while Phineas still guided her towards the house. 

"Well, isn't that what makes it fun?" Phineas smiled, despite the fact that she couldn't see him. "Keep coming... Okay... Are you ready?" He asked when Caroline tugged at Amelia's dress, making her look at the giant, extravagant house. 

Phineas stopped, letting Charity stop, while he took the blindfold off of Charity's eyes. Charity opened her eyes to see the house that they used to talk about when they were younger, while Amelia walked with the girls toward the house. 

"Is it?" Charity asked, not knowing what to say.

"It is." Phineas smiled, watching his daughters walk ahead, holding hands. "Come on. Let's go." He smiled when she hugged him.

They opened the main doors when Charity, Amelia, Caroline, and Helen looked at just the entrance in awe. 

"Helen, that's for you," Phineas said, pointing to a beautiful doll house. Helen ran over to it, while Caroline, Phineas, Charity, and Amelia followed her. 

"And, Caroline, this is for you." Phineas smiled when he bent down with a small navy box with a light blue ribbon. Caroline smiled when she opened it up to see ballet slippers. "There's a ballet school right down the street," Phineas said, hugging Caroline. "Just past your parents' house, actually." He said, looking at Charity, before letting go of Caroline. 

Charity did not seem too happy about that comment.

"And for you, my little star..." He smirked, standing up when he pulled out a smaller box. "Go on, open it." He smiled, encouraging her, when Amelia laughed, opening up the present to see a small star necklace. 

"Oh, Daddy... This is beautiful." Amelia smiled when Phineas helped her put it on her. Amelia smiled before moving to help Caroline put on her ballet slippers. 

Meanwhile, Phineas moved closer to Charity. "Don't tell me you bought this house just to rub my parents' noses in your success?" Charity asked when Phineas wrapped his arms around her. 

"Well, that wasn't the only reason... This is the life I promised you. Shall we?" He smiled, holding his hand out as they danced a little.

"Phin... it's beautiful, but you know, we don't need all of this to be--" Charity was cut off by Phineas picking her up when he twirled her around. 

"It only took me 25 years, but... welcome home, Charity Barnum." He smiled when he set her back on the ground.

After a little bit, Phineas moved Helen's dollhouse to the girls' playroom while Caroline dressed up with Amelia when Amelia tried to teach her a few moves that she had learned herself. Caroline struggled a bit at first but kept following her big sister. And she started to get the hang of it.

~574 words~