The Love of Lady Dimitrescu X Female Reader || One-Shots

Light 'Em Up

"Why don't these things ever start where you need them to? I've rolled this sparkle-wheel down six times and I get nothing."

"Because you bought the kind that costs two bucks from a grocery store. What did you expect?" Cassandra dug around in her pocket and pulled out her higher-quality, vintage brass lighter. "What you need is something like this—a multipurpose, long-lasting and waterproof one. It never fails me. Here, catch." Tossing her lighter to her youngest sister, Daniela failed to grab it and let it clunk to the rough asphalt, earning it a brand-new scratch across its gold-plated surface. "Jeez....nice catch."

"Hey! It's dark out here, I couldn't see it very well! You could've warned me."

With an eye-roll, Cassandra waved her hand up in frustration. "I just did! I said, "Here, catch." You even watched me throw it at you."

"Dani, here, you can use my pump. You stood up from your checkered lawn chair. "I know these don't always work straight away, but this one seems to be doing the job."

Watching your spirited daughter run over to you under the smoky night sky, you gazed up and marveled at the fireworks coiling, spiraling, whisking, and exploding in haphazard directions. The colorful lights shattered into a thousand sparks and fell like a moonlit waterfall. After giving it to Daniela, you glanced over at Alcina, who was just as enraptured by the fireworks decorating the summer midnight sky.

"Aren't they pretty? Do you have a favorite firework?"

Turning her head at you, she crossed her legs in her chair, contemplating your question with a slight smile. "The red ones. Particularly the one that looks like a peony upon explosion. What about you?"

You were about to answer her until you heard something break beside you. Craning your neck the other way, you furrowed eyebrows in concern upon seeing Bela's body sinking further down into the broken seat of her armchair, which had collapsed under her weight.

"Damn. That's the last time I'm buying some cheap, rickety chair from a yard sale," she muttered, peeved.

Helping her up, you laughed as you looked down at the shambles of her unfortunate purchase. "Why did you buy that...thing? We have plenty of sturdy chairs in our garage."

"Well," she rubbed the dirt off her rear end, "I was on the way to the store to get buns for our burgers, right? I passed by this one house where this man was having this large yard sale. His yard was filled with furniture that looked like it was in fairly good condition. He offered me this armchair and said I could have it for three bucks, and I thought, 'Why not?' and now I totally regret my decision."

"A good lesson to learn," Alcina remarked, leaning forward to look at her eldest. "I'm glad you spent no more than what you did for that."

"Yeah, so am I" She then became distracted by the screams of her sisters. Bela gaped as she observed Cassandra tormenting her little sister by hurling smoke balls at Daniela's feet and then chasing her up and down the street with a sparkler. "Uh, I've got some saving to do. I'll be right back." She darted after them and waved her arms in a hurried manner. "Guys! Knock that off! A car's coming!"

"So, what were you saying?" Alcina reminded, moving her chair closer to yours. "You were about to tell me which firework you liked best?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right. Anyway, I like the parachute guys, even though it's difficult to see out their little parachutes when it's this dark. And then fountains because they're typically quieter and just pretty to look at it. You know I'm not a fan of the really loud ones that startle you."

"Yes, I know you dislike any rude noises." She reached out her arm toward you and gently poked at the cotton ball hanging halfway out of your ear. "How long are you planning to keep those in your ears?"

"Until the fireworks stop altogether, I guess." You then pulled a few more out of your pocket. "Here, you want some?"

She waved her hand dismissively and laughed, delighting in your silly behaviors. "I'll pass, love. I'd rather enjoy the sight of you wearing them, my little rabbit."

"I can make this rabbit disappear!" You circled your fingers over an imaginary top hat. "Abracadabra—"

"MOM! Look out!"

Alarmed by Daniela's shouting, you didn't have enough time to process the spinning aerial firework firing straight at you like a cannonball. Delaying in your reaction, your whole body crashed to the sidewalk along with your chair. Groaning in pain, you squeezed your eyes shut, only reopening them to find Alcina quickly lifting you back up and abandoning the fallen chair.

"Holy crap!" Daniela panicked in front of you. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't warn you sooner!"

Exasperated, Bela whacked Cassandra in the arm. "Good job. You almost killed Mom with your brilliant idea."

Cassandra rubbed her arm and appeared shamefaced. "I'm sorry, really! It must be one of those defective ones! I just wanted to see what would happen if I lit the spinner in my hand, and then, you know, toss it into the air."

"That's why the directions on that box clearly state to light them on the ground! They're not meant to be tossed into the air!"

Alcina silenced their quarreling with one deadly look and then ushered you to sit in her chair. "Are you all right? You've scraped your leg."

You peered down at what she was pointing at and indeed you could see some blood on it. "Oh, I guess I have. I think I'm okay, though. I just didn't move out of the way in time." Looking at your worried daughters, you gave them a reassuring grin. "Don't worry about me, girls. I'm fine. Just go back out there and light off more. You've got another entire bag of fireworks to work through. But make sure to light them on the ground this time. Okay, Cass?"

She beamed at you and bobbed her head. "I promise! No more reckless ideas from me. I'll light them farther down the road away from you." Pushing her sisters back out into the street, she then was inspired with another idea. "C'mon, guys, I want to try to launch that bigger rocket off my skateboard."

With a shit-eating grin, Alcina bent over and gathered something in her hand. "Darling? I'm afraid you've dropped your cotton balls."

If you only could wipe that ridiculously wide smirk off her face. You nudged her shoulder and took them back, stuffing them deep inside your pocket. Hearing another firework blowing up somewhere in the distance, you brightened upon seeing it and then pointed up at the sky. "Alci, look at that! Quick, it's your favorite one that looks like a peony!"

She followed your finger and then gazed up at it briefly before redirecting her attention to you. "Indeed, it is one of my favorite sights. But it still does not compare to my most favorite sight of all."

Puzzled, you blinked at her. "And what would that be?"

You watched her eyes flick between you and your daughters, who danced about the street with their boisterous laughter as they continued to celebrate the holiday. The true lights of your life that were far more magnificent than any grand firework display. Holding Alcina's enchanting stare, she leaned forward and kissed you on the lips, whispering against them, "This family."