Enchanted by freckles - short stories

Story 29, Part 1/2 - Home

Fayette's point of view (summer 1878 [8 years after her escape from France]):

"Good morning, my lovely queen. You must get up slowly," I heard Edvin's gentle voice. I blinked a few times before I saw Edvin above me. He smiled at me, and began to give me lots of little kisses all over my face.

Suddenly I felt two small hands on my face and another pair of golden eyes. "Good morning mummy. Are we going to the sea again today?", Caelie asked curiously and also started giving me lots of little kisses on my cheek and forehead, unfortunately much wetter than Edvin's.

Suddenly Edvin shouted, "CUDDLE ATTACK!", and threw Caelie onto the bed. She lay down on top of me while Edvin cuddled up to my side.

Actually, everything was perfect.

We were just in Denmark for a holiday. Vika and Torin, Edvin's parents, had given us a little money on top of what Edvin and I had earned. They usually looked after Caelie during the day, so we could both work.

Edvin and I had both found small jobs in the Inverness post office. It was Muggle work, but it was the safest way for us. We wanted and needed to build a safe life for Caelie. And even though the wage was really bad, the safety of our beloved daughter came first.

"We can stay one more day, but tomorrow we really have to go back home," Edvin said and nudged Caelie's nose, "Grandma and Grandpa must miss you terribly already. And besides, we have to go to Aunt Orla's tomorrow. Do you remember what to celebrate at Auntie Orla's?" 

"CAKE!" said Caelie happily and jumped on the bed.

"And why is there cake at Aunt Orla's?", I asked further. Caelie stopped for a moment and thought, "Because it's Aunt Orla's birthday?" "Exactly! It's Aunt Orla's birthday and she wants to see us all there," I said smiling and stroking her hair. I was very glad that she had not inherited my hair colour or my eye colour. I couldn't bear to look in a mirror all the time.

I had enough trouble with actually looking in a mirror, but Edvin encouraged me to go on every day.

It was wonderful to see Caelie growing up. She was a great child. Happy, loving and just super relaxed. She hardly cried and even when something was not right for her, she remained relaxed. I was afraid of becoming like my mother, but especially because of her nature, she made it very easy for me to be different than my mother.

I always thought I would become just like her because I didn't know any different. Actually, I didn't want children for exactly that reason, but Edvin believed in me. Sometimes he knew me better than I knew myself. And he was right. I was a good mother. At least I tried to do everything exactly opposite to what my mother did with me.

We spent another wonderful day at the Danish beach before we packed our things and travelled home. When we reached Inverness, Edvin suddenly looked sceptical.

He cautiously opened the door of his parents' house, and was very startled to see his mother standing happily in front of us. We took our things upstairs, and left Caelie to tell her grandparents about our holiday.

Edvin changed into his animagus form and ran outside. He had smelled something. After a short while he came back, and changed back into my Edvin in the corridor.

"The old Gaunt was in the town," he said quietly. "So, what do we do now?" "I don't know. We weren't here, after all, so probably nothing will happen." "If they do find us, we should go to Iceland." "Iceland?" "I've got an Icelandic dictionary there, at least. And I don't think the wizard population in this wasteland is particularly dense." "Don't worry, I'm sure nothing will happen," he continued softly, giving me a kiss on the top of my head.