Enchanted by freckles - short stories

Story 29, Part 2/2 - Home

Marlee's point of view (38 years old):

There was a knock at my door. A little irritated, I went to the front door. I wasn't expecting any visitors.

When I opened the door, I saw Edvin and Fayette's daughter lying in the grass. I called loudly for Edvin, thinking he was hiding. But then I saw that there was a letter on the floor. I read it and burst into tears.

They couldn't be serious. I had no experience in handling children.

I looked outside to see Caelie still lying peacefully in the sun, asleep.

I went into Todd's old office. I had avoided this room for the last few years. His absence still pained me too much. But well, what choice did I have now?

I took my wand, and turned his desk into a cot, and his chair into a wardrobe. I took blankets from the bedroom and put them on the bed. Then I took her suitcases and began to put her clothes away. When I was done with that too, I lifted Caelie and put her in the bed.

But what was the next step? Should I lie to her and pretend to be her mother? That thought, made everything inside of me contract. Todd and I tried to have children for so many years, but it never happened. I couldn't just pretend to raise our own child 3 years after his death.

Still crying, I tried to think of what to do now. I couldn't give her my last name and pretend she was my child. Not only for my sake, but also because Caelie should be able to know who her parents were. She should be able to ask me one day when she's old enough.

But when she wakes up and asks where she is, or where her parents are, what am I supposed to answer? Shit, what do the two of you expect from me?, I asked myself as I continued to despair at this thought.

I tried to concentrate on my breathing and calm myself down. I'll just pretend she's been with me for a while, even though it felt incredibly wrong to lie to this little girl.

I sent a letter to an old friend of Todd's who lived nearby and helped us back when we moved south, hoping he could help me. We had become friends ourselves over the years, and he was closer to me now than anyone else.

I could barely stand to see anyone, and since Todd was dead, I was really just waiting to die myself. I wasn't even 40 yet, but I had lost the love of my life. Life had nothing more to offer me, but now I seemed to have been given a new role.

It was not ten minutes before there was another knock. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Septimus. I need your help," I said quietly, inviting him in.

He sat down on the sofa and looked at me in irritation, "What's wrong? Your letter was much more cryptic than usual," he said, smiling slightly.

"My cousin and his wife gave me a mission, but I don't know what to do. I don't know anything about children, and you have three, and don't even get me started on your grandchildren." "Number five is on the way," he said proudly. "Who?" "Gwen. It's due in October, she only found out two days ago. Gonna be quite busy in the house soon." he said laughing.

Septimus was a great man. He also lost his wife many years ago, so we went through the same suffering. He understood me. But he had a family to distract him while I was all alone.

He had invited me to his home so many times, but I could not. I didn't want to impose.

"But yes. Edvin and Fayette are gone. They left Caelie here for me. She's the same age as Yvain's eldest son. What do children do at that age?", I asked, genuinely distressed, "And above all, what do I tell her when she wakes up?"