At Bedtime; sequel to 'Lucky Duck'

Chapter 1

"It's bedtime!" I yelled down the stairs to two sets of ears. Seconds later, I hear four small feet make a pitter patter on the hardwood floor and up the steps into their rooms. Then, minutes later, they rush into my room onto my bed, equipped in pjs and with clean teeth. The two of them pile under the covers and fix their eyes on me. Before I acknowledge their presence, I put the triplets, into their cribs and kiss them goodnight. Finally, I sit above the covers and open up the book that is my imagination.

"Tonight's story," I began, "is about a little lamb who got into big trouble. This lamb's name was Rose. One day, Rose was in the forest with her mama and dada. There were millions of tiny, golden flowers that she saw a while off. When Rose asked her mama and dada if she could go and pick one of the flowers, they told her 'no.' Rose was upset. She asked her mama and dada, 'why can't I pick the flowers?' 'well,' said mama, 'flowers aren't for picking in this part of the forest.' 'What do you mean?' asked the ever so curious Rose. 'what mama means is that the flowers in the meadow can be picked, but the flowers deep in the forest cannot be picked, they get mad.' After hearing this, Rose was very sad, she wanted a golden flower to put in her room back at home.

"When her parents weren't looking, Rose went to see the flowers anyways. She got there and couldn't believe her eyes, they were even more beautiful up close. she reached down to pick one, and then heard a voice. 'if you pick me' it said, 'I will give you something that will burden your life and will stay with you forever.' That doesn't sound too bad, Rose thought. She reached down and plucked the stem of the flower she liked.

"Then, she galloped off to go tell her parents what she did. when she got back to her parents, they were ashamed of Rose and sent her off to a school for naughty lambs. When she got there, she knew she was different, people looked at her in disgust for no reason. It wasn't until the first night she was there that she realized why she was so different. She looked in the mirror and saw why everyone was looking at her weird. It was a big black mark on the side of her face. It was quite ugly too.

Over the years, Rose grew accustomed to this mark she couldn't get rid of. She began to like it, and when she learned to like it, everyone else seemed to like it too.

"Sometimes, Things happen to people. At the time that these things happen, it seems like the world is going to end, but most of the time, they come through the fire with a scar or a gift or a memory that makes them who they are."

Lucy claps her hands together signaling that she was obviously very entertained by tonight's story. My other peanut, however, is fast asleep on the pillows.

I carry Peter, my little three year old boy, to his bed and kiss him goodnight. Then I tuck Lucy in her bed, say a prayer with her, and turn out her lights.

"Mummy" I hear from her room as I'm walking out.

"Yes Lu," I say as I renter her room and kneel by her bedside.

"Where is Daddy?" she asks.

"He is working in his office, do you want to see him?"

"No, mommy, I mean my daddy."

I sigh and say, "Luke is away on a tour with his band sweetie."

"Still?" she asks.

"Yes, still," I lie.

"Ok," she answers. "and mummy?"

"Yes darling?"

"Am I your gift?" she whispers.

"Yes darling," I say and she smiles at me like I'm telling her she won the lottery. I kiss her forehead and exit once again.

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🐥 ❤️

-Corinne