One Door Closes

Chapter 1: From the Mouth of Babes

"Now clap to the left, clap to the right, clap in front and clap behind~"

The children giggled as they watched the pretty librarian demonstrate how to dance to the song that played on the television. She sang along with it as she followed the instructions and then encouraged them to join her with a beckoning of her hands. Not one child, even the normally reclusive Baelfire remained sitting. They all eagerly jumped up to join in with the song and dance. As the song started over, they all clapped and moved their feet front and back like she showed them, some watching closely to make sure they didn't mess up. As for Baelfire Gold, he was having the time of his life.

"Clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands everywhere. Clap them low to your toes."

He bent down to do as instructed, giggling along with the rest of the kids.

"And clap them high in the air."

*Clap, clap.*

Bae had been a shy child, keeping quiet and not trying to join in at recess with his classmates, much to the concern of his teacher Miss White. A young blonde girl named Emma had tried to befriend him but got discouraged after he awkwardly remained silent. His home life wasn't the best, but at six years old he already knew if he said anything it may result in people coming to take him away. He had seen it from television before papa rushed in and shut it off.

Papa was awesome. He was always playing with him, telling him stories, making the meals and sneaking cookies to him after dinner. He was the one who read to him every night at bedtime and gave him baths when he needed them. Papa woke him up for school and gave him a ride there. He made sure to call home to make sure that he got home safe off the bus and called the library on Thursdays knowing he would be there. Papa always picked him up afterward, sometimes even had food from Granny's with him. That was one reason Baelfire loved Thursdays, Papa would have a bunch of raspberry jam cookies with him and whisper that they wouldn't tell mama. That it would be their secret.

Mama...mama didn't do that. If she was home she was always saying "Rumple the boy needs to eat. Rumple the boy stinks, he needs a bath. Rumple the boy is watching too much tv." Meanwhile she nursed a glass of whiskey and soda pop or she played her word puzzles or card games with her friends. If she wasn't home...well he didn't know where she was. He asked papa, but papa said that mama was at an adult playhouse and would be back. Baelfire stopped hugging her after the fifth time he tried and she said "Grow up boy, you're not a baby anymore". Papa had heard what she said and became angry, he didn't say anything at that time, he just led him away by the hand and they watched television together until bedtime. But Bae knew that when he got upstairs and went to bed the yelling would start. He pretended that he didn't know, but he could hear how loud mama yelled from downstairs.

He had always hated the idea of going back home from school because of that. Papa would still be gone for an hour or two when he got home. That was the busiest time at his Pawn Shop, but he always came home at the same time and set to work on their food after giving him a big hug. He still hated to go home without papa through the week. Papa had offered to let him come to the shop with him, but he got bored. The shop was busy at that time and papa barely had a few minutes to talk with him before another customer was coming in.

Now at least he had somewhere to go for a while on Thursdays until papa got off work and the librarian was really nice.

When Miss French moved into town it caught everyone's attention. She had just moved there from somewhere in Australia and Bae was secretly fascinated by her almost instantly. He hadn't had any idea there were other people with accents besides he and his papa until he met her. Papa had seemed fascinated by her as well, but Bae supposed he had to be. Miss French had bought the Library and the apartment above it from him outright. Papa had insisted on him coming to the shop with him that day and that's when he first officially met Miss French.