We've all heard the tales of our childhood heros. Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Toothfairy, Mr. Sandman, and Jack Frost. These are the Guardians of Childhood. But seventeen year old Anara Rose knows that there is one more Guardian who is more than wh...
My daughter Seraphina grew much faster than Pitch and I felt it was possible. Only yesterday it seemed as though I had borne the sweet girl presently playing with the array of pets and companions that belonged to Pitch and I. Onyx, Obsidian, Artemis, Aphrodite, Bastet, and Nuka surrounded the toddler, allowing her to climb on their backs, or tug on their fur, or play with their hooves. All the creatures were gentle with her. I wondered if she had inherited some of her sister's gifts of Nature. She was now two years old, but her short little legs seemed to carry her everywhere, and her dark hair was now well past her shoulders. Seraphina loved all of the animals and her family. She adored her father and I, but loved getting to spend time with her grandma. My mother loved her just as much as the rest of us. And though Emily couldn't be around very often with her chaotic life, she made an effort to spend what time she could with her sibling.
Meanwhile, Seraphina also excitedly awaited visits from her Guardian uncles and aunt. She had North, Bunny, Sandy, Jack, and Toothania wrapped around her tiny little finger. They would probably go to war if she asked them too. When we visited my hometown, Jade and Ashlyn were elated to meet my daughter, jokingly threatening to steal her from me if I turned my back for too long. I also allowed Jamie and his friends to see Seraphina, and of all of the kids, Cupcake seemed to enjoy our visits the most. She quickly grew attached to my daughter, and I knew that one day she and Jade may end up arguing over who should babysit for me.
One thing I did not anticipate about our daughter was the fact that she would be a Guardian too. I probably should've seen it coming, but Manny had sent no word about it. So when I was folding laundry one day while Seraphina rocked in her bouncer, hearing her speak in a full sentence nearly made my heart stop. Up until that point, our daughter had only ever made typical baby noises, the giggles and snorts and cries. She had only just started to say "mama" and "dada" a month or so prior.
But out of nowhere, a small voice, like that of an angel, said "Uncle North's yetis sick." I dropped the shirt I was holding and met Sera's eyes. Immediately she returned to speaking baby gibberish. I waited for her to say something else, but no words came. When Pitch arrived home that night, I told him of what had happened. Like me, my husband was not quite sure what to make of the incident.
A few days later, we were shocked to hear that some of North's yetis had eaten some bad fish and had fallen ill with food poisoning. Sera's words echoed in my mind. Uncle North's yetis sick. At first I wondered if it was a coincidence, until a similar incident occurred a few weeks later. This time I was watching a musical movie when Sera said, "Dada have bad nightmare." I smiled, thinking that perhaps Onyx or Obsidian had angered the little girl. Pitch did call them his Nightmares.
However, that night Pitch and I were sleeping in bed, curled up together as we usually were. Sera had gone down early that night, and we both needed time to catch up on some much needed sleep. But our slumber was soon interrupted when Pitch began to thrash violently in bed, flinging the covers back and moaning loudly. His movements and sounds quickly awoke me. It took several minutes to wake him up as well and calm him down, and to my surprise he admitted to having a nightmare about my death from so long ago, dreaming of how he could not save me. Again, I heard my daughter's words from earlier that day.
Deciding to get to the bottom of this, I made a conscious effort to contact Manny again while taking a walk the following morning. I silently called out to him, asking him for answers for Seraphina's strange predictions. Thankfully, he listened and I heard his voice on the breeze a few moments later. "Guardian...Prophecy..." The wind whispered into my ear. Understanding flooded through me. Of course! Seraphina is going to be the Guardian of Prophecy!
Presently, Pitch and I sat together in our living space, watching our new Guardian daughter playing before us as I reflected on the events of the past couple years. "We've done well so far Pitch. I never imagined I would be lucky enough to have a life like this. I love you so much, and I love our daughters with all my heart. Thank you for being my soulmate..." I whispered, resting my head in his chest and listening to his strong heartbeat. "I did not imagine this for myself again either, but I agree. I love you more than you can ever fathom, and I am so grateful for you giving me the opportunity to raise another daughter, our daughter. Thank you for believing in me. Without you, my pretty nightflower, none of this would have been possible." He replied, holding me tightly. I lifted my head to look at him, inciting him to kiss me, which he did without hesitation. I smiled into the kiss, knowing that this was where I belonged. This was who I am meant to be. Nothing could ever change that. I was Pitch's and he was mine, from now until the end of time itself. No dream could be better than the life I was living...the life of a Guardian
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