Happily Ever After

Forty- Blanket Fort

Jenna

As the Cubs take on the Mets in the national league championship series things weren't going too good. They won three straight against the Cardinals to win that series but couldn't buy a win so far against the Mets. They come back to Chicago in a hole and while no ones spirits were down, no one really was saying that it is exactly fun either. Until their last out no one on that team will believe that it's all over. But it's hard to feel confident right now with the way things are going.

I finish up with work and go over to Kris' place where he was watching Mary. Beats paying a baby sitter and it saves me a trip in the long run. I let myself in and find the apartment completely silent, so I know something was going on.

"Hello" I yell out as I set my purse down. I look around and the place looked normal. Nothing out of place like always.

Eventually I hear some giggles and head to the spare room. For as long as I've been around this place, Kris didn't really use that room for anything but storage. Some of his travel stuff and baseball equipment when he got super busy. But the laughing was defiantly coming from there.

I open the door to see Kris' sheets hung up all over the room. It looked like they were making blanket forts and it must have taken them all day from what I can tell. It was wall to wall and clinging to the floor in some parts of the room. There was a light coming from the middle of it all and I hear some real laughter and I know it was my people.

"King Kris, it's time for the ball" Mary exclaims. Always a royal ball for my girl.

"Well then Princess Mary, shall we dance" he asks her.

"Yes please" she answers oh so sweetly.

So I watch thier shadows move from the ground to standing. The fort was pretty tall but Kris is taller, so he had to lean over some so he doesn't take the whole thing down. Her little silhouette steps on his toes and they start to sway back and forth. Her giggles fill the air as he moves around their little place they created on their own. Times like this makes you forget about baseball and post seasons and real families and makes you appreciate how truly lucky you are.

"We need music" Mary announces.

"What would you like to hear" he asks her.

"Over the Rainbow! Auntie Jenny sings that to me when I'm sad or when I'm mad at her. It always makes me happy. Sing that song" she begs.

"Alright, but I'm not a singer like you" he insists.

"That's okay! I'll sing with you" She promises him.

"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby, I
Oh, somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
Clouds high over the rainbow, makes all your dreams come true, ooh

Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top
That's where you'll find me, oh
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Oh why, oh why can't I? I
I see trees of green and red roses too
I'll watch then bloom just for me and you
And I think to myself
Oh, what a wonderful world."

After watching from the outside and admiring their shadows dancing across the sheets I finally decide to crash their party. So I let myself in and find my two loves with the biggest smiles on their faces as the dance together. Kris really wasn't that bad and I always said Mary had a voice of a angel, especially when it came to this song. Her momma loved this song too, she won't remember but her mom had a voice like hers. And she sang this to her when she was little, that's why I continue to do it now. I'll never sound as good as her mom but I can still her her that.

"Auntie Jenny! Come sing with us" Mary begs as she jumps up and down on Kris' toes making him cringe.

"Okay pumpkin" I smile as I walk over to them.

Kris picks her up before setting her on his hip. Kris pulls me in with his other hand before making me spin on his finger. Once he was done he pulls me into his side as I look up at him and Mary. I fit perfectly under the blankets and I felt bad that he had to lean so much but the smile on his face made it seem like maybe it wasn't so bad.

"Sing! Sing" Mary begs.

"You gotta sing with me" I insist.

"Okay" she smiles big.

"I see skies of blue, clouds of white
The brightness of day, the dark, say goodnight
And I think to myself
Oh, what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shakin' hands saying, "How's it? How you?"
They're really saying, "I love you"

I hear babies cry and I'd watch them grow
They'll learn much more than we'll know
And I think to myself
Oh, what a wonderful world
I think to myself, yes
What a wonderful world
I think to myself, yeah
What a wonderful world."

Kris softly kisses Mary's cheek before kissing mine too. Both of us were tucked under his arms as we just sway back and fourth. A fort might seem childish but it was one of my favorite things to do as a kid. I feel like no one could hurt me in here because I built theses walls to protect me. And now I have everything I love nearest and dearest to me under these white sheets. My shadow now casted with Mary and Kris' as we stand by the little light we had in here. I almost forgot about these memories, and I almost didn't get to make new ones.

"You guys made such a great fort" I admit.

"It's a castle" Mary corrects. "This is the ball room and there's my room. Kris stays with me and you and of course Snowflake and Mightnight are here too" she explains.

"And what do you want to do now that the ball is over my Princess" Kris asks her.

"Can't we stay here forever like this" she questions.

I smile because I love that about her, she knows how precious these moments are and how important it is to stay in them. But no moment is worth staying in forever.

"We can't. Our real castle is out there and we need to protect it" I insist.

"Well can we stay just a little bit longer? We still have to slay the dragon" she begs as I smile.

"Of course baby" I promise.