Matilda, Child of Fire

MMV: Cinders & Cadrona Valley

8 MMV: Cinders & Cadrona Valley

"I been once bitten now I won't go back/I timeless act that I keep for fact.../Oh my God I'm beaten in the game of love..." –Gin Wigmore, Oh My

8:10 am, Week 3, Wanaka Lakefront, Ardmore Street, Wanaka 9305, New Zealand

"Y'know, Val," he remarked after chewing, attempting to sound casual, "if I didn't know any better, I would've thought you just planned your ideal date night."

"What if I did?" Matilda answered, despite her shyness when it came to anything remotely romantic, offering him more of the raisin, peanut, and chocolate mix she knew he liked. "Would you..." she hesitated, "...be ok with that?"

Wyatt paused, surprised at Matilda's candor, his eyes softening as he reached over to stroke one of her stray flaming-red curls. "Yeah...yeah I would."

8:49 am, Week 4, Wyatt's Micro-Chic Tiny House, Camp Wanaka

"Does she know?" Wyatt inwardly cringed upon hearing the question, as he turned from the plugged-in hot plate, bearing two plates each of scrambled eggs and home fries, each decorated with ketchup smiley faces—two red dots with an upturned curve underneath.

"I made breakfast," he plunked the platters on the table. "Protein and carbs, just how you like it—"

"Wyatt, sweetie, you still didn't answer my question—"

"Paige—"

"Great-Aunt Paige—or just plain 'Aunt Paige'—we're in private company—"

Wyatt sighed. "Fine. Aunt Paige. And no," he said, reaching for his fork, "she doesn't know." He stabbed at his potatoes, placing a morsel in his mouth. "We like each other—but she's really skittish ok? If I throw this grenade her way, there's no going back—"

Paige chewed thoughtfully. "You really should tell her though—"

"Tell her that dear Grandma Piper's a Charmed One? Why would I want to do that?"

"It's a key part of her life, her mom being a Charmed One herself—"

"But it's her mom that's the Charmed One. Not her. She's probably got all sorts of pressure trying to live up to that type of reputation, and I'm not about to add to that," he replied, as if to say case closed.

"What if she finds out several years from now when she meets the rest of the family? Won't she be kind of...I dunno...pissed that you weren't upfront about it?" asked Paige casually, as she took a sip of coffee from her thermos.

"Whoa—ok, that's jumping to conclusions. Val and I are interested in each other. Like a summer thing. Definitely not marriage. Just a...thing." Wyatt was quick to point out.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Paige said, sporting a cheeky grin under the coffee cup from which she sipped.

9 am, Outside Wyatt's Micro-Chic Tiny House, Camp Wanaka

Where was he? Matilda tapped her foot, fidgeting as she nervously twirled a crimson lock of her long hair around a slender finger as she waited for Wyatt a respectable distance away from his tiny house. This wasn't like him. Do I knock or wait? Knock or wait? Knock or—?

Just then, the door swung open, and a mop of dark auburn tied-back hair was instantly visible. Paige? Matilda thought incredulously. She hadn't known any counselors or director-types to make personal calls to any of the cottages or other temporary seasonal housing on the campgrounds. "Morning, Matilda," the counselor called out casually, an odd expression on her face.