Theodore

by Marcus LaGrone

  “Pshaw! Things were obviously going fine before; look at how well you came out!”

  Theodore laughed and kissed Anna warmly on the cheek. A split second later his fur rippled and his ears burned, “Um, sorry about that...”

  “I've been trying to get you to do that these last four days,” grinned Anna.

  That did little to calm poor Theodore's fur...

  17

  It was starting to get dark as they made it back to Theodore's house, but there were no worries. Theodore knew the way quite well, even for having been absent so long to college. Broad grins greeted them all as they entered and Anna proudly announced the arrival of the Fairwind's baby boy.

  “Emily, oh Emily! I can't believe you set our guest to work on her first day here,” fussed Fiona doing little to hide her pride at Anna.

  “Work? If Mary had turned Anna away the poor dear would have pouted all day!” grinned Emily.

  “She's right, you know!” beamed Anna. “It was wonderful! There are few things more gracious than bringing a new baby into the world!”

  “The Fairwinds feed you?” asked Aidden pragmatically.

  “Yes, Dad, quite well in fact. Have you eaten?”

  “Yes, but we set some food aside in the warmer just in case.”

  “Leave it out! It's been a long day, a healthy sized snack would do well later.”

  “I forgot to even ask,” began Emily. “Are you used to three or four meals a day?”

  “Um, three, ma'am. But whatever works.”

  Emily looked at Fiona and they both just grinned. “First thing to do is fix this 'ma'am' thing,” laughed Emily.

  Anna blushed, “Yes, Second Mother!”

  They all laughed well at that.

  “Come on upstairs, both of you. I'll show off what the girls did today,” beamed Aidden.

  With no small amount of curiosity on his own part, Theodore followed Anna and his father up to the attic. “Windows are still open as everything isn't quite dry. We'll bring up a heater tonight if you need to... let all that warm air out and all.”

  “Oh my word...” began Anna.

  Theodore poked his head up and looked on with no small amount of shock himself. The attic, well planked and sealed normally, had all the odd household spares and random work related parts and pieces removed, cleaned, washed, a good rug put down along with a mattress and fresh bedding and then the walls had been painted...

  “Remind me never to volunteer to paint a wall! I'd soil it!” gasped Anna as she looked around. “It's gorgeous!” All along the walls were murals of Highland country life. Gorgeous detail and brilliant color everywhere.

  “They do good work, don't they,” grinned Emily. “They got into a mood and there was no stopping them. They probably won't get a brush stroke in tomorrow, but what they did today...”

  “They did all of this today?”

  “Yep. Well, the walls had been whitewashed and Father primed them,” beamed Emily.

  “They shouldn't have wasted such effort on just a room...” pouted Anna.

  Emily smiled, “No. They wanted to do something special for you, and there you have it.”

  “Um, thank you?” peeped Anna as Fiona and Charlotte poked their heads up.

  “Glad you like it. Did Father offer a heater?”

  “Yes ma'am... um... First Mother. Yes, he did.”

  “Good, good. Well, I'd recommend giving it a few more hours before you close up the windows. Make sure the bulk of the smell is gone.”

  “Thank you. Thank you all!”

  All the ladies beamed.

  “Well, good night, all of you. I'm tired early,” began Fiona. “I'll see you kids in the morning!”

  18

  “I take it from the scream this morning that I accidentally stole your hot water there for a bit,” apologized Emily as Anna entered the kitchen.

  Anna was all grins regardless, “Yeah, caught me by surprise. I guess I shouldn't have loitered in the shower. But it felt good!”

  Emily just laughed, “No, my fault! I'm not used to it being a full house and I could have just as easily waited until you two ate before I did the dishes.”

  “Um, are we late to breakfast?” asked Anna apologetically.

  “Nope,” grinned Theodore. “It's just that Third Mother made herself breakfast at four in the morning and Second Mother can't stand the sight of dirty dishes.”

  Emily grimaced, “I will try to be more careful. I should have listened to the pipes. Sorry again, dear.”

  “It's okay,” grinned Anna. “Not the first time that has happened to me. What's the plan for the day?”

  “Breakfast!” beamed Theodore.

  Emily laughed, “Well that, yes. Then I think it would be good to get you back in town. You both need a few more changes of clothes and those things take time.”

  “I did bring a bit of the local currency...”

  Emily just tutted her away as she brought out their piping hot breakfast, “Keep your purse here for now. If you find something silly or fun, spend your money on that. A few souvenirs from the Highlands would be no bad thing.”

  Anna was quickly learning better than to argue with Emily's odd sense of hospitality and they both quickly devoured their breakfast while Emily left to tend to little Abby.

  Rose poked her head into the kitchen and grinned at the couple.

  “You eaten yet, little one?” asked Theodore.

  Rose just beamed and nodded, “Ate with Father. We still going into town? Second Mama said we needed to buy Anna a new pretty dress!”

  Theodore grinned, “Why, yes, that is the plan. You been practicing your writing?”

  Rose nodded and grinned proudly, “In three lettering styles, too!”

  “Excellent! Soon you'll have a scholarship for off world as well!”

  Roses eyes went wide, “No! I'm staying here! Off world is too scary!”

  Theodore frowned, “Um, it doesn't have to be. Most of it is quite safe...”

  “Not going until you go back!”

  He laughed, “Fair enough there, little one!”

  Emily returned with little Abby on her shoulder, trying to coax out a burp, “Oh, good. Everyone ready?”

  Half an hour later Theodore found himself, sitting at a dress shop while the owner and attendant were busily trying to fit Anna to a series of dresses. It was quite the show!

  “Okay,” grinned Anna. “It feels very nice in the torso, but the back feels a little... breezy...”

  There was quite a bit of laughter as they tried to work out the most pragmatic way of dealing with a dress designed for a Taik, but fit to a tailless human. The giggles ran fast and long as all other aspects of the dress seemed so perfect. It was finally decided the best course was to just create something custom rather than try to fit an existing piece.

  “Won't that be kinda expensive,” asked Anna nervously.

  The owner would hear none of it, “Mary came by this morning, nonstop gabbing about the wonderful job you did for the Fairwinds! She dropped a spot off in your name. She figured you'd be wanting something more local pretty quick. She was right!”

  Emily grinned, “Good to see Mary's gossiping being used for good and not evil!”

  “Oh, she isn't that bad!” mock groused the owner. “And you know, coming from her, if it is something good to be said, she really means it!”

  “Okay, Second Mother, was this all part of your plan yesterday?” teased Theodore.

  “No! But I'd be happy to pretend I did plan it!” she grinned back.

  “Let's shift and have her try a few skirts! The dance skirts may get by with only minor tweaking,” beamed the owner.

  Anna laughed, “I'm just standing here! Just tell me what to do!”

  Theodore was proud of little Rose and how well she behaved at the store. It took over an hour and she had been perfectly behaved the entire time. “Like having another girl around the house?” he asked his little sister.

  Rose nodded enthusias
tically, “You going to take her to the dance?”

  Theodore's mind reeled, “Um, dance? Oh wow, that's just barely a week away isn't it.”

  “She'll have a pretty dress in a day or two. Now she needs bells!” giggled Rose.

  “Um, bells?” asked Anna.

  Theodore's fur stood on end and his ears flushed...

  Emily laughed at her son's display and turned her attention to Anna. “Girls of your age, when they start to date, wear bells on ribbons to the dances. Bells on your ankles and hands! Toes too, if that isn't too uncomfortable. It's a common way to display who is of age to date, as it were. Very serious young ladies will have been given bell sets on rings rather than ribbons. We can probably find you a set on ribbons around the house...”

  “I could buy my own,” grinned Anna. “That would make for a fantastic souvenir!”

  Emily grinned, “Yes! I think that would be a wonderful idea.”

  They just laughed to each other as they watched Theodore staring into space repeating, “No rings, no rings, no rings...”

  Theodore gritted his teeth as they entered the front of the silversmith's store. He knew it was all supposed to be just a lark, but he had butterflies none-the-less. The store attendant was thrilled to be showing off their wares to an offworlder: human, Taik or otherwise. “We have silver plate, bell silver, and pure silver plated over bell silver. Most people think that bell silver is the prettier sound. But some people like to go with less expensive and own several different styles.”

  “Bell silver?” asked Anna.

  “Um, it's an alloy of silver. It's pretty close to Sterling silver if I remember my classes right. Pure silver is a bit soft.”

  “Okay, that makes sense. But what about the different styles. I mean they are all pretty, but is there a real difference?”

  The attendant beamed at the chance to explain, “The different styles have different weight of bells as well as number. If you are doing lots of dances like Strip the Willow where you are passing and turning a lot, you don't want things as heavy on your wrists. If you are mostly doing singles dances, then more weight on the wrists is less important and presentation becomes a concern. Similar concerns with the ones on your ankles or toes: weight, number and how will that effect the types of dances you like? You can have bells on your tail, but if you are tired after the second dance, it isn't much of an outing!”

  “So, there are choices of metal, design, as well as just the pretty patterns. I am so lost here!” laughed Anna. “I doubt I'll be doing this again anytime soon so I figure I'll go for quality: silver plate over bell silver. The pattern I can just pick what's pretty. But for the style...” Anna just laughed.

  Emily grinned and offered, “You are an athletic girl, just pick a middle total weight bell and you should be fine.”

  “What she said!” beamed Anna. “So now it's down to just the pattern... oh wow, are there a lot to choose from...”

  19

  Anna showed off her new bells at lunch back at the house. There was a general agreement from the house that she had chosen well. The only expressed concern was teaching her to dance by next weekend. Anna bolted up to her room to fetch her money and repay Emily. Theodore grinned as he noticed Emily radically undercharged Anna for her bells. Well, that left her more money for other silly things...

  Theodore left Anna with Emily for the afternoon as he journeyed with his father on a quick hunting trip to the low edges of the falls. His father had spotted a large elk earlier and made a study of it. Now was time for fresh meat! Theodore knew his father could easily fell the animal without him, but if it was a full sized elk, it would take both of them to get it back to the butcher shop at the town.

  After only a half hour in his father's lookout point, the elk approached, just as predicted. His father offered to let him take the shot, and after some hesitation Theodore agreed. Time away from practice at school was going to add risk, but there is no way to get better without trying.

  Theodore invoked a Live Steel longbow, almost ironic in the terms as the bow and arrows had no steel to them save for the arrowheads themselves. He readied one arrow in front of him and nocked the second. The plan was to put two arrows in flight at once. Good thing he did too, as the first arrow struck, but back in the flank. The second arrow struck true and soon the animal was down. Good, no running. There was nothing more depressing than having to chase an animal in the woods as it slowly bled out. Much of his father's teaching was on when not to take a shot for that very reason. Any idiot can fling arrows into the air...

  “Sorry, Father,” grimaced Theodore. “The first shot was a bust.”

  “But you got two in the air and got the job done,” beamed his father back. “It was a good set even if it wasn't a perfect first shot! Come on, let's get it stripped and back into town.”

  It was all but supper time as Theodore and his father finally made it back from the butcher shop with fresh steaks in hand. They passed the meat off to Emily and both of the males quickly made for the showers: they were a mess!

  With his hair still damp, but at least a fresh shirt on, Theodore smiled as he entered the kitchen to find Anna helping with dinner. “I think you have a rough idea how my afternoon went. How did yours go?”

  “Oh, it was a blast,” grinned Anna. “Spent most of it down at Rebecca Silverfox's place. She's a really nice lady. Really, really hyper lady, I might add!”

  “Oh, crap,” laughed Theodore. “You get sucked into a dance class?”

  “Yes! It was wonderful. I was terrible at first, but she is really patient and good at explaining things. I think I made it all the way up to 'merely bad!'” she laughed.

  “For the first time out, you did wonderful,” grinned Emily. “If we can squeeze in one more run before the dance, I think you will have a lot of fun.”

  “Notice she didn't say anything about being good,” grinned Anna. “But it was fun. Even the practice was fun. I had never done any dancing before, even back home.”

  “A girl like you... never done any dancing?” asked a thoroughly flabbergasted Emily. “I figure that should qualify for child abuse!”

  Anna just shook her head and grinned, “Nope, never had the time.”

  Emily looked like someone had just run over her puppy; she hugged Anna warmly, “That is terrible! You have to stop and make time for dance!”

  Anna just smiled softly as she returned the warm embrace, “Sorry, just never could find the time. I was doing good to get mom or dad to eat dinner with me much less both of them at the same time.”

  Emily was aghast, “Your mother and father... dinner...” She let out a small shriek before regaining her composure. “The girl is staying!” pronounced Emily to Theodore. “I can't in good conscience send her back to that... that world!”

  For the first time in his life, Theodore couldn't tell if Second Mother was kidding or not, “Um, mom, it's a different world, a different culture.”

  “She needs a family! Second mother or otherwise! How do your siblings cope, Anna?”

  “I'm an only child...”

  That did it, Emily lost it. She bolted from the room only to run upstairs and scream.

  Theodore sighed, “I'm sorry about Second Mother. She doesn't understand other cultures that well. She's a product of the Highlands through and through. Not very progressive.”

  “Hey, don't apologize,” replied Anna with a single tear in her eye. “I kinda like her ideals. I'd trade 'progressive' as you would have it for 'warm and loving' any day. Just because it is different doesn't mean it's good...”

  He didn't know what to say, really, so he just gave up and hugged Anna warmly. They both needed that. He softly nuzzled the top of her head. It was a little forward of him, but it just seemed right.

  Emily returned and tried to apologize but Anna would have none of it, and after several minutes of them both blubbering they both just gave up and hugged each other again.

  “Am I interrupting something?” asked his father as he c
autiously entered the kitchen.

  “Nope,” replied Emily as she dried her face. “We were just discussing family role models and the like. She can visit next summer too, right?”

  Aidden smiled and nodded, “Shouldn't be a problem at all. She's already fitting in well with the town from what I've heard. It's all up to her parents, really.”

  Theodore cringed as he watched Emily twitch, but Second Mother managed to put it behind her and hugged Aidden with an honest smile.

  “Okay, enough of all of that, we need to be careful or we'll burn supper! If you could tell the others, we should probably be done before you get back with Rose,” Emily had mostly recovered her form.

  Anna sat with Theodore after dinner on the back porch and they both just enjoyed watching the fireflies in the distance.

  “If your family...” began Anna hesitantly. “If your family was any more perfect, flowers would sprout where they walked.”

  Theodore laughed heartily at the echo from months past. “That sounds so familiar! Hey, my family isn't perfect. Far, far from it! But Second Mother wasn't kidding. If you want to come back next summer or whenever, there will be a spot in the attic with a soft bed and a place at the table with a sharp knife.”

  “My parents seemed to be helping everyone else in the world...”

  “Hey, just talk with them...”

  “Talk with them? And expect them to give up all the good things they are doing?”

  “Most definitely. You are their daughter. Your mother loves you very much and she is very proud of you. You just need to talk.”

  “But it's not fair that either of them should give up anything for me! They help so many people every day! I'm just one person!”