The sky was blue as can be, with lace like white clouds dancing across it here and there. A light breeze blew in from the north, bringing a hint of cooler air to brush at flesh left as bare as possible to avoid the summer heat.
A fall of inky black hair, tipped in cherry blossom pink tickled the tiny infant in the stroller as her mother leaned in to whisper to her. "Can you feel that Melody? Little Zephyr wants to play with you, shes dancing on your skin." At just one month old Melody didn't have much to say about that, but the she had a look of contentment about her.
Sheyleigh continued chatting to the infant as she checked to make sure all their gear was safely stowed for the outing. "Little Zephyr must like you very much to come on our walk with us Melody. She's a tricksy little breeze. Because she lives in the north shes always cool and sweet on the skin in the summer time." Shey rose to her feet after securing the last little buckle and tote, pausing to kiss her daughter's cheek. "Just as sweet as you my darling"
The destination of the day was a little scrap of park, not far from their home behind the Alley Cat Cub. At one time there had been a building there, but time and neglect, and a fire most likely, had brought it down. The lot had been left to grow wild until just this spring, when several concerned neighbors, seeing hosts of children playing in the rubble had stripped the lot bare, and planted grass and shrubberies, laying in little paths and grottoes and making a haven in the middle of the dockside warehouse district.
Every day since they had returned from the honeymoon trip to visit her father, Shey had brought little Melody to walk the paths of the park, telling her tales of all the fay creatures who were making the park into their home.
Today as they walked along the paths, they came across a ring of toadstools in the green grass, the brown and white of their craggy skins standing out boldly.
"Oh Look Melody! The Fairy King has decided to hold one of the dances of his summer court in our park. You must be careful about stepping in a fairy ring you know. The Fairy king likes to capture pretty children and make them dance for him for a hundred years."
It was fun making up stories for the child, even if she was too little yet to remember them. Shey would remember, and as long as they repeated this ritual of a walk in the park she would keep telling her those same stories until the child knew them just as well as the mother. Because that is the way mothers should teach their daughters, with love and care and all the time in the world.
A fall of inky black hair, tipped in cherry blossom pink tickled the tiny infant in the stroller as her mother leaned in to whisper to her. "Can you feel that Melody? Little Zephyr wants to play with you, shes dancing on your skin." At just one month old Melody didn't have much to say about that, but the she had a look of contentment about her.
Sheyleigh continued chatting to the infant as she checked to make sure all their gear was safely stowed for the outing. "Little Zephyr must like you very much to come on our walk with us Melody. She's a tricksy little breeze. Because she lives in the north shes always cool and sweet on the skin in the summer time." Shey rose to her feet after securing the last little buckle and tote, pausing to kiss her daughter's cheek. "Just as sweet as you my darling"
The destination of the day was a little scrap of park, not far from their home behind the Alley Cat Cub. At one time there had been a building there, but time and neglect, and a fire most likely, had brought it down. The lot had been left to grow wild until just this spring, when several concerned neighbors, seeing hosts of children playing in the rubble had stripped the lot bare, and planted grass and shrubberies, laying in little paths and grottoes and making a haven in the middle of the dockside warehouse district.
Every day since they had returned from the honeymoon trip to visit her father, Shey had brought little Melody to walk the paths of the park, telling her tales of all the fay creatures who were making the park into their home.
Today as they walked along the paths, they came across a ring of toadstools in the green grass, the brown and white of their craggy skins standing out boldly.
"Oh Look Melody! The Fairy King has decided to hold one of the dances of his summer court in our park. You must be careful about stepping in a fairy ring you know. The Fairy king likes to capture pretty children and make them dance for him for a hundred years."
It was fun making up stories for the child, even if she was too little yet to remember them. Shey would remember, and as long as they repeated this ritual of a walk in the park she would keep telling her those same stories until the child knew them just as well as the mother. Because that is the way mothers should teach their daughters, with love and care and all the time in the world.