Once upon a time there was a little moth named Stan who was all alone in the world. All the other little moths were off raising little moth families with their husbands and wives. But Stan had no one. He was all alone and very sad.
But one day, as he was flitting around from place to place looking for someone to share his life, he caught sight of a flickering light in the distance. Entranced, he flew toward the light, hoping that there was someone there he could be friends with.
When he reached the light he saw that it was a beautiful moth dancing on top of a wax pillar. She was colored in brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"What is your name?" He asked the beautiful moth. But she didn't answer. He tried again, but she was too busy dancing to hear him.
"My name is Stan, would you like to be my friend?" She seemed to nod and he smiled. "You're not one for much conversation are you?" He asked, but still she didn't answer, too caught up in her dance. But Stan didn't mind, he was in love with her even so.
Night after night he came back, not daring ever get close to his beautiful dancing love, whom he had begun to call Wendy. Every night he would talk to her about his day, asking her questions. And every night she would listen silently, never once missing a step in her intricate dance.
One day he decided he would join her in her dance. He started getting closer, but for some reason it kept getting hotter the closer he got. He didn't care, though. He just wanted to hold his true love in his arms. He smiled at her and she smiled back as he took her in his arms to dance.
But what Stan didn't know was that Wendy wasn't a moth at all, she was the flame of a candle. And as soon as he took her in his arms for the first time, he was burned up.
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"That's a horrible story, Daddy!" Remy protested. At five years old he had a very definite opinion of what did and did not make a good bedtime story. And characters dying at the end and true love being a lie were definitely not part of the good category. "Stan and Wendy are supposed to be in love and get married! Not die!"
"Well technically Wendy didn't die because she was never alive." Zach pointed out.
"Who says she wasn't just as alive as Stan was? Daddy said she smiled at him before he burned up. Maybe she was alive and in love with Stan, but she couldn't talk? And Stan seemed pretty happy at the end. It seems to me like they were finally together. I think it was sweet." Evy piped up.
"I just wish Pru was here to listen." Remy said sadly. His favorite sister had left for sleep away camp, missing out on the story. He burrowed deeper into his mother's lap and whimpered.
"Oh, mon ange. I know you mees your seester, mon coeur. But she weel be back and you can tell 'er ze story yourself." Christophe said, smoothing his youngest child's hair back from his forehead and placing a soft kiss there.
Remy beamed up at him and nodded. "You're right, Mama. Pru will be back in a few days and all will be right again." Christophe smiled and hugged the little boy tight.
"Ok now, time for bed, everybody." Damien announced, closing his story book and getting up. He shepherded all the children up to their rooms. He tucked them all in and kissed them goodnight before returning back to his husband.
"Zey really mees zeir seester." He sighed, opening his arms for Damien to cuddle into.
"Yeah, I know. And this is just a week. Think of how bad it'll be when she leaves for college." He shook his head.
"Do not say such blasphemous zeengs! My baby ees not goeeng to college for many, many years. She ees only-"
"Fourteen? She's going to be in high school next year, Chris. You've gotta face it. Our little girl is growing up. College is only four years away. Before we know it she'll be bringing boys home, going on dates, going off to college, getting married, having kids of her own. She's not a baby anymore."
Christophe sighed and nodded. "You are right, I just do not want to lose 'er. She ees my baby, my leetle girl. I am scared. You know 'ow teenagers are." Damien paled a bit, thinking of the things they had gotten up to as teenagers.
"She's a good girl, she knows what not to do. She's not like us. She's got two parents who love her and who taught her right from wrong."
"She ees goeeng to be falleeng een love soon. Let us 'ope she does not geet burned."
"We can't hope for that. It never happens. Let's hope that, when she does get hurt, she picks herself up, dusts herself off, and keeps going." He smiled, kissing Christophe's nose. "Not everyone can find their true love on the first try. Not even we did."
"No, but we 'ave eachozzer now, and zat ees all zat matters." He smiled, pressing a kiss to Damien's lips.
"That's all that matters." He agreed.
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Omg still fail…so much fail. FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL!
