Siegrain carefully sliced the apples into slivers and then wedged the knife to cut off the core of each sliver. Sofia never felt one way or another about the skin so he didn't bother to peel it.
"What's that?" Sofia asked in her most curiously excited voice. Siegrain heard Mystogan laugh.
"It's a tortoise."
"Is that like a turtle?"
"It's a kind of turtle, yes. This one is a leopard tortoise from Africa."
Siegrain arranged the apple slices on the plate and, with a resigned sigh, reached for the jar of sun butter. Anna hadn't ever allowed peanut butter in their home. He hoped Sofia wouldn't notice the difference.
"I like its shell. What's he eat?"
"The leopard tortoise mostly lives on grass and succulents."
"What's a succulent?"
"It's a plant."
"I want a succulent!" Sofia sounded out the word slowly.
"We'll see," Mystogan said. Siegrain turned around and carted the plate of apples to the table. "Did you know me and your dad and your Uncle Jellal had a tortoise once?"
"No." Siegrain said, pursing his lips.
"Did you really?" Sofia breathed, her eyes widening. "Daddy, did you really have a turtle?"
"Well -"
"Her name was Lauren," Mystogan interrupted. "She was an alligator snapping turtle."
"An alligator snapping turtle?" Sofia's expression was wide with wonder. "I want an alligator snapping turtle!"
"And last week you wanted a giraffe," Siegrain said, pushing the plate of apples toward her.
"A giraffe is hardly the same as a turtle, Sieg," Mystogn said with false seriousness. His eye had a twinkle Siegrain didn't like.
"She can't have an alligator snapping turtle. Lauren was…"
Sofia stared at him with her mouth full of apples and sun butter. Mystogan waited with a subdued but eager expression.
"Well, Lauren was not the kind of pet we can have in the condo."
"Can we move back to Abuelito and Gran's then?"
"No, we can't do that." Siegrain stuffed his hands in his pockets and tried to glare at Msytogan without betraying his annoyance to Sofia.
"Don't you have a birthday coming up?" Mystogan asked, turning back to his laptop.
"I sure do! It's the big five!"
"Maybe your dad will come around by then, eh?" Mystogan glanced up at him and grinned sharply. Siegrain didn't care for it at all.
Siegrain watched Sofia splashing in the pool with his mother, Jenny, and three of her friends from school. He'd wanted a more elaborate birthday party but Jenny insisted setting a precedent like that would be dangerous. Getting her to agree to a party at his parents' house had been enough of a hardship. He didn't want to push the envelope. Mystogan appeared by his side with a stack of the sugar free cookies he always kept in their parents' pantry.
"Looks like a good time," he muttered.
"She'll be exhausted in a few hours. Not even the cake can perk her up. Everybody wins." Siegrain felt his own exhaustion creeping. A morning at the zoo, and now an afternoon in the pool. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been on Sofia's energy level.
"Hopefully she'll have some juice left for my gift."
Siegrain turned sharply toward Mystogan. "What gift?" he demanded.
"Just a token of my affection for my favorite niece," Mystogan said lightly. Siegrain seethed. He appreciated Mystogan's quick thinking when it had to do with teasing Jellal and pulling one over on their parents, but he didn't like it so much when his older brother turned that skill on him.
"She's your only niece," Siegrain bit out. "What did you get her?"
"It's not a big deal," Mystogan shrugged. "She'll love it."
"You better not be trying to give my daughter one of your weird ass pets."
"But you loved Lauren!" Mystogan protested with a completely unconcealed grin.
"Lauren was a dangerous animal and if mom and dad had known exactly what she was -"
"What about Janice?" Mystogan added. "Even mom loved Janice."
"Janice was a hairless cat who did nothing but laze on the couch all day. Of course mom loved her!"
"Don't forget Steve and David."
"Your gerbils that were so stupid they ate their plastic food dish instead of the food?"
"I think you just don't want Sofia to experience the joy of having a pet.," Mystogan said matter of factly.
"You -"
"Relax. She'll love it." Mystogan left him in the kitchen stewing in his own frustrated juices.
When the time came for Sofia's friends to go home, Mystogan finally spoke up. Siegrain's grip on his soda can was so tight he knew he was denting it. Jellal quirked an eyebrow and nudged him in the side.
"What's your problem?"
"Nothing," Siegrain hissed.
"You've got one last present, Sofia," Mystogan announced, disappearing into the garage. When he returned he was carefully holding a large, wrapped box. Even standing on a kitchen chair, Sofia's head didn't quite peek over the top of the box. Jenny's eyes flit from Siegrain to Mystogan. Siegrain's anxiety and irritation threatened to bubble over. "Go on," Mystogan urged. "Open it."
Sofia tore at the bright paper revealing a cardboard box with a row of holes cut into the top.
"Are those… holes?" Erza asked, grasping Jellal's arm. Siegrain glanced at Mystogan again and scowled. "Like breathing holes?"
Before Jenny could react, Sofia popped the box open and squealed.
"You got me a turtle!" she exclaimed. "It's exactly what I wanted!" Sofia lunged at Mystogan who caught her almost in mid air. Her foot knocked the box and it tumbled over the edge of the table. An enormous stuffed turtle came rolling out. Siegrain didn't bother to contain his relief. He fell into the chair opposite Sofia's and sighed deeply.
One day Mystogan would pay for scaring the shit out of him with a giant turtle plushie.
