Later, when everyone was at home, while Lynn Sr. was cooking up dinner, Rita watched her children and her father interacting with each other. She watched Lori and Leni bouncing the twins in their laps. She watched Albert spend a bit of one-on-one time with Lincoln. (She appreciated her dad doing that because Lincoln didn't have many male role models besides his dad.) Lynn Jr. was outside but that was a good thing considering how rough that girl tended to play. She watched Luna working on a song with her little guitar. But the one thing she watched most of all was Luan drawing with Lucy.
The two of them were simply talking, drawing something on a big piece of paper. She walked over, wanting to get a closer look at what they were working on and found them drawing a couple of animals. Specifically, cats, lizards, snakes and frogs.
"Well, those are some nice drawings girls, who's idea was it to pick those particular animals?" asked Rita, because having read enough fairy tales, she knew those creatures were sometimes categorized as witch's familiars.
"Lucy's ideas Mom, I'm just encouraging her to think and we're trying to see who can draw the animal she picks better. She said a moment ago that I did a better frog and cat. But we both agreed she did better than me with the lizard and snake," answered Luan.
"There's a snake in the house?" asked Leni with slight alarm, but luckily never letting go of Lola.
"No Leni, that's just something they're drawing. Lucy, I am glad that you like drawing, but can I ask what it is about these particular animals that you like?" asked Rita, trying to use words she was certain a four-year-old would understand.
"These animals interest me," answered Lucy, now she was beginning to quiver. Rita got very carefully down to her daughter's level and hugged her.
"Oh Lucy, I'm not angry, I just want to make sure you're alright," Rita reassured the little girl.
"Not much really bothers her, she watches the Groovie Ghoulies on YouTube and seems to like Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons," piped up Lori.
"You've been letting watch those types of cartoons? Well, I guess that would influence some of her artwork. Your teacher was worried you might be having nightmares," answered Rita.
"Nightmares? Ha! She requests Little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs when I ask her if there's a song, she'd like me to sing!" laughed Luna.
"What did the teacher say, can I ask?" inquired Albert.
"Oh, Lucy's just been drawing some spooky things and she just wanted to make sure everything was alright at home," answered Rita, a little embarrassed.
"Suppertime!" called Lynn Sr. the kids hurried off to the table, Rita let Lucy go and allowed her father to help her up.
"So, Lucy's been drawing spooky things huh?" he asked.
"Vampires, skeletons, bats, spiders and dragons. I think the teacher believes, and to a certain extent, I agree, that isn't entirely normal for a four-year-old girl. But Lucy always loved those types of things, loves Halloween, helped plan a funeral (didn't tell her that), and preferred a bat plushie. She's just different," answered Rita.
"Well, nothing wrong with being different, I mean, there are kids out there who don't have a problem watching a film with Dracula or Frankenstein in it, but they're afraid of Santa Claus and the Teletubbies! Who knows, she may turn out to be the next Edgar Allan Poe or R.L. Stine!" laughed Albert, his daughter joined in on the laugh.
Well, I wasn't planning a second chapter to this story, and I wasn't sure how to delve into a deeper understanding beyond Rita just accepting that Lucy likes spooky things, and that's okay.