Chapter 3
The doors to the Riker quarters swish open for the three children. Troi and Riker are still at work so Lily gets to baby-sit. Dropping their pads on nearby counters and couches the children run to the replicator.
"Hold on a minute you all know that you have to put away your school items, where they go, before you get an after school snack. Just because mom and dad aren't here doesn't mean you can break the rules."
"But Lily I'm starving can't we just get one little snack then put our school things away?"
Lily sighs briefly but stands her ground.
"No Emmy, you know the rules help Cadean put his things away and I will have a snack ready for you when you return."
Emmy grumbles softly but does as Lily asks and takes Cadean to his room to get out of his school clothes and into his play clothes. By the time Emmy and Cadean come out of his room a snack is waiting on the table for them; as usual a bowl of grapes for Emmy and a dish of crackers for Cadean and carrots for herself.
"So how was school today Emmy? Did you make any new friends?"
"There is this one human girl Sarah, just came aboard with her father. Her mother I guess died a few years before. She doesn't really remember much about her. Is that the way it is for you Lily?"
The children nibble away at their after school snack as Lily places her carrots down on her plate.
"I don't remember my mother she died when I was just a baby. But I remember my father like it was yesterday. He was strong had big blue eyes and a kind smile. He used to tell me stories about princesses and princes he even told me a story about the time he visited India."
"Can you tell us a story Lily?"
"If you promise you'll do your homework when I am done. I told mom and dad that you will do your homework before they got home."
"We promise"
Emmy and Cadean replied as they continued to eat their snacks.
"Hmmm let me see I have the perfect story. Wood fairies are teeny tiny little beings that are like specks of dust in sunshine. Like silky light seeds floating in spring breezes. We seldom see them, but we've been told that they move about swiftly because they have colorful rainbow colored wings. They stay in during the day and only come out in the wee small hours when everyone is asleep. Some of them have babies even tinier than they are. Can you imagine anything small enough to fly through keyholes or even window screens? They take their little babies and without waking them, they put them in the cobwebs in the trees. The gentle nighttime breezes rock the babies in their sleep."
"Lily do you think fairies can be up here in space?"
"I think they are every where. We might not be able to see them but I think are here with us every day maybe even watching over us."
Lily answers not wanting to diminish Emmy's imagination. She knew they were just a myth but she didn't want to ruin that for her younger siblings.
"Tell us the rest sissy, now this time Emmy don't talk I want to hear the rest."
Lily smiled at her brother's comment. She loved how he called her sissy made her heart jump with glee.
"Well, there is one tiny gentleman fairy called the Butler Fairy. He takes a bluebell flower and stands watch from the highest hill and waits until the sun starts to rise or until he hears the sounds of children waking in the houses. He blows into the bluebell flower to alert the wood fairies to get their babies quickly and to hide them in the forest before they are seen. The first time I heard about wood fairies, I said, "Well, what do they do?" You know what? They just fly in and out of the houses playing wood fairy games. They fly by your bed to see if you smile when you sleep. Sometimes they will all sit on somebody's teddy bear's tummy. I heard that once they played jump rope with somebody's hair ribbon. Wood Fairies just love color. After all, they paint the rainbows, they put the colors in the wildflowers in the spring and you just know they want to be close to us doing all the colorful things we are doing here. The most magical time I have ever heard is that if a wood fairy lands or touches anything she leaves a color mark. What happier time is there for everybody?" They liked what they heard and learned a very important lesson; you are special because you are you."
"Wow Lily you are a good storyteller maybe someday you will write?"
"Perhaps one day I will be an author but until then I will just be your big sister. Now come on and get your homework done mom and dad will be home before dinner."
Emmy and Cadean nod while Emmy begins her homework alone Cadean brings his to her.
"Can you help me with my letters? I know what they are but I don't know what they do. Please help me Lily please?"
Lily could never say no to that voice and nods. Cadean climbs up on her lap and together they begin to practice the sounds of the letters before him.
TBC…Chapter 4
