Chapter 4
The first day of the spring was a wonderful day in everyone's opinion. The Emerald City had suffered a difficult winter full of heavy rainstorms, so everyone was happy to wake up to that surprisingly cloudless day, at last.
Elphaba and Glinda sat under a huge willow tree by the river, just outside of the city. They could still detect its emerald glow from beyond the trees. The tree's shadow protected them from the afternoon sun. They watched Fiyero and Boq as they played with the children.
"Come on, sweetheart, you can do it! Come here!" Fiyero encouraged his little girl forward. Dawn, or Deanne as everyone called her, had recently made her first steps. He was determined to teach her how to walk, and he was proud at her progress so far. He adored his little girl, and so did Elphaba. Dawn looked much like Elphaba with her dark hair, but her gray eyes she had as a baby have changed into blue, much like his own eyes.
Dawn swayed on her chubby, unpracticed legs and managed to take several steps forward before she lost her balance and fell on the grass. She looked up at her father, surprised. She didn't cry- she almost never did. It was bothersome, as far as Elphaba was concerned. Sometimes she would have preferred that Dawn would cry, so they would know if something was wrong with her. She was awfully quiet most of the times.
Watching her daughter fall sent Elphaba hurrying in her direction. She picked her up and checked her to make sure she didn't get hurt. "Oh, sweetie, are you alright?" she asked, concerned. Dawn, who didn't speak yet, giggled, much to her mother's relief. Elphaba smiled back at her as Dawn playfully tugged at her hair.
"She'll never learn if you keep doing this, Fae!" Fiyero called in her direction.
Elphaba frowned at him and let go of the girl, who ran a few more steps in her father's direction before falling again.
"He's right, you know," remarked Glinda once Elphaba sat beside her again.
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Oh, you too? May I remind you that I've never had a mother?"
Glinda shook her head; her golden curls dangled from side to side as she did. "This is not a very good excuse," she said, smiling at her friend's unusual display of vulnerability. Then she added, a bit more seriously, "You have to let her go a little, Elphie, as difficult as it may be."
They watched Boq and Dyre, who tried to help Fiyero. Dawn fell three more times before she was able to run all the way to her father's arms, to the sound of everyone's cheers.
Glinda turned to flash a victorious smile at her friend. "See?" Elphaba sighed, saying nothing. This was when Glinda detected this something in her expression; something that wasn't quite right. "What is it that really bothers you, Elphaba?" she asked gently.
Elphaba looked uncertain. "I don't know, I… You know how is it when one thing in your life seems to be perfect, another thing falls totally apart?"
Glinda sighed. "Oh, Elphaba-"
"No, I mean it!" Elphaba insisted, cutting Glinda off. She looked lovingly at Fiyero and Dawn in the distance. "This is all perfect. I just wonder, maybe it's too perfect."
"Stop being so paranoid! Are you happy?"
"Of course I am. You know I am! That's not the point, Glinda-"
"Yes it is! I've said once- it was many years ago but I still remember it- happy is what happens when all your dreams come true."
"Is it?" retorted Elphaba. "Trust me, Glinda. Trust my instincts. This is just not right. Something bad is about to happen, I'm sure of it."
Glinda shivered slightly. Whether it was because of the afternoon breeze or because of what Elphaba has just said, she couldn't determine. She was about to ask Elphaba what exactly she meant by 'something bad' but never had the chance, because just then a small blond missile that was her son launched himself onto her lap. She and Elphaba laughed.
"Hey, sweetie," she said and held him tight. It helped. She stopped shivering at once.
Elphaba smiled. Glinda was great with children. Back at their days at dear old Shiz, Elphaba had never thought of Galinda as a mother. Glinda was different.
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you playing with daddy and Fiyero?"
Dyre shook his head decisively. "Don't want play."
"You want to stay with us?" asked Elphaba. She loved that boy. He looked so much like Glinda it was scary sometimes.
Dyre smiled at her, a toothy grin that always melted her heart. "Yes, Auntie Fae," he answered. Fiyero's nickname was the easiest for the boy to remember at his young age. Elphaba didn't mind him using it.
Boq joined them several moments afterwards and sat next to Glinda on the soft grass.
"There you are, little fellow! What happened? Did you get tired?" he asked Dyre.
The boy shook his head again. "Don't want play, daddy," he said, proud of himself for being able to say the whole sentence again.
"Oh, okay," smiled Boq. He suddenly noticed the unusually worried expression on Glinda's face. "What happened?"
Glinda hesitated. What happened, really? Why was she so worried all of a sudden? Did she still suspect Elphaba had a point in saying that something bad was about to happen? But that would be extremely silly, wouldn't it? This was Elphaba; she was looking for conspiracies wherever she went! Eventually she decided to ignore the strange feeling that filled her heart, for the time being.
She did her best smiling at Boq and said, "Nothing, dearest. Everything is just fine."
Happy is what happens when all you dreams come true.
Isn't it?…