(Okay, round four. Lithiumflower mentioned she wanted me to write more about the park, so you can
all blame her for this one (j/k lol). But this one seemed to almost write itself...)
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"Hey, Mama:" asked Stellar over breakfast one morning.
"Papa read me a story last night all about a teddy bears' picnic in the woods. Well, we don't have
any woods near here, but can we have a teddy bears' picnic in the park instead? Please, Mama?"
"That sounds like fun, sweetie" replied Murrue, who was in the middle of washing up.
"But I don't have any teddy bears"
"What are you talking about? You have me, don't you?" retorted Mwu, who was still sitting at the
table. Murrue just raised an eyebrow and flicked soapy water at him.
"It's okay, Mama, we don't really have to bring teddy bears" said Stellar seriously.
"But can we have a picnic anyway? Please?"
Murrue looked out of the kitchen window. The day was hot and sunny, perfect weather for a picnic.
Of course, in Orb, every day was warm, but today seemed special, somehow.
"Sure we can. But only if you help clear up the breakfast dishes, okay"
Stellar's face lit up, and she started picking up plates as fast as she could, and putting them on the worktop.
Mwu grinned as he saw how excited his daughter was. Hearing the rattle of the letterbox, he walked over to
pick up the mail, and sorted through it. Junk mail, most of it. But one official looking letter addressed to Murrue
stood out.
"Hey, Murrue, you got mail" he said, handing her the envelope. Drying her hands, Murrue just glanced at it idly,
until the return address caught her eye and made her gasp.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Mwu, watching his wife's reaction in bewilderment. She had ripped open the
envelope and scanned the contents feverishly, the colour rising in her cheeks.
"Murrue?" he asked again, concerned when she didn't answer. She jumped a mile, as if she had forgotten he
was even there, and spun around quickly.
"Uh...uh, nothing, honey. I'm all right" she blurted.
Mwu just looked at her and cocked an eyebrow, unconvinced. She was such a bad liar...
"Papa?" chirped a little voice near his elbow. Now it was his turn to jump.
"Can we make some stuff for the picnic now?" Stellar asked, tugging at his shirt.
He smiled and picked her up. "Sure we can. What would you like?"
Whatever had been in Murrue's letter, he was sure she would tell him about it eventually.
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The park was full of families enjoying the glorious summer day, and it seemed as though theirs
wasn't the only one who had decided to bring a picnic. There were blankets and baskets everywhere, with people
dotted all over the grass, soaking up the sun. After some time searching, Mwu found them a spot under a cool
shady tree, between some rhododendron bushes. Spreading out the blanket, Murrue looked at Stellar.
"So, do you want to go anywhere before we have our picnic?"
Stellar jumped up and down. "The alphabet steps, Mama!"
In the park, there was a set of 26 steps, each inscribed with a letter of the alphabet. Ever since she had learned
her letters, one of Stellar's favourite games was to run up and down these steps, chanting the letters as she went.
"Okay, sweetheart. But hold on tight to my hand so you don't get lost. The park is busy today" replied
her mother.
"Sure thing, Mama" piped Stellar, taking Murrue's hand.
"Be back soon", Murrue told her husband, kissing him lightly, before she and their daughter walked off
into the park.
Mwu had stayed to save their picnic spot, in the shade of the tree. But he didn't enjoy it as much
as he would have liked to, as he was lost in his own thoughts.
Lately he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong with Murrue. Her appetite had all
but disappeared, and she was very pale. He had also caught her staring into space a lot of the time, which
wasn't like her at all. She had tried her best to hide it from him, like always, but he had seen straight
through her. He had been worried that the letter this morning had been bad news, but instead, Murrue's
reaction had been one of happiness...Mwu had tried to find the letter, but unfortunately she had hidden
that far better than her condition.
"We're back, Papa! Did you fall asleep?" asked Stellar as she clambered onto his lap. He had been so
lost in thought that he hadn't noticed his wife and daughter's return.
"Huh? Oh no, I was just thinking. Is it time for lunch already?"
"Uh-huh! It's picnic time!" she replied, digging into the basket and handing Murrue a sandwich.
"Here ya go, Mama, this one's yours!"
Murrue smiled softly. "No thanks, Stellar, Mama's not hungry right now"
She noticed Mwu's worried expression, and smiled at him to cheer him up. He didn't smile back at
her, and it made her nervous.
Does he know?
"Papa? Papa, are you okay? Mama says she's not hungry yet, so do you want her sandwich?"
Mwu snapped out of his thoughts and gave his little girl an exaggerated grin.
"Yup, sure do. Thanks, sweetie"
After all, he didn't want Stellar to know that something was wrong...
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After their picnic, they all walked through the tree-lined avenues of the park, Murrue and Mwu hand-in-hand.
Each was still worried about the other, but each also knew that they would tell the other their concerns later on.
Because they loved each other, and whatever problems they had, they knew they could work them out
together.
When their stroll took them to the children's play area, Stellar spotted an ice cream van.
"Mama, Papa, please can I have an ice cream?" she asked, her blue eyes alight with happiness.
Mwu grinned. "Okay, but only because I'm having one too". He picked up his daughter and ran with her
in his arms, Stellar laughing happily as they raced towards the waiting van.
Murrue couldn't hide a smile as they came walking back, Stellar clutching an ice lolly. Mwu looked to
have bought a '99, but it was hard to tell, since somehow he had managed to eat nearly all of it in the few
minutes it took to walk back to where she waited. And he had ice cream on his cheek.
Murrue began to giggle.
"Here, I bought you one too," he said, holding out a choc-ice. "Huh, what's so funny?" he demanded,
seeing his wife in fits of laughter.
Murrue simply walked over to Mwu and kissed him on the cheek, licking the ice cream off as she did so.
She blushed slightly as she looked up at him.
"What, did I have some on my face?". He grinned sheepishly. Then his grin widened as he hit on an idea.
Picking up Murrue, he carried her over to the roundabout in the play area, and sat on the outside, her on his
knee.
"Oh no. No, please..." begged Murrue as she realised what was about to happen. Mwu didn't answer, instead
kicking off with his foot, and setting the roundabout going, until they were spinning as fast as the contraption would allow.
As they spun, Mwu glanced down at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was holding onto him so tightly
that her knuckles had turned white.
After they came to a stop, Murrue tried to stand up, but stumbled and fell into him.
"N-no fair!" she gasped., still trying to stand up straight.
Mwu was rather dizzy too, but managed to lead her over to a bench where they could sit until
their world stopped spinning. Stellar had been watching all this time, giggling at her parents' behaviour.
The couple sat on the bench together for hours, enjoying the sunshine and watching Stellar race around with
the other children in the park, laughing and playing. Even though she didn't start school for another month or so yet,
she had never been shy around other kids her age. Not only had she inherited her mother's beauty, but she also
had the full measure of her father's sunny and outgoing personality, so making friends was never a problem for her.
Murrue smiled and snuggled close to Mwu as she watched Stellar play. She was so happy at that moment. She had a
husband that she loved with all her heart, and a beautiful daughter. What more could she ever ask for?
Well; she thought. There was one thing, but that's all taken care of now...
She nestled her head in the crook of Mwu's neck, and sighed happily as he leaned down and kissed the top
of her head.
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All good things must come to an end, however, and this day was no exception. As the sun slowly set, turning the sky
hues of orange, pink, and red, the little family left the park and set out for home. Stellar was sitting up on her father's
shoulders. At first, she had been chattering nineteen to the dozen about the things she had done, and the
new friends she had made, but gradually her chatter died away, and she had fallen asleep, her head resting
on Mwu's, completely wiped out.
"I'm sorry"
Mwu looked down at Murrue in surprise.
"What do you mean, 'sorry'? What for?"
She sighed. "I've been hiding things from you, and I know you've been worried. But I promise you, Mwu,
that I'm all right. Honest."
Mwu squeezed his wife's hand.
"It's okay. As long as you're really all right, I have no problem with you keeping secrets. As long
as they aren't bad ones"
Murrue looked up at him earnestly. "No, it's not bad. I'll tell you. In fact, when we get home, I'll show
you. It was in the letter I got this morning"
She smiled and hugged his arm "I'll show you" she repeated quietly.
Back in their house, Mwu gently set their sleeping daughter on the sofa, and sprawled out next to her,
yawning. Murrue set the picnic basket on the kitchen table, and pulled the letter from that morning
out of her skirt pocket.
"Mwu, here, I...". Her voice trailed off as she walked into the living room. Mwu was fast asleep next
to Stellar on the sofa, snoring gently. She giggled softly, and spread the blanket they had used for the
picnic over the two of them.
"I guess he was tired too, huh?" Murrue whispered to herself, putting the letter back in her pocket. She
pushed Mwu to the side a little, and made space for herself to snuggle in on the sofa. As she laid her
head on her husband's shoulder, she smiled.
It's okay that I didn't get to tell him my secret right away. After all, I have at least eight more months
to let him know his wish at the festival is starting to come true...
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(Wow, how...domestic.
The park in this story is based on a real one, where I used to visit with my cousins in the summer holidays.
And the alphabet steps are there too :laughs:
Inspiration from:
a. Notes
b. My friends
c. Childhood memories.
Please read and review:bows:)
