Claire did not realize she would have such a hard time explaining unusual family dynamics to a child who has known nothing but a loving one all his life.

"Jamie, it is fine, I didn't expect you to understand, anyway."

"But I can understand anything if I can understand fractions!"

Claire sniffled softly under her hand. All that exposure to harsh weather was finally taking its toll on her. Of course, Olivia was nothing but tolerant, but Claire suspected that woman could handle anything after handling Sophia.

She had turned her back on the inquisitive boy, but upon his constant prodding, she apprehensively looked over her shoulder and succumbed to the enormous sorrow-stricken glassy eyes display Jamie was directing at her.

"Ugh. Okay. What do you want to know?"

Jamie put away his puppy-dog eyes in an instant, and flung himself onto the bed.

"So you're telling me you don't know who your real mom is?" The concept was unthinkable to his little brain.

Claire pulled herself into a more comfortable position, facing Jamie.

"Some of us don't, Jamie."

She had tried to shelve the pain in her voice, but it crept in anyway. An understanding look crossed Jamie's face and he opened his mouth to apologize.

"No, no, it is fine, I lived with them for my entire life, don't you think I got used to them?" Claire snickered lightly, trying to lighten the dark aura that had settled into the room.

"Uh, okay, so what about your dad? What if you have siblings out there?"

Claire swallowed the sarcastic, biting answer, and forced herself to answer, "Well, they will be big boys and girls now, wouldn't they? A lot like Sire Jamie right here!" She couldn't help but smile at the innocent grin that split Jamie's face. The entire good girl getup was so much easier around this boy, she thought.

"And do you know what big boys do for their kingdoms when their people demands it?"

Jamie nodded his head no, round eyes asking for an answer.

"They finish their math homework on time!" She exclaimed, tackling him and ticking his sides as Jamie erupted into mirthful laughter.

"Oh, no, Claire stop! I'm ticklish!" Giggled the lad as Claire broke out in little titters herself.

"Okay, I will stop if Sire Jamie gives me his word that he will go straight to bed when I release him!"

Jamie shuffled out of the bed, flashed a smart salute and sprinted out of the room.

Just as he was about to exit, he turned around.

"Hey, Claire?"

"Hm?"

"I don't actually understand fractions…yet." He announced cheekily, taking off as the remnants of his laughter echoed through the halls. Claire sighed, but it was not in exasperation, but fondness.

It was strange how much he felt like the little brother she never had. For a split second, she wondered if he could be brother she had never met.

"Claire, can you read me this? I know mom wouldn't because she has Sophie to worry about."

It was the third day, and every time Claire insisted she needed to leave, Olivia proclaimed she could when winter melted into summer and Claire had better chances of not perishing in the cold. So she was being held prisoner in the Bennett household, but she couldn't really complain.

They had however, settled into a rather comfortable routine.

"What's this?" Claire asked as she took the book from Jaimie's outstretched hands.

"Evidence and Sightings: Bigfoot Edition?" She flipped the first few pages open, grazing her fingers over the facts and figures scattered across the pages.

"Jaimie, don't tell me these are your bedtime stories," Claire chuckled as Jaimie pouted.

"Don't make fun of the Bigfoot! He won't like it!" He exclaimed.

"Aw Jaimie, you don't actually believe he exists do you?"

Jaimie rolled his eyes and grimaced. "You aren't the first person to say that, and this isn't the first time I say that yes, he is out there!"

Claire smiled and pinched his cheek. Such innocence in childhood, she mused.

Jaimie looked positively betrayed, "Claire! I know what I am saying, you have evidence in your hands!"

"Yeah, yeah. If the Bigfoot is real then so is Santa and the Easter Bunny and oh I know, the Tooth Fairy?" Claire asked incredulously and when the convinced look didn't leave Jaimie's face, she went on, "don't tell me you have 'evidence' proving their existence too?"

"I am glad you asked." Jaimie said as he sprinted out of the room and returned in record time, a tall tower of books balanced in his arms. He placed them haughtily down on her bed.

"I have to get to bed, but you can read through these, then tell me you don't believe they are real." He declared, leaving the room once and for all.

Mere fiction.

She repeated these two words to herself over and again as she traversed the books. These were children's books. No matter how convincing they made their figures, she reminded herself that facts could be made up, too.

These are only stories, no, the Easter Bunny was not spotted in Adelaide on the sixth of June, and no, he definitely did not hand out Easter eggs to precisely four children on this precise street, on this precise time.

Claire skimmed through the pages at lightning speed, reading the paragraphs but trying to not let them stick in her brain, so that they couldn't haunt her as she tried to sleep. Why was all this so real?

She had stormed through books stating and justifying the existence of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman and even the godforsaken Tooth Fairy. And it was all there. The only fact that kept her from believing it all was the fact that all these sightings were reported by children. And no matter how convinced they were, she knew children had hyperactive imaginations. Nothing they say could be credited.

Right?

Somewhere deep in the tundra of the North Pole, within a massive workshop lay a gigantic magical globe, spattered with little golden lights, tinkling and winking merrily, seeming hard at work as they decorated the earth, a sight to behold, regardless of the number of times you'd beheld its beauty.

And in one little corner of this big world…

…another fair light flickered on.