I'm doing some "spring cleaning" on my laptop and I stumbled upon this little beauty! :)

Happy Holidays my lovelies! And if I don't see you in the coming days, Happy New Year!

Enjoy!

Summary: "Every girl needs fashionable braids, don't you agree, Madame?"
Number of years married: 13
Sons: 4
Daughters: 2


~:~ Mademoiselle Gaston ~:~

"Papa?"

Gaston sat on the floor of the common room, fixing his fishing rod, when he heard a pitter-patter of feet. "Hm?"

Nathaniel snorted to himself as he was smooshed on the armchair with a book in his hands. He glanced up when his sisters appeared. One look at what they held and he hid his face behind the pages.

Julia gently pushed Agatha forward.

The four-year-old clutched her box of hair ties and scooted to her father. "Papa?"

He was still distracted by the stubborn fishing rod. "Yes, sweetheart."

She scooted closer. "Papa, Can- can we fix your hair?"

He squished his index finger between the mechanics on the rod. "Ow." Then he heard Agatha's words, and he frowned, "Fix my what?" He looked at her.

She held out her box of hair ties and smiled. "Please, Papa?"

He looked between the box and her and then Julia in the background. "Fix my.. hair?"

Julia plopped on the couch behind him. "Papa, may we braid your hair? Agatha's been practicing on her dolls but it's not the same. And Mama said she didn't want us to catch her cold, so we can't ask her. And we asked Gilby, but his hair is too short."

The little girl nodded, scooted onto the seat, and opened her box like her father already said yes. Her smile was wide and excited. "I gots blue and yellow and-and green and-and pink and-and red! Which one do you like, Papa?"

He might have looked a bit reluctant and maybe wore a look of dread. He glanced between the open box and her again. He opened and closed his mouth several times then looked once more at her excited eyes. He sighed – fine. "Red."

Julia snickered and Nathaniel gave a louder snort. She sent him a sharp look. "Don't go making fun, Nathie, you're next."

He sobered quickly and shut his book. "I gotta see to Daisy… and Magnifique."

Julia grinned when he flew out of the house and shut the door behind him.

Agatha was just getting started on the braid when she asked, "What other color Papa?"

He blanched. "I thought it was just the one..."

She laughed cutely. "It's for the next one."

"But-" he tried to protest.

"Come on, Papa. Every girl needs fashionable braids, don't you agree, Madame?" Julia mused, waggling her eyebrows.

Madame, oh they were referring to him. He looked at the box of hair ties again and might have made a tiny noise in the back of his throat. But then he saw his youngest daughter's bright and beaming eyes. "...yellow."


Belle wiped her stuffy nose when Gaston finally entered the bedroom. "Bedtime already?" she wondered stuffily. "Time flies when I'm here all alone." She looked at him at his lack of greeting. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. "Oh my!"

"It's not funny," he griped, pointing a warning finger at her.

"They're very pretty," she admired with a snicker similar to Julia's. "Was it Atha?"

He nodded.

"I saw her go by with her box. She looked very excited."

He harrumphed and sat down on the bed. Then he faintly smiled at her enthusiasm. "Aye, she was."

"And how sweet you couldn't say no to our darling girl," his wife teased. She sat up and reached out to touch the delicate albeit a bit messy braids. She hummed in approval, "She's gotten very good. Perhaps when I get better, I'll have her do my hair."

He chuckled then, remembering how their eldest opened the front door when Agatha was tying the last ribbon in his hair and his eyes went wide as saucers. "Nathaniel came in from outside too soon and got a nice green bow in his hair."

She smiled fondly. "Well, I'm sure our boy looks as beautiful as the lovely Mademoiselle Gaston."

He snorted and playfully pushed at her.