That's How You Know
Chapter Three: Colors of the Fire
Because he'll wear your favorite color just so he can match your eyes,
Plan a private picnic by the fire's glow, oh-oh-oh…
His heart will be yours forever, something every day will show!
That's how you know, that's how you know…
Giselle woke with a start the next morning. She was lying on the couch – as usual – with a crackling fire roaring next to her in the fire place. It was rather soothing. She knew Robert had started it for her in the middle of the night so that she wouldn't get cold.
They had arrived home pretty late the previous night, after a glorious evening of feasting and dancing. It had been wondrous. Even Robert had enjoyed himself.
Could it be that they had sung? Together?
It seemed impossible. Robert simply did not sing. And yet he had – not only once that day, but twice! And once in a duet. It seemed so fairy-tale perfect that it could not be real. He rubbed his eyes to wake himself up – as if from the dream that his life had suddenly become, maybe – and his bed seemed rather lonely, even though it had been empty for five or so years.
"Giselle?" he croaked, stumbling down the hall. He cleared his throat and saw her stretched out on the couch. "Oh, good. The fire's still going."
"Good morning," Giselle chirped, leaping from the couch in such a lively fashion it seemed as though she had been awake for hours. "I hope you had pleasant dreams."
"I did," Robert admitted, seating himself on the couch next to her. "Did you?"
"Oh, yes. Very much so."
"Sounds good."
An awkward silence ensued for a moment. Robert cleared his throat and rose again, going to the small kitchen to make himself a pot of coffee. He simply couldn't function in the morning without it. At least today he had slept in a little.
"Look at it go," Giselle murmured suddenly. Her eyes were fixated on something.
"What?"
"The fire," she clarified, as Robert returned to join her. "So many different colors. We didn't have fire in Andalasia, you know."
"You didn't?" Robert looked astounded.
"There was no need," Giselle replied simply. "It was never very cold, you see, and it was just destructive and unnecessary." She leaned back against the couch. "There are so many things about this new place that I still do not know."
"You catch on quickly," Robert assured her. "Look how much you've learned in the short time you've been here."
"That's true," Giselle decided, twiddling her thumbs absentmindedly.
"You're even running your own business."
"Dresses are so very fun to make," she beamed, thinking of her little shop.
"Well, I'm glad you've found something to do that you enjoy, and make money off of." This seemed like such a pleasant trade-off compared to his increasingly undesirable job at the divorce firm.
"I suppose," Giselle said softly. "So… what shall we do today?"
It was Saturday, Robert remembered. He had the day off. No work, no chores, no obligations. He sighed with relief just thinking of this. For once, it seemed as though he had absolutely nothing he needed to do. The day stretched blissfully out in front of him like a lazy stream, bursting with possibilities.
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"Let's see what Morgan wants to do. When she wakes up."
"All right," Robert agreed, getting up again. It was time for him to get his coffee.
"I know!" Giselle said brightly, once again distracting him from the task of waking himself up fully. "We should just stay here and have a dress-up party. Doesn't that sound fun?"
Robert barely managed to stifle a chuckle. A dress-up party? She had to be kidding.
"I have lots of dresses here that I brought home from the store to work on this weekend," she explained. "And some of them would fit Morgan. I do have a little girls' line… She'll just love it!"
"I know she would," came the mumbled reply. He just wanted to get his coffee. Two more uninterrupted steps, and…
"DAD!"
He jumped, dropping the coffeepot in the process. He grumbled under his breath and went to go see what the cause of the cry had been.
"What is it, Morgan?"
His little girl was sitting up in bed, looking out the window at a group of people circling in the square below.
"They're having a party down there," she insisted, pointing at the group.
"I see," Robert said, though he didn't believe her. They were probably just some of those odd construction people on their break. If their whole day didn't consist of one... He shook his head and went to return to the kitchen.
"We should go down and say hello," decided Giselle, in the doorway.
"I was going to make us all breakfast," Robert moaned, realizing his plans for a relaxing day at home were starting to erode.
Morgan and Giselle looked at each other.
"Breakfast does sound pretty good," Morgan said.
"I'm sure they'll be there later," Giselle agreed.
"We'll have our own party."
"So it's settled then," Robert said finally, striding out of the room. Now, he could prepare his coffee and make a nice little breakfast for everyone to share. They could eat and talk and relax in front of the fire… just like a normal family would do on a Saturday morning at home. He smiled at the thought of it.
"Robert?"
He looked up, a moment later, from the eggs he was beating to check on Giselle.
"What is it?"
Giselle looked down as if embarrassed.
"Why does the fire have so many different colors?"
What a question. Robert put the whisk down and turned to the girl. "Well, I suppose that depends on the different heats in it. The hottest flames are blue, then white, then orange, then red."
"Always?"
"Always."
Shifting, Giselle stared again into the fire.
"So, you told me that something gets hot because the particles inside move around. Whenever I'm happy, I dance around a lot, and then I get hot. So if the particles move around, they get hot too. …Does that mean they're happy?"
Might as tell it to her in a way she'd understand, right? "Sure."
"Then I'm very hot," she decided, beaming. "I'm going to wear a blue dress for the party today."
Robert chuckled to himself and turned back to the eggs.
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"This is like a picnic," Morgan decided, gathered around the coffee table in a semicircle with Giselle and Robert a half-hour later. "It's fun."
"What does everybody think of the eggs?"
"They're delicious," Giselle sang, licking her lips to show her appreciation. "I can't believe we never thought of this in Andalasia."
"What did you eat in Andalasia?"
Giselle frowned. It had never been much of a concern. "Berries, roots… things like that. We gathered them all day long. And flowers and honey too, of course."
"You ate flowers?" Morgan giggled.
Smiling, Giselle replied, "Of course. Very good for you."
Robert raised an eyebrow but silenced himself with a bite of his breakfast. "I hope you're all ready. I set up a very special thing for us to do today."
"Are we playing a game?" Morgan asked eagerly.
"Not quite," Robert replied gently. "You two go get your dresses on. I'll be right back."
"Ooh," Giselle whispered, hurrying Morgan into the room so they could change. "I wonder if your dad's dressing up too!"
A moment later, everyone was back in the living room, outfitted in their most special clothes. They admired each other, and Giselle gasped when she saw what Robert was wearing: a beautiful blue suit.
"Oh, Robert," she breathed, running her hand over the smooth fabric. "It's lovely. Blue is my favorite color." Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the shade of her own dress.
He smiled and looked at her outfit. "I can tell."
Their eyes met, and magic filled the air for an instant as they stared into each other's eyes – into the other's very soul.
Morgan looked from Giselle, to her dad, and back again.
"Is this going to lead to a mushy moment?"
The spell broken, Robert looked down at his daughter and tousled her hair playfully. "No, Morgan. Don't worry."
Giselle glanced away quickly, hoping the love in her heart wouldn't brim over in her eyes.