Hello! This chapter is just a little bit of fun and family fluff. It is kind of short, but I still like it. Things will start to get a little more interesting in the next chapter.
TheDoctorPieMaker: Thanks! And yes, Arduenna is her middle name in the books. I just wanted to choose names with meanings that I thought were fitting. Updates will be every other day.
The bright sun rose over the Gilikin and shone into Galinda's room. The young blonde opened her eyes and smiled. She pulled herself out of her bed and toddled to the bedroom door. She struggled with the knob a little bit, but finally pulled it open. She made her way over to her parent's room. They always kept their door slightly open, just in case their young children needed to get in and so they could hear if any of the children were crying or calling for their parents, so the little blonde easily came in.
"Hmm?" Cleona asked as she felt a light tapping on her arm. She turned and found herself face to face with her daughter. "Oh, well look who it is."
"Hi, momma!" Galinda exclaimed.
"Hi, dear. Do you know what today is?"
"Ummm," Galinda hummed, searching her small brain.
"It's your birthday, dear! Yay!" Cleona said, pulling her daughter into a hug.
"Yay!" Galinda exclaimed.
"I can't believe that you're already 4 years old!"
"Me neither!" Galinda said, her high-pitched voice piercing the air and causing her father to stir.
"Hmmm?" Oliver asked, still half asleep once he recognized the small voice.
"Daddy! Guess what? I'm 4!" The bubbly blonde exclaimed, holding out her hand and extending 3 fingers. Her mother chuckled and, taking her daughter's hand in her own, gently lifted up another of Galinda's small fingers.
"4," She corrected, smiling. Galinda giggled and bounced up and down on the bed between her parents.
"Well, then, little one. How about we go get some breakfast?" Her father asked.
"Okay!" Galinda said, happily bouncing off the bed and out of the room.
"I'm going to go get Ainsley and Silas." Cleona said. Ainsley and Silas were twins. They had been born when Galinda was 3 and were now both 8 months old. Once Cleona reached the kitchen downstairs, her family was already waiting, seated at the table. Callista, the maid, was busily preparing breakfast.
"Good morning, everybody." Cleona said, setting Ainsley and Silvias into their high chairs before taking her seat at the table. She looked over at Callista, who was quickly dishing their breakfast onto a large serving plate. "What's for breakfast today?" She asked, not able to see what the maid was dishing.
"Pancakes." Callista smiled, turning around and placing the plate on the table, along with a pitcher of a pink liquid.
"Callista, are these pancakes," Oliver began.
"Pink!" Galinda exclaimed. The pancakes were pink, very pink.
"Well, because it is Miss Galinda's birthday, I asked her what she wanted to be made for breakfast. She said that she wanted pink pancakes and pink lemonade." Callista explained.
"Oh, yes, of course. Thank you, Callista." Oliver said. Callista nodded and retreated to her room.
"Happy birthday, Galinda." Cleona said, dishing some pancakes and pouring some lemonade for her daughter.
"Tank you!" Galinda said.
"Thank you, Galinda. It's thank you. Not 'tank you'." Her father corrected.
"Oliver, don't be so harsh." Cleona said. Oliver only sighed.
"We haven't heard anything from you boys this morning." Oliver commented after a rather uncomfortable silence. "Are you 2 okay?"
"I'm fine." Beau said quietly.
"Yeah." Leopold, or Leo, agreed.
"Are you sure? You've barely touched your food." Cleona asked.
"Yeah. We're fine." Leo said. "We just don't like pink."
"Alright, then." Cleona said, though she still didn't look convinced. She then allowed herself to turn her attention to Galinda. "So, Galinda, what do you want to do for your birthday?"
"Well," Galinda began, pondering all of the possibilities that she could find in her small now-4-year-old brain. "I want to go to the water park, or the carnival, or the zoo, or the park, or the crayon factory!"
"That sure is a whole lot to do in 1 day, Galinda." Oliver said. "Maybe we should narrow it down to 1 or 2 things."
"Narrow?" Galinda asked, unsure of themeaning of the word.
"Choose 1 or 2 things for us to do today, dear." Cleona said, gently.
"Oh, okay. Hmmmm." Galinda said, thinking about her options. "I wanna go to the...water park!" She finally concluded.
"Alright, then! The water park it is!" Oliver said. "I'll get Callista and tell her to get everybody's bathing suits ready." He stood up and left to find the maid.
"Boys, go and get washed up and ready." Cleona said. "I'll do the dishes."
"Can I help?" Galinda asked as the boys stood and bolted out of the room.
"Of course, sweetie. You can dry the dishes." Cleona said, placing down a step stool for Galinda to stand on and handing her a dish towel. In record time, the Uplands were completely ready and on their way to the water park.
When they finally got there, they had the time of their lives. Even little Galinda braved the tallest waterside in the park. Her brothers got off shaking in fear, but she got off laughing, proving that blondes do have more fun.
Do blonde's have more fun? I'm not sure, because I'm not blonde and I have a lot of fun writing these! P.S. I got a new profile picture and I really like it! See you guys later!