-O-

Picturebook Romance

A Trolls fanfic

By Dreamsinger

Chapter Sixty-Two

Memory Lane

Apology Party

"Oh, hey, speaking of Joykin, we have a letter from him for you," said Courtley.

"For me?" I asked, surprised. I'd known about my dads' son, but I'd never actually met him in person. What could he have to say to me?

Courtley reached into his dark purple hair, withdrew a large peach-colored envelope with "To my big brother, Branchkin" written on it, and held it out to me.

A little confused, I took it. "Uh… He knows we're not actual brothers, right?"

Jaunty said, "Yes, but we've always referred to you as his 'older brother'. He's always known we had another trolling living with us before he came along."

"But we made sure he knew he was not to approach you if he saw you around the village," Courtley added.

"I see." Unaccountably, I was disappointed. Being told you had an older brother you'd never met was a big thing, wasn't it? Trollings were notoriously curious, and didn't always do as they were told, so why hadn't Joykin approached me before now? Hadn't he been interested in me at all?

As I mulled that over, I decided, He probably heard about me from the other trolls and decided he wanted nothing to do with me. That, and he was probably glad to have his parents all to himself. I can't exactly blame him.

Suddenly nervous, I looked at the envelope, wondering what message it would contain. Would he berate me for causing his parents pain? Or would it be a typical, trolly welcome to a new friend? Either way, with Joykin being a glitter troll like his biological father there'd be a burst of glitter when I opened it, no doubt.

As I began to carefully tear one corner, Courtley spoke. "Branch, wait. Do you want to open it alone?"

Jaunty pointed behind them. "We can go over there so you can read it in private, if you want."

I glanced up to see the two of them looking at me with the same compassionate concern I remembered from my trollhood. Even after all these years, they remembered how much I value my privacy. They care more about my wellbeing than about hearing what Joykin wrote, even though they've got to want to know what he said. Aw, they're the best dads in the world. Love for my parents flooded my body and I said fondly, "I've really missed you guys."

They looked surprised at my unexpected, unconcealed affection, but I wasn't embarrassed. Like with Poppy, I wasn't going to hide how much I loved them any longer.

Touched, Courtley said with a little catch in his voice, "We missed you too, lad." Jaunty nodded mutely, looking too overwhelmed to speak. I saw Poppy wiping away a sentimental tear at the whole display, but I didn't care. These good men had taken such good care of me, making me as happy as I could be under the circumstances. It was about time I made them happy for a change.

I went to open the letter a second time, but then it occurred to me to ask, "Does Joykin want me to open it in private?" No doubt they were just as protective of hishappiness.

Jaunty replied, "We asked him about that, but he said we probably already knew what he was going to say."

"We're fine, lad. It's up to you," Courtley reassured me.

I looked down at the envelope in my hands. Slowly I said, "Then… Why don't we all find out what he has to say together?" If he wanted to scold me for being mean to his parents, he had that right. It was my duty to hear him out.

If there was one thing I knew about Joykin already, it was that he had good presentation skills. There was a cheery little poof of light-magenta glitter when I opened the envelope; just enough to be festive and welcoming, but not enough to be annoying. Nothing like the ridiculous cascade that Poppy's invitations used to spray all over me. Serious overkill. In her mind, glitter = happiness. Since I'd gotten my colors back she'd lightened up on the glitter, thankfully.

I began to read aloud.

Dear Branchkin,

Hello, Big Brother. I'm Joykin. It's nice to finally meet you, sort of. I mean, it's definitely nice to meet you, sort of, through this letter I mean, haha. Sorry, I'm a little nervous. I've spent my whole life thinking about what I'd say if I ever got the chance to talk to you.

"Aww, how cute," Poppy said. I glanced up to see her and my dads smiling affectionately, and nodded my agreement. It was endearing to think that, far from being angry at me, little Joykin had wanted to meet me so much that he actually got nervous about it. I felt a little guilty now about how I'd steadfastly ignored his existence all this time.

I didn't know what to think of you when I was little. I wasn't allowed to talk to you, which was kind of weird. So I asked the other trolls about you.

I nodded to myself, having already figured that. I read the next passage with mixed feelings.

Everybody seemed to have a different opinion of you, which was even more weird. Some said you were a workaholic, others said you just liked to work hard. Some said you were grumpy and unfriendly, others said you were very caring, in your own way; that you just got angry or upset easily because you took life too seriously. Some people said they admired the way you were dedicated to keeping the village safe from the bergens, but others thought you were crazy to keep worrying about a danger we'd left behind us long ago. Some even said…

I trailed off, then resolutely continued reading.

Some even said you were just crazy. They said you actually hated having fun. That you didn't even want to be happy. It was pretty confusing.

I paused to re-read it all again, and found myself agreeing with Joykin. It was confusing, for them and for me. I'd always known that many of my fellow trolls hadn't known what to make of me. It had hurt and irritated me to see them walking on eggshells whenever they had to talk to the village grump, never knowing when they'd say or do the wrong thing and trigger a scolding from me. I felt bad about that now, but hearing that at least some trolls had seemed to understand me made me feel better. What Joykin said next cheered me up even more.

Our dads never said you were crazy, though. They said you were badly traumatized when you were little, and that keeping busy and being prepared for anything were the ways you coped.

I looked up to meet my dads' eyes. They were watching me with compassion, as Poppy was. "Thank you," I said appreciatively. "For everything."

Jaunty responded softly, "No problem, little dude," while Courtley nodded understandingly.

To be honest, I didn't like the idea of someone my age being traumatized. I didn't like thinking about bad things happening to other trolls at all, especially not to a poor little trolling that used to live in my house. In my room. And I really didn't like how sad our dads got sometimes when they talked about you, so I tried not to remind them of you.

All right, that's not the only reason. The truth is, I was jealous of you. I can admit that now.

I paused, surprised. "Huh." Somehow I never expected other trolls to admit to having negative feelings, even though it was obvious they did. And for anyone to be jealous of me for anything…

Pops and Dad are always saying things like, "You know the sugarfruit soup you like so much? Your big brother Branchkin invented it to help Jaunty get well when he had a really bad cold, and it worked awesomely. King Peppy praised him, and Doc Whipple asked him to make some for all the other sick trolls. Everyone was so proud of him, especially us. He gave us all a gift that day. Everyone in the village loves his special soup." Or "Did you know Branchkin helped build your room? That's how he discovered he loved building things. The Whizbangs always said he had a real talent for engineering." Or "Branchkin still holds the all-time record for points in buzzyball for third-grade trollings."

Even though they never said so, I couldn't help but think they were comparing me to you. I couldn't help but worry that if you ever came back, that our dads might pay more attention to you than to me. So, even though I was curious about the big brother I'd never met, I was also content to let things stay as they were.

I nodded, completely understanding him. Even among trolls, sibling rivalry happened sometimes. I'd probably have felt the same way in his place. If I had gone back at some point, he might have resented me, even fought with me the way the twins often fought with each other. Especially since I'd still have been gray, grumpy and guarded. I might have ruined his life, the way I'd almost ruined Acorn's.

But then it turned out you were right all along. The bergens did come back and attack us, but you were ready for them. We all hid in your amazing underground survival bunker while you bravely helped Queen Poppy save us from the bergens. You even sang for her, to cheer her up and give her hope. You brought back everybody's colors, including mine. And you got your own colors back, after losing them so long ago. I can't tell you how happy Pops and Dad have been about that.

I looked up to see them nodding, beaming with love and pride for me. I felt myself blushing and quickly looked down, my shy smile widening as I read what came next.

As for me… Well, I think you're the coolest big brother in the entire village.

I'll be sending you an invitation to my fourteenth birthday party, which is coming up soon. I really hope you'll come. Our dads miss you a lot, and I'd like the chance to get to know the son they speak of so fondly.

Your little bro,

Joykin 😊

(Please keep-

I stopped reading aloud just in time. "Um, he says he wants me to read this part privately."

The others nodded respectfully, and Poppy said politely, "Sure. That's cool, Branch."

I moved away a little distance, then continued reading.

(Please keep this part private.)

P.S. Being Jaunty's biological son, I'm a lot like him. We get one another. But as much as I love Courtley, there are parts of him that I've never been able to reach. Parts I can sympathize with, but never really understand, unlike you. You share our dads' memories of life in the Troll Tree. You all suffered loss, and made the scary, triumphant escape from the bergens together.

From the way Courtley speaks of you, I've always sensed that the two of you in particular had a special bond. I know he misses you a lot. They both do. Whether you realize it or not, you're still a part of their lives. Mine, too. The very room I live in was made because of you. Knowing there was another trolling out there that my dads thought so highly of used to make me jealous, but not anymore.

Please come see us, Branchkin. Having you around will make Dad very happy.

I kept staring at the letter long after I finished it, not really seeing the glitter-flecked page.

Visiting my dads was a given, of course. Even if Joykin had objected, I wouldn't have let that stop me from having them be a part of my life again, now that I knew they'd missed me just as much as I'd missed them. I was glad Joykin seemed to have made peace with his own ambivalent feelings about me, though. He's never even met me, yet I still affected his life. I felt one corner of my mouth go up. So much for being invisible. Seems more like he's been living in my shadow.

Seeing that I was done reading, Poppy asked tentatively, "So…what do you think, Branch? Are you going to meet Joykin?"

I looked up to see all three of them staring at me hopefully and my smile got wider. "Of course," I said sincerely. "He seems very kind. And he expresses himself well. I would be delighted to meet him."

"Yay! Family reunion and birthday party! I'm gonna have so much fun designing the decorations!" Poppy jumped up and down in glee, making me laugh.

Her enthusiasm was contagious. Grinning at my jubilant girlfriend, I said jovially, "Yeah, I've been thinking about how I need to get to know the younger generation. I can start with Joykin."

"Awesome!" Poppy and Jaunty said together.

"Sounds like a great idea, son." Courtley's blue eyes shone with warmth.

Adult or not, I felt my cheeks turning lavender. I always did love it when my dads praised me. "Well then, um, maybe Joykin can even introduce me to his friends."

"I'm sure he'd be delighted," said Jaunty, who looked delighted himself. "Oh, we're so glad to see you reaching out, Branchkin."

I blushed a little harder. Hoping to please my dads even more, I volunteered, "Well, actually, I have plans to create a comprehensive village-wide census in the very near future. There's a lot of trolls out there to meet."

"Another great idea," said Courtley. He and Jaunty looked impressed, and I felt my chest fill with pride.

Of course Poppy picked that moment to say excitedly, "Ooo! If you want to meet more trolls, then I've got another idea."

"Oh, boy." Flying high on my dads' love and approval, I merely rolled my eyes. Exchanging a look of tolerant amusement with them, I gave Poppy a little "come on" hand gesture. "Okay, let's hear it."

"Why don't you volunteer to help your dads coach? Everyone in the village belongs to at least one of their teams. It'd be a great way to get to know lots of trolls really fast!"

Everyone in the village? I felt the smile freeze on my face. It was one thing to meet Joykin and a few of his friends at a party, or use a census to help me break the ice when it came to talking to all the people I didn't know, but coaching? Uneasiness made my stomach squeeze. Coaching the entire village?

My dads didn't seem to see anything wrong with her idea, though.

"Cool," said Jaunty, nodding with a mellow smile.

"We'd love to have you, son," Courtley said warmly.

I hesitated, frowning worriedly. I could try, but what if I mess it up? My dads are the best coaches in the village. The last thing I want is to look bad in front of them – or worse, make them look bad in front of their students. "Poppy, are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked warily.

Unencumbered by my tendency to look for future trouble, Poppy replied perkily, "Of course it is! You'll have a lot of fun, Branch. Remember, you're a natural teacher. You did a great job yesterday teaching that Heimlich maneuver class."

"Well, yeah, but…" I waved my hand in the air, trying to sort out the rush of foreboding that had swamped my good mood. How could I explain without ruining the good impression I'd made on my dads? Yesterday didn't really count; I'd had Leafe helping me. Besides, I just couldn't say "no" to Conifer. His sad, scared little face reminded me so much of his big brother Acorn when he was little.

Poppy didn't seem to realize that after her near-death peril our people had been leaderless; as lost and scared as I'd ever been. They would have been grateful to anyone who'd stepped up to guide and reassure them, no matter who it was.

But I also knew that to many trolls in the village, I was still just the socially deviant oddball with the troubled past. More likable now, maybe, but still not to be taken seriously. Not to be trusted. The recent conversation I'd overheard was proof of that. Gia's disapproving words in particular echoed in my mind. Like Acorn's mom, I doubt she'd want me teaching her trolling anything. What if other trolls don't, either? It would put my dads in such an awkward position, having to choose sides between their son and their students. Yeah, this is probably a bad idea.

Poppy apparently decided I wasn't going to say anything. "Let's see, Jaunty's got a group playing boingo-polo today at three-"

Why does she always have to push so much?

"-and Courtley is coaching Live-Action Chess at four. So, you could-"

"Don't I get a say in this?" I snapped at her.

Everyone froze at my sudden hostility. I saw the hurt and confusion in Poppy's eyes and groaned, covering my face with my hands. "I'm sorry. Look, just– Just give me a minute."

I understood that she was just trying to help, but this was all just too much too fast. Cue the classic Branch freakout, as if the last six months had never happened.

I started taking slow, deep breaths to quell the rise of panic and guilt inside me. Don't be such a pessimist, Branch! I scolded myself. Progress, remember? Poppy's got the right idea. You are the boyfriend of the queen. No one will respect you if you don't put yourself out there. You've got to meet new people and make more friends. Earn their trust. Besides, you don't want to disappoint your dads, or Poppy. Doing this will make them all happy.

"Branch?" Poppy said tentatively. "You okay, sweetie?"

I dropped my hands to see them all giving me identical looks of concern.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Poppy," I said quietly.

"That's okay, Branch. I shouldn't have kept pushing you." She smiled at me, but I heard the slight tremor in her voice and remembered she was also struggling with anxiety these days. Even more sorry now, I opened my arms and she rushed into them. As I breathed in her sweet scent, I felt my tension melting away. Oh, yeah. Hugs beat deep breathing any day.

When we let go, I turned to my dads. "I'm sorry for freaking out in front of you like that, Popkin, and Dadley." I met each of their eyes in turn. "I really don't do that a lot these days. I've been trying to be a better troll. And…I want you to be proud of me."

"Well then, you've succeeded," Courtley said softly.

"What?" I asked, puzzled.

"You're still here," he said simply. "When you were little, you used to run away after a confrontation. But now when you make a mistake, you stay and do what you can to make it right. We know that isn't easy for you." He patted my back gently, his sky-blue eyes shimmering with feeling. "We're proud of you, son."

"We really are," Jaunty agreed softly.

Suddenly I felt a lot better. "Thanks, guys." I swung my arms, trying to act casual. "Okay. So. Coaching. Yeah, I - I guess I could give it a try." I was trying to sound confident, but I heard the note of uncertainty in my tone and winced. I still sounded way too much like the old Branch, so I straightened up and threw out my chest. "I mean; sure, I'll do it. If you want." That last part slipped out before I could stop it, and I made a face. What was it about being around family that made your social filter disappear?

"…If we want?" Poppy repeated slowly. The three trolls glanced at one another, and I knew they saw right through me.

My girlfriend stepped forward and took my hands in hers. "Branch, what do you want?" she asked sweetly.

At her warm touch, my bold front crumbled. I looked into her sympathetic gaze and mumbled, "I want… I - I just want…everybody to be happy."

"Awwww, Branch," Poppy said with a love-filled chuckle. "What makes us happy is seeing you happy."

She pulled me into another hug and this time my dads joined her. Suddenly it was like the first day I'd met them, being wrapped in a cocoon made of warmth and love. Gratefully I let myself relax into it, feeling the last of my tension ease.

"Sorry, dude. We didn't mean to pressure you."

"Yes, you don't have to force yourself, lad."

"But I want to – I have to – be more social," I tried to explain.

"Sure, but you don't have to do it all at once."

"You can take your time, son. Being social takes practice, just like any other skill," Courtley said reassuringly.

"But I have been practicing." I lifted my head and they all let me go and stepped back as I said, "I know I haven't exactly been the coolest troll today, but I'm not the Branchkin you knew. Really, I'm not. I've been a lot more social lately."

"He really has," Poppy chimed in supportively.

Jaunty said brightly, "Oh, we know. See, we've always kept tabs on you, Branchkin."

"You have?"

"Yeah. Like, when you first started living on your own, we followed you once in a while to make sure you were okay."

I paused to process that, then nodded. "I suspected as much." Knowing their skill at reconnaissance, I'd hoped for it, even, as a sign that they hadn't stopped caring about me. Well, that explains how King Peppy knew I'd moved out of Leafe's old pod. "So you've known where I lived all along, huh?" I asked in amusement as it hit me that I really was their son. I'd secretly watched over the village the same way.

"You betcha. We never intruded on your privacy, but we knew where you were, all right," Jaunty said cheerfully.

Courtley added, "We wanted to check out the area you'd chosen to make sure there weren't any truly dangerous predators or other hazards nearby. Also, we explored the root system you'd chosen to convert into your living space, back before you actually started living there. I have to say, it was an ambitious plan, lad. We were really impressed."

"You were?" I looked back and forth between them, feeling a silly grin spread over my face. No matter how old I got, being praised by my parents would always be one of the things I loved most in the world.

They knew it too, and were happy to oblige. "Sure we were!" Jaunty chimed in enthusiastically. "Dude, your bunker is huge! You have no idea how impressed we were when we finally got to see inside it. No doubt about it, you're the best engineer this village has ever had!"

I rubbed my nose, my cheeks flushing lavender, but I was loving every bit of this. "Thanks, guys."

"And I'm proud of you, too!" Poppy said, not to be left out.

I looked at her and chuckled, and my dads joined me. Then Jaunty looked back and forth between me and Poppy and said in the teasing tone I remembered so well, "So you want to be more social, huh? I have a pretty good idea why." He nudged me with his elbow.

"'King Branch', eh? Totally called it."

-O-

About a year after I first came to live with them, the subject of leadership came up during my nightly Stroll Patrol with my foster dads. I'd been scolded by my teacher again for what he called "unacceptable behavior", even though I didn't see anything wrong with it.

"I just wanted everyone to play my new camouflage game. See, we cover ourselves in mud and put plants in our hair to disguise ourselves. To keep us safe from the bergens, right? But Satin and Chenille complained that they didn't want to get their clothes dirty. So I tried to compromise, like you taught me. I said, 'why not just take your clothes off and put the mud on your skin instead', but they just yelled at me. Creek took their side, saying that he didn't want to get all dirty either and then he said, 'Besides, only you need to worry about artificial camouflage. The rest of us can simply use our hair. In fact, you were the one who came up with the original Bergen Attack game too, and we went along with it. Isn't that enough?'"

"I got mad and said, 'Sure, rub it in, that I can't change my hair color 'cause I'm gray. You're so mean, Creek!'"

"And then everybody started arguing. Some were on my side and some were on Creek's, but then we all got scolded by the teacher and now they're all mad at me." I sighed. "Was what I did really that 'unacceptable'? Who gets to decide what's unacceptable, anyway?"

I waited to hear what my foster dads thought without fear. It had taken a long time for me to be able to talk to them so openly like this, but I had learned that when I did, they didn't judge me. They would listen to my side and honestly try to understand me. Because of that, I felt more secure with them than with any other foster families I'd ever lived with. I felt accepted by them, and allowed to be myself.

Like now, when both of them looked thoughtful for a minute before Courtley said, "You're very…independent. You don't want to follow the crowd, and that's okay. Every troll is an individual, after all. You may be more 'individual' than most, but that's perfectly fine. You're allowed to be."

"It's just when you try to make other trolls do what you want when they really don't want to that your behavior becomes unacceptable," explained Jaunty.

"But King Peppy can make other trolls do what they don't want to do," I pointed out. "And nobody gets mad at him for it."

"Well, yes, but-" Courtley stopped to consider my words. "King Peppy is the king. As king, his main role is to maintain peace, harmony and happiness in this village. The rest of us want that more than anything else, so we each have an unspoken agreement to do what he says. To work with him when there's a conflict or some other necessary action that's needed for everyone's good, like not wasting water when there's a drought, even if we really, really, really want to have a water-balloon fight because it's hot out."

"What if you think it's not fair that everybody just assumes you agreed to do what he says? I don't remember anybody asking me."

My foster dads looked faintly shocked.

"It's not that I don't like peace and prosperity and stuff, but what if you disagree with his rules on how to get that?"

Courtley raised his eyebrows. "Good question. Let me think about that."

Jaunty and I looked at each other and shrugged. Courtley was the family philosopher.

A few minutes later the light-purple troll said, "I suppose if you truly believed that you couldn't follow the rules of troll society, you could always choose to live apart. Then you could make your own rules. It'd be awfully lonely, though…"

Oddly enough, I liked the idea. A place all my own, instead of having to live with whatever family will have me. I really love having a room of my own. Maybe it would be like that, only bigger.

Eventually I went back to my original question. "But I still don't get why it's okay for King Peppy to make people do stuff for everyone's good, but it's not acceptable for me to do the same."

"Branchkin…" Courtley rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "I'm sorry to say this so baldly," (any reference to baldness was disturbing in troll society), "but the other trolls don't feel as if you're doing it for their own good. They just don't agree with you about the bergens still being a threat. It's already been four years, and-"

"Wait, nobody agrees with me? Seriously?"

Our inevitable discovery had been such a basic fact of my existence for so long that I was truly astonished. I thought the grown-ups just told us that because they didn't want us trollings to worry.

"I'm sorry, Branchkin, but the only way everyone will believe we're still in danger of discovery is if it actually happens. And until it does, neither they nor you are going to know who's right."

"But I am!"

Courtley sighed. "It's an argument with no end, Branchkin. You see that, don't you?"

I nodded reluctantly.

"Well, do you really want to spend the rest of your life living in an argument that goes 'round and 'round with no end?"

Even though other grown-ups had said similar things in the past, this time I could see the bigger picture. From the other trolls' perspective, I was like the one off-key singer in a chorus, except I was deliberately off-key, full of anger and pain and disharmony.

Plaintively, I said, "I don't want to spend my life at odds with my people. I just want everybody to be safe. What should I do, Courtley?"

"Why, no one is saying you have to stop looking for ways to keep the trolls safe, lad. But the king has made it clear: you do not have the right to try to make other trolls obey you if they truly don't want to."

Again, I was reminded of my father. I sighed in resignation. "Okay. I'll just keep looking for other ways to defend us, then. From all danger, not just bergens."

"You want to protect and serve, eh? It does seem to be your calling. Too bad we trolls don't have an occupation like that."

"Yeah."

Suddenly Jaunty chuckled. "Well…there is one."

I felt my eyes light up. "Really? A job where I can protect everyone? What is it?"

The light-magenta glitter troll eyed me in amusement. "Are you sure you're up to the task?"

"I can do it! Aw, come on, just tell me!" I knew he was teasing me, but I didn't mind.

"Why, it's easy, little dude. All you'd have to do is…" he trailed off in a dramatic pause, "marry Princess Poppy."

"What?" My jaw dropped and I stumbled over my own feet. "She's just a little trolling!"

They were laughing openly now. "Leaving aside the fact that you aren't much older than she is, Branchkin, little trollings grow up."

"Aw, Jaunty, cut it out! You're embarrassing me!"

"Sorry," he chuckled, setting an affectionate hand on my shoulder and squeezing gently. "But I have to admit, it's an intriguing idea. 'King Branch'." He held up a hand as if writing in the sky. "Why, we'd be the safest village in the world, bergens or no bergens."

"Jaunteeey...!"

-O-

Trust my dads to spot the seeds of our relationship even then, I thought wryly. Then again, Poppy was the first troll I'd ever truly connected with, and the only friend I've managed to keep all these years. Maybe it was more obvious than I realized.

Jaunty winked at me. "So you finally decided to make your move, eh?"

I shrugged, half embarrassed, half proud. "Hardly. She made a move on me."

"But you took the plunge," Courtley said approvingly. "Good lad."

Seeing the admiration in their eyes made me stand a little straighter. Unlike most trolls, they understood exactly how much of a risk I'd taken when I'd chosen to admit my true feelings to Poppy.

"Yeah, we had a feeling you'd end up together." Jaunty looked back and forth between me and my beautiful girlfriend, a knowing grin on his face.

Given the way Leafe, Cherry Blossom, the Whizbangs, and our friends had all known our not-very-secret secret, it made sense. I had to wonder how many others knew. Maple, probably. Possibly Moonglow, or even Celesta. They'd all overheard me reciting that love poem about my rosy-skinned muse, so many years ago. How many more knew?

Poppy was more surprised than I was. "H-how did you know?"

They both chuckled. "Branchkin is our son, Queen Poppy," Jaunty said. "Of course we knew."

"He may not have lived with us, Queen Poppy, but he was always our son," Courtley agreed.

She looked back and forth between them, her usually cheerful face growing oddly serious. "Please, just 'Poppy' is fine."

They nodded, smiling. Jaunty started to say, "Well then, Poppy, have you-"

Suddenly Poppy blurted out, "I need to apologize to all of you."

We stared at her. "What do you need to apologize for?" I asked in puzzlement.

"For not realizing that things were so bad between you." Her voice roughened with real regret. "It's part of a leader's job to help everyone live in harmony." She put a hand on her chest, and gestured to each of us with the other hand. "Dad or I should have been there for you. We should have helped you reconcile a long time ago. Branch could have been living with you all this time. He probably would have gotten his colors back years ago."

I pressed my lips together, then shook my head. "Poppy, we've talked about this. Remember, I was a different troll back then. I needed to get out of my bunker and have a lot of life experiences first. And I needed to meet the bergens as real people with real feelings, not the monsters I'd imagined. It was never your fault, Sunshine," I said gently.

My dads reassured her, too. She looked a little happier then. Then I took her hand in mine and she looked a lot happier. I was glad she'd gotten this off her chest. Maybe now she'd stop thinking my life's choices had somehow been her fault. Feeling responsible for others was a good quality in a leader, but there had to be a balance. I didn't want her ruining her own life because of guilt, as I had.

Courtley must have decided to change the subject, too. "Speaking of the bergens, they were still looking for us after all. You were right all along, Branchkin."

"You sure were." Jaunty gave me a thumb's–up sign, and a moment later a light sprinkle of glitter fluttered down onto me. I knew it was his way of apologizing.

Gratified at their recognition, I lifted my face up and smiled. I found myself appreciating the feathery flutter of glitter on my skin in a way I hadn't in forever. "Thank you."

The delicate, familiar sensation began to unlock memories I'd blocked long ago. Living with my dads in our cozy pod, sharing household chores, eating meals together. Making fancy leaps from the diving leaf into the bathing pool as they cheered for me from the water. The moon reflecting off Jaunty's glittery skin during our peaceful evening Stroll Patrols together as a family, creating beautiful patterns all around us. Long talks about life and everything. We'd been a happy family, and I hadn't seen it. I hadn't done enough to hold on to it.

I had a sudden insight. Maybe the reason I stopped liking glitter was because it reminded me of everything I'd lost.

Guilt engulfed me. I'd ruined everything. I'd run away from my family, all because I'd been hurt because they'd kept something from me that had turned out to be nothing important, just as they'd believed. They'd made the right choice, and I'd punished them for it.

I looked at my dads and took a deep breath, feeling ready to follow Poppy's example and get something important off my own chest. "Hey, Popkin, Dadley, since we seem to have turned this into an apology party, I'd like to say I'm sorry, again."

"For what, lad?" Courtley said gently.

From his tone, I sensed he knew where I was headed and was okay with it, which encouraged me. "I might have been right about the bergens still looking for us, but I was wrong, too. You made the choice to keep the knowledge of that prowling bergen to yourselves so I could keep healing. You chose to protect me, like true parents should. It hurt to be kept in the dark, but I still should have forgiven you. I should have trusted you. Instead, I - I broke up our family," I confessed, my voice cracking.

"Oh, Branch," Poppy murmured sympathetically, rubbing her thumb over the back of my hand to comfort me.

"Branchkin-" Jaunty began, but stopped speaking as I held up my free hand.

"Please. I need to say this."

My dads nodded solemnly, letting me speak. I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering my courage. "I am so, so sorry, guys. I should have tried to patch things up between us. I should have come to see you years ago. The thing is, I told myself it was no use. That you'd had another trolling to replace me, so there was no point." I started breathing harder, but pushed the words out anyway. "But that was just an excuse. The truth is, I was afraid to face you because I felt so guilty for hurting you. I convinced myself that even if I did go back, you wouldn't want to see me after all the awful things I said to you."

"Aww, Branch…" Poppy murmured, letting go of my hand to wrap her arm around my waist. After everything I'd told her, she more than anyone knew the heavy weight of regret I carried. Regret I'd made myself bear, because I hadn't thought I deserved forgiveness. Like Poppy, I'd judged myself pretty harshly. Maybe it was time, finally, to see if I couldn't lighten that burden a little. To help heal others, and myself.

"So I just want to say that I deeply regret how much I hurt you, guys. I wish I could go back and fix things, but the one thing even I can't fix is the past." I grinned a little, hoping to lighten their uncharacteristically serious expressions with a bit of humor. "All I can do is apologize, from the bottom of my heart, and promise to do my best to be a true son to you from now on. So, uh… Do you forgive me?" Despite my intent, I heard the plaintive note of a young trolling make its way into my voice.

My dads heard it, too. "Yes, we forgive you, lad," Courtley said with a loving smile.

"Of course we do, Branchkin." Jaunty's vivid aqua-blue eyes were bright with happy tears.

I felt my own eyes well up and overflow. My dads opened their arms and I threw myself into them, hugging them tightly. "I missed you so much!" I exclaimed, my voice hoarse with emotion.

"We missed you too, son," they said together.

Poppy joined in the hugging, using her hair to brush away her own happy tears. It was the longest hug yet, but I didn't care. Like I'd realized way back when I'd first fallen for Poppy, hugging the trolls I loved was awesome. A warm, healing experience.

Finally Jaunty said gently, "We appreciate your apology, Branchkin, but you need to know that it wasn't just you." We stepped apart so we could see each other's faces and he continued, "It was our fault, too. Courtley and I talked about coming to get you so many times, but we never did. Like you, we were afraid that you might reject us. And we figured that even if you agreed to come back, you would probably never really trust us again. Then Joykin came along, and well, you seemed to be doing so well with Leafe that we decided not to upend your life yet again."

"But, oh, how we missed you, lad," Courtley's light-purple skin wrinkled around his eyes as he smiled sadly at me. "No matter how much we love Joykin, he was never a replacement for you."

"Never, Branchkin," Jaunty agreed earnestly, shaking his head hard enough to make shimmering glitter drift to the ground.

Courtley's sad smile grew brighter with every word. "You were our first. Our first chance to love a trolling of our very own. Then with Joykin we had a second chance. We were determined to do better this time around, and thanks to you, we have. We've been a very happy family, all because of what you taught us about being good fathers. We truly thank you for that."

"Thanks, but I should be thanking you," I said sincerely."You gave me a home. You taught me and protected me and loved me, no matter how difficult I made it for you. You were the best parents any trolling could ever ask for."

Their faces lit up with joy, and I realized then that they needed to be praised as much as I did. I resolved to do so as often as possible from now on.

Poppy broke the silence, as she often did. "I'm super-duper happy that everything's okay between you all now, but if you ever have something like this happen again – or even hear about it happening to any other troll – please, please, tell me. I don't ever want something like this to happen to anybody else. Not in my village."

"Yes, Queen Poppy," I said obediently, glancing at my dads and grinning playfully. I felt so much better now, as if a deep wound had been healed, or a great weight lifted from my hair.

My dads obviously felt the same way. Courtley glanced between Poppy and me. One side of his mouth went up and he joked to Jaunty, "That's our queen, taking the weight of the world on her shoulders. Sound like anyone else you know?"

"Sure do," Jaunty said, using his hair to point at me. "It seems like the two of them were made for each other. No wonder he doesn't want to come coach with us. New love, and all that. Who can blame him?"

"Popkin." I blushed, but I was smiling, recalling old times. Once in a while my dads used to get silly like this, teasing me about anything and everything, but they didn't mean anything bad by it. It was just another way they showed their affection for me.

At my mild protest, Courtley pretended to settle down, saying solemnly, "We completely understand if your – ahem - other social obligations take a backseat to your romantic relationship. New relationships need to be nurtured, after all."

"And enjoyed to the fullest," Jaunty agreed.

"Oh, I agree. Definitely," Poppy laughed.

Jaunty looked away from her to wink at Courtley and me, then turned back to Poppy. His tone was unusually grave as he said, "Now then, Poppy, you're Branchkin's girlfriend, right?"

"Right."

"We told you that we keep an eye on our son. In the last six months we've seen the two of you getting up to a lot of hijinks."

Courtley nodded. "We sure have, hon."

"So I just want to say," Jaunty crossed his arms, frowning as much as his cheerful face was able, which wasn't much. "You're really putting our poor boy through a lot, aren't you?"

It was a nice change to feel like someone was on my side for once, even though I suspected that something else was going on…

Poppy looked surprised at my dad's disapproving tone. "Well, yes. But it's for his own good!" she insisted.

Jaunty looked at Courtley, who raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Is it, now? You sure about that?"

"Um. Ye-es…?" she said slowly, wincing a little, obviously wondering if my dads were about to scold her. I smothered a snarky grin, waiting for it…

"You are…absolutely correct!" A big fwoosh of glitter went up with a dramatic burst, hitting the overhanging boughs and showering us all as Jaunty said with the air of someone announcing a prize winner, "We are totally psyched at the way our sweet son has utterly blossomed under your tender attention, little queen!"

Her mouth dropped open in surprise, and I let out a quick laugh. Apparently it was Poppy's turn to be teased.

Courtley jumped into the act. "Yes, getting him to sing and dance and hug…"

"To open up and try new things…"

"No wonder Branchkin here has already confesses his feelings-"

"-in song, no less-"

"-in front of the whole village."

"Right, and he wouldn't say it unless he meant it."

"So, young Poppy, we'd like to ask you-"

"-if your intentions are honorable."

"Right. You see, our Branchkin is a lad of delicate sensibilities. He's not one for light flings."

"Right you are, hon. Not that flings are bad or anything, but our Branchkin needs steady commitment. Someone he feels he can trust and rely on."

I was actually starting to feel like I should jump in and rescue her, but Poppy wasn't one of the most social trolls in the village for nothing. She could handle a little teasing. "Steady commitment, huh? Well, it's funny you should happen to mention blossoming…"

I beamed broadly as I realized what Poppy was leading up to.

"Since you're my boyfriend's dads, mayyybe I'll let you in on a little secret."

No "maybe" about it, I thought, amused. She's been dying to tell somebody.

"You see, your son and I…have matching hairblooms!" she said boldly, sweeping her hands dramatically through the air.

It was their turn for their mouths to dropped open – and stay open - as they turned toward me. I nodded with lavender cheeks, feeling an odd mixture of pride and bashfulness.

Poppy was most definitely not shy. She said in a gleefully giddy tone, "We're a match! It's true love! I knew it all along - Branch and I are destined to be together!" She started jumping up and down. "Isn't that great?"

Beaming just as brightly as my Sunshine, Jaunty picked her up and twirled her around. A festive stream of magenta glitter made sparkly trails in the air behind them, reminding me of a far more rare and magical event. "It's better than great; it's totally awesome, little queen!"

I laughed in sheer delight at the sight of two of my favorite trolls having fun together. "Call her Poppifer. She likes that."

"You're awesome, Poppifer!" Jaunty exclaimed jubilantly.

Poppy laughed and held her arms out to the sides. "Wheee!"

I glanced at Courtley, who was smiling through the tears shimmering in his eyes. "You okay, Dadley?"

"I'm better than okay, Branchkin. Not only did we get our son back today, we got a daughter, too." Courtley said in a tone of quiet, hushed joy. He put a gentle hand on my back. "Best of all, you're happy. You're finally happy, and you've found the one you want to share that happiness with. Days like these are every parent's dream come true."

"Aww." A surge of affection filled my heart. "Yeah, well, I guess I take after you guys. You have matching hairblooms too, right?"

He nodded. "What a wondrous surprise."

He patted my back and then went to join the dancers. I started to follow, only to stop and frown. Surprise. Uh oh. We're supposed to be on our way to that surprise of Poppy's.

I hesitated. With the tempting sight of trolls I loved singing and dancing (and hugging), the last thing I wanted was to break it up, but I knew how much Poppy had been looking forward to it. Whatever "it" was. Aw, man, it would have to happen today of all days!

Hating having to be the party pooper, I spoke over the impromptu celebration. "Listen, guys, I hate to cut our reunion short – I really, really do - but Poppy and I have to get going. We've got some kind of…thing…going on."

The three dancing trolls stopped dancing and stared at me. "Aww," they protested.

I shrugged. "Don't look at me; it's Poppy's idea. Says it's a surprise of some kind."

They looked at one another, and then to my surprise Jaunty set Poppy on her feet and said casually, "That's okay, dude. It's cool."

"Duty calls, right?" Courtley patted my shoulder, paused, then pulled me in for one last warm hug. I felt the other two trolls join in and sighed contentedly.

With a few last pats on the back, they let me go. As they started to turn away Poppy said suddenly, "Oh, wait, before you go, I want you to have one of these." She pulled a roll of what looked like artist's canvas from her hair and held them out to Courtley.

"What's this?"

"Paintings of Branch."

"What?" I said in surprise. I didn't remember posing for any portraits lately.

"I asked Harper to do them yesterday, while you were napping after lunch."

At my stunned expression, she added with a giggle, "Sorry I didn't ask you first, Branch, but…" She turned to gush to my parents, "He just looked so adorable - I couldn't resist!"

"He is adorable," Courtley agreed cheerfully, and Jaunty nodded.

"Poppy," I said halfheartedly, but I wasn't really annoyed. How could I be? Although I doubted Harper would see me as "adorable". Still, she was the best painter in the village.

I leaned closer as Courtley began to go through the stack, and found myself as entranced as the others. Harper had created a series of airy, pastel-colored images of my sleeping self, each from a different viewpoint. The troll in the paintings lay on his back with his hands up beside his head, looking wonderfully sublime. Relaxed, peaceful and unafraid. If not for his familiar colors I'd think I was looking at a different troll.

As for my colors, they were utterly enchanting. My skin was a soft turquoise, my cheeks and ears tinged with a hint of lavender glimmer and a glitter freckle or two. My pale pink vest and soft white shorts looked fresh and new. My hair was a gently flowing river of melting ice cream, shimmering with diffuse highlights in pink, lemon, aqua, mint, peach and lavender swirled together. The effect was dreamlike and ethereal, a playground for sweet dreams.

Unexpectedly touched, I pulled in a breath, feeling tears welling up once again as I pressed my knuckles to my lips. "It's beautiful," I whispered. "I never imagined I could look so good."

Jaunty pointed to one of them. Courtley smiled and nodded his agreement before carefully sliding the canvas away from the others. The light-purple troll rolled the canvas into a tube and tucked it into his hair. He handed the rest back to Poppy, who rolled them up and slipped them into her own hair. Then my dad gave my girlfriend a warm hug.

Jaunty hugged her, too. "Branchkin used to look just like that when he slept as a little trolling. So sweet and innocent. Of course, he wasn't always so sweet." He laughed. "That reminds me of the time Branchkin here decided to-"

Hastily I interrupted him. "Popkin! Poppy and I really have to get going. You can embarrass me with tales of my trollhood antics the next time we see you, okay?"

"Next time?"

"Well, sure. I'm coming for Joykin's fourteenth birthday, remember?"

"Oh, yes," Jaunty said cheerfully. "We're looking forward to it."

"Don't feel like you have to wait, though, son. You're always welcome to drop by anytime," Courtley reminded me.

"Thanks. I will. See you soon," I said affectionately.

Poppy came to take my hand, smiling at me. "You mean we're coming to Joykin's party, don't you?"

"I thought you were already going to be there. You know, decorating and all…" I teased her as we began walking forward down the path. I heard my dads chuckle as they headed back the way we'd come.

-O-

As the young sweethearts strolled slowly down the lovely winding path, for once Poppy didn't feel the need to keep up the banter. Instead she kept looking at her boyfriend with such adoring fondness he started to look a little disconcerted. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just really nice to see you so happy. And to see a little more of your past. I knew it couldn't all be unhappy."

"No… It really wasn't," he said thoughtfully. "I didn't realize it at the time, but some of my fondest trollhood memories are from the time I lived with them."

"I'm glad, Branchkin."

He glanced at her, saw her teasing grin and reached out a hand for hers. "Thanks, Popp-kin."

"Hey, what am I, your dad?" she said in mock-indignation.

"Oh, no," he said mildly. "No one could be as cool as my dads."

"Hey!" she laughed indignantly, but inside she was dancing with joy to hear him finally claim a family for his own.

Author's Note:

Poppy asking Harper to paint pictures of Branch was an idea I/she had waaaaay back in chapter 17.

Notice that Branch didn't tell his dads to call her "Sunshine". Only he gets to call her that, lol.