I originally posted this one-shot this year before mother'sday, but never got it to post here due to minor free time.
Rollan walked together with his kids across the village passing across the few present villagers, that were making their way towards the present stores around the alley. Rollan smiled waving at a random man passing by the trio, which he recognized, and moved on with the raven-haired kids.
"Who was that?" Questioned the girl looking up at the father.
"That's Luka. He works at the castle too," Explained Rollan making the girl nod.
"Does he have children too?" Questioned the boy watching Rollan shake his head.
"No. He's not married yet or anything," Mentioned Rollan making the boy nod. "Were you interested in knowing any kid, that has also a papa working at the castle?" Questioned the Spaniard making the kids nod. "Someday I can ask anybody there, maybe you could find a new friend there,"
"That would be cool," Commented the daughter.
The trio kept walking along the road, then turned aside to head to the entrance to a carpenter shop to see all the various objects made of wood stand in display for the visitors to see it. From the door behind the counter, the carpenter came out carrying a bar stool and noticed the trio in his shop.
"Ah, if that isn't little Roscoe and Helena," Said the man watching the two kids together with their father there. "Your kids are here for the Mother's day gift, am I right?"
"Si, they want to decorate it by themselves," Mentioned Rollan making the carpenter nod.
"Very well. Then this frame is perfect. It's blank, well-sanded and it's easy to insert a canvas in it," Explained the carpenter making Rollan nod.
"What do you think kids? It's a good shape," Commented Rollan looking at the rectangle frame with a heart on the right corner.
"I shaped it after the drawing of their kids," Mentioned the carpenter. "I do hope I did a good job,"
"It's good, papi," Said Helena while Roscoe nodded.
"Let's take it home and start working on it," Added Roscoe making Rollan nod.
"Good, I'm convinced," Rollan said taking from his pants out his pocket bag. "How much will it be?"
"15 Dinar," Said the carpenter placing the frame over the counter watching Rollan count the coins and handed them out to the man. "Perfect!"
"Muy bien. Kids, do you want me to help you carry the frame?" Asked the Spaniard watching the kids take it together off the counter with the help of the carpenter. "Alright, be careful. It needs to hold on until we're home. Preferably, afterward too," Commented Rollan making the carpenter chuckle.
"Remember kids. It's an important gift for your mother. If it's heavy for you, ask your dad to help you carry it," Mentioned the carpenter watching the kids exchange looks with their father, which gave them a thumb up.
At home in the bedroom of the kids, the father had helped the kids put the frame over their table, which was covered by an old blanket.
"The cover is for you to avoid getting the table dirty with colors or anything. We should also in case you're not finished stop a few hours before going to bed to give it time to dry the color and we can hide it somewhere from Mom," Rollan explained. "Don't worry, I'm here for you. In case, she goes looking for you two, I try to distract her,"
"Thank you, Dad," Both kids said embracing their father from both sides and Rollan placed his hands behind their kids' backs.
"You're welcome. Now go take your pencil and sketch down what you want to have on it," Suggested Rollan watching the kids get their drawing box to the table. "Are you both going to draw on the same side or will you both take a different side?" Questioned the raven-haired watching the kids look at each other, then shrug their shoulders.
"Maybe we should take a different side?" Said Roscoe looking at Helena, which gazed at her father.
"Should we?" Questioned Helena watching Rollan shrug his shoulders.
"In case both of you can't decide, what to draw together, maybe doing a part on your own makes it easier,"
"Mama likes flowers," Commented Roscoe. "You're good at drawing flowers," Said the brother looking at the long-haired girl.
"That's a good idea," Commented Rollan. "What about you, Roscoe? You could draw snowflakes or something different,"
"I can try it," Mentioned Roscoe making Rollan nod, then he had an idea and bowed down at his kids.
"Or wait, I got a better idea. I'm gonna pick an old book and rip off a few pages to cut little figures in it. We can do an animal as well, then color it or leave it with the words on it instead," Suggested Rollan watching Roscoe nod, then Rollan gave a thumb up and made his way downstairs to the living room to get to a bookshelf.
"Oh boy, what book should I take?" Questioned Rollan looking at the number of books they had in the shelf and pulled one out, which was an old Spanish tale he had from his home. "Let's go, I haven't read you in ages," Rollan commented putting the book inside his vest, then he walked out of the corridor, then shrieked as he saw the door of the entrance get closed revealing Gerda, who had just arrived home.
"Wow already back home," Rollan spoke as he saw his wife stand there by the door watching her approach him to give him a kiss on his cheek.
"I forgot to take my work utensils," Mentioned Gerda looking into the kitchen to see it on the table along with Rollan. "You didn't notice?"
"I have actually wondered, why the bag was there on the table, but didn't get to the conclusion," Commented Rollan making Gerda chuckle.
"It's alright. Where are the children? Are the upstairs?" Questioned Gerda looking upstairs, then Rollan stepped in front of her to prevent her to get up.
"They're in their room…...sleeping…"
"Still sleeping?" Asked Gerda with a frown earning a nod from her husband. "It's 11 in the morning. They're usually awake by 8 or 9,"
"Erh…..don't worry about them. They're in their room awake. They're working on something together and don't want any of us to see it,"
"And what does their work consist of?" Questioned Gerda watching Rollan place his hands on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. I've been there and they're just drawing with their pencils. Nothing dangerous," Pointed Rollan out, then Gerda glimpsed upstairs slightly worried. "Confia, I'm here the entire day with them. They're far from doing anything dangerous. I swear," Said Rollan making Gerda nod.
"Okay, kiss them for me, if you go back to them," Said Gerda making Rollan nod and watch Gerda enter the kitchen to get her bag, then passed by Rollan again. "See you later," Gerda said giving Rollan a peck on his cheek and left the house making Rollan sigh relieved.
"Wow, that went well," Rollan commented, then looked upstairs to where the bedrooms were.
A while later, the kids were working on the frame together and used a pencil to make the linings for their designs. Rollan sat down on the ground sketching a shape of a goose on the first book page.
"The picture is bigger than it looks," Commented Helena putting her pencil down to rest her hand, then looked down at her father. Helena got down to sit beside her father and lean her head on his arms. "Dad, can you help us? My hand is tired. There's just so much missing," Warned Helena, then Rollan got up to look at the frame in front of her face, which was about a quarter done as opposed to Roscoe, which was about the same as her.
"Why not try to draw something else?" Questioned Rollan watching Helena shrug her shoulders.
"I don't know, what else I should draw. I can't draw so good like Uncle Kai," Commented Helena sad and embraced her dad, which placed his arm behind his daughter's back to cheer her up.
"Don't worry, we'll find a solution to that," Promised Rollan. "We can cut out of my book there a flower head or any other type of animal," Suggested the Spaniard sensing his daughter nod.
"What kind of animal?" Questioned Helena and Rollan looked down at the book at the goose he had sketched on it, afterward he had an idea and got down on his knees to have eye contact with the girl.
"Hey, I got a cool idea," Rollan mentioned. "What about we go out pluck a few flowers and press them inside the book?"
"Uncle Kai said we need to wait two weeks for the flowers to dry inside the book," Mentioned Roscoe. "He showed us that once when he was making a gift for auntie,"
"Oh I thought we had a great idea," Complained Rollan making Helena nod.
"But we still can get flowers and do something else with them?" Suggested Helena noticing her father look at their table to see their paint palette and their prepared water glass. Rollan pondered about what his daughter said, then looked down at the girl.
"Hey, what do you think about using flowers as a….uh…..a mark?" Questioned the Spaniard watching the girl tilt her head confused making Rollan smile seeing, she didn't know what he meant.
Rollan picked Helena from under her arms making her chuckle. "I will show you, what I exactly meant. We can press the flower on a color and press it on the frame and you got a real flower design on it,"
"Really? That works?" Questioned the daughter making Rollan nod.
"I've seen your Uncle do that. It's possible, don't worry. The best option is for us to pick more than one flower and try each one out," Suggested Rollan making Helena nod. "Roscie, do you want to come with us?"
"Can we add something else, than flowers?" Questioned Roscoe making Rollan nod.
Leaves from the trees should work too," Rollan commented making Helena widen her eyes and grab her father's arms.
"Papi! Papi! We can use other things from our house as well, right?" Questioned Helena. "You're using the paper from your book,"
"Yes we can…..we can take from the sewing box a thread. We can do more than just dipping it in color. We can put it around the frame or instead we go to the next sewing shop and buy a thicker thread. Makes it a little easier for us," Suggested Rollan, then Roscoe got up to get to his father.
"Mom says we need permission to open the box, because of the needles," Commented Roscoe making Rollan nod.
"Look I have a different idea. I take you to the sewing shop. While we're on our way we pick up the flowers we need for Helena. Perhaps we will hear new ideas on our way," Offered Rollan making the kids nod. "Vamos, niños,"
Very later at night, Rollan was by their kids' room helping them cover their finished project and placed it on the edge of the room behind the open room door. Rollan stepped back along with the kids to see they had hidden the frame behind the used cover, then Rollan looked down at his kids and gave them a thumb up.
"Muy bien," Complimented Rollan, then got jumped by the twins which fell over Rollan down. "Hey! Hey! Hey!"
"We did it!" The kids chanted making Rollan laugh, then sit up to embrace the kids.
"Come, let's get you two to bed. Mom still has to wait for tomorrow for the gift. We don't want to spoil her the surprise, right?" Questioned the raven-haired man making the kids nod. "Come, let's get you two covered," Stated Rollan watching the kids run to their beds, afterward he got up to watch the two lie down. "Will you wake Mama up first or, shall we do like last year for her breakfast?" Rollan asked quietly getting between the beds of the twins to see, what they would answer.
"We will give her the gift first," Suggested Helena. "To be different from last times. What do you think Roscoe?"
"Good idea," Commented Roscoe. "Is that okay, Dad?" Questioned the boy making Rollan smile.
"Of course," Said the father getting down on his knees to see the boy sitting on the bed, then get under his covers. Rollan smiled, then heard someone knock on the door and he looked back to see Gerda gaze into the bedroom to see the trio in the bedroom.
"Have you brushed your teeth before bed?" Questioned Gerda making the kids nod. "Did they?" Questioned Gerda looking at Rollan, which chuckled and looked at Roscoe.
"Can I check the smile?" Asked Rollan watching Roscoe grin to show his teeth to the father. "Muy lindo," Complimented Rollan, then looked back at Helena, which opened his mouth to show it to her father. "Check!" Responded Rollan, followed by Helena sticking her tongue out to her father, which laughed. "What was that for?" Asked Rollan jokingly, then Helena jumped out from her cover at Rollan's arms.
"Good night," Wished Helena making Rollan smile and peck her forehead. Helena returned to her bed and Rollan covered her, afterward Gerda came to visit the kids as well, then kneed down beside her daughter.
"Sweet dreams you two," Wished Gerda giving Helena a kiss on her cheek, then leaned her forehead on the daughter. "Don't let any cockroaches bite your toes," Joked the blonde making Helena giggle as Gerda tickled her daughter on the sides.
Rollan observed his life partner with a smile making her way to Roscoe to give him a goodnight kiss on the forehead, then tickled him on his neck making him laugh, and got up, followed by Rollan.
"Let's go to bed too," Gerda said making Rollan nod, then walked to the exit, followed by Gerda who went to grab the door handle, then spotted behind the door a covered object and raised her eyebrows curious and noticed on the edge, that the frame wasn't fully covered showing a red wooden piece making Gerda grin, having an idea, what was located back there. Gerda leaned the door of the kids and looked at Rollan, which stood in the middle of the corridor waiting for her to come. Gerda smiled and embraced the Spaniard, making him smile accepting the deed.
"The reason they were absent today was because of a surprise, right?" Whispered Gerda, then Rollan placed his index finger in front of his lips to sign Gerda to be quiet.
"They don't want you to know," Mentioned Rollan making Gerda nod.
"I don't know, what they did, don't worry…...you know tomorrow it's mother's day, what else should I guess?" Questioned the blonde quiet making Rollan shrug his shoulders.
"I don't know," Commented Rollan, then walked along with Gerda into their bedroom to get to sleep as well.
The next morning, Gerda lied with her back against Rollan's shoulder who was sleeping on his belly with his face on the pillow. The sun had been shining slightly through the slots of the shutters. Gerda opened her eyes gently to look at the sunlight, then smiled at seeing the light and turned around to look at her husband sleeping in the usual position he would end up waking up after a certain time through the night. Gerda embraced his arm, leaning her cheek on there to remain resting along with her husband, then heard a quiet knock on the door, which rather than waking Gerda up just made her dig her cheek tighter on her husband.
"Happy Mother's Day!" Yelled two voices making Gerda open her eyes and look back at the door to see the kids standing there looking at their mother
"Good morning," Greeted Gerda opening her arms to see her kids race towards her, getting up on the bed to embrace their mom, which wrapped both her arms around the duo. "Thank you, children," Gerda said sharing with both the children a kiss on their cheek.
"Mom you have to see your present," Announced Roscoe grabbing her mother's arm.
"Yes, we made it together for you," Added Helena making Gerda nod and get down from her bed along with the kids. The trio walked out of the room and Roscoe went behind their room's door to grab the covered frame by one edge with a growl.
"I think that's too heavy for you, Roscoe," Mentioned Helena making Roscoe nod and take his hands away. Gerda smiled and placed her hands on the covers and looked at her kids.
"Can I just remove the cover?" Questioned the blonde making the kids nod and the mother uncovered the frame to look at it amazed. "Wow, did you two decorate that?" Asked Gerda watching the kids nod, then Roscoe approached one side of the frame to explain, what they did there.
"Down on this edge here, I made various shapes of snowflakes I could come up here. This thick paper goose daddy made for me out of a book, so I could stick on here. Over the goose here I painted your favorite color. This paper here is also from the book daddy cut for Us the goose out. We saw out in the village a man repairing his accordion and Daddy suggested we could try and stick the thing from the accordion here, just out of paper. The red one did Daddy, I did the blue one, and Helena the green one," Roscoe explained while Gerda listened to the boy. Roscoe looked at Helena, which described the other part of the frame.
"This heart here made the carpenter, that gave us the frame. He said we could write a message in there for you. The flowers down there I am the one who drew it. Between mine and Roscoe's drawings, we followed an idea Daddy gave us and helped us with. We put a large thread in blue and pink color and wrapped it around the frame. We removed it afterward, so the color would remain there like it is now,"
"Very good idea and what about those flower drawings here?" Asked Gerda.
"Daddy said, Uncle Kai did something like that once and took us to collect some flowers to do that too," Explained Roscoe making Gerda nod and look at the upper frame, which had a large weasel made of thick paper making Gerda smile as she recognized the animal.
"Daddy said, before we were born you used to have a weasel living with you, but she died," Commented Roscoe making Gerda nod.
"Yeah, she had been around my entire childhood," Mentioned Gerda neutral. "She had been the only friend I had until I found your Uncle Kai,"
"I'm sorry, mom," Apologized Helena picking Gerda's arm to put around herself and help to comfort her mother, then Gerda embraced her daughter giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"It's okay," Answered Gerda, then looked at the top of the frame to see the middle consisting of a green thread tied up onto it with small yellow flowers, making Gerda look amused by the bright color of them and reached her finger to touch it. "Oh, they aren't dandelions,"
"Where we bought the thread the woman there showed us how to make them. We needed daddy's help, because he needed to cut a bit of that metal thread, so we could have it fastened there," Explained Helena earning a nod from Roscoe.
"He watched very well over us. He made sure none of us would get hurt. Okay, I think cutting the metal Daddy needed another scissor…...it looked a little difficult," Confessed Roscoe making Gerda nod and open her arms, so her kids could give her a hug.
"This was the greatest gift you two could have given me," Gerda said sensing both her children lean their heads closer to her chest. "You two are my treasure," Gerda complimented sharing with her kids a long hug. "We just need to get another point later a picture we can use the frame for. Like a painting of us all four in it. This will look amazing!"