When Charlie came home from school, she walked in on Stolas putting the finishing touches on his suit for the meeting he was to attend this evening. To be precise, he was just tying his tie around his neck when she walked through the door.
"Good news Charlie." He said pulling a knot. "Today marks my last meeting on the divorce settlement. After today, I'll never have to attend another meeting or deal with my shrew of an ex wife again except for on the holidays."
"So does that mean I won't have to babysit as often?" Charlie asked.
"That is correct. You'll finally get some free time."
"Thank goodness."
"And you know what? I think tomorrow would be a perfect day to celebrate. If you're not doing anything tomorrow, would you like to come spend the day with me and Octavia? It's supposed to be warm tomorrow and we're going to the park for some well-earned exercise and play."
"Sounds like fun and I don't really have any plans." She said, though she had considered crossing the bridge tomorrow night. "What the heck? I'll come."
"Wonderful, and since you have been such a big help to me in looking after Octavia and being flexible with your schedule, I have some surprises for you."
"Surprises?"
"Yep. Surprise number one, something extra special and exciting for us to go to after the park tomorrow." He then produced three slips of paper from his pocket.
"Stolas please tell me it's not another trip to Loo Loo Land. Remember what happened last time? Via was practically traumatized by the animatronics and then that pervy mascot tried to grope me, and then you got arrested for trying to kill him."
"Yes but I was out on bail in just half an hour. Ah, the perks of being rich." He said. "But no, no, we're not going back there. I learned my lesson from before. These tickets are for something more along the lines of entertainment."
He handed the three tickets to Charlie and when she read them, she was almost completely stunned with happiness. These tickets were to a stage production of Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella at the Allen Elizabethan Theater.
"I'm sorry it's not to a more sophisticated show, like the ones made by William Shakesphere or Andrew Lloyd Webber but I thought that it should be a show that all of us can see. Octavia is not so little anymore and I think she would love to see a live show."
"Oh no Stolas, it's perfect." Charlie said. "I love Cinderella and I love Rodger and Hammerstien. But these must have cost you a fortune."
"With the money I make, it was a quarter of a fortune, and that includes the pre-show dinner and the balcony seats."
"Still, you really didn't have to."
"But I wanted to." He said. "We have had quite a number of arguments lately, but you're a good kid. You do well in school, you look after Octavia even if you don't want to, and you haven't been getting into trouble. I think you deserve an occasional reward for all that."
For a moment Charlie felt a little guilty, because she had not been as good as Stolas thought she was. For the past week she had been lying to him, sneaking out, then there was that time she left Octavia with Husk without telling him. For a moment, the girl considered telling him the truth right then and there. But then she thought,
"Well there's no important reason to tell him the truth right? It's not like I've done something harmful or that will get me arrested or anything. And things are going so well now, the truth would only ruin things."
So she kept quiet.
"Now for surprise number two." Stolas said.
"Oh Stolas no." Charlie said. "The tickets alone are more than enough, didn't need to buy two expensive things for me."
"Actually honey, this surprise didn't cost me a dime. In fact it's more from your parents than from me."
"What do you mean?"
"Well here, let me show you."
She followed him upstairs into her bedroom where she discovered something that was not there this morning when she left for school. It was a wood-carved trunk with a certain antique style to it but kept in perfect condition. No dust or cobwebs or mold. Stolas had taken very good care of this trunk.
"I was going to give it to you on your birthday but I thought it would be too soon, after all it was also the first anniversary of the accident. I felt it best to wait." Stolas explained.
"What's in there?" Charlie asked.
"Well open it up and find out."
Charlie bent down and lifted up the lid of the trunk. Looking inside she found countless treasures from the past. Photographs of her parents during their college years, her father's favorite books and prized essay papers from his English Lit classes, her mother's gorgeous, vintage gowns and jewelry from her days in the theater, the love letters and poetry her father wrote to her mother, their wedding pictures, and so much more.
"Your parents were remarkable people Charlie and you already knew that. But you only know how amazing they were as your mother and father. You don't how great they were as people, as students, as lovers, and as friends. Tragically they're not here to tell you those stories but these keepsakes that they left behind might be able to."
Charlie was speechless, and her movements were slow. Her hands gently and carefully grasped an elegant, midnight dress made from sleek velvet and studded with crystals, bringing it up to her face to sniff the fabric. She could still smell her mother's perfume on it. Fresh Lavender and Calla Lilies, her favorite flowers. She would only wear perfume or use body wash that carried the scent of either those flowers. Next Charlie picked up a two-fold frame that contained two snap-shot photos of her parents. One showed her mother wearing that same dress on stage during the curtain call and her father presenting her with a bouquet of Calla Lilies. And the second frame showed a picture of the two kissing each other afterward. Poor Charlie had to use all her will power not to cry.
"You really kept all these?" Charlie asked Stolas when she could find her voice again. "All for me?"
"I think your parents would have wanted you to have all this." He smiled at her warmly. "What do you think?"
"What do I think?" She replied struggling to find the right words. "Stolas this is the most wonderful thing anyone could have ever given me. It's just so...I never imagined that you would...How can I ever..."
Finally she just threw her arms around his waist and hugged him close. It took Stolas by surprise but he gladly accepted the gesture and returned it, pleased to see her so happy for once.
"Thank you." She told him. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome." He said. "Now I have to get going, You remember what you're supposed to do when you're watching Octavia right?"
"Yes I do."
"Good. Have fun with Via and I'll be home around eight."
When Stolas left her room, Charlie continued to look through the trunk and marvel at one item after another. She read a few of her father's essays which were either about a book he had read or something from the Renaissance Era. Lucifer always had particular fascination with the music, art, and philosophy of that period. According to one essay, he was intrigued by the exploration of different styles and expressions of one's talent. It wasn't all just limited to one way. Lucifer liked variety, he couldn't stand it when something was the same all the time, it made life boring according to him.
Next she examined her mother's gowns. They were all beautiful and elegant, sewn from velvet or satin, and their colors were either black or a darker shade of blue or purple. Bright colors and pastels had never appealed to Lilith. She liked things associated with night and the darkness. Like the moon and the stars, or the deep sea. But she wasn't opposed to adding a little light to her wardrobe. The light part being the two flowers that she adored. Charlie could recall how during the Spring and Summer time, her mother would wear a dark colored garment but she would have Fresh Lavender or Calla Lilies braided into her long golden hair to serve as a perfect contrast.
But despite her preference for deep and dark colors, not even she could refuse to wear white on her wedding day. Her mother's wedding gown was absolutely exquisite, satin and lace the color of moonlight and trimmed with cream and gold that was like starlight. Her mother's hair had been adorned with vines and flowers made of ribbon and jewels which made her look like a real fairy tale princess on her wedding day. People she knew still talked about what a great beauty she was and how nothing could spoil her looks, not even age or childbirth.
"Would it fit me?" Charlie wondered.
She carefully lifted the gown from the trunk and pressed it up against her person, then turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror. She was a little too young and small to fit the gown, but time and alteration could fix that. Charlie didn't realize it until now, but the gown reminded her very much of the little dress worn by the dancer in her music box. The styles were completely different but the colors and details were nearly identical. Basically the dancer wore what Lilith's wedding dress would look like as a ballgown rather than an a-line.
"Charlie!" She heard Octavia suddenly call. "I'm hungry. Can we have dinner now?"
"Hold on." Charlie said. "I'll be there in a minute."
She carefully put the gown back into the trunk, closed it up, and then went to see to Octavia for the evening. It was a fairly quiet evening, noting really exciting. But the next day was truly divine and exciting.
For breakfast, Stolas ordered apple dumplings for them to have instead of boring oatmeal and afterward the three of them went down to the park. The park was especially beautiful that day, the sun was shinning bright, the sky was clear, and all the trees had been painted a marvelous variety of fall colors ranging from red to yellow to orange to purple. They started off by playing games that involved a lot of running and jumping, such as catch the frisbee or tag. Something to get their hearts pumping. Next Stolas took them on a nature hike and he showed them a very special spot where a bred of wild flowers grew in the Fall.
"Oh Stolas they're beautiful." Charlie said awing at the blossoms.
They were called Calibrachoas. Lovely, little, purple blossoms that were similar to Petunias but not quite the same. Octavia loved the color purple. It was her favorite color, so of course she loved the Calibrachoas. However her favorite flowers were Star Flowers because much like Charlie's mother, she was positively astounded by the night sky. When her father didn't have to work late, he would pull out a blanket and the two of them would lay on it outside and just spend the night gazing at the starry sky. And Charlie would sometimes tell her stories about the constellations for most of them got their names from myths and legends.
I want to decorate my room with all these flowers." Octavia said, already reaching out to pluck one.
"Now Via." Stolas said. "We mustn't take every wildflower we see. Otherwise they'll never grow back, and don't you want the world to enjoy their beauty too?"
"I guess. But can't I at least take one?"
"Well I guess I don't see any harm in that."
"Thank you Daddy."
Octavia picked the prettiest flower she could find.
"You know if you put it in a book." Charlie said to her. "It will last longer."
"Really?"
"Yes. I did it all the time with any flower I picked."
"I hope it makes my flower last forever."
Stolas and Charlie chuckled. They knew such a thing could not be, but they let the girl have her dreams.
In the afternoon, Stolas took the girls shopping for dresses to wear at the show. Octavia picked out a dress that was the same color as her flower while Charlie picked one that was rosy red. Afterward they put on their fancy clothes, fixed up their hair, went to dinner and the show. Charlie loved every minute of it. The music, the dancing, the costumes, the light, and the color. It was like watching a fairy tale book come to life.
Her favorite scene was the ball. Seeing Cinderella in that beautiful gown, dancing with her handsome prince, him holding her in his arms as they gazed into each other's eyes lovingly. She knew of course that it was just a show, a performance of make believe, but she could not help dreaming about how magnificent it would be for something like that to happen to her in real life. To actually have a chance to wear a gorgeous dress and jewelry worthy of a princess, to attend a royal ball in grand castle, and to dance with a prince who loved her more than anything in the world.
By the time the show had ended, Octavia had dozed off in her father's arms and slept during the whole car ride home, and while Stolas was tucking her into bed, Charlie retired to her own bed smiling and humming one of the songs from the show. It was the happiest she had truly been in such a longtime.
