Then
With the rise of Saturday the rain may have paused, but the forest still sang it's tune. Through the morning and afternoon the breezes ruffled the leaves of the trees, drizzling the leftover droplets over the green below. Walking over the forest floor was like walking atop couch cushions. For three ten year olds, it was their sea swept pirate ship.
Ethan crouched behind one of the wide oaks, clutching a stick to his chest as he caught his breath. Slowly he turned back, kneeling to peer around the trunk. He could see a corner of Cole's sneaker sliding out from three trees over. He crept towards it; stick at the ready, missing the blur of hair when Anna cocked her head at the sound of feet. From the tree ahead of Coles, her stick slashed out.
"Merde!" Ethan ducked and rolled, sending mud up the length of his shirt.
"You listened to my teachings, aww Ethan!" Anna's whole face lit up as she jabbed forward and then swung around a tree at Cole's charge. "Traitor!" She hissed as she shimmied down the trunk. "I was protecting you!"
"Well I'm protecting him! Hmph." Cole fell backwards trying to dodge the pine comb Anna pitched towards his head.
"Thanks, buddy." Ethan looked up as Anna began climbing back up. "Where you going there Madame?"
"The crow's nest. Far away from you fools." At the first branch, she levered herself up like a ladder, and reaching for the next she gasped when it cracked.
"Anna!" Cole stood at once as he saw her swing forward, and Ethan dropping his stick and rushing the tree. At once he felt the wind shift, making him jump. "What was…?" He whispered, looking around and then seeing Anna right herself.
"Whew." She whistled. "Ok."
"Point made. No crow's nest, yeah?" Ethan called up to her.
"Then for goodness sakes move so I can get down."
"Not a chance." Ethan planted his feet wide, arms half raised.
As Anna mumbled and grumbled Cole rubbed at the hairs on the back of his neck, looking around for what he was sure was the blur of color he saw in the wind. Seeing nothing but woods, he looked back to his friends as Anna reached the ground. "Did you guys feel that?"
"Fear of being grounded for aaaall of Tarzans hospital stay? Yeah I felt it." Ethan tugged Anna's ponytail and shook his head.
"I prefer George of the Jungle." Narrowing her eyes at Cole, Anna pat his shoulder. "I'm fine, just a trip."
"Yeah." Cole agreed but brushed at the wood chips her trip had transferred to her shirt. "Cept all our clothes are messed up."
Ethan groaned and rapped his head on the tree. "Mom's gonna have a cow. Maybe Phillip hasn't dropped our stuff off at the house yet?"
"He has, Ms. Cecelia put the fear of God in him that he had one job."
Ever cheerful, Anna shrugged and clapped the dirt from her hands as she looked up at the dipping sun. "Might as well face the music lads, it's about time we get going anyway."
They walked through the woods that had edged the school's playground and turned towards town. Though they'd blend in with any children enjoying the break in weather, there was a sense of unity about them even then that had them standing out. It was seen in the way their steps synced, and their words jumbled. They scurried down the winding sidewalks until the main road became side blocks, and down the second one a tall Victorian waited.
When Forks had been taken from the Quileute's in the 1800's, various Scandinavian families had taken up residence. In the early 1900's, the Holm family originally of Sweden, built their lavish house, which never quite fit in with the scenery. Through the decades the family grew as did the house, and though some went back to Sweden, Holm House waited. When Cecelia Holm first saw the house as a girl, traveling with her parents to their American roots, she knew this was where she would end up. And when Grandpa Valter left it to her on the brink of starting her own family, she jumped at the chance.
Three narrow floors rose with shutters, arches, even the steps had their own colors of melding blue, cream, and pink to bring together the classic look. Two teakwood rockers flanked the small front porch. Around back held an outdoor dining set up, as well as a glider looking over the gardens and a simple swing set and tree house. It was the loveliest home in town, and its mistress one of the loveliest women. And at the moment her temper did nothing to diminish the glow about her.
Cecelia Kelly, with her gold curls in a curve above her chin, clasped her hands below her waist and narrowed her bluebell eyes at the three children sheepishly approaching the steps.
Her son repressed a gulp and tried for a smile. "I'd like to start by saying we are not late."
"Nor…" Anna began, picking up the tone, "did we get into any trouble."
When Cecelia's eyes locked to Cole, he shrugged and waved one of his hands from right to left. She pressed her lips together and moved to the side for them to come in. Automatically in the pass through that separated the front door from the door to the rest of the house, they took off their mud caked boots and turned back to Cecelia who held up a hand to keep them still.
"Before anything else happens you will take yourselves upstairs, collect fresh clothes and clean yourselves up. Ethan and Cole will take turns using Ethan's shower, Anna Jane you will use mine."
Cole hung his head back while Ethan protested. "Aw we aren't dirty, most of the mud dried up out there. It's just our clothes."
"I will not be sending the three of you to Nora Masen's tomorrow as you are Ethan Thomas, so you will all wash up, understood?"
The boys didn't argue twice while Cecelia led Anna to the bathroom off her own room. Once Ethan and Cole had taken their turns and switched into their pajamas, they raced back down the stairs, past the formal living and dining rooms, and into the parlor set up more casually. Three bean bag chairs were arraigned in front of the TV, where a stack of the kid's favorite videos waited.
"Holy cow!" Cole knelt down to check out the selection. "This is great!"
"Yeah and Mom made mac and cheese. It's been in the family a billion years. Just you wait."
"This had been the best weekend. Do you think they'll really let us do this more?"
Ethan looked up as Anna walked in with a towel wrapped around her head. "Took you long enough."
"Ms. Cecelia has the best soaps." She plopped down on the floor, and like Cole her eyes widened at the tapes. "We're gonna have some movie night."
"After supper." Cecelia said as she entered with a comb. "Come here, Anna Jane, I'll not have that hair of yours drying into a tangled heap." She settled on an armchair with Anna at her feet and began the process. "Now, tell me about your time at the Grand and what you three got into today."
They spoke all at once, in an animated jumble. As was a mother's talent, Cecelia listened in all directions and nodded or hummed as she managed to keep Anna's hand still, and an eye on Ethan's arm waving so close to the coffee table of snacks. She commented when they quieted enough to hear her, her small smiles amused when Anna got up to reenact part of a duel with Ethan. Even as they pretend swatted, they settled on the carpet, Cecelia had a quiet and serious manner that always managed to keep the three of them soothed. As they caught her up to the afternoon a sharpness came to her light eyes.
"Hmmm. And while you were fighting on your version of the pirate ship revenge, was there any tree climbing?" Meeting three faces as they fell, as she leaned forward she tapped a fingertip against her lip. "Because it seems to me Ms. Nora and I had a very clear rule that you all can galavant around town during the hours we set, but there would be no tree climbing unless an adult is present."
"Sounds familiar." Anna smiled sheepishly.
"And a reasonable request that needs to be followed." Cecelia said, voice no longer quite as soft. "We trust you all to behave when you're out playing, and that includes being safe. Clear?"
Three yes ma'ams were met with a nod and a clap of her hands. "Well then, I am going to put that supper on warm and the three of you can go settle your things in Ethan's room until I call."
Heading to the stairs, Ethan elbowed Anna. "Told ya. Woman has like superpowers and knows things."
"She's a good mom. Good mom's notice everything." Anna corrected, elbowing him back and then Cole. "You two have that, and now I get to steal it every once in a while."
Cole nodded, his mock somber expression making Anna smile. "We can share."
"We're gonna share everything." Ethan agreed.
It was said with the certainty only a ten year old can offer. For other ten year olds such a statement would prove to be impossible to live by. But these were no ordinary children. And this weekend was the beginning of their journey to discovering just that.
