Once everyone was warm and dry and dressed, Bee realized they hadn't said a proper hello to their guest.
"I'll introduce you all," Tracy assured her. Warlock was curled up in her arms, still shaken from the accident and sullen over being pulled away from his teacher.
"She's that lady father likes, right?" Wensley said.
"Dunno," Bee shrugged.
"I think they're getting married," Pepper said. No one looked particularly enthusiastic about that.
"Maybe we should do something special then. To say hello," Ana suggested.
Warlock pulled a handful of wet flowers out of his pocket.
"Good start, duck," Tracy cooed. "I'm sure she'll love those. How sweet of you."
Bee sighed. Soggy flowers. They could do better than that.
Anthony watched, frozen, as Captain Fell disappeared into the house.
He'd just been fired.
The full implications came crashing over him like the cold river water. He would never see the children again. Burning tears collected at the corners of his eyes. Sure his position had been temporary. He knew that. But he hadn't anticipated saying goodbye for a long time yet. He was supposed to stay until September.
With considerable effort, Anthony got his legs to move. He trudged toward the house, socks squishing in his soaked boots. He would pack up his suitcase again. It would be a few items heavier, but still wouldn't take long to pack. He could get dried off and out of Captain Fell's house with Crawly in tow in the next half hour.
He stifled a sob in his hand.
There was no one to witness his lonely climb up the stairs. He stripped, laying out the wet clothes to hopefully dry enough to be able to fold them up soon, and pulled on the outfit he'd arrived in. There was nothing to be done for his hair but squeeze the water out of it and put it in a loose braid. Then he sat on the edge of the bed, letting Crawly twist lazily around his wrists and hands, remembering his first day here when he hadn't been sure if he would make it to the end of the week. Now he wanted nothing more than to stay.
Still fuming, Captain Fell decided to take a moment to cool down from the argument in the library. He wasn't usually one to raise his voice or make heat-of-the-moment decisions like that, but he was just so angry. Who was Anthony Crowley to tell him what his children needed?
The study tables were a mess. Books, papers, and pens were left out as if study had been abandoned halfway through. Brian hadn't even been doing math, doodles of crickets filled the bottom of his page. The captain tried not to be too amused as he tucked the papers into Brian's folder. He was almost finished putting everything to rights when he caught sight of the picture frame resting on the windowsill.
He froze. That day on the beach came back to him, every wonderful painful detail of it.
Why would they want that here? Why did they want to remember when remembering hurt? It did hurt, didn't it? (Less every time. Less than it had five years ago. But they were children. Wasn't it right for him to want to protect them from that?)
He thought about taking the frame down, but couldn't bring himself to. (But you'll see it next time you come to the library.) (Would that be the end of the world?)
The study materials went back to their places. The table was clear. The picture frame was still up. The world seemed alright.
It occurred to him that he was not being the best host. The Baroness and her friend would be wondering where he was. He had to formally introduce the two to his children and make sure they weren't stirring up more trouble. With a small sigh, Captain Fell left the library, and after the door clicked shut, he first heard it. The familiar chords of a song he knew, played on a piano that was slightly out of tune. Then a hesitant chorus of voices, voices that found their rhythm and grew in volume and confidence. Not perfect by any means, but enthusiastic enough to make up for it.
The sight that greeted him when he got to the doorway of the parlor nearly bowled him over. Bee sat at the piano, hair still damp, playing. The other six were gathered around, peering over her shoulders to see the lyrics if they didn't have them memorized. Warlock came in and dropped out whenever he pleased, sometimes simply opting to listen to his siblings for a few bars. The harmonies were passable, honestly impressive for children who, apart from the eldest two, had no formal training at all. Even then, it had been years since Bee had sat at the piano, years since the songbooks had gone up to the attic- someone had been up in the attic, taking these things down. The pictures. The books.
Captain Fell anticipated anger or sadness and felt strangely off-kilter when it didn't arrive.
By then, Ana had caught sight of him and stopped singing, which alerted Wensley and Pepper to his appearance, and the music slowed to an awkward stop.
Their audience- who Captain Fell hadn't even noticed before now- also looked up, confused. Furfur looked impatient at the interruption, and the Baroness was simply confused.
"Keep going," Captain Fell managed to say. But the children hesitated. Was Anthony right? Did they really fear him? He thought he was familiar with regret, but this regret seemed especially strong, and new besides.
"It's alright," he insisted. "Let's pick up where we left off. Finish the song."
For the first time in years, he took a breath, and he sang. The children's jaws dropped. Bee grinned. She found her place in the music and continued, speeding up the tempo. At the end of the song, she finished with an endearing little flourish that was not in the sheet music.
"That was one of your mother's favorites," said Captain Fell. The twins exchanged incredulous glances. This was the first time he'd mentioned her in... well, it seemed like forever.
"I know. She was going to teach it to me," Bee said. "I put a star next to it. In the table of contents." She looked at him, expression conflicted. There was love, yes, but also defiance. And doubt. She wasn't sure what he would do or say. But she was ready to stand her ground.
A young woman he didn't know indeed.
"Well... we should get that piano tuned." Captain Fell crossed his arms, posture rigid and formal as ever, but something new and soft in his expression. "It's been quite some time since it was played."
Bee nodded. "Yes. It has."
Captain Fell nodded back. Each one of his children, upon closer inspection, were suntanned. Several- Ana, Brian, Bee- had lots of new freckles dotting their cheeks. They looked happy and bright-eyed. Had Adam gotten taller?
You aren't home enough to-
Warlock let out a little 'oh' as if he'd just remembered something important, then crossed the room to where the Baroness sat. He pulled a clump of flowers out of his pocket and held them out to her. She let him drop them into her hands with a surprised smile. "Edelweiss! Mr. Fell, you never told me how charming your children are."
He owed this to Mr. Crowley, didn't he? Oh, he'd just made an awful mistake.
"What mistake?" Wensley asked. Had he said that out loud?
"Well, I'm going to rectify it immediately, so don't worry about it."
Anthony didn't have time to act like he hadn't been listening in. He pointed Warlock to the Baroness sat some point, then planned on slipping away undetected. Captain Fell found him there in the hall, suitcase and hat in hand. He tried to walk away faster but found himself being caught gently by the shoulders and turned around.
"Mr. Crowley, I... behaved badly. I apologize."
"I shouted too," Anthony said, avoiding eye contact. "I'm too loud, 's one of my worst faults-"
"But you were right. I don't know my children as I should. I can be a better father to them. You- you brought life back into this house. I hadn't realized before that I'd been the one draining it. I must confess that I don't know if I ever knew how to be a father. But before... before, the children had another parent picking up the slack, and now they don't. They can see my glaring faults. But I want to be better."
Anthony felt like his head was spinning. "You realized all of this... just now?"
Captain Fell sighed. "Essentially. Will you stay?"
"Crowley? Why do you have your suitcase?" Ana had gotten curious and peeked out of the doorway. She looked suspicious. "Wait, are you leaving us?"
"No! No," Anthony hurried to correct her. "I'm not leaving, I'm..."
"You packed. Why would you pack if you weren't leaving us?" Ana's glasses were fogging up. Her blunt choice of words hit Anthony right in the gut.
"I'm moving rooms," he fibbed. "I'm moving rooms, and it's easier to move everything if I pack it all up first. To move to another room."
"Right," Captain Fell nodded along. "There's... a draft. In the room we put him in first."
"It's not good for Crawly," Anthony said. Ana nodded, blinking the tears away from her eyes. Of course, that made sense. "He's been awful slow lately, I'm getting worried about him. So your father is graciously allowing me to switch to another room."
Captain Fell's brow furrowed. "Who's... Crawly?"
Anthony dipped his hand under his sweater and pulled out a snake that had been looped around his shoulders. "My snake. A gift from the children." He grinned, and the captain noticed an asymmetrical dimple on one side of that smile. The snake looped around his wrist, leaning toward Anthony's face. Crawly's tongue flicked out to taste the air, brushing the tip of Anthony's freckled nose. "Aw, I love you too," Anthony whispered.
"Dear lord," Captain Fell muttered.
Anthony woke up the next morning in his new room, right across the hall from where he had been. He still felt tired from yesterday's emotional whiplash. There was another knock on the door. Must have been what woke him up the first time.
"Yeah?" He sat up, running a hand through his hair. It was early. "Come in."
Captain Fell opened the door a few inches. "Mr. Crowley? Is it a good time?"
"Well, 'm awake now. What is it?"
"I'd like to see how- well, the daily routine you've been keeping seems to work better than mine. I'd like to know how... it all goes."
"M'kay? Well, we don't usually get up this-" Anthony failed to stifle a yawn. "...early."
"Oh."
"Don't tell me you got them up too?"
"Croooooowleyyyyyyyyy," Warlock sighed, pushing past his father's legs to climb into Anthony's bed. He was still in his pajamas, brown hair tousled. "Wanna go back to sleep."
"Well, your father is raring to go."
Captain Fell looked uncharacteristically sheepish, which for him wasn't much but a slight crease on his forehead.
Anthony pulled Warlock into a loose hug, rocking them both side to side slowly. "I think it's your turn to pick today, right?"
"Yeah."
"So what do you want to do after we practice your addition? Do you know yet?"
"Wanna make kites."
Anthony froze, glancing up at the captain with an almost guilty expression on his face.
"Sounds good to me," Captain Fell said. He was going to try this new method. "I'm going to show the Baroness around, give her a tour. But I'll be back at lunch, is that alright?"
"You're leaving already?" Warlock asked. He was hung up on the part he didn't like, as any other child his age would be.
"I'm sure he's sticking around for breakfast," Anthony was quick to amend, glancing at the captain meaningfully.
"Yes, I am. How do you feel about going downstairs for breakfast and letting Mr. Crowley get ready?"
"M'kay," Warlock said, after looking to Anthony and seeing him nod. He took his father's hand, and with one more backward glance at his teacher, allowed himself to be steered downstairs.
Anthony flopped back into the pillows, rubbing his eyes. Lord, why do I feel like it's going to be another long day?
It was going to be a long day because this whole affair was awkward. Captain Fell was afraid of stepping on Anthony's toes, Anthony was afraid of mortally offending his employer, neither would bring it up to discuss it frankly, and the kids could sense the tension like spooked horses.
Morning studies felt like slipping back into normalcy after an exceedingly awkward breakfast, but as soon as their father's car pulled up, Crowley got quieter again and their father approached them with uncharacteristic hesitance. Baroness Fern exited the car as well, stylish as always, sunglasses perched on an upturned nose and a colorful bandana holding back her hair.
Bee wasn't sure what to make of her quite yet. Upon exchanging secret glances with Adam and Pepper, they didn't either.
"While we were out, we picked up some supplies. For kite making," Captain Fell said.
"Oh. Good, I guess. Um- thank you, sir. I don't actually know how to make kites, I was hoping you had a book on that but I haven't gotten around to looking-" There was a sunburnt-looking color creeping up Crowley's neck.
Oh God, Bee thought. Oh no.
She watched her father and her teacher bumble around each other. One would start to give advice, then pause and look at the other, wide-eyed, as if they might have done something wrong, which would confuse and alarm the other, who had no idea the other was so nervous and on and on it went. None of them were learning very much about kites until Adam figured it out and told everyone what they were doing wrong.
"Now we should probably let the glue dry," Captain Fell said, surveying the kite he and Wensley had been working on together with a satisfied air.
"We're not flying them?" Warlock asked.
"It's not windy anyway," Anthony said, "but when it does get windy, we'll go right outside and try them, okay?"
"Ours will fly the best."
"No, mine has a spell on it so mine's going to fly the best. But yours can fly second best, don't worry," Ana glued one more sprig of rosemary to hers. Bee watched her father go through confusion, worry, huffiness and doubt in about two seconds, open his mouth to say something, then decide against it.
She wasn't sure what Crowley had said or done, but whatever it had been, seemed like it worked.