Archive for June, 2016
Roses…
Chicago Botanic Garden
ChicagoSmirk, smirk…
This is my granddaughter and Mason. They have been friends for ages. She’s visiting him and (working a bit) in CA. She’s having a fantastic time and eventually moving there to work and play. They were at a party. She keeps sending me pictures. They are both artists.
LuLu’s Pie Shoppe…11
“Marion? You heard?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“I’m new to this but it seems to me that duty calls.”
LuLu’s mother touched her daughter’s arm and watched her come awake.
“Mom?”
“I’m right here,” she said.
“Where did the man who was sitting across from me, go?” she asked, looking around, rubbing her eyes.
“He had to leave.”
“He knew about dad. He knew me when I was a baby.”
“He did,” she said, softly.
“He was looking for Will.”
“Yes.”
“There was a yellow bird in here earlier. Her name was Sweetheart.”
“LuLu, after the wedding I’m going to take a little trip.”
“Why?”
“I’ll talk to Marion. She can do everything that I can do, so there’s no need to worry about the shoppe.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have to take care of some business.”
“What kind of business and did CC’s uncle have anything to do with this?”
“He simply reminded me that I have been neglecting my duty.”
“What duty? Duty to who?” asked LuLu, her voice rising. “How long will you be gone? Why did Will kneel in front of you? What’s going on?”
“Duty to the people I rule. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone and Will is one of my subjects, that’s why he knelt.”
LuLu stared at her mother.
“You see, my darling, I am a Fairy Queen and you are a Fairy Princess.”
LuLu started to laugh. “Fine, if you don’t want to tell me, just say so.”
“She is telling you,” said Marion, placing a tea pot and two empty cups on the table.
“Is Marion one of your subjects? asked LuLu, a smirk on her lips.
“Some Fairy blood runs through her veins but no, she is too human to be one of us.”
“Our customers?” asked LuLu.
“More than a few have been touched by Fairy, but most are human. Marion has more Fairy than most. Those who have the blood are drawn to this place. They don’t know why they love being here, they just know that they do. When they are in the shoppe, they feel happy, comfortable and safe. But they are they are too human to be under Fairy Law.”
“It’s the magic,” said Marion, knowingly.
“What about Reba and CC?”
“Changelings.”
“Seriously? Changelings? Are the human babies they replaced living in Fairy, while Reba and CC live here?”
“Yes.”
“So basically, my entire life has been a lie,” said LuLu, to herself.
“Your entire life has been real, completely true and honest in every way,” said her mother.
“Except for the part that I’m from somewhere else, my mother is a Fairy Queen, I’m a Fairy Princess, dragons are real and I’m not human.”
“Yes, except for that.”
“Well, you can’t be Queen of Winter, or Summer, so?”
“There are two other seasons,” said her mother.
“You mean Fall and Spring?”
LuLu’s mother nodded.
“They don’t have Queens.”
LuLu’s mother smiled.
“You made everyone forget, didn’t you.”
Her mother nodded.
Winter and Summer are fronting for you.
Her mother nodded again.
They are distractions. That’s why everyone writes about them and makes movies about them. They do it so that you can stay hidden.”
“Yes.”
“Which one are you?”
“I am the Queen of Spring,” said her mother. As soon as she spoke, trees began to bloom. Flowers opened and the grass sprouted. Birds went in search of nesting material, the sun shown through the night sky and a feeling of newness, expectation and joy filled the air. Some of the fruit in the kitchen began to put out roots, other fruit ripened quickly.
LuLu put her head back onto the table.
“The Lady of the Lake is my sister,” said her mother.
“Sword in the stone Lady?” muttered LuLu, without looking up.
“Yes.”
“She’s my aunt?”
“She is.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“You are not.”
“I am,” said LuLu, adamantly. “I’m an adult and old enough to decide for myself.”
“You don’t know enough to make an informed decision.”
“Whose fault is that?”
Roses…
Chicago Botanic Garden
LuLu’s Pie Shoppe…10
“You must be LuLu,” said the handsome man, with the pale blue eyes.
“And you are?”
“I’m CC’s uncle and I’m looking for Will.”
“He’s not here.”
“I haven’t see you since you were a baby, he said, kindly. “You look a lot like your father.”
“I do?” said LuLu, in surprise.
“Oh yes, but you must know that.”
“I never knew my father.”
“Well, that’s understandable. He died in the war, almost right after you were birthed, so….”
LuLu thought the word birthed was strange but said, “Did you know him?”
“I knew of him, of course, but I wouldn’t say that I knew him.”
“Would you like some pie?”
“How delightful,” he said, smiling. “I would love some pie.”
“Sit anywhere,” said LuLu, cutting a large wedge of cherry cobbler. She added an enormous scoop of raspberry ice cream, threw on a dollop of whipped cream, then added sugar crystals on top of that.” She put down his plate and slid into the chair across from him.
“Your father was a brave man. It was a short war. Merlin, working out of The Book Lovers Emporium, ended it almost before it began. Your father wasn’t supposed to be in the first wave. He was supposed to stay behind, until his people had a foothold. He refused to let them risk their lives, while he remained safe. He died a hero. Those at the Emporium did everything they could to protect him. The dragons went mad when he was killed. No one could control them. The dragons loved your father. They won the war for our side. But I’m sure your mother has told you this story far too many times, already,” he said, scraping his fork across the plate. “That, my dear, was the best thing I have ever eaten.”
LuLu suddenly put her head down and promptly fell asleep.
“I didn’t tell her anything,” said her mother. “Nothing at all.”
“Lady,” he said, bowing his head.
“I wanted her to have a normal life.”
“But the war,” he said.
“She thinks he died in a human war, not a war between fairies.”
“I see.”
“I thought I could keep her out of it. Out of the politics, the fighting, just out of it. Then Reba and CC showed up. I still thought I could control whatever happened. But when Will appeared…”
“I warned him not to come, but it was his brother’s wedding,” he said, looking away. “Where is he?”
“He’s safe and unharmed,” she laughed. Admittedly the last part was difficult for me.”
“I’m sure that it was,” he said, knowingly. “What will you do now?”
“I don’t know. It has already begun.”
“My Lady, if I may?”
She nodded.
“The veil wears thin. You are needed.”
“Tell them I will be home in two days time.”
The man stood and went to one knee. “Until then.”
“Until then, River Storm. Be safe.”
Reflections…
Chicago
Mr. Right…film
I love this film. It’s kind of violent, but not in a bad way, although that’s relative, right? It’s charming, funny and a crazy love story. It’s just a lot of fun.
Rethinking Life 
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