#rivervale_lodge

"I think it's one.. unless they picked up two because some sidhe lady wimped out and had just one daughter and the balance must return to the trolls"

"Seven is a good number."

SHe smiles "I think they want one at a time. We'll see"

"One hundred and one?"

And a sudden stern look. "Nobody is turning them into coats!" Protective already of these... this... wee one yet unarrived.

"I promise, there's no Calanthe Deville here" It slips before she can take it back

A frown, little brow furrowing up. "She wasn't a very good aunt. Not like you'll be." Truth slipping out.

"Thank you for the praise, and... " A pause "You know, what she did to you is something i can never forgive her for. I love you, and you were wronged. That makes me angry. But Da'an is odd... and I did get to be your sister so good things can come of bad things. Mostly because you're such an awesome person you made things good even when they were bad. I know you forgave your father, and I am... incredibly proud of you for that. It's how we 'older' folks are, we want folks younger than us to be better than us. It's not fair to you, but it is how we feel. I think Silverwolf is safe to visit more now. Baroness Nadeen will keep things in line, she's good at being bossy like that. Dagmar will visit for Joust Club and be happy to have you help. YOu'll visit the kids there, talk to your dad get to know him again and vice versa.. .if he is mean to you you let Dagmar and me know but I don't think he will be. "

"I don't know if he's a Dad. I don't know if anyone ever taught him how to be. It's different then being a father. Least, I think so?"

"you're right" she nods, "And you both got cheated of the lessons. But don't go thinking you need to rush over there and 'fix him'. he's adult. It's on him. That's the price he pays in exchange for being able to go on the big rides"

"Oh! I show you." Connor pops up and scrambles away, before returning with something he holds very carefully, and offers to Gerd. A leather-bound family album. It's very thin... most of the pages unfilled, but he flips to the front, squishing into Gerd's lap so it can open for both of them.

"Have you read this story?"

"I don't think I have. Read it to me?" She asks

He opens to page one. "This is the story of a boy. But it started earlier." The first few pages are older photos, several even polaroid.

"This is a nice lady he used to know."

A much younger looking fellow that can only be Aiden, and a lovely woman with the slightest point to her ears even in the mortal picture. Long, soft hair and a crown of flowers.

"They had a party."

Two pages filled with wedding pictures - tall blond ladies serving as maids of honor, a dusky-skinned girl with a basket of flowers - is she nibbling one? Other people Gerd may or may not recognize - but mostly these few pictures center on the bride and groom - though the photographer may have been frustrated, in not a one do they look at the camera. Only at each other.

Despite herself, she smiles

Turning pages, there is more... A clipped in ultrasound scan, a picture of a rather disheveled looking Aiden - or would this be Alan? In a nursery. Dahlia painting a crib - there is a matching smear of that color on her man's cheek as well, and he is carefully carving a personalization onto a wooden toy horse. A candid shot, again without them aware of the photographer.

A rounded belly, exposed and with a flower pattern finger-painted on it.

Then, a birth certificate, and a slip of paper with hand prints and foot prints.

"They had a kid, and this is proof to the government that you have the right number of fingers." Connor nods. "That's important, because otherwise you might not learn how to count proper."

He spreads a hand next to the hand print - much larger!

"See, all there."

She looks over it and glances at the certificate for the boy's full name

"I see... math can be tricky"

A smile. She ponders using the full name the next time he's in trouble

On the next page, and the following pages... a little swaddled bundle of a babe - wrinkled raisin at first, then potato form, and finally a wriggly creature with grasping arms, following the evolution of all babies.

"They had a little lump, but it turned into a baby after a while. That was good because lumps are loud and messy."

"I think Tiffany agrees"

Pictures follow - infant, with a surprising head of thick, soft dark hair. Eyes open, and from birth, one brown, and one blue - on the birth certificate as well. Surprising, but not that unusual, nurses have seen a lot.

Toddler, with a BRIGHT grin... a picture of parents walking with him in the center, hand in hand. Being placed on a pony! Buried in a pool of puppies.

A beaming smile

Holding a bow and arrow - a nerf one. In the background, a slaughtered man, with a dart on his head. The lady laughs!

A solemn looking first day of kindergarten! Holding a bookbag and teary eyes... but then second day, he's all smiles! Two pictures side by side for comparison...

And after that, blank pages.

"He went to school, I think? The end." He beams up to Gerd.

"It's a short story. But I like the illustrations.

"mmmmm" She looks over him "wait here"

And she vanishes

"Ooop!"

It takes about.. ten minutes and then coming in through the front door is... Gerd "Hey. Sorry about that. Had to find it" she has a folder

Connor is waiting. "Sit, stay." He nods.

She does sit.

"Is that my homework?"

And she shakes her head "Nope. This is.. well, see for yourself" She pulls out... hey, that's his card he made Gerd, out of REAL construction paper and crayons with drawings of himself. There's pictures, of him bundled up for the 'real' pictures, but also some of the purely chimerical pictures from Dagmar's borrowed camera! Connor on a horse! Connor with blue clown mouth after eating a blueberry pie.

"Oh! I know him!"

"He's in the shadow paw. You gotta watch out, and keep your noses clean."

"Look, he has a tail just like mine!"

Bouncing excitedly in his seat.

"He does! And a very fine tail it is... see this one? WHere he's scaring folks by being on the roof?"

"Oh, that's NAUGHTY." Muffling giggles.

"ROOF" Edelwiess comments

"aaaa-ROOF." Connor agrees!

"Do those go in here? Or do those stay in there? It's a very NICE folder."

"I was thinking, if you want.. we could give this to your dad to look over, "A breath "or maybe just show it to him?"

He takes the album in one hand, and the folder in another. "One plus one can equal one, or it could equal two?"

"We coudl make a copy of it all, I know a guy... course, she's a nocker so it might end up with your tongue sticking out in every other picture"

"But you know what, we'll do with this whatever you want. We can get a second photo alblum, or put this one in together.."

"There should be two. Because I want one. And I live here. Right?"

"Right" A nod

"Right!" He nods back! And a thumbs up, too.