Once Upon an Irritatingly Magical Kiss by Bree Wolf

Chapter Forty-Six

A Timely Reunion

Christina’s heart beat wildly in her chest as she kept her gaze fixed on the small flickering lights. They looked precisely the way she had always imagined them, precisely the way she had spoken of them to Samantha. More than once, her daughter had asked her to repeat that story of a young girl who had gotten lost in the forest, who had run away from home because of a misunderstanding, only to find that she did not know the way back.

And then the girl had stumbled upon a place where fireflies danced at night. She had been drawn there by the light, only to find that what she had thought to be fireflies had been fairies instead.

In Christina’s story, the fairies had led the young girl home again and helped reunite her with her family. Had the sight of these lights reminded Samantha of that story? Had she seen them and then walked toward them?

Moving slowly, the two of them found their way through the thicket of the forest. The farther they moved along, the more her heart began to beat with impatience. Eventually, though, the thicket grew thinner, and they were able to walk with greater ease, finding their way around trees, left and right, until they stepped out into a clearing.

No more than a sliver of moonlight shone overhead: yet it reflected upon the still waters of a small lake. Tall trees grew on the opposite side of it, and Christina drew to a halt when her gaze fell on countless little lights dancing upon its banks.

Never in her life had she seen anything more beautiful. Was it possible that Samantha was here?

Slowly, they made their way along the edge of the lake, their eyes sweeping over the little lights nearby. “Samantha!” They took turns calling, though it felt wrong to disturb the silence of this place. “Samantha!”

“What if she’s not here?” Thorne asked, his voice tense and full of fear. “What if she went a different way?” He raked a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched as his eyes continued to search their surroundings.

Christina could not explain it, but, somehow, she was certain that Samantha was nearby. Her gaze swept over the many lights and began to linger where a couple of them seemed to cluster together. Slowly, she moved closer, her gaze dropping to the ground, running over the tall grass toward an old, gnarled oak tree. She felt a tug upon her heart as though something was urging her to keep going, to move closer.

And then she saw her.

Curled up into a little ball, Samantha lay at the base of the tall tree, two of its large roots seemingly circled around her as though trying to hold her, shield her. Fireflies danced above her head like a marker, pointing their way to the most precious treasure they had ever known.

“Thorne!” Christina called in a hushed voice, slowly moving closer, her eyes fixed upon Samantha, her own breath evening out as she saw the little girl’s chest rise and fall in slumber. “Thorne! She’s over here!”

In a flash, her husband was beside her. She could almost feel his relief as they both fell to their knees beside their daughter. Tears stood in his eyes as he reached out a careful hand to place it upon her shoulder. Christina, too, felt the need to reach out, to feel her warmth and know that she was alive, that she was well.

Their eyes met in the dim light, and they breathed out as one. “We found her,” Christina whispered, reaching out her other hand toward her husband, who grasped it with a smile.

“Your story saved her,” he whispered, his eyes glowing in the soft light emitted by the dancing fireflies around them. “She knew to come here because of the story you told her.”

Christina’s eyes misted with tears, and they both looked back down at their daughter the moment Samantha slowly began to stir. Her eyelids began to flutter, and her little arms and legs began to stretch. “Papa?” She blinked, and then opened her eyes.

Thorne smiled down at her. “We’re here. We’re here.” His hand settled upon her shoulders as he waited patiently for her to wake up fully.

Samantha blinked a couple of times before a wide smile spread across her face. Then she surged upward and threw herself into his arms. “Papa! The fairies brought you to me.”

Christina laughed, a deep sigh following as she watched father and daughter. Thorne pinched his eyes shut as he held Samantha close, savoring the moment, only too aware of how close they had come to losing her.

Looking into her father’s face, Samantha frowned. “Why are you crying?”

Thorne wiped the tears from his eyes. “I was worried we wouldn’t find you,” he whispered gently, brushing a curl behind her ear. “Are you all right? That man…” He swallowed hard. “Did he hurt you?”

Samantha’s nose crinkled, and a slight shiver went through her. “I did not like him. He was very mean. But Ellen told him not to hurt me, and when he fell asleep, she lifted me out the small window and told me to run.” Her eyes moved to Christina, and she held out her hand to her.

Christina grasped it gently, surprised how warm her skin was. “And then you came here?”

A small smile flickered over Samantha’s face. “I did not know where to go. Everything was dark. I almost went back.” Her smile stretched wider. “But then I saw the lights, and I knew it had to be fairies.” She squeezed Christina’s hand. “I remembered your story, and so headed toward them.” She lifted her gaze to look upon the little flickering lights around them. “Are they not beautiful? And they brought you to me.” Again, she looked at Christina. “I always knew your story was true. Always.”

Thorne chuckled, still hugging his daughter to his chest. “I suppose that seals it.”

Christina frowned. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is,” he reached out and grasped her free hand, “that after such a glowing review, you have no choice but to publish, to share your gift with the world and delight more children with it.” Warmth rested in his eyes as he looked at her. “Do not hide talent like yours.”

Christina felt her heart pause in her chest. “You cannot mean that.” She shook her head, and suddenly felt like that thirteen-year-old girl once more who had eavesdropped upon her aunt’s conversation with her parents that night long ago. It had shaped her in more ways than she could have foreseen in that moment, and yet her grown self counseled that she was the master of her own fate after all. She was not her aunt, nor was Thorne the same man as her aunt’s husband had been. They were who they were, and they needed to make their own decisions.

Free of the past.

“Of course, I mean that,” Thorne confirmed, his hand squeezing hers for reassurance. “Don’t you think I would delight in boasting about my genius wife, capable of creating such wonderful stories?” He grinned at her in that way of his.

Christina stared at him, not daring to believe. “You truly would not object? You truly mean that—”

“I always mean what I say. Still, ultimately, it is your decision. Do what makes you happy because that is precisely what I want for you. To be happy.”

Samantha had been looking back and forth between them. Now, she joyfully clapped her hands, a wide smile upon her face. “Does this mean more stories?”

They both laughed. Then Christina nodded. “Yes, I suppose it does.” She hesitated for a moment but then leaned forward and whispered, “Truth be told, I have countless notebooks still at home, filled with story after story.”

Grinning at her, Thorne leaned closer as well. “Truth be told, I thought you might.”

Together, the three of them laughed as the fireflies continued to dance around them.