The Joy of Children

 A little four-year-old girl was happily strolling through the corridor, her eyes occupied with her very new and very shiny accessory. She wasn’t looking where she was going and was stopped only when her head bumped into something soft. She lifted her chin and her big brown eyes found the face of her mother smiling down at her.

“You should look where you’re going, honey,” she said softly and the little girl nodded in agreement. Just as her mum was making a step forward, she spoke out.

“Mummy! Look!” Her small fingers clutched around black leather around her wrist, the contraption obviously too big for her and she had to hold it on so it wouldn’t simply slide to the floor.

Her mother froze in place, her face suddenly too serious and redder by the second. “W-what is that, sweetheart?”

“A wing!”

“A ring? Oh… a… bracelet…” She didn’t really know what to say. The dark leather cuff must’ve been left on the bed. She wasn’t used to hiding things, but as it seemed she might start doing it. “Can I have it?”

“But you have one,” the girl’s fingers started fiddling with a metal loop of the cuff nervously.

“I’ll trade it then,” Gemina got to her knees and undid the crystal bracelet from her wrist. “Look, this one’s prettier and will suit you better. Can I have yours?”

Shiny crystals were reflecting in the girl’s fascinated eyes as she nodded. Her mother felt instantly relieved and took the strap off, putting on the bracelet instead.

“That’s better. Now, meldenya, don’t tell your dad about this little trade, okay?”

The girl blinked, confused. Her mother, however, wasn’t confused at all. She wouldn’t like his reaction if he laughed at her and all she could do would be blush in response. Finally, the girl shrugged.

“Oykay…”

“Oh, thank you.” Gemina kissed her daughter’s ginger head and stood up, immediately making her way into the bedroom. Where the hell did she find it?

____________

Something was making noise in the living room, but Gemina didn’t think much of it. Maybe it was the cat in places she shouldn’t be, but as long as her arch nemesis wasn’t home, nobody really cared. It was going on for too long, though, and finally she thought she’d investigate.

She stepped into the living room and stopped, disbelief in her face.

“Lya! Why are you sitting on the piano?” Her daughter, now six, was sitting on the shiny black wood with her feet happily tapping the keys below. When she saw her mother, she stopped.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged and by that time Gemina was so perplexed she couldn’t even think of words for a moment. She’s never done that, why now?

“Get down, dad wouldn’t be happy to see you there.” Her voice wasn’t too strict, but she meant her words. Lya, however, frowned.

“But you can sit here!”

“What?” She didn’t remember doing any such thing. Not in front of her daughter, anyway. “When?”

“Last week when you were playing with daddy.” She was frowning more and more with every word and at that point, so was her mother. Frowning with confusion.

“Playing with-“ suddenly, her face cleared and she froze in place. And all she could think of was well, fuck. “Meldenya, get down, please.”

"But you could!”

“Did it… did it wake you?” Gemina asked with a tight throat. When Lya nodded, she sighed.

“I’m sorry about that.” Next time we’ll use a muffling charm. If there is a next time. “That was a special occasion. I was… tired.” You’re digging your own damn grave and you know it.

“I’m tired now!”

“Lyanna, get down or so gods help me!”

The girl looked at her angrily, but then hopped down, dragging the key lid with her so it slammed down with a loud clap.

“Whatever, I play better than you, anyway!” she got out through gritted teeth as she was walking past her mother.

“Well, he is a good teacher,” Gemina breathed when she was alone and then sighed with frustration. At least kids don’t understand and don’t remember…

____________

10 years later

Illebris high school and the trouble of a non-aging society

“…so anyway, that’s why I couldn’t sleep last night. If I don’t pass that exam it’s because of my parents.”

“I really didn’t need to know that, June,” Lya rolled her eyes and looked at her lunch. Suddenly, it wasn’t as appealing.

“Honestly, I can’t even tell the teacher that! Sorry, miss, my parents were having really loud sex in the next room-“

“June!” hissed another girl.

“Gee, since when are you two such prudes?”

“Sorry we don’t want to talk about your parents’ sex life. Especially on the day of the exams.”

“Yeah, I’m with Pru,” Lya pointed out, “I just wanted to have lunch. Also, my room is on the other side of the house and I’m glad for that,” she said with a smile creeping on her face. “Although I really don’t think I’d have your problems. My parents are too proper for that,” she shrugged and both of her friends laughed.

“Yeah, sure,” June replied with mischief in her eyes.

“And what does that mean?” Lya snapped back.

“Have you seen your dad? Just saying.”

“Yes, I have, he’s my father.” Her smile was gone, June was treading on the wrong path. Pru was trying to conceal her smile, but couldn’t and she started laughing just as she wanted to say something.

“I think June has hots for your dad.”

“No!” June was quick to defend herself.

“Gods, June… please… don’t…” Lya has kind of given up on the idea of eating at that point.

“She saw him a few times around the school. And my mum says he looks… you know…” Pru shrugged and returned to her juice.

“He looks what?” Lya wasn’t even sure she wanted to hear the answer to that, but she got one from June.

“He looks like he knows what he’s doing. That’s what women want isn’t it? Have you looked around our class lately?”

Pru was laughing again. “That’s right, June wants a man, not a boy. As if anyone was interested in a sixteen-year-old elf like you.”

“You two need to shut up before I throw up,” Lya grumbled. “First of all, he’s my father, second of all, he has a wife,” she gave June a stern look, “third of all, he’s not like that. As I said, too proper. They’re both normal, thank gods.”

“Are you sure, though,” June, to Lya’s misery, wasn’t letting the subject go. “He’s a werewolf, isn’t he?”

“And?”

“Haven’t you read what they say about wolf guys? Sometimes it makes you regret that it’s illegal to turn them before eighteen.”

“June!” Now Lya was getting properly disturbed. Who talked like that? For what she knew, it was a curse and a dangerous one. Was June forgetting about what the full moons sounded like? Her parents were elves, she only knew what people said and what school taught them. It wasn’t enough.

“What?” June lifted her hands in defence. “You should read more of Young Witch.”

“You should have more human decency and stop reading bullshit girly magazines,” Lya hissed back.

“All I’m saying is that they have a reputation,” June shrugged and poked at her lunch with a fork.

“Well, all my mum’s saying is that they tend to be dominant. Or every true one should be.”

“Okay, Pru – your racist mother needs a break from breathing, too. What the hell does that even mean? True werewolf?”

“It means,” June stepped in, “that women want an alpha, not an omega.” She smirked. “You can’t blame me. Them.”

“That’s classist.”

“Whatever. You just don’t see it, because he’s your dad. He must’ve been turned young, looks great.”

“You know what, I don’t say it often, but fuck you. Both of you.” She just couldn’t stand it anymore, stood up and walked away.

The walk home was a torture, though. Those words started a chain reaction in Lya’s brain. A chain reaction of all the odd occasions when she caught her mum with something strange, when she caught them doing something she didn’t understand at all back then. Gods, if June was right she was actually going to throw up. Her parents were normal, thank you very much!

When she came home, she found her mum in the living room, apparently she just got home from work.

“Mum,” she moaned with a very displeased look, “did you have sex on the piano?”

Gemina, completely at loss for words, just blinked at her. “Wh-what?!”

“You did, didn’t you.” Lyanna’s expression turned completely disinterested. She wasn’t even surprised, that was the worst part. “And the… the… “bracelet”… The belts? Oh gods… Why?! Why do I have to find out now? Or why did I ever have to find out? I was fine! Just living my life! And then stupid June ruins it all. Thanks, mum.”

“Lya!”

“I’ll go bury myself in homework now. Hopefully, it will kill me.” She turned on the heel and the fact that her mum wasn’t even trying to stop her just convinced her that it was true. She barely moved when the door opened and in came her dad.

“Great,” she murmured. “You,” she pointed at him, stopping him in his tracks, “will never even come close to my school, okay?”

“What? We sponsor that school, Lya.”

“Whatever, my classmates have a collective crush on you. And their mothers. I can’t stand that. I won’t stand that! Gods, I thought you were normal!” She stormed off to her room.

“Okay, so…” Gemina started slowly. “I guess I’ll have to talk to her.” She looked at him very seriously, scanning him from head to toes.

“What?”

“Just trying to figure out whether I’d have a crush on you if I were sixteen.” She started laughing. “Also, I think we need a new piano…”