Part 15 (1/2)
And Little Red Cap thought, ”As long as I live, I will never leave the path and run off into the woods by myself.”
Little Red Cap, The Brothers Grimm .
PART I.
Fall .
Prologue.
”...and they lived happily ever after.” The man closed the book and waited.
”Daddy?”
”Yes, darling,” he said, smiling to himself. He was never lucky enough to get away with reading just one story.
”I'm not sleepy.”
”You haven't tried. Close your eyes,” he recited. This was their nightly ritual.
”It won't help.” The little girl frowned, sat up in bed, and crossed her arms.
”Would you like some water?”
”No.”
”Another blanket?”
”Daddy...” the little girl whined.
”Another story?” the man asked, sighing.
The little girl nodded happily.
”Okay, okay.” The man flipped the big book in his lap open to another page. He had already bookmarked which story he was going to read. ”Sleeping Beauty?”
”I don't want a story from that that book.” book.”
”Oh?” the man asked, surprised. This book was her favorite, and he couldn't remember the last time she had asked him to read anything else. ”Okay,” he said, unsure, and reached towards her small book shelf.
”Uh-uh.”
”Uh-uh, what?”
”I want the story you know by heart.”
The man leaned forward and smoothed back the girl's hair. ”The one I used to tell your brother when he was little?”
”Yes, that one.”
”I don't know ... it's been a long time since I've told that one. I may not remember it.”
”You remember.”
She was right, of course. How could he forget? Things were much better then. ”It might be a little scary for you,” he said, trying one last time to distract her.
”Please, Daddy!”
The man watched her lips turn down at the corners, and he knew he had already lost. He just couldn't stand to see her cry. He kissed the girl on the forehead and took her hand. ”You know he's going to be fine, right? Your brother's pretty tough.”
”I know.”
The man studied the little girl. Even in the dark, her face looked serene, untroubled.
”Okay,” he said. ”Move over. Let me sit next to you.”
”How come?” she asked, scooting over quickly.
”So I I don't get scared.” He crammed as much of himself as he could onto her small bed. ”Let's see...” he said to himself. don't get scared.” He crammed as much of himself as he could onto her small bed. ”Let's see...” he said to himself.
”Daddy?”