How Long Does It Take....?
I Hope you can Remember, Dear Readers, where it was in the story that we last saw Daphne, because some of you may have hoped that the next morning would come sooner! Alas, Time does not always follow the rules in my mini worlds.... and so it was a very long time before the morning light crept in through the tiny window in the Nanny's bedroom. Could it be the first night she had slept in this tiny garret room? She
did not think she had slept at all after Renee had joined her in her
bed. How could she sleep with the warm little body of her daughter
curled beside her, breathing gently once the hiccups had gone away. She had so many questions. Nothing was what she had expected.
She watched the first rays of Dawn chase the shadows from the corners and wondered about her child's world.
And yet, she must have fallen asleep at some point
because the next thing she knew,
Renee was standing quietly beside the bed gazing at her.
"Good morning, Little Sunshine..." she said.
"When are we going to write a letter to Gabrielle?" asked Renee.
"Well, first let's get dressed and see about breakfast..." replied Daphne.
As soon as Daphne was dressed, she followed Renee to the Nursery.
"Let's find you some clean clothes" she said.
She began to search through the wardrobe, but it was empty.
Renee set Hibou carefully on her table.
He promised to stay put while Renee got dressed.
Renee went to her dresser where her shirts were kept.
Daphne could see that Renee knew where her clothes were kept.
But there didn't seem to be many at all.
She made a mental note that she would need to go shopping.
"I can dress myself" said Renee.
"You're not supposed to watch!" she declared.
"I'll close my eyes," said Daphne.
"Now where do these go...?" asked Daphne,
holding the dirty clothes from the day before.
"I forget...." said Renee. "Gabrielle knew where to put them."
"Can we write to Gabrielle now?" she asked.
But before Daphne could even think to answer,
Cook arrived with a breakfast tray.
Daphne was glad to see it arriving.
She still had no idea what to expect!
Cook set the tray on the table.
"All you have to do is text me" he said.
"I brought it up this morning. I knew she would be awake."
"Whenever you are ready to eat
or need something... just text 'cookie'."
"Thank you" said Daphne.
"Renee, say thank you to Cook" she prompted.
"Thank you" said Renee cheerfully.
"Hibou can't say 'thank you'" she added.
"He doesn't know how to talk yet."
Daphne pulled up the tall stool and took some
bread and jam to go with her coffee.
Renee had cereal and milk.
"Hibou likes my milk" she said.
"It will make him grow big and strong so he can fly.
He is just a baby.." she added.
"He only flew once, but he landed in the Fountain!" she said.
"And That Man pulled him out!"
"Can we write to Gabrielle now? she asked.
"As soon as we are done with eating" Daphne replied.
Once the breakfast things were cleared away,
she went to fetch her paper and pencils.
She spread them out on the table.
Daphne was surprised to discover that
Renee had never seen paint and crayons.
"What do you want to say to Gabrielle?"
asked Daphne, pulling out her pencils.
"I will start the letter with 'Dear Gabrielle'' said Daphne...
"Then what do you want to tell her?"
"Hibou is safe" said Renee.
"He got lost, but Mademoiselle O'Malley found him."
She watched as Daphne wrote the letters.
"I am learning letters." she said.
"I am going to teach them to Hibou." she added.
"See you soon" she said. Daphne carefully wrote every word.
"Would you like to draw a picture for Gabrielle?" asked Daphne.
"I will Draw Hibou!" declared Renee excitedly.
Daphne spread the pencils out and gave her some paper.
"He's playing with the birds in the Park!" she said
after a minute of careful pencil work.
Soon she needed another piece of paper....
"Hibou likes the birds in the Park.." she added.
"Can we go to the Park now?" she asked.
But before Daphne could answer, the door opened
and the Young Lawyer, Raymond, stepped in.
"Ray Ray...!" cried Renee. "We are writing a letter to Gabrielle
because Hibou got lost and Mademoiselle O'Malley found him!"
"And I am drawing a picture of Hibou at the Park!" she added excitedly.
"So I see, Sunshine." he said fondly.
Then he turned to Daphne and said
"I've come to give you a break."
"A break..." said Daphne...."Why would I need a break?
"You are supposed to have regular breaks"
explained Raymond. "I fill in."
"Don't you have other things you need to do...
like shopping?" he added.
"I don't need to go shopping" declared Daphne,
even though she had been thinking of things they needed.
"Besides, I have a phone, I can order what I need."
She was just starting to get comfortable with Renee.
The last thing she wanted was to have a break!
"But you could give us Gabrielle's address..." she stated.
"Then we could mail this letter right away on our way to the Park."
"I'll take it and mail it for you" said Raymond.
"No, thank you. I'd much rather have the address" said Daphne.
"I'm sure there will be other letters,
and we wouldn't want to have to bother you every time."
"Besides, I think Renee might enjoy mailing it herself..." said Daphne.
"Would you like that?" she asked Renee.
"I want to go to the Park And mail the letter..." declared Renee.
"And I want to go with Hibou And Ray Ray...
And Mademoiselle O'Malley!"
And there, My Dear Readers, is where I must leave you for now,
once again at the edge of the cliff!
And who knows how long it will take for this short "break"?
I will be traveling to visit my Mother and my Father out West
and so will have little time for minis for the next few weeks.
But Rest assured, however Long it takes,
It is All those Tiny things that count!
