Solstice....
Did you notice, Dear Readers, the fireflies flirting in the hedges while the lightning streaked the sky and the crickets tuned their legbows for their evening serenade? The full moon was just rising over the horizon beyond the Mysterious Wood and the catbird called to no-one in particular as the setting sun faded from view and Summer stole into the meadows with her Fairy escort leading the way. Really, it was impossible to miss, but I am not sure Will and Gabrielle were paying attention. They had come out to sit on the Folly Porch to enjoy the evening air. The day had been stiflingly hot and humid and thunderstorms hovered near but never seemed to arrive. They needed rain, but for now, just the cooling air was a blessed relief.
"I don't think it ever got this hot back home...." said Gabrielle suddenly.
"Really...?" said Will, surprised. He hadn't given it any thought.
"I suppose you're right," he added, thoughtfully.
(they had both grown up in northern Europe)
"But Paris was always hot in the Summer," he said.
Paris always made him think of...
No, he was not going to spoil a lovely evening with old history.
And yet, he suddenly felt an alarming sense of deja-vu...
It had been just such a night, and in just this spot
that Daphne had revealed to him her secret.
That she'd had a baby out of wedlock,
and had given up her child.
And that she could never love him as he deserved.
He'd been devastated, of course.
But, ironically, that was how he had met Gabrielle.....
Wasn't life sometimes impossible to understand?
And really, when he thought about it...
he shared so much more with Gabrielle
than he'd ever shared with Daphne!
He'd never really known Daphne...
Now he couldn't imagine a life without Gabrielle...!
He reached over and put his arm around her.
"Hey, you" he said, "have I told you how glad I am you're here?"
"No..." she replied, ever honest.
"But I am happy to be here..." she added, smiling.
"It is so beautiful here..." she said.
"My Grandmother always called these nights 'Fairy Nights'...
when Summer comes..." she added dreamily.
"and in the morning they've left their blankets spread in the grass...."
Will was enchanted... and he hadn't even realized it!
And not very far away at all the Fairies were indeed
preparing for their Night of Revels....
As the full moon rose higher in the sky
and the fireflies winked from the bushes....
Summer stole into the Meadow to the serenade of crickets.
Did You notice, Dear Readers,
The Solstice?
Aahhhh at last! I hope you have a lovely summer, and I hope ours comes quickly!
ReplyDeleteThis was so much fun to read! I didn’t know that Will and Gabrielle would have such interesting stories. How lovely for them to sit out on their porch in the summer air of a Fairy Night!
ReplyDeleteGabrielle's Grandma was so right... "Fairy Nights"... well said. And I know for sure even the Fairy Queen was sitting on her throne hidden in the lilac's roots to host the summer party. Although we could only see two other members of the Fairy Emporium... I still know she was there! ;O)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a wonderful post full of poetry, romance and beautiful pictures. I'm glad that Will's heart is healing... fingers crossed that next he will be able to improve his language of love too. My, Will... "Hey, you"... are you serious? *LOL* And who knows... perhaps... just maybe... as one should never give up hope... perhaps summer will also lead us to Paris and to Daphne to see how she's doing there... not sitting next to a lilac and a rhodie but visiting the park together with Renee and Hibou... and who knows... maybe Raymond might drop by too... *wink*
Hugs
Birgit