Teach us to sit still.
15 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, The Next Generation Tags: Ian, Jewelia, Keenan
Keenan gave his two youngest children a sidelong glance. Jewelia was swinging her feet idly and Ian was sliding back and forth in the pew. Occasionally, he would slide into his sister, earning a glare. Both of them were attracting the attention of other worshippers. That was the downside of being in the public eye. People were always watching.
Sighing softly, Keenan lifted Jewelia off the pew and settled her on his other side. Then, he drew Ian against his side. “Sit still and quiet,” he breathed to the pair.
“But I’m bored,” Jewelia replied in a child-like whisper.
Grinning to hide his embarrassment, Keenan fished in his bag for coloring books and crayons. He gave each of them a coloring book and one crayon. Once they were occupied, they became quiet and still. He couldn’t help but wonder: how had his mother and father taught him to be quiet and respectful in church?
go barefoot
30 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, The Next Generation Tags: Bertram, Keenan, Perry
“I can’t find my sandals,” Perry called. He peered down the steps and looked for an adult. “Uncle Bertram, I need my sandals, so I can go to the beach.”
Bertram’s brows furrowed. “The beach is about a hundred yards from the backdoor,” he said. “Why do you need sandals?”
“Because,” Perry said, his tone one of impatience, “Saphie is out there!” He sighed, rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then, he left to search for his sandals.
Bertram frowned at Keenan and arched an eyebrow. Keenan shrugged. “The pretty girl can’t see him looking unprepared,” he said.
“Be a tough guy,” Bertram called, “forgo the sandals.”
You gave love a band-aid
29 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, Team Alpha, The Next Generation Tags: Corey, Keenan, Perry
“Da,” Corey said, clambering into Keenan’s lap with her doll. “Lovey has an ouch.”
Keenan frown at the doll. It was just a small chip in the hard vinyl of the leg. To Corey’s eyes, it would look just like a scratch. “Well,” he said, a faint smile touching his lips. “Let’s see what I can do for that.”
He reached into one pocket and then the other. A moment later, he fished out a tiny bandaid, like you might use on a finger. He pulled the wrapper off and placed the bandaid over the doll’s wound. “There,” he said.
Corey giggled and clambered down from his lap again. “Thank you, Da,” she called, as she scampered back to her playing.
“You’re welcome,” he replied.
“What are you gonna do when the bandaid doesn’t make her better?” Perry asked, his brows furrowing. When Keenan gave him a questioning look, he said, “Love’s just a doll, Da. Dolls don’t get better from bandaids.”
“How do you know?” Keenan replied. Perry was just young enough that the question gave him pause.
Thought my mom sat on you
24 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, Team Alpha, The Next Generation Tags: Ian, Jewelia, Keenan, Sera/Dominique
Jewelia made a loud noise of protest as Sera started to sit. Sera stood up quickly and looked at her, Jewelia was glaring.
“You don’t want me to sit there, sweetheart?” Sera said, frowning slightly.
“No,” Jewelia said, her tone firm. “You oughta ‘pologize, Mama! You almos’ sat on him!”
“Well,” Sera said, blinking. She looked at the empty cushion and nodded. “My apologies.”
Keenan had looked up from his book and was frowning at Jewelia. He looked at Sera, tilting his head to one side. Sera shook her head slightly. She had no idea who she’d almost sat upon.
“Who’s that, honey?” Keenan asked, looking at Jewelia.
His daughter pulled a pouty frown. “Nasin,” she said, patting the cushion beside her. She smiled. “Nasin ‘s my frien’.”
Keenan chuckled softly and looked back at his book. As Sera settled beside him, he said, “Sounds like Jewelie has an imaginary friend.”
“So it seems,” she said. She shook her head slightly and added, “It’ll be interesting, avoiding sitting on Nathan, until she decides she doesn’t need him anymore.”
Nodding, Keenan looked back at Jewelia. Ian was sitting on the other end of the couch now. Presumably, Nathan was between them. Both children were chattering softly. He wondered, then, just how imaginary Jewelia’s little friend was.
My angel is a xenophobe
15 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, Team Alpha, Team Beta, Team Delta, Team Epsilon, Team Gamma, Team Mu, Team Omicron, Team Theta, The Next Generation Tags: Bertram, Keenan
Keenan came into the room, smiling. “Here he is,” he said, showing his youngest child to the gathered group of team leaders. The moment Ian saw them, he began crying.
Bertram stifled a laugh. “Is he shy?” he said.
Sighing, Keenan nodded. “Looks like.” He turned Ian around. “Hey, Angel,” he said. “Did seeing all those strange people scare you?”
Ian hiccupped and nodded. The others couldn’t help but laugh. Keenan only shook his head and hugged his son.
Love and fear in a house
22 May 2010 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, Team Alpha, The Next Generation Tags: Keenan, Perry
“Why did we leave Mom?” Perry asked. He looked up at his father and frowned. Dad was scowling, his brows pinched together over his eyes. He was chewing his lip, like he did when he was trying to think about how to say something hard. “Did you… not love her?”
Dad shook his head. “I loved her,” he said, his voice soft. He sat down and looked into Perry’s eyes. “But I was also afraid of her – of what she might do to you or your sister.”
Perry scowled, unconsciously mirroring his father’s expression. Then he nodded. “No one should have to live that way,” he said at last.
The book of tales you knew by heart
03 May 2010 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, Team Alpha, The Next Generation Tags: Keenan, Perry
“Da?” Perry said, picking a book up off the shelf. His brows furrowed. It was old and battered, but most of Da’s books were like that. What caught his attention was the faded illustration on the cover. He looked over at Da and held the book up for him to see. “What’s this?”
“My mother used to read that to me when I was your age,” Da said, smiling. He laughed and added, “Got so I knew every word. Would you like to hear one of the stories?”
Perry nodded and stepped up to Da, who was just sitting down in an overstuffed chair. Da pulled him up onto his knee and opened the book. Even though the pages were battered and the ink badly faded, Da had not trouble reading the old storybook.
A fearful hope was all the world contained
25 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, Team Alpha, Team Epsilon, The Next Generation Tags: Bertram, Perry, Rory, Trenton
Perry frowned at the test page before him. He’d heard that the Agency exam was difficult, but he had no idea what that meant until he’d seen the questions.
His brows furrowed. The only rules, they’d been told at the outset, was that they couldn’t “let Master Bertram catch them cheating” and that Trenton and Rory would “answer whatever questions they could”.
His eyes widened. That had to be the answer! Moments before, Bertram had told them to pay special attention to the wording of “everything”. Perry bit his lip and looked over at Bertram.
He was talking to Trenton. Perry looked away, towards Rory. He checked Bertram again and waved the third proctor over to his desk.
“Yes?” Rory asked, leaning down so that Perry could talk softly enough not to disturb anyone.
Perry knew though, that Bertram had amazing hearing. He couldn’t simply ask for the answer. Then, he’d be caught cheating. A faint smile touched his lips and he pointed at the question.
Rory bit his lip and glanced up at Bertram. Then he took Perry’s pencil and hastily wrote the answer in the blank. “I hope that clarifies things,” he said, handing the pencil back.
“Oh, yes,” Perry said, a sly smile touching his lips. He could do this. It was hard, but not impossible.
You can either hold on or let go
12 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, Team Alpha, The Next Generation Tags: Amy, Keenan
Keenan’s brows furrowed as the young man spoke with Amy. He knew his oldest daughter was plenty old enough to talk to boys – to date. Heck, she was old enough to get married. He’d been married and had her by the time he was the age she was now. Some part of him, though, still saw her as his little girl.
He sighed and looked at his friend. “Is he a good man?” he asked, nodding at the young man.
The other potions’ master bit his lip thoughtfully. Then nodded. “He’s better than most of the boys in his year and house turned out, Keene,” he said, his voice soft. A faint smile touched his lips. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders. He was smart enough to steer clear of most – if not all – of the trouble.”
Keenan nodded. He knew the value of second chances. He’d needed one as well. “I guess there comes a time when you have to decide whether to hold on and risk making your children hate you or let go and risk them getting hurt.”
“What’s your choice?” his friend asked.
Smiling, Keenan said, “He’d better not hurt her.”
Childhood is short, maturity is forever
08 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
by Heather in Mini-story, Team Alpha, The Next Generation Tags: Keenan, Perry
Keenan couldn’t help but smile as he watched Perry help his younger brother and sister get ready to head off to school. It felt like it wasn’t so very long ago that Perry was in their shoes – getting ready to go to a magic school for the first time.
“What?” Perry said, when he noticed Keenan watching them.
Sighing, Keenan shook his head. “Don’t grow up too fast, Perry,” he said. “I like being a father.”
Perry grinned. “You’ll always be our da,” he said. Then he shrugged. “Don’t worry, though. I’m enjoying being a kid far too much to grow up as fast as you did.”
Keenan chuckled. “Do that,” he said, nodding.
