Dream a Little Dream
Nov. 29th, 2009 02:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
phasing_catIt was a summer night like thousands of other summer nights. A tent was set up in the backyard, and they were laying on sleeping bags in the grass, looking at the stars. Fireflies danced in the air around them, the only source of light for miles around. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked in the nearby pond. To her, this was heaven.
"Which one is that, Daddy?" she asked.
"That's Orion, the hunter. Remember the story I told you about him?"
"Yes, he was killed by a giant scorpion." She reached her tiny hand up and pointed. "And Scorpio is right there."
He reached out and took her hand in his, so small in comparison. "That's right. Now for a new one." His free hand reached up and pointed, his head close to hers. "Can you see those 5 stars there, shaped like a 'W'?"
"Uh huh."
"That's the queen Cassiopeia. She was very beautiful, but arrogant and prideful. She claimed that she and her daughter were more beautiful than all of the daughters of the sea god, Nereus. This made Poseidon angry."
"Who's Poseidon?" she interrupted.
"The ruling god of the sea. He was going to flood Cassiopeia's country unless she gave her daughter to him, so she chained her daughter Andromeda to a rock on the edge of the sea. Andromeda was saved, but Poseidon still felt Cassiopeia should be punished, so he put her in the sky amongst the stars. Because of where she is, she is upside down half the year."
"That doesn't seem so bad," she said.
"Oh, really? How would you like to be upside down for 6 months?" He tickled her, sitting up and pulling her into his arms, dangling her upside down so her hair grazed the ground. She giggled and struggled.
"Daddy! Put me down!" she sputtered between giggles.
He tickled her a second longer, then laid her back on her sleeping bag. When she'd caught her breath, a frown came over her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"If she was a queen, wasn't there a king? Why didn't he stop her from giving Andromeda away? You would never give me away, would you?" she asked quietly.
"Of course not pumpkin. It's just a story." Whatever would make her think that?
"Even if Mommy wanted to?"
"Mommy wouldn't either. We both love you very much." He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. Her little heart was beating fast, like a hummingbird against his chest.
"I love you Daddy." she mumbled into him.
Kitty sat up in bed, suddenly awake, tears on her cheeks and the smell of mowed grass lingering in her nose. How could she have forgotten about that night? Even at the age of 9 she had felt it, some part of her had known. He would choose her mother over her.
She wiped away the tears and laid back down, rolling onto her side and burying her face in her pillow. Even after three years, the betrayal still hurt. She prayed that someday she'd be able to hate them as she fell back to sleep.
"Which one is that, Daddy?" she asked.
"That's Orion, the hunter. Remember the story I told you about him?"
"Yes, he was killed by a giant scorpion." She reached her tiny hand up and pointed. "And Scorpio is right there."
He reached out and took her hand in his, so small in comparison. "That's right. Now for a new one." His free hand reached up and pointed, his head close to hers. "Can you see those 5 stars there, shaped like a 'W'?"
"Uh huh."
"That's the queen Cassiopeia. She was very beautiful, but arrogant and prideful. She claimed that she and her daughter were more beautiful than all of the daughters of the sea god, Nereus. This made Poseidon angry."
"Who's Poseidon?" she interrupted.
"The ruling god of the sea. He was going to flood Cassiopeia's country unless she gave her daughter to him, so she chained her daughter Andromeda to a rock on the edge of the sea. Andromeda was saved, but Poseidon still felt Cassiopeia should be punished, so he put her in the sky amongst the stars. Because of where she is, she is upside down half the year."
"That doesn't seem so bad," she said.
"Oh, really? How would you like to be upside down for 6 months?" He tickled her, sitting up and pulling her into his arms, dangling her upside down so her hair grazed the ground. She giggled and struggled.
"Daddy! Put me down!" she sputtered between giggles.
He tickled her a second longer, then laid her back on her sleeping bag. When she'd caught her breath, a frown came over her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"If she was a queen, wasn't there a king? Why didn't he stop her from giving Andromeda away? You would never give me away, would you?" she asked quietly.
"Of course not pumpkin. It's just a story." Whatever would make her think that?
"Even if Mommy wanted to?"
"Mommy wouldn't either. We both love you very much." He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. Her little heart was beating fast, like a hummingbird against his chest.
"I love you Daddy." she mumbled into him.
Kitty sat up in bed, suddenly awake, tears on her cheeks and the smell of mowed grass lingering in her nose. How could she have forgotten about that night? Even at the age of 9 she had felt it, some part of her had known. He would choose her mother over her.
She wiped away the tears and laid back down, rolling onto her side and burying her face in her pillow. Even after three years, the betrayal still hurt. She prayed that someday she'd be able to hate them as she fell back to sleep.
