Generation 1: Chapter 4

Rosi loved when I took her outside for a stroll. There wasn’t much she didn’t like, actually.  I even adopted a puppy named Sunny because I knew it would make her smile and giggle.

It was during one of these outdoor adventures when I began to teach her how to walk. At first, she refused to let go of my hands, realizing she would fall without me. But then, she grew confidence in herself and began to toddle.

It was during this, I saw a young blond woman looking at us and smiling. I smiled back, unsure of how to respond.

She walked over to us. I picked up Rosi and gave the woman a charming smile.

“You know, most males wouldn’t be caught dead teaching their little sisters how to walk,” She stated, a soft smile on her face. Her voice was as soft as her smile…like wind echoing through trees. Whimsical.

“Well, I’m not like most men,” I replied.”This is actually my daughter, Rosi.”

“She’s quite adorable. Her hair is very vibrant.”

“Yeah,” I said, choosing not to elaborate on where she got her red hair.

“So, what single father do I have the pleasure of talking to?”

I looked at her a bit surprised at the fact that she knew I wasn’t married.

“Elijah, Elijah de Marco.”

“Talia Youngblood. de Marco…Do you eat a lot of pasta?”

I’ll admit. Talia Youngblood was a strange woman. But it was endearing. Refreshing even.

“I’m not exactly the best cook, Ms. Youngblood.”

“Talia, please. It rolls off the tongue better,” She corrected me. I nodded.

“Okay, Talia.”

And our conversation took off from there.

Talia Youngblood was very strange… Eccentric. Delusional. Refreshing. Delightful.

She asked me the weirdest things. What were my favorite kind of flowers? What was my favorite food? What was my favorite thing about my daughter? If I was a merman, what color tail would I have.

 

I’d never had someone just ask me questions about myself. Weird ones at that. She had a very musical way of talking and thinking.

Rosi soon grew tired, so I told Talia goodbye. She pulled me into a large hug, shocking me, and whispered her number into my ear. I smiled as she said,”I’ll be waiting for your call, Elijah.”

I picked up Rosi, and we soon departed.

——–

The next day, I called her, which led into a date:

Which led to another date:

 

Despite all these dates, though, our physical interaction never went any farther than embraces and hugs.

It was on the seventh date, I could feel her influence on me. I did something completely impulsive and dangerous.

I proposed.

In my bathroom.

And she said yes.

Even more impulsively, I married her on the spot.

And I didn’t regret a thing.

Talia said it was perfect. That she knew to wear her favorite dress tonight, because something special would happen.

Talia moved in with Rosi and I, much to Rosi’s delight.

Talia loved Rosi as if she was her biological mother. It sometimes made me wonder what it would have been like had Celia not fled. But wandering would change nothing. And I loved Talia. More importantly, Rosi loved Talia. And Talia loved her. And me, I think.

Even Sunny loved her.

It wasn’t long after our marriage that Talia began to feel sick. She would vomit almost constantly, which worried me. She would always hastily assure me that she had probably done something to upset the fairies. That almost always shut me up due to the fact that I was too dumbstruck to come up with a response.

Soon, we learned fairies weren’t the cause of her sickly behavior. A baby was.