Page 21 of Artemis

Artemis stifled her giggle, wanting to see what would happen.

“Kick it back, Lati!” Alexander shouted excitedly. “You can do it!”

The fawn bent awkwardly, spindly legs splayed wide, and pushed the ball a bit with the top of her nose.

Alexander fell over laughing.

Artemis smiled. “Good girl, Elati,” she encouraged.

The fawn pranced a bit and headbutted the ball again before licking it.

“We don’t put toys in our mouths,” Alexander scolded through his giggles.

Elati finished pushing the ball over to him, and Alexander mirrored her position to push the ball back to her.

Bath tonight.

Artemis absentmindedly watched her son rub his face and hair against the grass. She could feel the moonrise starting deep in her bones. “All right, sweetheart. Two minutes before we have to go in.”

“But Moooom!” Alexander complained.

Artemis raised her eyebrow and Alexander quieted.

“If I talk, I don’t get to play,” he said.

“Good remembering. You get a bath tonight, so you have something to look forward to.”

“Yay! Can we go in now?”

Artemis stifled a laugh. “Sure, if that’s what you’d like. Say goodnight to Elati.”

“Night Lati!” Alexander skipped into the house.

* * *

Artemis got almostas wet as Alexander during his bath, something which she shrugged off. She was going to have a shower as soon as he was in bed anyway.

“Story?” Alexander begged, once he was in his pajamas and tucked into bed, holding his stuffed teddy bear.

“Let me think. Have I told you the story about the Moon Goddess before?” Artemis asked, knowing what his answer would be.

“Yes! That’s you! Tell me again!” Alexander bounced a bit on the mattress.

“That doesn’t look like you’re calm enough for a story,” Artemis hedged, and Alexander wiggled under the covers until only his big gray eyes peeped out. She ruffled his blond hair with one hand. “The Moon Goddess was lonely. Her brother, Apollo, was the Sun God, and she rarely ever saw him, because he drove the chariot that pulled the sun across the sky, while she did the same for the moon.

“One evening, she looked down upon the Earth and saw some young men and women bathing in a pool of shining silver. It was the reflection of her moon on the water below. She so yearned to join them, that she took a ribbon of moonlight and slid down it like a slide, right into the midst of the group!

“They were very nice to the Goddess and invited her to go swimming with them. She had so much fun that she joined them every full moon after that, dancing and rejoicing in the moonlight.”

“I love you, Mom,” Alexander said, and yawned wide. He lifted his arms up. “Kiss?”

“Of course darling.” She pressed a gentle kiss to his soft cheek. “I love you so much. May you dream of whatever you love most.”

“Night.” His eyes closed and he squeezed his bear tighter.

Artemis checked that the monitor was turned on and left the room, closing the door behind her with a sigh of relief. She loved her son more than anything else in the world, but it was nice to have time just for herself.

A quick detour into her own room to strip out of her clothing and slip into a freshly cleaned cotton robe before she grabbed the other end of the monitor. So as not to keep Alexander awake, she went to the extra bathroom on the lower level of the house, as far from his bedroom as possible.

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