Page 55 of Darling Wildfire
“Again?” Cole whined. “Can’t we read something else?”
Emy frowned and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout that could have melted even the strongest of authoritarians and I chuckled.
“Pleeeeease,” Emy pleaded. “Can you tell the version where the girl scares away the wolf?”
“That’s not even how it goes,” Cole complained.
“Iknow,” Emy said, scowling at Cole before turning back to me and fixing a brilliant smile on her face. The smile she always gave me when she wanted something. I couldn’t ever say no. “I like when you make up different versions.”
“Well, I like it when the wolf eats the grandma and the mountain man comes and rescues the girl,” Cole said.
Emy rolled her eyes. “It’s so boring though—everyone knows that story.”
“That’s the point,” Cole argued. “It’s a fairy tale.”
“I can tell it both ways,” I interrupted, ending the feud.
“Cole!” Whit called. “Come help me set the table.”
Cole ran off and Emy settled back against my chest. My arms went around her as she snuggled into me. We sat in silence for a long time just looking out the window at the lake and listening to Cole tell Whit all about the fish he caught.
“I think I’d be too afraid to fight the wolf,” she said.
“Really? Even if it was threatening Cole?”
She seemed to think about that seriously for a long moment.
“Maybe, but I’d still be scared.”
“That’s understandable. Sometimes we have to do things even when we’re scared.”
“Have you ever been scared?”
“Yes, many times,” I said.
“Yeah right,” Emy said. “Name one!”
I laughed. “When I proposed to your mother.”
“What? No way!” She lifted her head to look at me.
“Yup,” I said, grinning. “I was terrified she’d say no.”
She giggled, and I tapped her nose. “Being brave opens up a lot of doors and takes you out of your comfort zone which is where all the magic happens.”
“I guess,” Emy said. “But that doesn’t sound very scary.”
“Well, regardless, whatever it is—only by moving through fear can we lead a courageous life. Fear shouldn’t ever stop us from living, loving or protecting those around us.”
“Dinner is ready!” Whit called from the kitchen.
“Dinner!” Cole echoed after her.
I chuckled and extracted myself from Emy as I got to my feet. “Let’s go eat.”
A few hours later, I passed Whit in the hall as she came out of the kids’ bedroom.
“Meet me on the porch?” She asked.
