“Seren went to bed easy,” Eric sighed. Handing a mug of tea to Clark.

“They had an eventful day,” Clark said, holding the mug with both hands but even then it shook. He rested it on his knee to keep it steady.

“Tomorrow I’ll deal with the invitation.” Eric sat down, staring out the window at the snow falling. “This has to be the coldest winter in history.”

“Feels that way,” Clark agreed. Slowly moving the mug onto the side table. “They say that’s a bad omen.”

“Everything’s an omen. Correlation is not causation.” Eric said simply.

“You don’t believe in anything, do you?” Clark sighed, leaning against the back of the couch again.

“I believe in hard work. Results. Science.” Eric listed slowly. “Things that can be explained.”

“What about the fantastical?” Clark asked.

“Like magic?” Eric chuckled. “Hard not to believe when Serenity’s upstairs. Admittedly it’s a struggle to believe.”

“Kinda, I meant something bigger. Like, miracles or how some things happen for a reason.”

“Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is you didn’t think things through.” Eric said casually. He turned and looked at Clark. “What are you really trying to ask?”

“Nothing I guess.” Clark sighed. “I don’t want Seren to grow up all at once. Like we had to. I want them to keep a hold of that childish wonder as long as they can.”

“I can’t control what goes on in Serenity’s head.” Eric said, but after a pause; “but I’ll do my best.” The conversation went dry and the two just stared out the window at the snow.

Seren slept fitfully. Every few hours they would wake with a jolt. The nightmare faded from their memory instantly. They laid back down and drift off, but would jolt awake again what felt like seconds later. After waking up again in a cold sweat, they huffed. Crawling out of their bed and leaving their room. The lights in the hall were off but a little glow came up from the staircase. Music drifted up as well as light. Seren crept down the stairs and peeked into the sitting room. Surprised to find Mrs. Houper sitting there.

“Hi,” they said quietly. Surprising the older woman.

“Oh! Seren, what are you doing awake?” She asked, quickly wiping at her face.

“Couldn’t sleep. What are you doing here?” Seren crept down the rest of the stairs and into the sitting room.

“I was called in early today.” She said, patting the seat next to her and turning down the radio.

“Is there a lot to do?” Seren asked.

“Sort of,” She said. Picking up her sewing, “why couldn’t you sleep?”

“Kept having bad nightmares.” Seren said, “I don’t remember any of them though.”

“That’s strange,” Mrs. Houper said as Seren curled up on the couch. “You know, Eric’s had similar issues recently. Especially since you met, I wonder if it’s a side effect of the fae magic.”

“Dad doesn’t have nightmares.” Seren got comfortable and closed their eyes. Overwhelmingly exhausted in the light.

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"Of course." Mrs. Houper said uneasily. "Yule is days away. What are you hoping to get?"

"I dunno," Seren shrugged. "Maybe for dad not to have to be sick all the time."

"I think you might just get that wish," Mrs. Hooper's voice shook and she coughed hard. Seren smiled already half asleep again. But the smile faded once they fell back to sleep. Mrs. Houper sighed and picked up her needle work and tried to keep it together.

A few minutes later the corded phone rang on its little pedestal in the sitting room corner. Mrs. Houper launched at it and picked it up.

"Yes?" She listened to the voice at the other end. "Yes. I understand." She trembled as she tried to come up with a goodbye but couldn't think of anything. So she hung up instead. She sighed, took a deep breath to steady herself. Then went to the couch and gently shook Seren.

"Hey, you're gonna come with me to my place for breakfast. Okay?" She whispered. Seren barely cracked an eye open.

"Dun wan breakfus'" they mumbled half asleep.

"You're dad. He. Well. Mr. Asche didn't want you here by yourself for too long. So I'm taking you back home with me." She stumbled to explain but kept circling the bush. Seren opened their eyes and sat up.

"You said there was work to do, and what do you mean by myself? Where'd my dad go? You sounded like you were gonna tell me." Seren rubbed the sleep from their eyes and fixed a hard look at Mrs. Houper.

"I know what I said." Mrs. Houper said, getting visibly frustrated. "Please go get dressed, I'm taking you back to my place and you'll get to meet my family. I've got a little girl your age, you might like her." Seren sensed the strain in Mrs. Houper and quickly ran up the stairs to get dressed.

They walked hand in hand with Mrs. Houper through the early morning streets. Only the light of the street lamps shone down on them. The snow piled high and waiting to be swept. The cold in Seren's bones was only matched by the icy silence between them and the housekeeper. Seren felt the questions on their tongue, but every look up at Mrs. Houper had the words cowering in the back of their throat. So they walked in silence. All the way to the other side of the Summer district to a modest little one story home.

“Here we are,” Mrs. Houper said, trying to sound happy but her voice had an anchor around it. “My children are probably still asleep so you can nap on the couch until everyone wakes up.” Seren nodded mutely. Waiting back for Mrs. Houper to open the door and let them in. The door opened to darkness, Mrs. Houper gently pushed Seren into the house. The first thing they noticed was that it smelled funny, stuffy. But after their eyes adjusted to the dim light, Seren saw the house was cluttered with laundry and some errant dishes. Cobwebs and dust bunnies in forgotten corners.

“Ignore the mess, dear. I’ll get the kids to clean up their mess when they wake up.” She said, shutting the door behind the pair. “Go ahead and get comfortable on the couch and I’ll bring you some blankets.” Seren slowly crawled onto the couch and curled up against the side. With Mrs. Houper gone, Seren was alone with their thoughts. Several thoughts were swirling around their head but they preoccupied themself instead with the epiphany that they were uncomfortable. Diving into the idea that there was a lot in the house and it wasn’t meticulously clean, like their home in the Winter's district. However they were uncomfortable around the mess, suddenly missing the pristine cleaned floors and empty halls that you could run down with reckless abandon without fear of stubbing a toe.

Seren started drifting to sleep while thinking about how accustomed they’d become already. Chiding themself silently as a blanket was draped over them. Scolding themself for getting used to nice living when it was only a matter of time before it was over.

Seren woke up again to someone moving in front of them. They sat up to an older kid trying to tiptoe around and collect dishes.

“Sorry, we’re just trying to clean up a bit.” The kid whispered. “Mom’s making breakfast, pancakes. You like pancakes?” Seren nodded blearily. They rubbed their eyes and sat up fully, feeling like they were stuck under a heavy weight.

“Good, I’ll let her know you’re awake.” The older kid said and took the dishes away. Disappearing around a wall and into the brightly lit kitchen. Hushed noise drifted out alongside the light of the kitchen. Little giggles and the clinking of dishes. Seren got off the couch, seeing the morning light coming through the multiple windows. They slowly approached the archway that separated the kitchen and the living room. The kitchen was filled with children of various ages. From adult to toddler. Among them, at the stove, was an older woman covered in dried plants and flora designs.

“Good morning!” One of the kids waved excitedly. “Hope you want pancakes!” Seren shyly entered the kitchen and waved at all the kids clamoring around to talk in a sea of voices at them.

“All of you! Lay off the poor kid! Let them breathe!” The adult flipped a few more pancakes onto a plate and scolded the mess of children. “Is the table set yet?”

“I’m working on it,” One of the older kids said, tending to the table.

“What happened to Mrs. Houper?” Seren asked quietly.

“Mom? She’s still sleeping, so we’re making her breakfast!” One of the kids around Seren’s age said.

“Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll get you some pancakes, fresh off the griddle.” The woman flipped another pancake onto a plate.