Anima awoke to an enjoyable morning. Stepping outside, it wasn’t too cold, but it wasn’t too warm either. It was the very definition of pleasant.
Maybe we can eat outside today.
He planned a picnic in his head while hanging the laundry to dry under the clear blue sky. Going to some faraway field would only tire Luina out, so he figured that the garden would suffice.
With the laundry finished, he took his idea into the house. Marie was still lying in bed, half-asleep and barely listening, but the moment the word “picnic” left his mouth, her eyes sprang open. Bram, lying next to her, leaped off the bed when she heard that magic word.
“Yaaay! I love pinnic!”
“I wanna roll around on the blanket, m’kay?!”
They went down to the dining room, where Myuke and Luina were setting the table for breakfast. On the morning menu was ham and eggs, salad, and bunny-shaped apples, all of which were being prepared by Myuke while Luina kept an eye on her to make sure she was safe. Based on the apple slices, though, her knife skills had improved quite a bit.
“Bun-buns!” Marie cheered, standing on her toes to see atop the table. Seeing how excited she was, Myuke couldn’t help but smile.
“Better eat ’em up before they run away!”
“I eat! I’s hungy!”
Luina watched with a smile as Marie sat down, waiting to dig in.
“You’re in a good mood this morning. Did you have a nice dream?”
“We pinnic!”
“‘Picnic’?” Luina asked, tilting her head.
“It’s nice outside, so I was thinking we could have a picnic. Or, I suppose just a normal lunch outside.”
“Oh, that sounds lovely! Let’s do it!”
It had been getting warmer with each passing day, so they took whatever chances they got to bask in the sun and enjoy the warmth after months of cold. Despite that, they always ate inside, so Luina really seemed to enjoy the idea of a picnic as a change of pace.
“I wanna have a picnic right now, m’kay? When are we doing it?”
“The doctor will be coming to visit this afternoon, so we’ll have it before then.”
They had a big day ahead of them, and Anima was incredibly nervous. About a month earlier, the doctor had said that both Luina and the child were perfectly healthy and that there were no signs of any complications. As such, Anima and Luina tried to stay calm and collected on the outside, but worries over what-ifs ran through their minds more and more often as the next checkup approached, which was exactly why he had proposed the picnic. He wanted to take everyone’s minds off of that, even if only for a couple hours.
“We’re gonna have to start making lunch right after breakfast! Time to show off my skills!”
“I’ll take care of it; you should go play.”
“I can play during and after the picnic!”
Myuke was excited to make lunch.
During her daily practice, she’d learned to make all sorts of food, and enjoyed cooking even more than when she’d first begun. Anima liked to think that he could make any dish taste just as delicious as she could, but he was the first to admit that her technical skills had already surpassed his.
“Why don’t we make it together, then?”
“Sure! We have to figure out what to make, though.”
“I’m happy you’re all excited for the picnic, but we should start eating. Your eggs will get cold.”
“You’re right. Marie, would you do the honors?”
Marie nodded, then clapped her hands together.
“Thanks for the meal!”
The other four mimicked her, then they all started eating. After they finished and cleaned up, Myuke and Anima got to work on lunch. Normally, Luina would supervise their meal-making, but since Marie was playing outside, she’d gone out to the garden with her and Bram. Bram had found a perfect spot on the grass to lay the blanket the moment she’d stepped outside, so she was sure to have already started basking in the sun.
Back in the kitchen, Anima and Myuke mulled over what would make for the perfect picnic meal. The absence of Luina severely restricted their options, and they couldn’t default to making soup since they were going to be eating outside, which left them with only one option.
“Should we make sandwiches?” Anima suggested.
“That’s a great idea! I’ve made them before—they’re easy, and perfect for outside!”
The pair began preparing plenty of sandwiches. Before long, they were all made and stacked on a plate, so the chef duo headed outside with their meal. When they opened the door, they were greeted by a gentle breeze and sunlight shining peacefully on the green lawn.
“Daddy! Myuke! We’re over here, m’kay?!”
Bram, lying flat on the blanket, waved at them. She’d put it just far enough from the house that it was completely out of the shadows. Marie looked their way with shimmering eyes as they arrived. She was barefoot, her shoes set aside so they wouldn’t dirty the blanket.
“Nummy!”
“I wanna eat, m’kay?!”
“First we have to wash our hands. Luina, how are you feeling?”
“I’m pretty hungry.”
He wasn’t exactly asking if she was hungry, but it was a fact that she’d had quite the healthy appetite as of late. She’d barely wanted to eat in the first several months of her pregnancy due to the nausea and vertigo, but she was in the start of her fifth month, and her body seemed to have gotten well over that. Her appetite had returned to normal.
The family went to the well to wash their hands, and on Marie’s signal, they gave their thanks and ate their second meal of the day.
“Buttafye!” Marie exclaimed as she started munching away at her third sandwich. The butterfly gracefully fluttered past them on its way toward the house. “I love buttafye!”
“All right! C’mon, Marie, we’re gonna catch it, m’kay?”
“Make sure you don’t wander too far.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll keep an eye on them. Chase that butterfly all you want, Marie!”
Myuke, also excited to see the butterfly from up close, quickly put her shoes on and chased after her sisters. The three of them chased the fluttering little bug all over the garden, marveling at its beauty. They still had some sandwiches left, but the girls were way too preoccupied to come back and finish them. Myuke would have been disappointed to see food go to waste, so Anima decided to eat them all. Just as he finished stuffing the last one into his mouth, a soft gust of wind fluttered Luina’s long blue hair.
“This breeze feels really nice.”
“It does. It’s so peaceful out here—we should do this more often.”
“The girls are loving it too. They all love nature.”
Anima and Luina snuggled up to each other under the sunlight. The light wind carried the comfortable smell of grass and greenery, enveloping them in the comforting embrace of nature. As they watched the girls chase the butterfly around the garden, Luina started to doze off. With his beloved wife resting against him, Anima was ready to doze off as well, but something caught his attention.
“Ah! Ena!”
Marie’s happy yelp boomed through the garden. Luina’s eyes flew open, and she looked toward the main entrance, where she noticed two people—Ena and the doctor—walking their way, hand in hand. They had probably knocked on the front door, but walked around back when there was no answer and they heard lively voices from the garden.
“Marie! I comed to pay!”
Marie and Ena had become friends about three months earlier. After discussing the future of their cooking lessons, Anima had brought Camilla a gift to thank her for her efforts, told her about what they’d been learning at home, and invited her to lunch. She’d brought Ena with her, and as she was about the same age as Marie, the two had immediately hit it off.
They both enjoyed playing with someone around their own age, so every time the doctor came to the Scarlett house to check up on Luina, she brought Ena with her. Ena let go of the doctor’s hand, and she and Marie trotted over to each other. Watching the two girls happily run toward one another warmed Anima’s heart.
“Please keep an eye on them,” Luina requested, which pulled Anima back to reality. The time had come: Luina was about to get the checkup they were so nervous about.
“I will; don’t worry.”
He watched the two of them disappear into the house, then turned back toward the girls, eager to join them in the hope of slowing his racing heart. Of course, that was only if the girls wanted him to join. If not, he would have to sit back and wrestle with his thoughts.
“Pay with us!”
Ena’s invitation came with a bright smile. Even though they only saw each other once a month, the fact that she remembered him put a smile on his face just as bright as—if not brighter than—Ena’s. Not many things in life rivaled the euphoric feeling of being loved by children.
“Are we going to chase the butterfly?”
“It flew away,” Myuke explained. “We’re gonna play tag now.”
“It’s the perfect game ’cause even if I lose, I get a hug from you, m’kay?”
“So yeah, that’s what we were thinking. What do you say, Ena? Are you okay with Daddy hugging you?”
“I love hugs!”
She wasn’t just okay with it; she outright loved the idea.
“Watch, Daddy!” Marie shouted. “I’s super fass!”
She dashed off and cheekily glanced back at Anima, fishing for compliments. It would only be a matter of time before she fell if he let her keep it up.
“Wow, you are fast!” She stopped after Anima’s compliment. “The rest of you had better start running too! If you don’t, I’ll catch you!”
Anima tried to scare the girls into running with his teasing tone, and it definitely worked. The girls scattered in all directions, and their game of tag officially began. While keeping an eye on the area so they wouldn’t go outside, he went after Bram.
“Eek! You caught me! Ooh, new rule, m’kay?! You’ll have to carry anyone you catch until you catch the next person, m’kay?!” Anima obliged, and helped Bram on his back. She energetically cheered him on as he went back on the hunt. “Full steam ahead! Ah, Daddy! Myuke has been spotted, m’kay?!”
He easily caught up to the sluggishly jogging Myuke and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.