The Lion King In The Human World Part 3

Asher Comes For The Summer!

RANI

Asher was spending the summer with Kion, Amahle, and I. Not gonna lie, I'm kinda nervous. This will be my step son next year. I really want him to like me. I know there's a bit of a bad reputation around step mother, but surely there are good step mothers in the world. Still nervous. I've only been around Asher for a few hours at a time, now he's spending two months with me.

I set up my new fairy garden with Amahle. She loved spending time outside in the sunshine like me. Plus, she loves the fairy figures. Grandmother gave them to me because she couldn't garden anymore and wanted me to bring the fairies back to New York.

"Fairies now?" Amahle asked. I pulled one last dandelion before I nodded. Amahle squealed and grabbed a bubble-wrapped fairy from the box. I think I'm experiencing Grandmother's side of planting a fairy garden.

Then Kion's car pulled up. I took a deep breath. Asher was here.

Asher stuck his head out the window of the back seat. "Is this your house Daddy?" he asked.

Kion got out of the driver's seat. "Sure is Asher," he said, "This is my house. Consider it your summer home."

"It's big!" Asher said.

I eyed the house. It might be bigger than normal, even more so for Asher who lived in an apartment, but it was smaller than my future in-law's house. It's three floors with a nice garden, my work. Pretty nice.

Kion opened the door for Asher. Sweet little Asher clung to Kion's side, he seem intimidated at the house. I stood up, dusted off the dirt as best I could, and walked over to say hi. "Welcome Asher," I told him, "I can't wait to spend the summer with you."

"Hello," Amahle said, "Fairies!"

Asher looked at the fairy figure in her hand. "Why does she have a fairy?" he asked.

"That's our fairy garden," I told him, "I plant one every year. It's a place for fairies to gather and I put the figures in to welcome real fairies." Hey, it worked for six-year old me. It should work for seven-year old Asher.

"Real fairies come here?" Asher asked.

I nodded. "Though we don't see them. Fairies are very shy and they never show themselves to people. But they make my garden grow." Once again, worked for me.

"Alright Asher," Kion said, carrying a large suitcase, "I got your clothes. Are you ready to see your room for the summer?" Besides Kion and my room, there was Amahle's room, Asher's room, and three guest rooms, not counting what could be a whole apartment in the basement.

Then our new puppy, we had to have a pet, came running up. As people who have grown up with large dogs such as Great Danes and St. Bernard's, Kion and I decided to get a smaller dog. So, the little puppy trying to lick Asher's face is a Chocolate Lab named Coco. "Puppy!" Asher shouted, bending down to hug Coco, "I love puppies."

This was too cute.

"Come on Asher," Kion said, "Let's get you stetted. You can bring Coco with you."

Asher picked up Coco in his arms and followed Kion inside. Asher's visit wasn't that bad.

Turns out, Asher's allergic to paprika. Why was I not told? Kion knew and he didn't tell me about his son's allergy! Thankfully, Asher's allergy isn't that bad. His tongue and lips swelled up, but Benzedrine helped it to go down and he's now asleep. I still feel bad.

"I didn't think you needed to know about a paprika allergy to make pasta," Kion said, "It's pasta. I'm sorry."

"Doesn't make me feel any better for whatever giving someone an allergy attack to your son," I mumbled. Asher may be sleeping calmly, but I still see him with swollen lips in my mind. "Why wasn't I told he was allergic to anything at all? I know he's color-blind, but I didn't know about his allergy. Not even a day with me and I nearly put him in the hospital."

Kion put his arm around me. "I had some hand in this. I didn't tell you."

I looked down at Asher. I remember telling Kion to break up with his girlfriend, without knowing she was pregnant with his child. Kion didn't know about Asher because of me, Asher spent five years without a dad because of me. One conversation made such a big difference. "Maybe you shouldn't have asked me for advice seven years ago," I said out loud, "Then I wouldn't have said to break up with Jasiri, and you would have been there when Asher was born, and Asher would have always had you in his life, and this wouldn't have happened because Jasiri would know about her son's allergy."

Kion shook his head at me. "Rani," he said, "Is that what you think? Jasiri and I wouldn't have been happy together. You heard me say that when we were in California this last time."

"You said that to Asher who couldn't possibly understand why you really couldn't get married," I told him.

"But it's true," Kion said, "Jasiri wanted to be an artist where the sun shines year round and she could walk to the beach. I want to help my dad and siblings at the home base and raise a family. Jasiri never even planned on having Asher. She didn't even want kids before he came along. When I dated Jasiri, we were teenagers and didn't really think about our plans after high school. We really wouldn't have been happy because we both had different plans for our lives. Sure, Asher came along and messed a few things up. And it would have been nice if I could have been there when Asher was born, and I mean, being there for him could probably. . .The point is, I want you Rani, not Jasiri. Why are you doubting yourself like this?"

I sighed. "Kion, Jasiri had your son. Doesn't make her, I don't know, something important in your life? Something more important that I am."

"No," Kion said, "Sure, Jasiri will always be important in my life because she had Asher, but she won't be more important that you. Don't forget that Rani. One little mistake doesn't mean I don't love. It means you're human, and that's good. I can't marry someone who's not human."

I had to laugh. "I still feel bad," I said.

Kion shrugged. "I'd figured as much," he said, "But don't worry. I don't think Asher will hold this against you. After all, you made your pie and he loves it."

"Best of all," I added, "There's no paprika in my pie."