She Lays Down [h.s.]

Seven

Author's Note: Happy birthday Chloe! Here's a double update just for you! I hope you've had a wonderful birthday! <3

Rain falls in heavy sheets and batters the roof and the windows. The wind throws the trees around like it's playing a game of basketball and the lightning lights up the sky in bright flashes that remind Mary of strobe lights.

What worries her the most is the thunder because Ember is absolutely terrified of the loud cracks that sometimes manage to send vibrations through the floor.

Ember's curled up in her lap and hiding her face in her shirt with tears in her eyes. Mary holds her close and tells her that she's there every now and then and that she's alright because she won't let anything happen to her princess.

Another roll of thunder shakes the house and Ember whimpers. It hurts Mary to see her upset like this, but she can't make the storm go away no matter how much she wishes that she could.

They sit like that for a while before she suddenly gets an idea that she's sure will keep Ember's mind away from the thunder.

"Emmy, sweetie. Do you want to make a blanket fort? It will keep the thunder away and it will be super soft."

Ember sniffles and looks up at her mommy, "It will?"

Mary nods and gently wipes the tears from Ember's cheeks, "Mmhhmm. We can even use the extra blankets and pillows in the hall closet if you think we need them."

Ember smiles softly up at her mother, "Can we build one now?"

"Of course we can!"

It takes Ember a little while to actually get into her usual excitement, but after Mary's brought down nearly all of the sheets it finally starts to sink in and she's practically teleporting up and down the stairs.

The storm is still raging on outside, but Ember hardly even notices because she's so caught up in bringing all of the blankets and pillows in the house down the stairs and into the living room. In no time, the room is a mess. There are pillows, blankets, and sheets everywhere and Mary has to think for a moment because there's so much and she doesn't know where to start.

Ember knows exactly what she wants to do though and she's handing her sheets and telling her where she wants them in a matter of seconds. Mary laughs and does as instructed and in about an hour, they've got a massive blanket fort in the living room.

Cushy pillows line the floor and the sides, blankets cover the pillows for an even softer surface, and sheets hang from the walls and the ceiling. Mary's even covered up the front window and hung Christmas lights around the inside of their fort so that they can see.

The big book full of fairy tales is next to Mary as she and Ember lie side by side and admire their handiwork. Ember thinks it's absolutely wonderful and she's not even thinking about the storm outside anymore.

A few minutes pass as they lay there in silence before Mary grins and turns to Ember, "Want me to read you a fairy tale?"

Ember's eyes light up like a match has just been struck inside her head, "Yes, please!"

She's heard a lot of stories from this book, but there are a lot that she hasn't heard and Mary finds one near the back that teaches a good lesson and ends happily. She bought the Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales book and there are some that don't end happily that she won't read to Ember because she's young and happy endings are fine for now.

Ember scoots closer to her mommy as she opens the book and flips to a story that she's never heard of before.

Mary smiles as she starts to read, "The Golden Bird. Long ago there was a King who had a beautiful garden behind his palace. In the garden, there was a tree that made golden apples. The king had someone count the apples once they started to ripen. But, the next day an apple was missing.