The March of the Black Queen (book III)

22.) Days of Cool Reflection

One month later.......

"No Papi, you have to wear your hair like this! That's how Prince Charming has it—Stay still!"

"Oooooh, alright princess. Go on..," I sit with a smirk on my face as Cherie walks into the bathroom to find Charlie hovering over me while I sit on the little pink step stool, letting my daughter brush my hair into a cow-licked side part. The amount of sticky gel piled onto my head is atrocious.

"Getting Papi to look as handsome as ever hmm, Char?," Cherie giggles her way to the mirror above the sink. She got the easy costume— a long silk robe, and huge hair buns. Oh, I'll have fun with that later...

"Yes, Mummy. It's hard work!," Charlie sighs as she steps back to have a look at me, little finger twirling under her chin as if I'm still not supporting her vision.

"Hey now! I'm not that much to work on, darling. Your old Papi is as handsome as they come," I grin widely at her, getting to my feet to look in the mirror. I have to say this new hair-do could work.

"There's a new handsome in town, Papi! It's me!," Richie runs into the room, zooming around in his beige robe, flinging his blue light saber about to showcase his costume.

"Both my men are the best looking in the whole world!," Cherie turns away from the mirror, bumping into me standing behind her. She kisses my cheek quickly and bends to kiss Richie's, too.

As she walks out of the room, I watch the way her costume shimmies about with the sway of her hips. It barely clings to her— she still hasn't put on much weight.

"Papi, don't mess up your costume. Mummy's going to do my makeup now— boys, out!," Charlie dictates with a contrasting sweet smile.

I could be mad about her ways, but I like to think she'll give some poor sucker a run for his money some day. At least, I know my little girl won't have too much trouble being a pushover. She's going to be running things, why kill her spirit?

Cherie meets us in the doorway, a sleepy Lily in her arms just barely dressed in her little costume. "Look at you, my precious princess," I coo at her as she rubs her eyes and switches from Cherie's arms to mine.

"I'm the princess, Papi. Lily is the fairly godmutha," Charlie corrects as she pushes her pink step stool to the sink. "I'm ready Mummy!"

"I can't wait to see your bedtime costume, Mummy," I whisper quickly before giving her lisp a quick kiss and walking out of the bathroom. I turn to wink at her before she closes the door, exciting myself for later when I see her biting her lip as she watches me walk away.

Richie follows me down the stairs as we wait for the women in our lives to finish with their makeup. I settle down with the children on the couch and pop on the tele for some kiddie Halloween cartoons.

Sitting and waiting my mind begins to wander. I start to think back to this time just a year ago. Things were so different.

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Last Mercury Halloween

"Are you absolutely sure you don't want to come trick or treating, Fred? I know the twins would love it..," Rose sits beside me as I lay in bed, unwilling to move. Halloween's never really been a huge deal to any of us, but as our kids got older, the holiday excitement grew.

"I'm not feeling quite up to it, dear. I...I don't..I just can't..," I roll over in bed as to not witness the sympathetic look on Rose's face. Here I am still wallowing over my dead wife, while Rosie's just a month out of surgery and still managing to look on the bright side of things.