Poor little Amelie dances through meadowed snow and calm, soft lavender. She laughs as diamond dust floats above her hair, and catches snowflakes on her tongue. Little Amelie plays games by herself, as other children are scarce in such a village. Perhaps Father will play? Ponders Amelie, prior to dismissing such a silly notion. No, Father would not play - not now, not ever again. Father is often sad - has a face made of stony concrete - and does not speak. He does not have time for silly little games. He does not have time for silly little girls either.
Sometimes, when the night is vast and Amelie is restless, she will wait outside of Father's door. And she will hear him crying before he dresses for the day - although, in the eyes of Amelie, the day has not yet even begun. Amelie worries that this is the average life of an adult - fearful and upsetting, with short days and cold, long nights.
One day, Amelie decides to try and live the life of an adult. She rises at six, as the sun begins to paint the horizon in streaks of pale silver, and she pulls on her boots.
She does not come back for hours, and Father is livid when she returns - hours past sunset - and for some time she is worried he may strike her like Sister Abigail. Instead, he falls to his knees and grasps her face - so hard it would hurt if not for the look upon his face, which is cracking like plaster and becoming rather wet. He pulls her to his chest, runs a hand down her back, and whispers soft words into her hair. Amelie is confused, because she had just tried to be an adult - had succeeded rather well, she thinks - and yet Father is still sad? She does not know how to make him not-sad. But still, Father kisses her face all over, looks at her for some time - he seems tired - and then he smiles, small and crooked. Amelie startles, because...
Well, because Father is smiling. And Amelie has forgotten this face...
Such a lovely gift, this is, because suddenly Father has pulled Amelie onto his shoulders, and then they are amongst fields of virgin snow and poignant lavender. The sky breaks open and blesses them with frozen rain, and Father smiles again. He falls into the snow, makes angels with Amelie and catches snowflakes on his tongue. What a day! They build snowmen, and Father lends his scarf to a small snowman with a large carrot for a nose. They retire as the day brightens, from black to blue, and Sandman sprinkles stardust into their eyes. She is gone, to Dreamland - with snow and lavenders, and, best of all, Father smiling. When Amelie wakes, Father is still asleep, and he does not look quite so sad.
*nerium*