Five years later
Christmas Day
“Papa, are there really enchanted beans?” four-year-old Selena asked.
Aaron paused his reading of “The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean” so he could look over at his daughter who was sitting next to him. He smiled and tucked the warm blanket over her feet. Though they were sitting in front of the fire, he worried her toes might get cold if they weren’t wrapped up.
He put his arm back around her shoulders and said, “No, there aren’t enchanted beans in real life. This is just a story.” Noting the disappointed look on her face, he added, “That’s why reading is so much fun. You’re not bound by anything. You can escape the drab and ordinary world and embark on any adventure you want. You can live many adventures during your lifetime through books.”
“It would be fun to have an enchanted bean,” she said, her eyebrows furrowing in a way that reminded him so much of Kitty.
“It might be fun for a time, but remember, up that beanstalk is a giant. This is a tale of warning. Sometimes we don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into with something that’s unfamiliar. It’s best to proceed with caution. That’s the value of stories. They pass on something we can learn. In the future, when you see a large beanstalk, you won’t go up to find out where it goes.”
“But you said there are no enchanted beans.”
He paused as he thought over her comment. “Yes, you are right. They don’t exist. The lesson is still important, though. If you’re not sure about something, you should ask your mother or me if it’s safe.”
He turned his attention back to the book. “A lot of good stories are made up. Some, like this one, go back to oral tradition.”
“What’s that?”
“Oral tradition is when a story is passed down through talking. A lot of stories we have today started off with people speaking them instead of writing them. The problem with this is that stories change. We lose the original version. The best way to preserve a story is to write it down. Then someone else can’t come along and add something to it.”
“Why do people change stories?”
“I think most people try to stay to the version they heard, but sometimes when you’re telling a story, you forget little details or end up adding things that weren’t there before. It’s like when your mother tells you something and you come to me about it. You don’t tell me the exact same thing she told you. The other day you said your mother wanted us to go to Hyde Park later that day. It turns out your mother didn’t say she wanted to go there later that day. She just said she wanted us to go to Hyde Park. She hadn’t specified when she wanted to go. I didn’t realize the mistake until I went upstairs to see if she was ready for the walk.”
Selena’s eyes grew wide. “Were you upset with me?”
“No, of course not. You thought she meant she wanted to go to the park that very day. I know it’s not easy to remember exactly what someone says. That’s why I don’t think the people passing on the stories through oral tradition meant to change them.”
She relaxed.
Kitty came into the room with two-year-old Arthur in her arms. “He just got up from his nap.” She glanced at Selena. “Are you sure you’re not tired?”
Selena shook her head. “I’m too old for naps.”
Kitty gave her a pointed look. “Jackson and Anna are older than you, and they still take naps in the middle of the day.”
“I’m not sleepy,” Selena insisted. “And I want to know what happens to Jack.”
Kitty’s expression softened. “Well, no one can blame someone for wanting to find out what happens when they’re in the middle of a good story.”
“Sit and enjoy this one with us,” Aaron encouraged. “The maid brought in a warm chocolate drink and some biscuits.”
Kitty’s face lit up, and she gave him Arthur to hold while she hurried to get a chair to pull up next to his.
He chuckled. “I thought you might like the promise of chocolate in your drink.”
“It’s perfect on a chilly day when one’s sitting in front of the fire,” she replied as she settled into the chair.
Arthur put his arms around Aaron’s neck and put his head on Aaron’s shoulder.
Selena frowned and put her arms around Aaron’s neck, too. “I was here first,” she told her brother.
Arthur only clung to him harder, and since Selena’s response was to do the same, Aaron had trouble holding onto the book. It fell out of his lap and landed on the floor.
Kitty didn’t hide her amusement. “I don’t know what you’re going to do when the third one comes along.”
Aaron’s eyebrows rose in interest. “Are we expecting another?”
“No, not at the moment, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before we do.” Then she offered him a suggestive wink that she often used when she was in the mood to make love to him that evening.
“You keep that up, and you’ll get your wish,” he warned her.
Since the children weren’t paying attention to her, she allowed him to see a good amount of cleavage as she bent to pick up a cup from the tray. Then she offered him another wink and sat in the chair.
He groaned. “This evening suddenly seems like it’s a long way off.”
She grinned then sipped her drink.
“I’m not tired,” Selena said as she continued to fight Arthur for more room on Aaron’s lap. “I don’t want this evening to come yet.”
Kitty laughed and picked Selena up. “It’s Arthur’s turn. You’ve had your father all to yourself for the past two hours.”
Arthur smiled in satisfaction.
Aaron loosened the boy’s grip so he wouldn’t choke him. “You’re stronger than you look.” Holding his son, he leaned forward and retrieved the book.
“Which story are you reading?” Kitty asked as Selena settled next to her.
“It’s about a boy and a bean that doesn’t exist,” Selena replied.
“It’s called ‘The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean’,” Aaron clarified.
“That’s a fun one,” Kitty set the cup on the small table. “How are you liking it so far?” she asked Selena.
“I liked it better when I thought the beans were real,” Selena replied.
“They’re real in here.” Kitty tapped the girl’s heart. “And that’s what matters. That’s what makes stories so much fun.”
“Exactly,” Aaron agreed. “Your mother is right. The magic of stories is that anything can happen. Here. Take a blanket. I don’t want you two to get chilly.”
He retrieved an extra blanket that was draped on the back of his chair and held it out to Kitty. Kitty accepted it and wrapped it around her and Selena. Selena settled on Kitty’s lap and waited for him to continue.
Never in a million years would he have thought marriage could be like this. Everything was perfect. His heart swelled with more joy than he thought possible for a person to have. Smiling, he turned the book to the page where he had left off then continued reading the story.