Elusive Moonberry Moments

On a Thursday night in a cozy and charming treetop home in the Elven city of Mythwood, Gehmorin the Elf was doing his very best to get his daughters ready for bed. He knew he was doing his best, and he didn't think of himself as a stupid or incapable elf, but he also felt close to defeat, and had no idea why.

"Come on, girls, its bedtime now, and I'm serious this time!" he repeated. But two year old Valoria was completely failing to take him seriously. It might have had something to do with how — not half an hour earlier — he had been being a very un-serious fire-breathing dragon. They'd both been having great fun as he swooped with her in his 'claws' all around the bedroom before landing her in her bed and attempting to tuck her in. She had then leapt straight out of the bed again, disinclined to let go of that idea of being a dragon just yet.

"ROAAAAR, I'm a baby Dragon" she'd shrieked as she flapped her chubby little arms and attempted to dash past him and out the bedroom door, yet again. Unfortunately this time, as he side-stepped to block her escape she crashed into his leg. Bouncing off it, she hit her head on the side of the bedside table on the rebound. Tears erupted.

Gehmorin sighed as he picked up the now-wailing Valoria for another round of cuddles. That was one way to end the game, he thought. He paced the room rocking her until her sobs tapered off into hickups, and then silence. Once more he tucked the over-tired toddler back into her bed, and stood up.

Almost as if she'd been waiting for the moment (although surely this was just coincidence), six year old Elysia suddenly remembered she'd forgotten to go to the toilet before bed, and needed to climb back down from her bunk above Val to go right now.

Grinding his teeth, Gehmorin begged his eldest to stop shaking the bunks as she climbed down, but it was to no avail. The drowsing Valoria came back to full wakefulness, and realised she needed to go to the toilet again, too. And, she was also thirsty.

Gehmorin was close to panic now. Sure that it was the wrong decision, but not sure what the right thing to do would be, he released the two young elves from of their bedroom and marched them down the hall to the toilet. As he passed the living room, he didnt know whether to make eye contact with his wife, Mithradia, or avoid it. He opted to avoid it, but nevertheless felt her gaze on his back as he passed. It was her birthday tomorrow, and she had told him very clearly that she wanted to celebrate the last night before being officially another year older with some uninterrupted adult time and a bottle of moonberry wine. He'd gallantly offered to get the kids to bed alone, and suggested she get the wine out already and relax while he took care of the bedtime routine.

After both girls had gone to the toilet again, and had another (very small) glass of water each, Gehmorin finally got both to stay in their beds long enough for sleep to overpower them. Tiptoeing out of the room, he gently closed the door behind him. Letting out a triumphant (but quiet) "Yes!" together with a fist pump, he made his way to the sofa, where Mithradia was waiting with two glasses (but by now only half a bottle) of shimmering moonberry wine, reading a book.

She placed a finger-painting that Elysia had brought home from school in her book to mark the place, and closed it. It looked familiar. Had he read it? Nope, it definitely wasn't that. He hadn't had a chance to read anything that wasn't work-related in…. a long time, so that couldn't be it. He pushed the thought aside and sat down opposite his wife. Her expression was a cryptic little half-smile, as she swirled her wineglass, then rolled her eyes at him. "I heard your heroic battle. That dragon almost bested you again, didn't it?"

Gehmorin sighed, then gave a self-depreciating chuckle after reaching for the empty wine glass. "I don't know why I do it — razzing the girls up before bed that is. I certainly won't be playing dragons before bed any more in the future."

"Well, you've emerged victorious in the end," Mithradia said, raising her glass. "And look, you've added 'dragons' to the list of things not to play before bed. Lets see now, what else is there… pirates are out, so are griffin riders, invading troll army was also found to be ‘not a good idea before bed’… what else was there?"

"Nothing else, I'm sure", said Gehmorin hurriedly, reaching for the moonberry wine bottle and busying himself filling his glass.

"To the valiant father, slayer of bedtime dragons and negotiator of bedtime game compromises, then." Said Mithradia, raising her glass to him once he'd poured. Although her tone was a little exasperated, she was still smiling at him as their glasses clinked together, the melodious sound echoing through the night-time quiet of their usually raucous abode. Gehmorin gazed at his wife, admiring how the moonlight caught in her dark hair. It had been far too long since they'd had any quiet, uninterrupted time together to really pay attention to each other. Tomorrow might be her birthday, but he thought he might be more excited about it than her this year. He was sure he'd picked the perfect present, and couldn't wait to give it to her in the morning. For now, though, it was nice to spend a little time alone together with what was left of the moonberry wine. It would have to be just a little time though, because there was no recovery sleep-in option available for the morning, and they both knew it. Nothing killed the desire to stay up late like knowing you'd be waking up early and be hard at work parenting before breakfast, no matter the occasion.