Small children.

I realized today that another characteristic of my perfect storyline is that it contains small children. (Well, at least when I write it.) Maybe they're a testament to the kiddos who've grown up before my eyes and those no longer close by...and the ones who claim both of those characteristics. Regardless, the little girl in this tale is fictional. She's an element of my imagination who's stuck with me through a couple years' worth of stories but who originally came to me, I think, in a dream and who I've gotten to "know" pretty well.

       "What if I call you Ella?" I asked the little curly-haired blonde cuddled up beside me. 
       "Like the movie?!" she asked, excitedly.
       "What do you mean?" I almost regretted that I had to ask, but I just wasn't sure what Daniella was talking about.
       "Ella 'Chanted, silly!" she exclaimed, as if this were the most ridiculous question she'd ever heard. I considered the response but nothing came to mind.
       "I haven't seen that one, Daniella. Is it your favorite?"
       "Yessssssss, silly. Daddy got it for me for my birthday!" Again it was clear that this was the most ridiculous conversation she had ever had. Before I knew it, the four-year-old had leapt off the couch and begun scrambling up the stairs toward her play room. I knew we were about to watch the movie, so I began looking around for the remote control, and before I could retrieve it from the end table, Daniella was running back down the stairs, her speed and excitement nearly causing her to stumble over the bunnies on her purple footie pajamas. "This one!"
       "Well I haven't seen that one. Do you want to show me?" I asked, sure I knew the response.
       "Really?! Yes! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?!"
       "Alright, we can watch before bed as long as we rest and don't bounce around," I offered. "The tray is open, so go set it in there gently."
       "Okie dokie," she said with a grin, already halfway to the DVD player. Once she had the disc set, I pressed the tray close button and waited for the disc menu to load. "You look like her," Daniella told me, pointing at Anne Hathaway's picture on the front of her Ella Enchanted DVD case.
       "Thank you, Ella," I laughed as we snuggled in for the night.

Prepare to be graced by this little girl every so often: she made the book cut.


<3 KSM