[Aug 21 Night-time ] Looking for Dad

"I'm good. Not really tired tho." she walks in and sits on the couch. "I sent Aunt Mary a text. I wanted to apologize to her. She said she could stop over if you allowed her too."

She looks at the book. "What are you reading? I don't think I've seen that book in the library. Are you holding out on me?" she giggles softly.

"I don't know if she is going to come tonight or not. She only said she would come visit if you said it was okay but not when." she picks the book up and looks at it, leaning against him.

"Um, Dad?" she laughs softly. "You do know some of this is written in another language don't you?" she points to some of the exerts here and there.

"What language is that?" she lifts her head up looking at him.

As they're reading the Latin stories, the shadows begin to thicken near the fireplace. The gateway opens, and Mary steps out. She's wearing black slacks, a matching top that flares from under the bust, and a long loose coat that looks like silk from the way it flows. Her hair is wild and free, and she's wearing her rosary around her neck.

She looks at the pair on the couch and grins.

"Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting."

Dristan pauses the story when Mary arrives and hebgave her such a teasing look as Mattie who was almost asleep woke back up.

Quietly he watches the both of them as he remains on the couch.

Mattie allows herself to picked up and carried back to the couch. She nods her head at the reply and settles for a moment.

"I will try better next time. I make no promises, I hear teenagers are worse and I've seen plently screw up. But I'll try to be mindful." she says.

"Hmm, teenagers today can be brutal. In my day, your father would be looking for a husband for you about now. You're almost a good marrying age. A husband would know what to do with you, don't you think?" Mary smiled. It was hard to tell if she was joking or not. She looked across at Dristan, her expression teasing.

Dristan caught Mary's teasing glance and was about to teasr back when Mattie was trying to be all serious and the next part caught him from complete left field.

He was silent for a moment and saw Mattie biting her lip and he gently places the book down and brings his daughter to him.

"And you know what Mattie there is nothing wrong at all if you like girls. As long as you are happy and treated right that is all that matters to me sweetheart." A genuine smile.

Mattie gives her dad a hug and kisses his cheek and the looks to Mary. "Women don't carry the name either way. Now though we could. Like the wife if I ever marry could take on my last name. Besides we could adopt also." she smiles with her matter of fact like voice.

Then Mary asks another question and she blushes brightly. "Um, no not really." she wasn't spilling that bean just yet to anyone.

"Oh I do have something I want to show you though. I'll be right back." Mattie runs off out of the study and goes to grab something.

"I do believe you are correct there. She is quite bright, and will definitely be a handful. Which house do you think she will end up in?"

Mary didn't think the child had a Slytherin bone in her body.

As if on cue, the catlike creature wanders out of a nearby shadow, leaping up to the back of the couch, watching Matilda. It sits there, staring at her.

"Yes, they do sound likely," she commented to Dristan. "The ceremony is always interesting." She wondered, if the hat were sorting her now, would it choose the same for her as it had then.

"It seems he was around, yes." Mary smiles, reaching up to pet the shadow. "What is that you have?" She asks Matilda.

As soon as the painting was revealed Dristan locked his eyes fully and smiled. He took in every detail his daughter had done even how she did the shadows.

"Beautiful sweetheart." He whispers as he continues to gaze at Mattie's painting.

Mattie smiled at her Dad and then waited. It seemed like time slowed down as she held her breathe waiting for Mary. When she stood and walked to the painting it was in slow motion to the young witch. She chewed the inside of her lip.

Then she smiled and spoke and Mattie lite up like the sun with happiness. Balthazar even came over and made and odd sound and she giggled as Mary took her hands and kissed them. "Thank you Aunt Mary." she beamed brightly.

"It is yours. A gift." she looked to her Dad 'I read in a book there is a spell to preserve paintings throughout time. Could you do that. So Aunt Mary could have it for always?" she is beside herself with happiness as she looks at the painting and back to Mary.

"The eyes are vividly green, but they don't pop as much because I thought it would take from the shadows. I can add to it though if you want."

"Awesome!" she smiles brightly. "I'm so happy you both like the painting. Kiami and I hung out this past weekend and she helped with some of the paints and stuff. I'm trying to learn Thulile's technique for the paint cause I'm almost out of her special paints. But I think she uses magic as well and I can't duplicate that yet. Maybe when school starts."

She wraps her arms around Mary and gives her a hug. "I really am sorry." she whispers stifling a yawn.