An unconventional fairy tale

The Scotts were known to be punctual animals. Dinner was served at sharp 8:03 p.m. daily, for years.

Except for today.

It isn’t until the clock strikes eleven that the main door’s hinges creek with the tired Scotts coming in.

“Oh boy! How my feet hurt after standing for hours” winces Mrs Scott.

“Didn’t mean for you to have to work three jobs. I know it’s gonna be tough for you…and it’ll get worse eventually. But the times are such tha-”

“I get it, honey” says Mrs Scott reassuringly, to which Mr Scott gives her one of his sad yet appreciative smiles.

Mr Scott runs four businesses on his own, three of which are doing miserably poor. Not that he could help it. Recession issues, you see.

Lisa, the only daughter of the Scotts, starts crying before dropping the phone from her ear onto the floor. Startled by the sound, Mrs Scott springs into motion all of a sudden.

“Sweetie! What’s wrong? You okay? Are you hurt? Oh my God are you crying?”

“Drama teacher called to say I can’t play Fairy’s role”

“Oh, Lisa”

“No, that’s not it. She said I am too fat to be a fairy”

“Oh dear, come here. Come to momma” Mrs Scott said, worried about her six-year-old.

In stark contrast to her reaction, Mr Scott’s immediate response was a humorous laugh followed by “something about the sight of an obese FAIRY”. He went overboard by adding “It would be amusing to watch her fly and-”

That half-finished sentence was really just the result of Mrs Scott’s warning glare mixed with Lisa’s sobs in the background.

Scott did nothing but shrug to help the situation.
“Let’s get you to bed already. We’re awfully late to reach home anyway” Mrs Scott spit out the words aimed at Mr Scott, who was responsible for them being late to reach home.

“Yeah right, blame me for working overtime to pay the bills”

“Excuse me? YOU pay the bills alone? And I do what, exactly? Sit on the sofa and binge-watch Netflix all day? Shall I remind you what you said minutes ago  about somebody working three jobs?”

“Just stop already. Making a fuss out of everything is your forte, I KNOW. You really don’t need to make me hyper-aware of it every frickin day. Besides, it’s not like I’m the one who started the recession”

Their pointless arguments knew no full stop. With the stakes going high, with both of their voices raised, nobody noticed the silent cries of the six-year-old.

She quietly went to her room, alone.
Comforted herself, alone.
Cut her birthday cake, alone.

After they were too exhausted to quarrel further, Mrs Scott changed the subject.
“You kept some money and that card, didn’t you?”

“Did I what?”

“Jesus CHRIST! This man is impossible!” Mrs Scott exclaimed.

“WHAT NOW”

“Go to Lisa's room. Keep some cash under her pillow. Also keep a birthday card and write ‘From Lisa’s very own fairy’ on it’s back”

The guilt of forgetting his daughter’s special day made Mr Scott’s heart sink. Slightly.

He went to Lisa’s room with the said card and cash.

As he lifted her pillow gently, making sure she was asleep, out stuck a note. Confused and curious, he pulled it out. The note came out with a few cents and dollars that were kept underneath it.

Mr Scott gasped at the view, certainly not expecting any of it. Then his attention drifted towards the note.

It read:

“I heard fairy was facing money problems.
Hoping my piggy bank helps '◡' ”

Mr Scott’s heart drowned in guilt for real this time.

“You are my real fairy…and my real wealth” he whispered, kissing Lisa’s forehead.

To her, that one sentence alone was enough of a birthday gift. She fell asleep with a smile that wouldn’t go away anytime soon.