The Wonder Child – Chapter Thirty – Remembrance

Orion’s Point of view

I looked up at the stars that night after watching the sunset with Athena, they were truly beautiful. While looking at them, I couldn’t help but think that each star symbolized a memory that I had collected along the final stages of my life. Growing up, I didn’t really have a great life, I was an unwanted child from my mother who then threw me out onto the streets. Through sheer will, was I able to become quite rich today.

The memories came flooding back like they only happened yesterday, and I gazed up and breathed, while reminiscing about the past.

First of all, the memory of meeting Athena for the first time, she introduced herself so funnily, and the fact that she had looked up the book I was reading just to appeal herself to me was the first reason why I love her. She always seems to be prepared.

“Hello, my name is Athena Godfrey! I guess we’re supposed to make a baby or whatever?”

“Right… I’m Orion Frenlore. I guess so. But, I think we should at least fall in love first.”

“I agree. It’s like we’re on a speed date, aha!”

“Should we sit down on the table? We should talk about some… rules.”

“I like that book that you’re reading at the moment. I’m a huge fan of Julie Kagawa.”

“Ah, so you’ve read the Iron and Steel series?”

“Of course!”

“That’s not an actual series! You’re just trying to impress me right?”

“Oh, uh.”

“Hey Athena, it’s fine. Honestly, I’ve embarrassed myself more than once as well. Just come out and sit on the table, we still need to sort this baby stuff out.”

Then I remembered the time Matt came around my house and now that I think about it he could have been working for the Government and keeping an eye on me back then because the questions he asked were very weird. But that’s all in the past now, he’s a great friend to me and is doing a great deal to help us not lose Leliana to the Government.

“Hey Matt.”

“Hey Orion. Where’s Athena… your lovebird?”

“She’s at work and she’s no longer my love bird, she’s my girlfriend!”

“Congratulations Man!”

—Silence—

“So, how long has it been since you’ve moved into Willow Creek then?”

“It’s been a week today, so a week-a-versary, I suppose!”

“Happy Week-A-Versary.”

And then I remembered the milestone in mine and Athena’s relationship, when I proposed to her. Honestly, it was a spur of the moment and we had to elope without a formal wedding because it wasn’t in our budget, but also it was impossible to do without having to get Athena pregnant first which then of course could conjure up a lot of rumors.

“Will you do me the honour, of being my lawfully wedded wife?”

“Oh my word… YES!!”

“Good, because I was quite terrified!”

Ah, my early days with my hair like I was still in the 60s. Bah, I was such a flirt back then but I was quite daring too! Just then, I remembered a time after Athena told me I was pregnant, we headed to the gym where we swam at the pool and those girls followed me everywhere, I was quite the ladies man.

“Hey honey, do you want to go to the pool? I think we should swim some laps!”

“Sure, let me just cool off and then we’ll go over. Maybe you can get that blonde chick, Jessica and Evangeline to join us.”

And then soon afterwards, I said…

“I beat you!”

“But, I’m the most heavy since I’m carrying our future child!”

 

Oh! And then when I felt Leliana for the first time inside Athena’s stomach. I honestly fell in love with Leliana then, because I knew from the way she felt that she was going to be an exceptional child capable of changing the world for the better, and not for the worst.

“Feel our baby.”

“What?”

“This is so magical, oh my. Hey little child! It’s Daddy here. I can’t wait for you to be born!”

“I think it’s going to be born very soon.”

“When exactly?”

“Next chapter or so.”

“What?”

And then the feeling of holding Leliana for the first time suddenly came back to me. Holding my first bundle of joy in my arms was so breathtaking and was my first proper entrance to both parenthood and our father-daughter relationship. From the moment I held her, I couldn’t wait to teach Leliana everything I knew to make her a more clever child. I even remember the first words I said to her.

“Hey little child, it’s your father. I wanted to say hi and welcome to our world. You’re going to have many up’s and down’s here, and you’re going to experience a lot of things, but I want you to know that me and your mother will always be here for you.”

My eyes began to tear up, but that’s okay, a little emotion can come to a man soon enough. To be honest, I’ve been trying to look okay to my family to try and say that I’m okay with dying, but I’m not. I can’t bear the pain of having Athena mourn over my death and having Leliana, Alistair and Demetri having to grow up without their father. And I’d miss them too much, so in all honesty I don’t want to die.

But I then remembered one of my chess games with Leliana and remembering that made me feel that Leliana is a grown woman now, she can take care of Athena, herself and the boys with controlling her emotions at the same time. It’s one of the traits she inherited from me.

“I’m going to beat you!”Leliana shouted to me, and then she continued shouting.

“YOU SHALL BE DEFEATED BY THE POWER OF THE WONDER KINGDOM, WE SHALL NOT LET DADDY LAND PREVAIL!”

Oh, Leliana was such a crazy child back then. But she also had her devilish side, even when she used a stink potion to prank me! I got so angry at her, although it was helping her gain mental ability so I let it slide, although I will need to get my revenge somehow.

“Oh no.”

“LELIANA FRENLORE!”

“Shouldn’t have believed me.”

Psh, that little girl! Although, she isn’t very little anymore, although she still doesn’t know what WooHoo is. AH! That reminds me of the time where she thought me and Athena were doing something else, but we were WooHoo-ing. I even remember the look on my face when she said she knew what we were doing, and I should probably tell her what WooHoo is before I go, or get Athena to tell her.

“Dad, give it up. I know what you and Mom were doing. I heard the screaming.”

“What have we done?! Oh my Maker.”

“It’s okay Dad. It’s a natural game of life. Wrestling isn’t all that bad!”

“Hahahaha, yeah… Wrestling!”

I found Orion’s Belt! I guess people can find me in the sky if they were to look, (thanks CathyTea!) I should probably tell my family that before I leave, so that they can always find me if they want courage.

And then all the recent images came flooding back to me, and I realized that I had a greater family than I ever thought I had.

I’m proud.