AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cian nodded, joining in the conversation. “Can we? We haven’t gone, and I want to go out by the river again. I bet there are different flowers in bloom now.”
He watched as Mia’s eyes swept toward him in curiosity. “What cabin? You own a cabin? How did I not know you owned a cabin?”
Before he could even respond, Cian bounced in her seat. She nodded quickly as she spoke to Mia. “It’s a cabin in the woods. We haven’t been there in a while. We used to go once a month, but it's been a while because Dad's been busy.”
“Yes,” Triat piped up, setting his fork down. “It's in the middle of nowhere with no other houses near it. Can we go, Dad?”
He remembered the last time they were there. It had been spring, and all the new flowers were starting to sprout. Cian was picking flowers while Triat was looking for different bugs for his collection.
He never used the place much when his wife was alive. She wasn’t a huge fan of the outdoors, so it was just another place. But when the kids got a little older, he used to take them all the time.
The cabin was his getaway when he was little, and he wanted that for his children. He wanted them to have a place to be free.
Mia looked at him, tilting her head a little. “Cabin in the woods? How am I just hearing about this now?”
He smirked. “Yes, there’s a cabin that’s been in my family for generations. It’s like a second home, but my wife didn’t like to go often. I really started using it just a few years ago.”
Cian broke in. “There’s a river that flows right behind it, and we explore. I have a huge rock collection out there. I even have a rock polisher.”
“And I collect bugs,” Triat yelled.
“Inside voices,” he said, waving a hand at both of them. “I know you both are excited, but I don’t know if we can go right now. I have a lot of stuff I need to handle.”
“But, Dad, we haven't been there in forever.”
“Forever,” Triat said after his sister.
Mia chuckled, looking at him. “It doesn’t seem like a bad idea. I love the outdoors.”
This was news to him. Not that he couldn’t see Mia as being someone who enjoyed being outdoorsy, but after his wife, he didn’t know if he’d ever meet someone who did.
He could still remember the first time he took his wife to the small home. It was to meet his family, and she slipped in the mud, ruining her dress. The following morning, she tripped on a rock and twisted her ankle.
She agreed to go again for a holiday and ended up stumbling down the stairs and breaking the stair railing. It became a joke that the cabin and the woods didn't like her.
He shook his head and noticed Cian staring at Mia with wide eyes. “Really? You like being out in the woods?”
Mia nodded. “Yeah, growing up, I was in the Girl Scouts. We learned all different types of things, like how to survive in the woods overnight and how to cross a river without a boat. We even used to collect bugs and rocks.”
Both of the kid's eyes got wide with excitement. “You did?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I got all the badges. I know how to start a fire, and I know how to make a hammock out of leaves.”
“I want to be part of Girl Scouts,” Cian said, looking at him. “Can I, Dad?”
He smiled at her. “That’s on Earth, sweetie.”
“But I can teach you,” Mia added. “I can at least try. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything. But I don't see why you can't learn.”
“We have to go,” Cian said, looking back at him. “We have to go to the cabin now. She is going to teach us how to survive. Can't you take your work with you? You've done that before.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll think about it. Finish eating.”
They all continued to eat, and afterward, the kids ran off. He helped Mia clear the table and clean up. He filled the sink and glanced at her. “You don’t have to go with us to the cabin if you don’t want to.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Why? Afraid I’ll make a better survival person than you would?”
He chuckled, shaking his head as he dumped dishes into the sink.
