The Mating Game

Valerian Talon Montgomery was only five years old when he lost his mother and father to a house fire. He watched from outside in his tree house as tears flowed down his little face. The two men that lit the house ablaze left without noticing him out there. A neighbor had called 911, but they arrived too late to save Marta and Thomas Montgomery.

“Has anyone seen their little boy?”

He heard the neighbor ask. Everyone began searching for him while he stared blankly at the burnt rubble that was once his home. He didn’t register he was crying as he held his little blue stuffed rabbit close to his chest. He wore his Batman pajama top and Spider Man bottoms along with his Hulk slippers. His dark brown hair was sticking up all over the place and his piercing emerald eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight from his tears. One of the firemen spotted him in the treehouse and climbed the ladder. He knocked on the trap door on the floor before opening it slowly

“Hello, may I come in?”

He asked as he looked at Valerian. Valerian nodded and moved closer to the fireman. The fireman smiled at him and climbed further into the trap door.

“Will you come down little one?”

The firman asked him. Valerian scooted back towards the window and shook his head no.

“Well, can I call someone?”

The fireman asked as his hazel eyes scanned the little treehouse. Valerian clung to his little stuffed bunny tighter and kept his emerald eyes glued on the fireman. When the fireman noticed the bunny he smiled and spoke kindly.

“My little boy has one of those, but it is green.”

Valerian looked down at his bunny then back at the fireman.

“I want my mommy!”

Valerian cried out sadly. The fireman frowned and held a look of sadness in his eyes as he shook his head no.

“I’m sorry little one. Your mommy and daddy are gone.”

Valerian sobbed out a hiccup.

“B…but…I saw them leave…”

He said in his little voice between sobs. The fireman looked confused before his eyes went wide.

“Little one, Did you see the people who did this?”

He asked softly. Valerian nodded his little head.

“I…I…th…thought…i..it…was…was..m…m..mommy…a..and…da..daddy…”

He said as he hiccuped between sobs. The fireman shook his head no again.

“No, little one, your mommy and daddy went to Heaven.”

He said causing Valerian to look confused between his sobs.

“H.…Heaven?”

He asked the fireman.

“If you come with me I will tell you all about Heaven little one”

The fireman said with a sad smile. Valerian thought about it for a moment then nodded and moved towards the fireman. He climbed down the ladder after the fireman. The fireman told him all about Heaven on the way to the hospital. The fireman introduced him to the EMTs in the ambulance as well and they wheeled him into the hospital. The fireman stayed with Valerian the whole time he was being checked out. The police showed up and asked Valerian questions. He told them about the two men he had seen and described them. The fireman felt drawn to protect little Valerian. When the social worker arrived he asked if Valerian could be placed with his family. The fireman asked Valerian if he wanted to live with him and his family. Valerian nodded silently and the fireman took him home.

“Honey, I’m home!”

The fireman called out as he carried a sleeping Valerian in the door. His wife came around the kitchen door and look surprised to see a child in his arms.

“Who is that dear?”

She asked softly. The fireman smiled at his wife as he walked closer to her.

“This is Valerian Talon Montgomery. He is going to be staying with us for a while. He just lost his family tonight.”

He explained before kissing his wife on the forehead. She smiled and shook her head, “Well, I would rather a child than another stray animal.” She said with a soft laugh in her voice.

“Hank, do you think that Tommy will mind having a little brother?”

She asked as she followed behind him towards the spare room. “We can ask him in the morning.” Hank said before he opened the bedroom door and entered the room. He put Valerian on the bed and removed the slippers from his feet.

“This poor little one saw it happen. I found him up in his treehouse. The only thing to his name now is that bunny and his pajamas.”

Hank said as he tucked Valerian in bed and turned to leave the room. He shut the light off and then left the door cracked. He walked to his room and sat on the bed.

“Lola, my love, how do you feel about having another son?”

Hank asked as he looked up at his wife when she shut the bedroom behind her. She smiled at him as she walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

“Oh Hank, He’s a beautiful boy. I always wanted more children. I just hope Tommy will be all right with this.”

She said softly.

“Lola, I don’t know why, but I need to protect this child.”

Hank said as he rested his head on his wife’s shoulder. She smiled again and hummed softly.

“Let’s go to bed and focus on this in the morning.”

She said before pulling away to get ready for bed. Hank nodded and stripped down to just his boxers before he climbed into bed and went to sleep.

“Mommy?”

A small voice asked into an empty kitchen just after the sun had risen in the sky. Valerian stood in the empty kitchen and rubbed his eyes with his left hand as his right hand still clung to his bunny. He frowned when he didn’t find his mommy making breakfast in the kitchen already. He pulled one of the chairs out from near the table and climbed into it. He sat down and stared at the doorway waiting for his mommy to enter. He ended up dozing off in the chair as he waited. About 20 minutes later he woke up to soft humming and the clinking of a dish.

“Good morning little one”

A woman greeted him. He furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion when he looked at her.

“You aren’t my mommy…where is my mommy?”

He asked when she looked at him. Her face held a sympathetic smile as she turned to face him.

“Your mommy isn’t here sweetie. My name is Lola”

The woman said softly. Valerian looked her up and down. She was beautiful with dark chocolate colored hair speckled with golden streaks through out that was pulled into a ponytail, dark chocolate eyes, milky colored skin, a slender waist, and she was tall. Well, she was tall to him since he was five and all grown ups were tall. She was wearing a pretty pink dress that ended at her slender ankles and puffy pink slippers on her feet. He stared at her slippers for a while before he spoke again.