“Cali, why are you telling us this?” The group sat around the Vault’s dining table. Hymn was the first to speak up, only surprising the others that he didn’t interrupt earlier.
Cali smiled at him, her normal cheery smile, and responded without hesitation, “I thought you’d like one of my favorite stories for your act.”
“Wait, what?! No.” Hymn’s face flushed an even deeper shade of mauve as he stumbled over his words. Seryn recovered the dead air.
“Cali, my dear, you honor us with your story, but it is your story. Do not cheapen it by handing it to Mr. Hymn for his, ah... performance?”
Hymn’s attempted recovery was overruled by Kallista, Seryn’s youngest daughter. “Cali, Cali. Can we ride the ladders?"
“Cali” Hymn finally interjected. ”I would never dream of…”
“Ladders, Cali. Today? Can we ride them? They sound like fun. Do you and Marine still ride on them?”
Cali was quick to correct. “It’s Ms. Reynolds. You must never call her Marine unless she tells you it’s OK. Do you understand?” Kallista nodded.
“Cali, I’m serious” Hymn wasn’t giving up. “My ballads are mostly made up. I’d never write one about someone I knew.”
“You learned that lesson the hard way hot pants.” Ayora finally spoke up. She’d been eating with Red in the corner, but couldn’t help getting in a jab at Hymn.
“I have borrowed stories, yes, but only from other storytellers or from people I’ve met on the road; people I’m never going to see again. So no need to worry. I do have one question though.” Hymn’s smile curled slyly. “What happened after the kissing?”
Cali turned pink, head to toe pink. Kallista tugged on her mother’s sleeve. “Mommy is Cali OK?”
Seryn looked sternly at Hymn as she responded. “Yes, dear. She’s just embarrassed.”
“What about Mar… I mean Ms. Reynolds? She looks really mad.” Kallista pointed to the doorway.
