Charles glared at the two boys – well, the huge gray wolf with a garden troll on his back – running across the rocky field behind the house. He shook his head before he turned to look down at his daughter. He sighed deeply with regret and sank down onto the roof next to her.
They sat in silence for several long moments before he reached over and picked up her slender hand. He sighed again. It was so hard to let her grow up.
“Do you remember when you turned six?” Charles suddenly asked in a gruff voice.
A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of Tory’s mouth. “You mean when you told me I couldn’t have any more birthdays and I would have to remain six the rest of my life?” she asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
Charles smiled and looked out over the long drive that led t
