I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!

Chapter 653 653: Trip (11)

That night, Peach slept on Kelpie's pillow, nestled against his hair. Her feathers rose and fell with her breathing, soft and warm.

Kelpie watched her for a long time. Her tiny beak was tucked under her wing, and her small body looked so peaceful and so at home that he almost believed she would stay forever.

But he knew better.

He closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, warm and golden. Kelpie blinked awake, his hand reaching instinctively for his pillow.

Peach was gone.

Her feathers were gone. Her warmth was gone. The small indent where she had slept was already fading, the pillow fluffing back into shape.

Kelpie sat up and looked around the room, under the bed, behind the curtain, by the window. Nothing.

Rocky, who was already awake and arranging his stones in a perfect circle, looked up. "The bird?"

Kelpie's voice was small. "Yes."

He stared out the window. The sky was blue and clear, dotted with soft white clouds. Somewhere out there, Peach was flying free.

Rocky set down his stones. "She had to go."

Kelpie nodded slowly. "Yes."

Rocky picked up another stone. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kelpie climbed out of bed and splashed water on his face. When he turned around, he was smiling. "Today we explore the cave. Felix said there might be stories."

Rocky smiled back. "Stories are good."

Kelpie grabbed his towel. "Stories are the best."

By the time breakfast was ready, Kelpie was laughing with the others, splashing water at Drake when he tried to steal his toast, and helping Lilith cut her peach into tiny pieces. He didn't dwell on Peach. He didn't let the empty space on his pillow make him sad. He was here with his friends in the mountains, and there was still so much to explore.

***

The cave was dark and cool, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling like stone teeth. The children carried flashlights, their beams cutting through the shadows. Boo floated ahead, his ghostly glow lighting the way.

Boo puffed out his chest. "I am the bravest! I go first because I am already dead. Nothing can kill me twice."

Vlad Jr. walked behind him, his wings carefully folded. "That's not how bravery works."

Boo waved a translucent hand. "It's how ghost bravery works."

Vlad Jr. sighed. "Ghost bravery isn't a thing."

Boo grinned. "It is now."

They walked deeper into the cave. The walls were damp and glittering, covered in minerals that sparkled in the light. Lilith held Lucien's hand, her eyes wide.

"Pwetty," she whispered.

Lucien gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Very pretty."

Felix pointed to a drawing on the wall, faded, ancient, and barely visible. "Stories," he said. "People lived here a long time ago."

Drake peered at the drawings. "What kind of people?"

Felix's tail swished slowly. "The kind who left marks."

They stood in silence, looking at the drawings. Stick figures hunting. Stick figures dancing. Stick figures gathered around a fire.

Luna's voice was quiet. "They were happy."

Felix nodded. "I think so."

They stayed in the cave until the afternoon, exploring every tunnel, every corner, every shadow. Boo got stuck in a narrow passage and had to phase through the wall, which he announced was "a violation of his personal space." Drake hit his head on a stalactite and complained about it for twenty minutes. Lilith found a small smooth stone and put it in her pocket.

Lilith held up the stone proudly. "Fow Wocky."

Rocky beamed so hard his stone face almost cracked.

They ate lunch by the stream, sitting on flat rocks with their feet in the water. The sandwiches were a little squished, but no one cared.

Sable leaned back on his rock. "This is fun."

Kelpie splashed water at Drake. "Very fun."

Drake splashed back, hitting Kelpie right in the face. "Very, very fun."

Then Kelpie grabbed a handful of water and launched it at Drake's wings. Drake shrieked like a wet cat.

Luna laughed so hard she almost fell off her rock.

And somewhere high above, a small pink bird circled once, twice, then flew toward the setting sun, carrying a secret melody that only the mountains could hear.

****

Next day

The morning sun rose over the mountains, gold and soft, filtering through the cottage windows and warming the wooden floors.

But no one felt like celebrating.

The children sat around the breakfast table, pushing their food around their plates. Rice. Eggs. Peaches. Again. The same food they had been eating for days. The same plates, the same bowls, the same wooden spoons.

Drake stared at his plate like it had personally offended him. "Finally, we are going home in one day."

Vlad Jr. confirmed, "One more day. The carriage will arrive tomorrow morning."

Drake's eyes grew dreamy. "Once I go home, I'm going to have a feast. A real feast. With meat and bread and dessert, and second dessert and maybe third dessert if I'm still hungry."

Luna frowned. "That's unhealthy."

Drake waved his hand. "I'm a dragon. Unhealthy is my natural state."

"You're going to be sick."

"Worth it."

Rocky pushed a peach slice back and forth across his plate. His face was sad and his shoulders were slumped.

"I miss Mom and Dad," he said quietly.

Everyone looked at him.

Rocky continued, "I miss the way Mom hums when she cooks. And the way Dad tells his childhood stories before bed. And the way they both kiss my head when they think I'm sleeping."

Sable reached over and patted Rocky's arm.

Boo floated above the table, unusually quiet. His silver eyes were soft, thoughtful. He was thinking about Sir Santo, about the garden of the temple, about the cherry blossoms that had fallen around them like pink snow.

Three years ago, Sir Santo had sat Boo down under the cherry blossoms and told him the truth. "I am your father," Sir Santo had said. "I have always been your father. And I will always be your father."

Boo had floated there for a long moment, his silver eyes wide and his mouth open. Then he had launched himself at Sir Santo, wrapping his translucent arms around the priest's neck, laughing and crying at the same time.

"I have a dad!" Boo had shouted. "I HAVE A DAD!"

He had told everyone. The angels. The elders. The ghost tower guardians. The children at the kindergarten. The squirrels in the garden. The fish in the pond.

He had written letters to complete strangers: Dear Sir or Madam, I have a dad. His name is Sir Santo. He is a priest. He loves me. Sincerely, Boo (secretly known as Maximus).

No one had the heart to tell him that the letters were unnecessary.

Now, Boo still told everyone he met, even the guards at Sir Santo's castle gates. "I have a dad," he would say, and then he would float away, happy and proud.