With the help of the Sunshine Dream and Citrus Deligh cotton candy, Oliver and his six-year-old daughter, Maisie, were high in spirits and overly creative. They’d carved out an area of the sand snow-men area for themselves and were in the midst of designing an elaborate snowman properly named, Mr. Ted.
“Daddy…. He needs better feet,” Maisie directed as she started piling sand against the snowman that had been charmed smooth. She gave very little care to her holiday dress and the sand. Getting dirty was one of her favourite things.
“I thought we were fixing his scarf, bug,” Oliver offered as he paused in giving more detail to the sand sculpture.
“He’s warm enough,” the six-year-old informed. “Help with the feet! He can’t stand if he doesn’t have feet.”
Chuckling the father did as he was ordered. Kneeling down to help the girl move sand where snowman feet would be. As he did so Oliver noticed a shadow block a large portion of the setting sun.
Through a squint, he looked up to see a familiar face and he smiled happily, “Well look who it is, come to challenge us have you?”
“More like came to help with the poor snowman’s feet,” Katie said with a laugh. “Hi, Maisie,” she said to the six-year-old with a smile, kneeling in front of the snowman they were building.
Maisie's eyes lit up and she bounced over to Katie. She gave a quick obligatory hug before diving back to the sandman. She was clearly preoccupied with focus and drive.
Katie was dressed in a cute little Christmassy dress she had found last-minute hidden in the depths of her walk-in closet. “So, what are we going to do about his feet?”
"We have to get all the sand for his new shoes first," the girl informed thoughtfully. "I haven't decided what kind yet."
"Well, we need to think of what kind of shoes he would like and be more comfortable in. Walking in the sand with heels wouldn’t be very appropriate for example,” Katie chuckled and the six-year-old giggled and shook her head.
"He can think about it," Maisie leaned back from her work to hand Katie her shovel, "You can use my shovel - I like putting my hands in the sand--" suddenly the girl gasped and looked at her father. "Does that rhyme? H-ands - in the - Sa-and?"
Oliver grinned and nodded, "I think so - but Katie the writer would know best." He gave Katie a bemused look as Maise looked to her expectantly for an answer.
“Thank you, Maisie,” she said as she took the shovel and nodded at the kid. “It does rhyme. It’s a very good one, actually.”
"I knew it was a good one!" The girl giggled. "Hands in the sand while we build a snowman!" Her head bobbed back and forth as she sang the same lyric over and over while she worked.
Katie laughed softly and bobbed her head back and forth like Maisie. She was such a joy to be around, sweet little girl.
Oliver mimicked the six-year-old’s head bob and put sand in a pail with her. He smiled at Katie and offered adult conversation, "Good game today, you alright?"
Katie turned to Oliver and nodded. “Yeah... I guess. Losing is never fun, but at least we didn’t lose by much, right?” That was something, wasn’t it?
"Right," Oliver nodded. "Definitely pulling extra drills next practice. You check in with Alicia?"
She shook her head. “I haven’t yet. I was hoping to see her around here today,” she said. “We haven’t really talked much since the trade... I feel like a shitty friend for it,” she admitted, running her hand through her hair to push it out of the way.
"You're not the only one," Oliver nodded as he helped Maisie lift the sand bucket for her to carry over to the sand-snowman. "I feel like I stole her spot a bit… even though I technically didn't. Sometimes the business of it all is right shit."
“That’s what I was gonna say, you didn’t steal anything. But I know what you mean,” she said, looking at the sand-snowman and smiling at Maisie. “This trading season has been particularly shit, not gonna lie... But I’m glad you’re with us,” she smiled, looking at him.
“Same,” Oliver smiled, “It’s nice to be working with proper villains again.”
“You’re not villains!” Maisie giggled, “You two are more like the best heroes in all the land. Saving goals and taking shots! The quidditch team heroes!”
Katie smiled widely at him. She had missed playing with Oliver. There was something familiar and home-like playing with him again.
“Awww, thank you, Maisie!” She exclaimed after the girl called them heroes. “I feel like we should get a t-shirt that said that,” she chuckled, looking at Oliver.
"We should," Oliver nodded in agreement.
"But first you have to help me put flippers on the sandman," Maisie instructed as she handed her father her shovel for him to do the work.
"You think we've gathered enough sand?" Oliver asked.
"Mmm-hmm," the girl nodded. "Can you make them really big and silly?"
"You're the boss," Oliver nodded as he stood up and pulled out his wand. Maisie properly took Katie's hand to watch. With a wide motion and a few twirls, the sand they had piled at the bottom of the sandman's feet began to lift into the hair and swirl about. In a matter of moments, the sandman had large oversized swimming flippers.
The theatrics were obviously for the six-year-old whose giddiness was contagious. "Yay!!" The girl bounced as she rushed to examine the work. "It’s perfect! Good job daddy."
Oliver grinned, "I’m glad you approve, Luv." He glanced at Katie and offered, "We're going to go find some food next, want to join?"
Katie grinned and watched with Maisie as Oliver put on a little show for his daughter. It was sweet seeing their interaction.
“Food sounds fantastic, yes,” she said with a nod, smiling.