close your eyes, and make a wish to be here."
"And I'll be here waiting for you," Michael said.
"But you must remember something very important," the Guardian said. "You will lose the ability to come here when you reach your eighteenth birthday. The magic of this park is only for children."
They were filled with mixed emotions. Their father had been given back to them; he would be here, waiting for them to come and see him. It was a miracle, and it would be their miracle to share for a long time to come. But that time would come to an end. Charlotte had ten years left to spend with her father, and Ben had thirteen years.
"What about Mummy?" Charlotte said.
"What about her?" Michael said.
"We've got Mummy, and we can come here to be with you, but is there any way we can all be together again?"
"I'm sorry, Charlotte," Michael said. "It doesn't work like that. Mummy understands, though."
"What do you mean?" Charlotte was taken aback by her father's words. She thought she and Ben would have to keep their discovery a secret from the whole world, including their mother.
"This was all her idea," he said. "I'm sure she'll tell you all about it when you go back to her, but we discussed this before you were born. When she first told me, I thought she was crazy, but I loved her and I trusted her, and now I know that everything she told me was true."
Charlotte and Ben were dumbstruck. Had this really been their mother's idea?
Michael continued. "She wanted to wait until she thought you were both old enough to deal with it, and when she was ready to deal with you two seeing me when she couldn't."
"But how did she know about it?" Charlotte said.
"When Mummy was a little girl, she was a child of Hare Hill. Her mummy died when she was very young and her daddy – your granddad, who I'm sure will tell you lots of stories about this now—brought her here to scatter her ashes, just like you did with mine."
It was all too much to take in. Charlotte and Ben's heads were spinning.
"Did Mummy have to follow a map and do puzzles like we did?" Ben said.
"That's right," Michael said, "but she was an only child. She didn't have a brother or sister to help her out. That's why it was always so important to her that you two should be friends who help each other out."
Charlotte and Ben looked at each other with the realisation of how painful their bickering and fighting over the last two years must have been for their mother. But they had learned so much during their time at Hare Hill, about the world, about each other, and about themselves, and even though they were with their father again, they wanted to go back to the real world to see their mother. It showed on their faces. Michael said, "Go and see her. Remember, you can come back to me any time you want. I'll be waiting here for you."
"How do we get back?" Ben said.
"The same way you got here," the Guardian said. "Go into the walled garden, close your eyes, and wish to be back in the real world."
"Thank you for your help," Charlotte said as they headed down the path to the walled garden.
"The pleasure is all mine," the Guardian said. "Come back any time!"
There were fewer children playing with their loved ones in the walled garden. Some of them had gone back to their own time in the real world, back to the family that was always there for them. Charlotte and Ben were about to do the same.
"We can come back any time, can't we, Daddy?" Charlotte said.
"That's right," he said as he knelt down and held them in a warm embrace. "I'll be here waiting for you. Now, be nice to each other, be good to your Mummy, and tell her I'm very happy here. Can you do that for me?"
They both nodded in agreement.
"Good," he said, "and go easy on her with the questions when you get back. She's been worrying about this day for the last two years and I'm sure she'll have plenty of questions for the two of you."
"We'll come back and see you very soon," Charlotte said.
"I love you both very much, and
"And I'll be here waiting for you," Michael said.
"But you must remember something very important," the Guardian said. "You will lose the ability to come here when you reach your eighteenth birthday. The magic of this park is only for children."
They were filled with mixed emotions. Their father had been given back to them; he would be here, waiting for them to come and see him. It was a miracle, and it would be their miracle to share for a long time to come. But that time would come to an end. Charlotte had ten years left to spend with her father, and Ben had thirteen years.
"What about Mummy?" Charlotte said.
"What about her?" Michael said.
"We've got Mummy, and we can come here to be with you, but is there any way we can all be together again?"
"I'm sorry, Charlotte," Michael said. "It doesn't work like that. Mummy understands, though."
"What do you mean?" Charlotte was taken aback by her father's words. She thought she and Ben would have to keep their discovery a secret from the whole world, including their mother.
"This was all her idea," he said. "I'm sure she'll tell you all about it when you go back to her, but we discussed this before you were born. When she first told me, I thought she was crazy, but I loved her and I trusted her, and now I know that everything she told me was true."
Charlotte and Ben were dumbstruck. Had this really been their mother's idea?
Michael continued. "She wanted to wait until she thought you were both old enough to deal with it, and when she was ready to deal with you two seeing me when she couldn't."
"But how did she know about it?" Charlotte said.
"When Mummy was a little girl, she was a child of Hare Hill. Her mummy died when she was very young and her daddy – your granddad, who I'm sure will tell you lots of stories about this now—brought her here to scatter her ashes, just like you did with mine."
It was all too much to take in. Charlotte and Ben's heads were spinning.
"Did Mummy have to follow a map and do puzzles like we did?" Ben said.
"That's right," Michael said, "but she was an only child. She didn't have a brother or sister to help her out. That's why it was always so important to her that you two should be friends who help each other out."
Charlotte and Ben looked at each other with the realisation of how painful their bickering and fighting over the last two years must have been for their mother. But they had learned so much during their time at Hare Hill, about the world, about each other, and about themselves, and even though they were with their father again, they wanted to go back to the real world to see their mother. It showed on their faces. Michael said, "Go and see her. Remember, you can come back to me any time you want. I'll be waiting here for you."
"How do we get back?" Ben said.
"The same way you got here," the Guardian said. "Go into the walled garden, close your eyes, and wish to be back in the real world."
"Thank you for your help," Charlotte said as they headed down the path to the walled garden.
"The pleasure is all mine," the Guardian said. "Come back any time!"
There were fewer children playing with their loved ones in the walled garden. Some of them had gone back to their own time in the real world, back to the family that was always there for them. Charlotte and Ben were about to do the same.
"We can come back any time, can't we, Daddy?" Charlotte said.
"That's right," he said as he knelt down and held them in a warm embrace. "I'll be here waiting for you. Now, be nice to each other, be good to your Mummy, and tell her I'm very happy here. Can you do that for me?"
They both nodded in agreement.
"Good," he said, "and go easy on her with the questions when you get back. She's been worrying about this day for the last two years and I'm sure she'll have plenty of questions for the two of you."
"We'll come back and see you very soon," Charlotte said.
"I love you both very much, and
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