One More Dance

Fira held the ends of a red ribbon while Orumi tried to tie a bow on a branch of the Christmas tree.

The first loop came out small. The second was so big that it hid a wooden star.

“Shall we try again?” Fira asked.

Orumi studied his handiwork.

“Now I’d like to see how it turns out.”

He gently pulled one end of the ribbon. The bow settled on the branch, uneven and a little crooked, but rather lovely. Their hands met beside the knot. Fira could have let go of the ribbon now. She didn’t, not straight away.

For a moment, Orumi kept his paw there too.

The cottage smelled of oranges. Snowflakes melted against the window. From the next room came the soft tune of a music box that Nubo had repaired before supper.

Fira looked at Orumi. In the warm glow of the tree, the red swirls in his fur looked like narrow ribbons.

“I like it,” she said.

“The bigger loop?”

“That too.”

Orumi looked at the bow. He imagined two silver birds that might perch on it. He pictured them so clearly that, a moment later, they fluttered their wings on the branch. One straightened the other end of the ribbon; the other tucked its head beneath a wing.

Fira laughed softly.

“Leave them just like that. There’s nothing else we need.”

Orumi glanced at the space beside the tree.

“Perhaps one more…”

Fira gently took his paw with the tip of her petal arm.

“Will you dance with me?”

He didn’t imagine a bigger room or a whole orchestra. He simply moved a chair aside so they wouldn’t bump into it on their first turn.

“Let’s try.”

Their first steps didn’t quite fit the tune. Fira moved to the right, and so did Orumi. They almost bumped noses. Then they both tried to make room for each other.

“Perhaps we could be a little less polite,” Fira said.

Orumi smiled and moved more slowly.

The second time was easier. They swayed beside the Christmas tree, past the chair and the long edge of the tablecloth. When one of Fira’s petals caught on his waistcoat, they stopped together, untangled it and went back to their dance.

She hugged her friends every day. But now she wanted to stay close to him in particular, even when the music fell quiet for a moment.

“I like being with you,” she said.

Orumi looked at their joined hands.

“So do I. I could stay here a little longer.”

He was in no hurry to follow his next idea. Fira was glad to notice it.

A sprig of mistletoe she had brought from the forest that morning hung above the doorway. On their next turn, they stopped beneath it. Orumi looked up.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t hang a bell here.”

“Why?”

“I’d have hit it with my head three times by now.”

Fira rested her cheek against his shoulder. For a little while, they swayed almost on the spot.

“I think I’ve fallen in love with you,” she said quietly.

Orumi moved a little closer.

“I’ve fallen in love with you too.”

The silver birds on the Christmas tree folded their wings. One tucked its beak into its feathers, as though it had decided its work for the evening was done.

The clock began to strike midnight. Fira counted the chimes without moving away from Orumi. As the last one faded, the music box fell silent too.

“One more dance?” she asked.

Orumi found the little key and wound up the mechanism. Then he came back to her the same way, carefully avoiding the chair.

Fira offered him her petal hand.

On their first turn, the bow on the Christmas tree swayed gently. This time, both loops looked exactly as they should.