A Conversation Between Morgan & Tata
Morgan was sitting on the rug in her room, with an open book beside her and colored pencils scattered all around.
Tata appeared in the doorway, carrying a rolled-up map, a thick ledger, and a few manuscripts.
“Daddyyyy! What have you got there?”
“A few things for a new room, sweetheart.”
Morgan immediately looked up.
“A new room?!”
“Yes.”
“Who’s it for?”
“Our chroniclers.”
Morgan jumped up and hurried over to him.
“Ooooh! Let’s see!”
Tata placed everything on the little table.
Morgan recognized the map immediately.
“LUMIER!”
She carefully unrolled a little of it.
“Daddy, do you remember how many questions I used to ask him when I was little?”
“How could I forget, Morgan?”
“And he answered every single one!”
“Almost every single one, sweetheart.”
Morgan burst into laughter.
“Yeeeah! Sometimes I’d ask him another question before he’d even finished answering the first!”
“Sometimes?”
Morgan gave him a mischievous look.
“All right, Daddy! Most of the time!”
They both laughed.
“But you know something, Daddy? Lumier never got upset with me for being curious.”
“I know, my darling.”
Morgan looked fondly at the map.
“I love that he can show other people our world now.”
“So do I, Morgan. And anyone who wants to discover the lands of Lunaria and our family can begin their journey right here, with LUMIER AND HIS MAP.”
Morgan carefully put the map back and noticed the ledger.
“Is that from the badgers?”
“Yes. Nero and Pico are preparing another journey, through Solenara Labs and the world of our badgers.”
“Both of them together?”
“Both of them.”
Morgan grinned.
“Daddy, but Nero writes stories and Pico does the counting!”
“Exactly.”
“So what happens if Nero writes too much?”
“Pico probably counts the pages.”
“And what if Pico counts too much?”
Tata thought for a moment.
“Nero probably writes a chronicle about it.”
Morgan started laughing.
“Then I definitely want to see what they’re working on!”
Tata showed her the manuscripts.
“And these will lead us to Axel.”
Morgan gently touched the cover of one of them.
“Our books…”
“Yes, sweetheart. Axel will guide us through our libraries, books, and chronicles. Every story has its own place, and he’ll help us discover them.”
Morgan looked at the three things on the table.
“Daddy, but they all show us something different!”
“They do.”
“Lumier shows us where to go, Nero and Pico show us the badgers’ world, and Axel takes us into the books!”
“Exactly, Morgan.”
The little girl thought for a moment.
“Then we can put them all in the same room. And every visitor can choose who they want to go exploring with.”
Tata smiled.
“That’s exactly what I was hoping for.”
“What shall we call it?”
“I was thinking… The Map Room.”
Morgan repeated the words softly.
“The Map Room…”
Then she glanced at the manuscripts again.
“But Daddy, these aren’t all maps.”
“No, my darling.”
“There are books, too. And stories. And our friends.”
“That’s right, Morgan.”
The little girl smiled.
“Then I like it!”
Tata began arranging everything on the shelves.
Morgan watched him for a few moments.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Why did you leave that shelf empty?”
“Because one day, someone else might come along with another story to share.”
Morgan looked at the empty shelf, then back at Tata.
“Just one shelf?”
“For now.”
“Daddyyyy…”
“Yes, Morgan?”
“I think you should make a few more.”
Tata began to laugh.
“Why, sweetheart?”
Morgan shrugged, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.
“Well… you and Serafina always say you’re only going to make one little thing.”
A pause.
“And then we end up having to build another whole room!”
Tata looked at her and burst into laughter.
“I think you’re right, Morgan.”
“I know, Daddy!”
She picked up her book from the table, then turned around one more time.
“Oh! And don’t forget something!”
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
“Leave the door open.”
“For our visitors?”
Morgan smiled.
“And for the ones who haven’t come Home yet.”
Tata gently stroked her curls.
“We’ll leave it open, Morgan.”
And so, in the House of Stories, The Map Room opened its doors.
With a map, a ledger, a few manuscripts…
And considerably more empty shelves than Tata had originally planned.
♡ RETURN HOME ♡
