Baby Daniel's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Baby Daniel sat on the cold stone floor and squeezed his bottle tight. The smell was back. Warm and sweet and close. He knew the shape of the word in his head, round and crunchy, but his mouth would not hold it. He had been trying since breakfast. Around him lay every wrong guess the castle had brought. A blankie. A stuffed bunny. A ring of colored rattles. A soft pink star. None of them were the thing. He pointed down the long stone hall. His mother knelt beside him, crown bright in the dim light. "Tell me again," Princess Allee said. "I'm listening." Daniel opened his mouth. "Buh," he tried. Then, "Guh." His face went hot. The smell drifted closer and then thinned. He froze on the spot, right between the bunny and the rattle, waiting. The smell came back stronger. Daniel's whole body shook. He looked up at his mother and pushed every bit of himself into one small sound. "Coo-kie." Princess Allee's eyes went wide. She stood up fast. "A cookie. He wants a cookie." She was already moving down the passage. Daniel sat very still, listening to her footsteps go, and for the first time all day he was sure.