Of Princes and Princesses

I am standing in front of the mirror finishing a quick ponytail, and almost as an afterthought I grab the tiara Shaina had been playing with earlier and place it on my head. The children, who are playing in the next room, glance in at me, a bit puzzled. (Grown-ups don't often play dress-up.)

"Aunt Dani," Noah begins, "Do you ever wish you were Cinderella?"

I turn to him and smile, mysteriously. "Ah, Noah... there's something you don't know about me." The room grows quiet. Even Wesley eyes me solemnly over the

thumb he's shoved in his mouth.

"What?"

I pause, for effect, and then: "I am Cinderella."

"What!?" Noah is cynical.

"But... but you're not Cinderella."

"Yes, I am."

"But..."

Shaina joins in Noah's doubtful protestations. "But Aunt Dani, you can't be Cinderella."

"Why not?" I adjust my tiara, pretending to be a bit hurt.

"Because.... well... because Cinderella sings and dances."

"I sing and dance too... all the time."

Silence again. They can't argue with that one.

"But... Cinderella has a prince."

"I have a prince too... I just don't know who he is yet. But, someday, he'll come for me."

Shaina's eyes begin to shine. I can read her thoughts: Really...? For real!?

Noah follows me into the kitchen as I start to prepare lunch.

"Aunt Dani, is it against the law for me to marry you?"

"Yes, Noah it is. Besides; I don't want to marry you anyhow. You're not my prince. You are another girl's prince."

Inside, I laugh. He's an ambitious little knight in shining armor (-in training)... but he's going to have to wait a few years.

After lunch and before naps, I turn on some music and we all dance around the living room. At first, I pick a fun happy song that the kids and I wiggle and bounce to. But then, I choose a slow waltz. It is "So This Is Love", the song Cinderella and the prince dance to on the magical night they meet. As I hold Shaina and we twirl around the room, we smile at each other and she leans her head back, shuts her eyes, and spreads her arms wide. We feel beautiful.

And we both know that Cinderellas don't just live in fairy tales.