“I want to go with Mummy, Aunt Mia,” Sophie cried from behind me. “I don’t want him to hurt her.”
“Oh, sweetheart, Easter Bilby wouldn’t hurt your mummy. Come on, let’s go see what they’re looking at.” Mia stood and lifted Sophie on her hip, then went to the giant basket. “Wow! This is amazing, isn’t it, Sophie?”
“I never saw a basket that big. Those bum nuts are as big as my head,” Sophie exclaimed, still clutching to Mia.
The basket, like the bunny, was very oversized and over-exaggerated. The basket itself had to be six feet tall. There were scattered baskets of eggs surrounding the giant basket, filled with more large eggs.
“Why are all those bum nuts not painted pretty like the others?” Sophie asked, no longer hiding in Mia’s neck.
“Because they’re waiting to be decorated.” Victoria appeared next to us to explain. “Would you like to help all of us decorate them?”
“Can Mummy help too?” Sophie asked.
“Actually, everybody is going to help. And wait until you see all the pretty things we have to decorate with.” Victoria smiled. “Should we go do it right now then?”
“Yes please, but I have on my pretty clothes and I don’t want to get them dirty.” Sophie stuck her thumb in her mouth.
“I have on my pretty clothes too, so why don’t we all go into the dining room and we can put on the big aprons that my housekeeper has out for us?” Victoria waved for the family to follow.
One by one the family passed by and stopped to say hello and introduce themselves. Mia followed behind Parker with Sophie, now walking holding her hand. Eventually, I was the last person in the room besides the big furry Easter Bunny, who was now staring at me from less than a foot away with his big glass eyes.
“I guess it’s just you and me,” I said awkwardly. “After you, sir. This is, after all, your day.”
I wish I knew if this was a hired bunny or one of the family members, because this is a little weird how he keeps looking at me.
The bunny only gestured for me to go ahead of him.
Chapter 3
Trey
It was like the heavens had heard me asking for my very own Mia. When Chloe and her daughter turned the corner into the room, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The ridiculous bunny suit undoubtedly saved me from looking like a teenager in love. Mom had directed everyone to the dining room for the annual egg decorating and the family followed, introducing themselves one by one to Mia’s sister. But here I was, stuck in this suit. At least it would give me a chance to observe her without her knowing I was watching her. But if the looks I was getting were an indication of her thoughts, she for sure thought there was a creeper in the costume.
“After you, sir. This is, after all, your day.” She waved her arm toward the doorway.
I waved to the doorway for her to go first, but she just crossed her arms, waiting for me to go. I couldn’t blame her once I got a look at myself in the mirror hanging on the wall behind her. I reluctantly nodded in agreement that I would go first and turned toward the doorway, leaving her slightly behind me.
“Do you always walk, or mostly hop? And if you hop, is it on all fours, or just the back feet?” Chloe giggled behind me. “I’m just curious.”
I spun around, beaming ear to ear from the silliness of the question. When I did, I’d forgotten she couldn’t see me smiling, so instead I startled her. She jumped backwards, banging into the side table and knocking over one of my mother’s odd-looking statues. It was probably worth a fortune.
“Are you alright?” I asked from under the head of the bunny. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was laughing at your question.”
I watched her catch herself and the statue. She let out an obviously nervous laugh while she shifted the statue to her other hand. She was still standing a few feet away from me, holding the statue and looking all kinds of startled, when I noticed Asher coming toward us.
“If you’re done scaring the visitor, her daughter is asking for her,” Asher said sarcastically. “Nice tail, by the way.”
I looked from a startled Chloe to a cocky Asher and back to Chloe again. Then I gave up, threw my paws up in the air in defeat, and headed to the dining room. At the end of the hall just before going into the room, I turned, pointed to Chloe, then hopped the rest of the way. I could hear her faint laughter following behind me.
“Wow!” Chloe said, entering the room after me. “This is incredible.”
“Mummy, look at all the pretty sequins and jewels,” Sophie called out from across the room. “Look how big the bum nuts are too.”
“Those are the biggest eggs I’ve ever seen.” Chloe still stood near the doorway.
“You have to sit over there, Mummy, because I’m sitting with Aunt Mia over here. Okay?” Sophie stood on her chair to be seen. “But don’t be sad, Mummy, I love you a million jellybeans.”
“And I love you a million chocolate bunnies.” Chloe smiled back at her daughter. “I’m not sad. You have fun with Aunt Mia.”
I watched Chloe looking confused as to what was happening, and I badly wanted to help, but I wanted to help as myself, not the Easter Bunny. Then, unexpectedly, she turned to speak to me.
“Are you sitting, Easter Bunny?” Chloe asked, now standing next to me.
“Yeah Mummy, sit by Easter Bilby.” Sophie pointed to the two empty chairs.
Now I was the one feeling nervous. Mom had definitely gone above the normal egg decorating extravaganza and I had to hand it to her, even I was excited to dig into all the craft supplies and make the winning egg. But I needed a way to escape and come back as myself.
“I don’t mind sitting next to you, Easter Bilby, but I’m not sure how you’re going to decorate eggs with those giant paws.” She winked at me.
Everyone had already picked seats before we got there, so when Chloe walked to the two chairs furthest from the craft supply area, I had a feeling Murphy had something to do with it — until Asher and August started snickering.
I should have known those two would do something to try to make me lose. Whenever they were together it was trouble, unless they were arguing.
“Easter Bunny, do you have time to decorate an egg with us, or do you have to hippity hoppity Easter your way out of here?” Mom asked. “You must be tired from hiding eggs all morning.”
I nodded and patted my bunny mouth with a giant paw, pretending to cover a yawn.
“Oh my. Bilby is very tired, isn’t he Sophie?” Mia tried to cover a laugh when I went into an exaggerated stretch. “Should we tell him it’s okay to go rest?”
“It’s okay, Bilby. I get stuffed too. You can go rest now,” Sophie called out.
“Thank you for coming to see us, Easter Bilby.” Chloe got up from her seat to stand closer. “Can I give you a hug for sharing your busy day with us?”
A hug? She has no idea how crazy she’s making me feel.
I nodded an exaggerated yes, spun in a circle, then threw my arms open wide.
“Sophie, don’t you want to hug Easter Bilby with Mummy?” Chloe looked to her daughter. “Maybe Aunt Mia will come over here with you, too.”