Scott retrieved the Tupperware from the freezer, the dragon bait. The path around the house was already wearing into the grass. They needed stepping stones. He held the container, Mel and Tober waiting expectantly.
*What they didn't need was more dragons in their lives. But Tober, and now Mel, had made Sepal family. This was why he avoided pet stores, with them attachment was inevitable.*
He looked at their expectant faces, their big brown eyes mirroring his own conflicted emotions. Their gazes shifted to the Tupperware.
*He was going to use it to lure Sepal back, along with every flower-consuming creature in the neighborhood. But that also meant risking the return of the large dragon.*
He spun, scanning the sky. It was clear now, no dragon in sight.
*Should they wait until it was farther away? At night? Out of sight would be best.*
He looked back at Mel and Tober, still staring at the container. If he waited, the large dragon would be farther away, but so would Sepal. He opened the container and placed it in the middle of the lawn.
"Come on, honey, bring Tober. We should make room for all the creatures this stuff will attract," Scott said, his voice a low murmur against the backdrop of the burgeoning afternoon.
They moved slowly to the edge of the yard, settling near the picnic table beside the house. Scott noticed the bees first, more were active in the daytime than he'd remembered. Then came the birds, the rabbits, a small menagerie of creatures that surprised and unnerved Mel and Tober, who hadn't witnessed this before. Just after the first two deer appeared, a wave of butterflies descended, monarchs and countless others Scott couldn't identify: blue, yellow, orange, red, green, and some white ones with spots, distinctly unlike moths. He wasn't sure how he could tell the difference, but their flight patterns were unmistakably butterfly-like.
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"Scott!" Mel's whisper-yell pierced the air. She sat on the picnic table bench, Tober nestled in her lap, one arm holding him close, the other extended, a butterfly resting delicately on her finger. It was a vibrant purplish-blue with brownish fringes. "Scott! Look! Do you know what this is? It's a Blue Xerces butterfly. They went extinct in the 1940s, and they're not even from this region!"
The butterfly flitted away, joining the growing collection of creatures in the backyard. Scott watched, a growing unease settling in his gut. There was still no sign of Sepal. Last time, she'd been the first to arrive, but she was hopefully already in the backyard. He watch diligently, careful not to alarm Tober with his worry that Sepal wouldn't come. He also kept scanning the sky for the large dragon.
"Dad, where's Sepal? Why isn't my dragon here?" Tober's question hung in the air, a mixture of impatience and concern.
Scott was just about to explain that it might take a while when a whooshing sound from the far side of the house made them all turn. Sepal flew around the corner, about twenty feet in the air, heading straight for the middle of the yard. Scott raced toward the pile of creatures and the Tupperware at its center. The sooner Sepal could reunite with Tober, the better. He hopped over three deer, executed a nimble sidestep to avoid stepping on a pair of rabbits, and then carefully maneuvered through a mass of sleeping hummingbirds and bumblebees, hoping the bees would remain undisturbed. He wrestled with the Tupperware lid, desperate to seal it before Sepal fell asleep. He brushed off a layer of insects before snapping the lid shut and searching for Sepal. He couldn't find her among the animals or in the air. Then he saw her, black wings wrapped around Tober, Tober's arms wrapped tightly around Sepal. Had she gone straight to Tober instead of the concoction?
Scott saw Mel sitting next to them on the picnic table bench, her body shaking with sobs of relief, tears streaming down her face. He felt tears welling in his own eyes. He ran to his family, wrapping his arms around Mel as she held Tober and Sepal. He let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding since Tober discovered the dragon egg. Still embracing them, he closed his eyes, letting his body relax. It would be alright.
From the edge of the yard, a voice drifted, "Dude, we're gonna have to do this the hard way, man."