Fiction Friday - Dancing With Fairies

Taalah fluttered to a rest in the cool waiting area. It was hot out today, even for a fairy. She sat on the torn seat between two men who couldn't see her, or wouldn't acknowledge her if they did. Adult humans were predictable like that.

She rested her wings and cooled off, watching the comings and goings of humans. Soon a young family came in - man, woman, and a small, blonde girl. Taalah's wings fluttered gently in anticipation. Would the girl see? If she did, would she play?

When the woman set the girl on the floor, she reached up for her mom's hand, and Taalah watched mom twirl daughter in a joyful dance, giggles floating like bubbles out of the girl's sweet face. Taalah grinned. She was playful. 

After twirling a few times, the woman faced the man and they spoke together as their daughter ran in a circle around them, watching each of her steps slap the floor in a clapping sound.

At last, as she came back around from behind her dad, she stopped dead, staring with wide eyes at Taalah, who elevated herself above the seat with a light flap of wings, as a greeting. The girl walked directly over to Taalah, smiled at the two older men flanking the fairy, and stared at the space between them. Her smile grew as she watched Taalah tiptoe around the seat, dancing and twirling, ending with a bow. 

The man seated to the left of Taalah blew a raspberry at the girl, thinking she had come over in curiosity at the two men. His raspberry garnered a brief glance from her, while the girl's incredulous smile lingered on her face. Both men laughed, not realizing she had no interest in them whatsoever.

The girl's parents watched the supposed interaction between their daughter and the two strange men, but remained on the far side of the room. Dad was called up to the counter for official business, leaving Mom to watch after her girl. After a quick glance at her mom, the little girl smiled at Taalah and raced with toddler speed over to tug on the scarf tied around Mom's purse handle.

Achieving her objective, she returned to the sofa, scarf in hand, and threw it onto the seat between the two men, who laughed at the thought that the little girl would only sit there on her own scarf. Taalah, however, jumped out of the way of the scarf in alarm: Was she trying to capture the fairy?

Just as the girl tried sitting on the scarf, Taalah changed the game and flew over to peek out from behind a pillar in the room. The girl gathered the scarf and ran over, peering around as Taalah floated just out of reach. They played "chase" around the pillar, and back over to the seating area, Taalah always careful to remain out of reach, and the men enjoying the sight of what appeared to be a little girl with too much energy to sit. She sat once, but when Taalah flitted out in front of the girl, she was off and running again.

It was only about 15 minutes while her dad finished his business, at which point, Mom tried to rally the girl back to her side. They were getting ready to leave. Taalah hovered near the door and waved farewell. The girl followed Taalah, and was followed in turn by her parents, who pushed open the door. 

Outside, Taalah quickly hid herself in a nearby tree, so that the girl would happily go with her parents. The girl went, but she was looking around the whole time, scanning for fairies everywhere.
 
It's FICTION FRIDAY!
Every Friday, a new flash fiction story, inspired by reader comments, when possible. Feel free to leave a prompt for future use in the comments below.
Today's story was inspired by actual events that I observed while on a trip last week. (I do not know if any actual fairies were in attendance.)