Erik woke up with a heavy heart knowing that his giantess is leaving.  Maria cried to him last night and confessed her love for the giant Jakob.  Funny how both siblings fell in love with another set of siblings.  Maria told Erik about her nights with Jakob in the meadow.

“He is such a gentle man.  Nothing like those pompous idiots father would bring around to court me,” Maria said to her brother in the study last night.  “In fact, he is rather sweet and kind, almost like he is still a boy.”

“They are both still children in their own ways, Maria,” Erik tells his sister and Maria nods in agreement.

“I feel a longing and a sort of awkwardness in him.  I can tell that he is not used to being around people but it is as if he is trying to be more social with me.  He seems like a childhood crush in some ways,” Maria said as she fiddled with her apron.

“Aye, Marta is much the same.  Neither has ever had the opportunity to truly love before.  They have been alone half their life.  I had to tell a few of the men that Jakob is more afraid of them despite his size.  They wouldn’t believe me at first until they have gotten to know him.  Jakob talks but he is still very shy of people just as Marta is,” Erik said as he felt his ill-fitting garments against his skin.  Erik blamed it on all his eating he has been doing lately.  The tingle returned to his body only for a moment but long enough for Maria to see that there was something not quite right with her brother.

“Are you alright?” Maria asked as she stopped fiddling with her apron.

“It will pass, it always does,” Erik said as he braced himself on his chair.

“No wonder, you have been eating as much as our giants,” Maria said with a crocked smile.  Erik returned that smile.

“You are right, dear sister.  I am going to need my garments taken out,” Erik said as he felt the tightness of the cloth against his skin…

Erik woke up the following morning like he would any other morning but he was sad because his giantess is leaving him to look for other giants.  Erik looked out the door of his chamber and saw the two giants packing for their journey.  Erik frowned.

Erik started to get dressed when he realized his garments didn’t fit at all.  Yesterday his garments were only tight; today the garments didn’t fit at all.  Erik called out to his sister to see if she had altered any of his garments.

“My stars Erik, what is it you want,” Maria said as she entered his chamber.  Maria’s eye widened at the sight of her brother.

“Well, do you have any garments I can wear?” Erik said, unaware of Maria’s reaction.

“Erik, have you looked in the mirror yet?”

“Mirror?  Why?” Erik said as he turned to his sister.  Maria seemed smaller than usual. 

“You look different,” Maria said as she reached up and grabbed Erik by his shoulders and walked him to the small mirror hanging on the wall.  Maria definitely did look shorter compared to his own height but his face looked thinner.  Erik noticed some resemblance to Ansel and Gerta’s transformation.

“Papa, you look big,” Elisa’s little voice came from the doorway.  Erik turned to his daughter and even she seemed smaller than normal.  “Papa, you grow.”

“You have grown, Erik,” Maria said as she patted Erik’s shoulder.  “I’ll see if Gerta will be willing to give up some of Ansel’s garments.  They may be a little big on you but I have a feeling not for long,” Maria then said with a wink of her eye. 

A knock came from the balcony door.  This startled Erik and Maria.  Maria went to the doors and pulled back the curtain to see who it is.  Bright blue eyes and golden hair filled her vision.  Maria watched as Marta gently tapped the door again with her finger.  Maria opened the doors and smiled at the giantess.

“Good morning, friend,” Marta said with a warm smile.  “Is Erik awake?”

“U-mmmm, yes he is…. “Maria wasn’t sure what to tell her.

“Can I see him?  Only if he wants to see me,” Marta said bashfully.  Her pale cheeks tinged pink and she gave Maria a shy smile.  Maria shut the doors behind her after stepping out onto the balcony where she was eye level with the giantess who was slightly bending down.

“He is having… a slight problem at the moment,” Maria said as she fiddled with her apron.

“Problem?”

“He can’t find anything to wear.  Nothing seems to fit anymore.”

“No wonder, he’s been eating so much all week.”

“It’s not just that, Marta,” Maria said and Marta eyes widened.  “He’s taller.  I have never seen anyone grow so quickly.”

“Taller?”

“Not as tall as Ansel or Gerta, but he is taller.  I don’t understand,” Maria said, looking down at her apron.

“Erik is growing,” Marta said quietly with a smile playing on her lips.

“He needs garments,” Maria said.  “I was wondering if maybe Ansel has some to spare.”

“I have some garments I haven’t given to papa yet.  I can spare those,” Marta said.

“He will be ever so grateful,” Maria said as she watched the giantess walk back to the barn.

Marta came back with a pants and tunic.  She handed the garments to Maria.  Maria held up the pants and couldn’t believe the length of the pant legs.

“Those are to papa’s measurements,” Marta said to the startled woman.

“I can modify them a bit,” Maria said as she walked back into the room.

Erik put on the much larger garments.  He may have been taller but Ansel was still much bigger.  Maria rolled up the pant legs and the sleeves on the tunic.  She smiled at the sight of her brother wearing oversize garments.

“I don’t want to alter them in case you grow some more,” Maria said, looking up into her brother’s eyes.  A smile spread across Erik’s face.

“Dear sister, I intend to grow a lot more,” Erik said as he picked Maria up into a hug.  Erik even felt stronger.  Maria gave her brother a stunned look and Erik smiled. 

“How did you grow?” Maria asked.

“A kiss of true love, dear sister,” Erik answered.

“Your love for Marta is making you grow?”

“Aye sister, we love each other and a witch’s magic is making this possible,” Erik said and opened the doors to the balcony and took in the sight of the beautiful giantess before him.  Marta’s smile beamed at the little man and Erik laughed.  He held his arms wide open to welcome Marta to pick him up in which she did.

“I don’t want to leave,” Marta said as she held Erik in the cradle of her arms.  “Now that I know we are meant to be.”

Erik just smiles and then he looked toward the balcony at Maria and Elisa.  The grand old house stood a little taller than the giantess but not by much.  Elisa seemed so small from Marta’s prospective.  Elisa was roughly the size of Marta’s hand and Marta handled her as delicately as a butterfly.  Erik knew in his heart that if they stayed, Maria and Elisa would always be small to him.  Smaller as the days passed and then he too would have to live in the already too small for giants barn.

“Jakob plans on leaving after we rebuild Hilda’s house,” Marta said sadly.  This gave Erik an idea, an idea that would make both him and the homeless mother happy.

“I am giving Hilda my house,” Erik said plainly.

“What?”

“I’m giving Hilda my house so that I can go with you and Jakob.  Maria and Elisa are coming to.”

“Oh Erik, you will give up your home for me,” Marta said as she held him closer.

“Of course I will.  I won’t have much need for it much longer and besides, I don’t want to leave Maria and Elisa to be a giant,” Erik said.

“Jakob will be so happy when I tell him,” Marta said as she hugged the little man gently.

“Erik and I will be packing,” Maria said from the balcony.

“I going to be big like Jakob,” Elisa said and Erik laughed.

“Someday, my little one,” Erik tells his daughter knowing that the forest will change her just as love’s true kiss is changing him.