Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale 5)

Ever hadn’t slept. She paced and patrolled the house.

Each time the front door opened, Mina woke up in a panic, but it was just Ever checking the wards. It was odd to see their group, all piled into the living room like lost puppies. Sometimes she felt like that’s exactly what they were. They had refused to leave her and Charlie alone after just losing their mom. Mina didn’t know what excuse they were giving their parents. Frankly, she didn’t want to know. But there was something comforting in seeing their band. Their mini army.

When sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating the dust swirling in the room, Charlie finally began to stir. Nan’s uber-sensors went off, and she sat up, watching him intently. Mina uncurled herself from the chair, her leg muscles cramping as she walked across the room. When she passed Brody, still on the floor, he met her gaze and gave her a sad smile.

Charlie opened his eyes and looked up at Nan and Mina’s expectant faces. His alert eyes darted here and there around the room. They noticed Brody and Ever, then continued, as if searching for someone. When he didn’t find what he was searching for, he closed his eyes, lay back down on the couch, and pulled the blanket over his head.

“Oh come on, little buddy,” Nan coaxed gently. “It’s time to rise and shine.”

The blanket wiggled back and forth in a negative answer.

“Okay then,” Nan continued teasingly. “You don’t have to shine. How about you rise and glower or grumble and growl.” Her voice became soft. “Or how about just breathe. Rise and just breathe. Like this—” Nan exhaled and was about to take another dramatic breath in when the blanket launched itself up and wrapped around her in a hug.

Charlie’s little shoulders shook, and Mina crawled up on the couch next to him to rub his back. Nan had always been the best at communicating with Charlie and reading his moods. Mina didn’t know what to say to comfort him. How was she going to help him cope, when she could barely cope herself?

She glanced over and noticed Brody watching her silently from his sleeping bag. He got up and started rolling it and stuffing it back into its carrying bag.

Ever came in, very somber, though her outfit was unusually bright. Little pink flowers flecked her hair, and her normal black attire had been replaced with a bright yellow sundress. “Um, can everyone come to the kitchen please?”

Charlie’s curiosity at Ever had him leading the pack into the kitchen. He stopped short. Mina bumped into his back, but she was momentarily stunned as well.

Ever had transformed the country kitchen into a happy garden full of plants of all kinds. Bright paper lanterns hung from the ceiling with little tea lite candles burning. On the kitchen table in the middle of the room was a picture, framed in mint green, of her mother laughing and hugging Mina and Charlie.

Mina remembered that day. She and Charlie were thirteen and five. That windy day, they had gone to the park and were trying to fly Charlie’s homemade cardboard kite. Of course it didn’t fly, but that didn’t stop them from trying to get the diamond shaped piece to go up in the air for more than five seconds. Just when Charlie was about to cry, the kite had taken off and hung in the air  long enough to make him smile.

That had been a good day, filled with lots of laughs and memories. Mina wasn’t sure where Ever found the picture, but she was glad she did. It was a great one of their mom. That’s how she wanted to remember her.

“Ever, it’s beautiful.” Mina softly touched the edge of the frame and then ran her fingers over the blooming flowers that curled around the table. It took her a second to realize there wasn’t a single vase in the room. Ever had made all of the flowers appear and bloom magically. “Thanks.”

Ever blushed. “I felt it was only right to honor your mother’s passing with a celebration.”

“A celebration?” Nan asked. “That doesn’t sound like the right kind of thing to do at the moment.”

Ever looked like she was struggling to hold back a snappy retort. She took a deep breath and slowly explained. “Well, Fae live for a very, very, very long time. Deaths aren’t usually sudden and unexpected. By the time we pass on, we’ve lived a very long and fulfilled life. The passing of Fae is usually a great honor. I know her death was sudden, but I want to give tribute to your mom with the best the Fae can offer.” She gave a stern glare to Nan, and Mina knew there would be no arguing this.

Unsure what to do, Mina took a seat in one of the kitchen chairs that had been pushed to the side, and Charlie scurried up next to her. Brody and Nan sat in the row behind Mina and Charlie, while Ever stood in the middle of the kitchen next to the table and cleared her throat.

“Um, sorry. I’ve only been to a few of these. And I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare.”

“It’s fine,” Mina reassured her.

Ever smiled wide, and her hair moved about as her wings started to flutter in excitement. She smoothed her hands over her dress before turning to a small pearlescent seed on the table in front of the frame.

Ever waved her hand, and the seed moved to float above her fingertips. “Once upon a time, there was a seed. Small, insignificant, helpless. But Mother Earth took it into her womb and kept it warm and protected.” Ever cupped her hands over the seed and continued the story. “Then, Father Sun spread forth his love from above and nourished the seed with light and sent the rain and whispered for the seed to bloom and grow.”

She opened her hands slightly, and bright green vines began to stretch out of her hands. “Our path dictates how strong we will be and how tall we will grow. Will our life grow into something beautiful, or will we develop thorns for protection?” The vines bloomed into bright pink flowers with orange tints. “Each journey is different.”

Mina turned to watch her younger brother get up and spin under the giant flower buds that continued to blossom and erupt. He held his hands up in the air to catch the colorful burst of Fae pollen. Nan and Brody followed suit as each they stood and stared above them in wonder.

Nan squealed as some of it touched her lips and she tasted it. “Cotton candy?” She giggled.

Charlie opened his mouth to do the same. He shook his head. He obviously didn’t taste cotton candy, but whatever he tasted on his tongue, he enjoyed. He kept his mouth open.

Brody let some fall on his finger and brought it up to his mouth. “Pineapple upside down cake. How are you doing this?”

Mina smiled and laughed with everyone as they celebrated. But when she licked her lips, she tasted the distinct flavor of lemon bars, and her heart plummeted. That was her mother’s favorite dessert.