TEN
Hollie’s room shimmers back into focus and I find I am still in the same spot on the floor. Wearing the same clothes I left in.
Damn. I guess I can’t bring spiritual stuff back with me to the human world.
At least my body is light and refreshed. The complete opposite of how I felt this morning.
I’m alone, so I get up and wander into the kitchen, sensing that is where I will find Hols and Bonnie. The walls of the hallway are darker than normal, with an ugly, dark mist rolling up them. When I look down, the carpet appears old and moldy. I swear I see a few mushrooms growing in a dark corner, but I look away before I can find out for sure.
Since I’m barefoot, I dash back into Hollie’s room to get my flippies. I pass through the beads and my surroundings change drastically. I hadn’t noticed when I first came to, but the room is brighter and even more colorful than usual. There is a glisten to everything that belongs to Hollie.
When I leave the room again, I race down the dreary, creepy hall, eyes open only enough so that I don’t trip or run into a wall. My friends are in the kitchen like I thought. It is luminous in here, but that is in comparison to the hallway—it is still dingier than Hollie’s room. Although I’m pretty sure her room is about the closest I will ever get to Avalon while in this realm.
Anyway, the house is what it is. It’s actually much better than I would have thought, if I would have thought about it… Hollie’s mom’s qualities show through in the house she keeps.
Hrm. Wonder what my house looks like. Or my parents’ house, I guess. Whatever…
Wait—I just said ‘parents’ without anger or hesitation. Maybe I am not as angry as I thought. There has to be a good explanation for why they kept my adoption a secret. Maybe they know my secret! Now that would be nuts.
Pushing these thoughts out of my head even with as good of a place as they might be headed, I prepare to deal with what is in front of me at this very moment. I walk toward the two faeries sitting at the table in the corner breakfast nook. I attempt to be as quiet as possible but it’s no use—I’m hopeless. Bonnie is facing more my way and nudges Hols. Huge grins spread across their faces once they turn to look at me.
I pause mid-stride. Covetina told the truth; I now witness things as they truly are. And not only as far as my surroundings … I can see the true nature of people. Bonnie is a little darling, lit from within. And she is much younger than she appears on the outside—at least to humans, and how I have seen her until now. I would guess she is only in her early thirties. That is quite a shock, but Hollie’s image is what stops me in my tracks.
Deliberately, I take a small step over to the table, never taking my eyes off Hollie. Another step. There are no words. Her skin shimmers like all other fae I have seen, but her color is unlike anything else. It is almost as if her body is made up of many tiny prisms. Nothing could suit my friend better; the artist that she is. A beautiful creature to behold.
No one seems to want to speak first, so I sit down next to Hols and shove her down the bench seat with my butt. Hollie bumps me right back and we giggle like all is the same and our world is normal and right.
I take a deep breath. While exhaling, a rush of words comes out of my mouth. “So, how did your visit go? Are you freaked out by all of this? What are you thinking? You all right?”
“Calm down, sweets.” Hollie smiles. “I’m fine. Sure, I was kinda like ‘what the heck?’ for a minute, but it all makes sense now. So I’m good. You?”
“Yeah I’m good, too. I have to leave here and figure out what I’m supposed to do. Apparently I have some crazy stuff ahead of me. And no clue how to do it. You wanna help? I could use all I can get.”
“I’d love to,” Hollie says sincerely. “But I met somebody. Someone amazing. And she convinced me my place is here.”
“Oh, well that’s good, right?” I look down at my hands and start twirling my plastic, flower gumball-machine ring around and around my finger. I try to hide my disappointment, but to no avail. “All right, well tell me all you can. I wanna know what and why and how—all of it.”
I look up into Hollie’s blue eyes and if I didn’t know better I’d believe I was staring through two portholes out to the ocean. I feel a smile growing. A real, radiant smile. My disappointment leaves me the second I see the beauty and truth inside my friend.
Hollie tells me everything Bonnie already explained, but I listen intently, taking in Hollie’s every emotion. It all means so much more now. And we really are connected on a deeper level than we ever knew.
She wraps up her story. “Yeah, so I guess since that’s what both my parents wanted—for me to stay here—it’s what I should do. For now, at least.”
“Well, that’s cool. If that’s what’s right for you. Hell, at least your life gets to stay the same. Mine’s all upside-down and ass-backwards right now. But I kind of figured this might happen with you.” I smile so she knows I’m not upset. “So who did you meet? I mean, it must be someone pretty important for you to be so sure you should stay, right?”
I’m not quite able to read Hols’ mind at the moment. Maybe I’m just tired from all this mental exertion…
“I met my Bėfind—my faery godmother.” My expression must be showing shock because she says, “Yeah, I know. I didn’t think they existed either, but…” She waves around the table and we all laugh.
“They give gifts to babies and, apparently, my gift was that I will be strong in the human world and bring my artistic abilities to others. Even though I’m half-fae, my weaknesses won’t stop me from being successful here.” She half-smiles and looks down at the table. She is an open book right now and I can read that she feels pretty special knowing that her art is important enough to influence others. I beam with pride for her.
Still looking at the table, Hollie continues. “So, I guess I’ll just stay with my mom and see how things go. I think I might meet my dad at some point, but I’m not quite sure I’m ready for it quite yet.”
After a beat, or a few—to give her time and to absorb all she said, I respond. “I completely understand, sweets. Shit, I’m with ya on the whole parent thing. I’m going back and forth with how I feel about mine.”
“Maybe they thought it was for the best. I don’t know. But Bon did tell me you need to take care of things with Blake and then get to helping the fae. I hate to see you go, but it’s something you shouldn’t put off.”
I rest my head on Hollie’s shoulder and just sit for a moment, trying to get the strength to go break up with my love. No matter how right it is—considering our problems of late, not to mention the new info I’ve been given—I am not the least bit prepared to do it.