In case you missed something:
If You Dream of Fairies - I
If You Dream of Fairies - II
If You Dream of Fairies - III
If You Dream of Fairies - IV
If You Dream of Fairies - V
If You Dream of Fairies - VI
If You Dream of Fairies - VII
If You Dream of Fairies - VIII
If You Dream of Fairies - IX
If You Dream of Fairies - X
If You Dream of Fairies - XI
If You Dream of Fairies - XII
If You Dream of Fairies - XIII
If You Dream of Fairies - XIV
If You Dream of Fairies - XV
If You Dream of Fairies - XVI
Liz woke from her dream with a sense that it had perhaps been something more.
Several weeks later the girls were enjoying a late fall afternoon in the garden. The snapdragons, petunias and impatiens of summer had given way to the mums of autumn. The garden and yard were carpeted with fragrant and colorful leaves. The air was cool and crisp, but the sun was shining brightly. They knew that this would be one of their last afternoons in the garden this year.
Keebler barked at the tree and both girls turned their attention towards it.
The door was open.
Maria looked at Liz with an expression that combined shock and awe. She looked back and forth between the door and Liz, her mouth dropping open a bit as she did.
“You tried to tell me…”
“You weren’t ready to know, I guess.”
“For real? Fairies?”
“Fairies. They love us.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know why, but they do. And we’re lucky for it. We’re charmed.”
“I want to see them.”
“I doubt we will.”
“You’ve seen them…”
“I have. I needed to. I don’t think we’ll see them any more.”
At that moment a wee tiny head emerged briefly from the tree and an even tinier hand pulled the door shut.
Liz and Maria grew up, as all children eventually must. Their parents retired and moved to be closer to the shore. The girls stayed in their homes. The sea shell fairy that Maria had brought back from the beach took a place of honor on Liz’s mantle. They always maintained the garden together, not that it’s very difficult to maintain a garden that’s been charmed.
Eventually they got married – within three months of each other. Each served as the other’s maid (then matron) of honor. They had their first babies – baby girls – close together, the second summer after their weddings.
It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to lay those baby girls on a blanket near the edge of the garden while they sipped their tea and gossiped and shared stories a few feet away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Several weeks later the girls were enjoying a late fall afternoon in the garden. The snapdragons, petunias and impatiens of summer had given way to the mums of autumn. The garden and yard were carpeted with fragrant and colorful leaves. The air was cool and crisp, but the sun was shining brightly. They knew that this would be one of their last afternoons in the garden this year.
Keebler barked at the tree and both girls turned their attention towards it.
The door was open.
Maria looked at Liz with an expression that combined shock and awe. She looked back and forth between the door and Liz, her mouth dropping open a bit as she did.
“You tried to tell me…”
“You weren’t ready to know, I guess.”
“For real? Fairies?”
“Fairies. They love us.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know why, but they do. And we’re lucky for it. We’re charmed.”
“I want to see them.”
“I doubt we will.”
“You’ve seen them…”
“I have. I needed to. I don’t think we’ll see them any more.”
At that moment a wee tiny head emerged briefly from the tree and an even tinier hand pulled the door shut.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Liz and Maria grew up, as all children eventually must. Their parents retired and moved to be closer to the shore. The girls stayed in their homes. The sea shell fairy that Maria had brought back from the beach took a place of honor on Liz’s mantle. They always maintained the garden together, not that it’s very difficult to maintain a garden that’s been charmed.
Eventually they got married – within three months of each other. Each served as the other’s maid (then matron) of honor. They had their first babies – baby girls – close together, the second summer after their weddings.
It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to lay those baby girls on a blanket near the edge of the garden while they sipped their tea and gossiped and shared stories a few feet away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The end.
The end.
Wonderful.
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