Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #5)(10)

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.

Ever just shrugged her shoulders. “It’s different for everyone.” She licked her lips. “Mmmm.” She flew up, arms wide, and made the rest of the room burst forth in colorful fireworks of flowers.

From above, Ever said, “Only when we die, are we truly reborn.” When the flower had bloomed, it slowly fell and withered, and the petals fell, leaving only a single, white sparkling seed. “Because life comes from death.”

Ever picked up the seed and handed it to Charlie. “When you’re ready, plant this.”

She dropped the pearlescent seed in his outstretched hand. “I’m not sure what kind of flower it will be, but it will be representative of your mother’s life. This way, you will always have a bit of her with you.”

Charlie jumped up and shoved the seed into his pant pocket.

Ever turned an apologetic face toward Mina. “Sorry, I only have one remembrance seed. I just thought that—”

“It’s fine,” Mina interrupted. “You did the same thing I would have done.”

Throughout the morning, Mina and Nan retold various recollections about Sara. Stories of her sitting up eating ice cream sundaes till one a.m. during their slumber parties. Helping the girls with last minute book report projects.

“She really was like a mom to me. More than my own mom, and I really can’t thank you enough for sharing your family with me.”

Mina gave Nan’s hand a big squeeze. “I can’t imagine my family without you.”

Brody had been quiet for most of the celebration. Obviously, something was weighing heavily on his mind. He kept looking at Charlie and frowning. He was the deep thinker of the group, so Mina figured he was also recognizing the problem at hand.

With Charlie having just turned ten and Mina not yet eighteen, without a legal guardian, they would be taken away, and their little family torn apart. It was possible a foster family would take both, but there would be no guarantee.