Fort Collins

by Christian, Claudia Hall

  “I think she’s already asked you,” Tanesha said in a low voice.

  “Oh, sorry,” Heather said with a smile. “You’re asking a question that’s never been asked before.”

  Jill looked up at Heather and scowled.

  “It seems like everyone is going on tradition,” Heather said. “And the tradition is that when a child reaches the age of five, his or her soul is open for collection by the Trickster. It’s up to the child to set herself free.”

  “That’s such BS,” Jill said. “There’s got to be another way.”

  “You have to teach a child to walk,” Sandy said in her most helpful voice. “I wonder if we could figure out what everyone learned from the Trickster — you know, what Katy needs to learn. Maybe we could teach her what she needs to know.”

  The girlfriends turned to look at Sandy. She blushed.

  “It was just an idea,” Sandy said.

  “A great idea,” Tanesha said. “We’ve learned from, well, everyone, that Katy needs to learn some skills. These skills are usually taught by this creature they’re calling the Trickster.”

  “If you keep her away from the Trickster, she won’t learn the skills and will be attacked by him later in life,” Heather said. “Boy, there are tons of stories like that.”

  “There are?” Sandy asked.

  “Sure,” Heather said. She opened her mouth to tell them what they were when she noticed Jill’s scowl. She hugged Jill instead. “Why don’t you let me lead this part?”

  “You would do that?” Jill asked.

  “Of course,” Heather said. “I’m happy to help.”

  “Me, too,” Sandy said.

  Tanesha nodded.

  “That settles it,” Heather said. “We’ll split them up into three groups. . .”

  “I can do one,” Jill said with a nod.

  “Four groups, and we’ll get them to figure out what they learned from the trickster,” Heather said.

  “Then we’ll figure out how to teach it to Katy,” Tanesha said with a nod. “Good plan.”

  Sandy nodded in agreement.

  “Jill?” Heather asked.

  “Let’s do it!” Jill said.

  They went out into the living area. Standing together, they were such a formidable group that everyone in the room fell silent. All eyes fell on them.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do,” Heather said.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Saturday — 10:30 a.m.

  New York City, New York

  Sissy awoke to the sound of Nadia laughing. She tried to look to her left, where Ivan’s bed had been, but didn’t see anything. Then she remembered that Ivan had been moved out of this ICU earlier this morning. Sissy was supposed to sleep all day today so that she, too, could get out of this private ICU, and getting out of the ICU was the first step toward getting out of this horrible hospital. Feeling a wave of frustration, Sissy sighed.

  “I know that frustrated sigh,” Ivan said. “She is awake.”

  Sissy saw his hand grope around on her bed again. Before he found the controller, Nadia appeared. She kissed Sissy’s cheek, lowered the bed, and sat on the edge.

  “I thought I had to sleep today,” Sissy said. Her voice filled with frustration and sorrow. “If I’m awake, I have to stay here.”

  “That would suck,” Nadia said with a smile.

  “What is wrong?” Ivan asked.

  Nadia replied in fluent Russian. Sissy had the overwhelming feeling that Nadia was really Ivan’s soul mate and that she was just a stupid, little girl. Her dreams were vanishing before her. She looked away from where she now knew Ivan was sitting.

  “No,” Nadia said, as if she could hear Sissy’s thoughts. She leaned over Sissy. “Don’t go there.”

  “But. . .” Sissy’s bottom lip vibrated with sorrow.

  “It’s the anesthesia,” Nadia said.

  “And the trauma,” Ivan said.

  Sissy refused to look at him. Nadia leaned over that so her face was inches from Sissy’s. She gave Sissy a soft smile.

  “We have been here waiting for you to wake up,” Nadia said.

  “But I’m supposed to sleep today!” Sissy’s voice rose with frustration. “Or I’ll never get out of this fucking place.”

  At her swearing, Ivan’s eyebrows rose, and his mouth clamped closed to keep from laughing. Nadia owed Sissy none of that kindness.

  “Did you curse?” Nadia laughed.

  Sissy scowled at her. Nadia kissed her cheek again.

  “Take a deep breath, Sissy,” Nadia said in a low, intimate voice. “Can you feel it?”

  “What?” Sissy glared at her.

  “You can breathe,” Nadia said.

  Nadia’s face disappeared from in front of her. Sissy took a breath and felt nothing. No pain. No stiffness. No immovable phlegm. No constriction. She took another breath. She’d never felt so happy to be able to do something so incredibly simple. Sissy’s eyes welled with tears. She felt Ivan’s big hand grab hers. As always, she was steadied in his tight grip. She looked at him for the first time. He smiled.

  “There you are,” he said in a low voice. She smiled. Nadia lowered her bed so that Sissy could see them out of the corner of her eye.

  “The doctors are taking credit for it,” Nadia said. “But, of course, it was Otis and Jill.”

  Nadia nodded at Sissy.

  “Miraculous,” Nadia said. “I grew up hearing about the miraculous Russian healers. Frankly. . .”

  Nadia’s face appeared over Sissy again.

  “I thought it was complete bullshit,” Nadia said. “My mother, God rest her soul, and I fought over this very thing. ‘The only healing is science!’ I’d say. ‘You know nothing!’ she would say. And guess what?”

  “She was right,” Sissy said.

  “She was right,” Nadia said with a snort. “Who knew?”

  Nadia looked down to see Ivan holding Sissy’s hand. She smiled.

  “We should get down to business before the doctors come to brag about their awesomeness,” Nadia said.

  “Business?” Sissy asked.

  “Nadia has a proposal for us,” Ivan said. “Well, for you, mostly.”

  “For me?” Sissy asked.

  “You’re all set to return to Denver,” Nadia said. “And Ivan will go where you go, so it’s really up to you.”

  “You have family,” Ivan said with a nod. “I have you and Nadia.”

  “What are we talking about?” Sissy asked.

  “I’d like it if you’d consider staying in New York,” Nadia said. “We can easily remodel Ivan’s place to accommodate your hospital bed, if you still need one.”

  “If you are here, you are close to the ballet,” Ivan said. “We can go to watch ballet every single night while we heal.”

  “Now that sounds like fun,” Nadia said with a roll of her eyes.

  Ivan chuckled and shook his head at her.

  “Eet vill git you reedy for dance,” Nadia said in an imitation of Ivan’s accent. Sissy couldn’t help but giggle. Ivan laughed.

  “I don’t know if I’m ready to. . . um. . .” Sissy blushed. “You know, to live with Ivan and. . . I’m still sick, and. . .”

  “You would have your own rooms,” Ivan said. “We agreed to go slow. This will not change our agreement.”

  Nadia nodded.

  “How big is your place?” Sissy asked.

  “I have a whole floor,” Ivan said.

  “How?” Sissy squinted her eyes at him.

  “I bought floor when I moved to US,” Ivan said.

  “The building was falling down around him,” Nadia said.

  “It was fine for me,” Ivan said.

  “You were in Denver,” Nadia said. She smiled at him and looked at Sissy. “It’s how we met. My father’s company, which means my mother, wanted to rehab the building. She’d been able to buy all of it but had this ‘Russian bastard on the tenth floor’ who wouldn’t budge. My mom pressured me to talk to Ivan because I was young
.”

  “She was too embarrassed at her situation,” Ivan said. “She knew of me from the Bolshoi and thought I would Judge.”

  Ivan snorted a laugh, and Nadia gave him a grateful smile.

  “I didn’t sell,” Ivan said.

  “The company rehabbed the building around him,” Nadia said. “It’s very nice now.”

  Ivan shrugged.

  “So we have space,” Nadia said with a nod. “You could have as much or as little room as you’d like. You can get well, and, when you’re ready, you can train right there.”

  “She is right, Sissy,” Ivan said. “This is a better plan to get you on your feet again.”

  “If you go to Denver, you’ll still have a chance to heal and a chance to train,” Nadia said. “The actual difference is very small. It’s just that if you stay here, you’ll be here — in New York City, with us.”

  “Can I think about it?” Sissy asked. “Sandy would be so upset if. . .”

  “This isn’t a secret,” Ivan said.

  “We’ve spoken with Sandy,” Nadia said.

  “She said it was okay?” Sissy asked.

  “She said she would wait to talk to you before saying anything,” Nadia said with a shrug. “We have another option.”

  “Okay,” Sissy said.

  “Ms. Behur has offered to have you continue to stay with her,” Ivan said. “She said you were welcome there as long as you want to stay.”

  “Seth O’Malley said you’re welcome to stay in his apartment,” Nadia said. “He said that was the original plan.”

  “Before we knew someone was trying to kill us,” Sissy said with a nod.

  “The question is. . .” Nadia started and then looked at Ivan.

  “Would you like to stay in New York City?” Ivan asked. “Or go back to Denver?”

  “Gosh, I. . .” Sissy said. She blushed.

  “Why don’t you think about it?” Nadia asked.

  “But. . .” Ivan said.

  Nadia gave him a hard look.

  “No, we have to decide. . .” Ivan said.

  “Sorry, Sissy,” Nadia said. “Ivan needs a moment.”

  Nadia winked at Sissy, and Sissy smiled.

  “Mostly, I wanted you to know that you’re welcome here,” Nadia said. “In our family, I mean. As Ivan’s love, I mean.”

  Nadia’s face flushed.

  “Nadia needs a moment,” Ivan said with a wink.

  Sissy smiled.

  “Thanks,” Sissy said. “It’s all just been. . . a lot.”

  “Miss Delgado?” Sissy recognized her doctor’s voice. “Are your sister and aunt here?”

  “We are,” Nadia said brightly.

  “Dr. Kerminoff,” Sissy’s doctor said. “Ivan.”

  “You can talk in front of them,” Sissy said.

  She suddenly felt overwhelmed and exhausted. She waved her hand for the doctor to continue. He started talking about the wonderful things he and his team had done to save Sissy’s life. The more he talked, the more Sissy checked out.

  Ivan wanted her to live with him. Nadia was going to be her friend and family. She could stay in New York! Sissy’s heart fluttered as the glimmer of her original dream of being a real ballerina with a real company appeared in front of her. She glanced at Ivan, and he smiled at her. She felt such a well of strong emotions that she had to break her eyes away from him.

  The doctor kept talking. Sissy glanced at the clock and hoped Sandy would be back soon. Sissy took a clear breath. Her life was starting again. Grinning, she tried to listen to the doctor. Her eyes flicked to Ivan. He’d been watching her. When he saw her eyes on him, he flushed. Sissy realized that she’d seen him do this before. In that moment, she realized that Ivan had always loved her — not in some creepy way, he just loved her. The thought made her smile.

  “I’m glad you’re smiling, Miss. Delgado,” the doctor said. “You have a lot to smile about.”

  Ivan squeezed her hand.

  “Yes, sir, I do,” Sissy said.

  Chapter Three Hundred and Sixty-three

  Skills

  Saturday afternoon — 3:48 p.m.

  New York City, New York

  When Bestat, Fin, Abi, Mari, and Tanesha laughed, Jill looked up from where she had been coloring with Katy. She glanced to the back to see that Anjelika and Otis had their heads pressed together like they were plotting how to get back at Putin. Heather and Jill’s father, Perses, looked immensely civilized as they drank tea near the edge of the room. From where she sat, she could tell that Sandy, Sam, and Mike were engrossed in an out-and-out battle to the death in a game of hangman. A burst of laughter came from the kitchen, where Seth and Delphie were supposedly putting together snacks.

  “You think it’s time?” Jill asked in a low voice to Katy. The girl gave her mother a sincere nod. Jill smiled. “You want to stay here?”

  With her eyes wide and luminous, Katy shook her head. Jill held out her hand, and Katy took it with a smile. They walked to the front of the room. Katy leaned against Jill so firmly that Jill put her arm around the child’s shoulders.

  “It looks like you’re done,” Jill said.

  The room fell into a deep silence. Jill cleared her throat. Seth came out with a tray of mixed drinks, which he started passing around the room. Delphie set out a tray of sliced meats and cheese.

  “I’m wondering if you might have. . .” Jill swallowed hard. “Um. . .”

  “We came up with one thing the fairies and Bestat learned from the Trickster,” Tanesha said.

  “We have, too,” Sandy said. “Just one, though.”

  “We have one,” Delphie said. She scurried over to sit back down in her spot. Seth sat next to her.

  Otis raised his hand, partially stood, and nodded.

  “If it’s not the same thing, then one is good, I guess,” Jill said. She looked from face to face. “Is it the same thing?”

  “No,” Delphie said. “We are willing to teach Katy. . .”

  “. . .all of the children,” Seth said with a nod.

  “Right,” Delphie said. “We’re willing to teach all of the children our skill.”

  “Yes, we will, too,” Fin said.

  “Same,” Otis said.

  Sandy nodded. Jill glanced at her father, and he gave her a sincere nod so similar to Katy’s that Jill looked down at her daughter. Katy smiled.

  “We’ll go first,” Fin said at the same time that Mari said, “Fairies first!”

  Otis groaned and rolled his eyes. Delphie gave a little giggle.

  “Does anyone mind?” Jill asked. She glared at her grandfather. “Otis?”

  “It is fine,” Otis said. “I am getting used to fairy impatience.”

  Fin grinned at the sound of his voice.

  “Let them talk,” Otis said. “It’s not like they don’t have an eternity to live while we have just a few years.”

  Fin mouthed his words. Abi nudged him with her elbow. Tanesha looked embarrassed, and Bestat glanced at Otis.

  “Go ahead,” Jill said to Fin.

  “When the Trickster had me. . .” Fin said. “I. . . Well, it was a very long time ago.”

  “No longer ago than when he had me,” Perses said.

  “Touché,” Fin said. He turned and nodded to Perses. “And you’re right. You’re a lot older than I am!”

  Everyone laughed at the way he said the words.

  “Please, little one,” Perses said. “Go ahead.”

  Everyone laughed, and Fin cleared his throat.

  “When my soul was taken by the Trickster, there were no guns or ammunition or planes or. . . toilets, for that matter,” Fin said. “We had swords. And not great swords. We had big, heavy, dull swords. I went around and around and around with him until I learned to. . .”

  “Stand your ground,” Katy burst out saying. She jumped up and down. “Stand your ground. Stand your ground.”

  “What?” Jill looked down at Katy.

  “He’s teaching Paddy to use his
shiny sword,” Katy said with a giggle.

  “Plant your feet,” Abi said in her distinctive Isle of Man accent. “It is: ‘plant your feet.’”

  Katy danced around for a moment because she’d gotten it right. Jill looked up at Fin and saw the fairies grinning at them.

  “The key is to make certain you are grounded,” Bestat said. “It’s not always where your feet are. Often it’s your mind and soul that are in the clouds. We must learn to ground to the earth. Without grounding, we have no traction.”

  “We are unable to move with our feet on the ground,” Mari added.

  “Our minds, hearts, and souls must be planted firmly on the ground,” Fin said. “This is what I learned when I was with the Trickster.”

  Mari, Abi, and Bestat nodded in agreement.

  “What do we think?” Jill asked.

  Everyone applauded.

  “So we have one thing to teach Katy,” Jill said. “Will you. . .?”

  She looked at the fairies, and they nodded.

  “It would be my honor, as well,” Bestat said.

  Jill beamed at them. She put her arm around Katy’s shoulder to stop her from dancing around.

  “Grandfather?” Jill asked. “Will you honor us with your learned opinion?”

  Hearing the sarcasm in Jill’s voice, Otis laughed.

  “It was not such a long time for me,” Otis said. “So I have better memory. My angel is much younger than either of you old geezers.”

  Perses and Fin laughed. Mari turned around on the couch to watch him. He grinned at her, and she smiled.

  “This will not be a surprise to you, Jillian,” Otis said. “It is the rules of our work as healers.”

  Jill tipped her head to the side.

  “You gain more if you use your gifts for worthy causes,” Otis said. “That is what I learned. My daughter, knowing my learning, was able to slip away from the Trickster. Her children weren’t disturbed by him at all.”

  “How do you determine what is a worthy cause?” Mike asked.

  “This is the question, no?” Otis asked. “You may give to someone with cancer but only drive the cancer to grow faster.”

  “And it’s not always about what you gain,” Anjelika said. “You can give a lot to a worthy cause and gain nothing. That doesn’t make it not a worthy cause.”