John continued, “I had promised my wife I’d take her to New Zealand. We had plans to hike the Tongariro Crossing, but then I got sick. Now, without a leg, it’s impossible.”
Ciera took a deep breath. “How about a baby?”
“What would I do with a child? I’m too old. Sometimes in life, you have regrets. I always wanted to continue my bloodline, as I was the last of my line. But raise a child?” He laughed. “Maybe thirty years ago.”
Ciera gently squeezed Kamda’s foot and pulled the courage to say the impossible. It was the way of the fairies. Fathers raised their children. She had to come clean—it was the right thing to do. She swallowed and her voice was weak. “Well, here she is. Your family line.”
John laughed again. “Not possible.”
“Anything’s possible.” Ciera’s magic pulsated again. She pulled the wand from her waistband. If she cured John, would he want the baby? If she let him die…
Anger bubbled inside Ciera that she even had that thought. She didn’t waste any time, as she didn’t want to hesitate. She reached down into her heart and threw a large dose of magic into her wand. “Dibbity, dobbity, doo!” She winked and gave John a zap of fairy magic.
“There,” Ciera said, slipping her wand back into her waist and holding Kamda close. “You’re as healthy as you were twenty years ago.”
John’s eyes widened as he examined his arm and leg.
“Serious question. Do you want to go to New Zealand, or do you want a baby? You only get one answer.”
He laughed again. “That’s not even a choice. New Zealand with my wife.”
“Your wish is my command.” Ciera waved her wand, funneled the magic into the tip, and zapped John, sending him and his wife to New Zealand. “Dibbity, dobbity, doo!”
She tucked her wand away and rocked Kamda back and forth. “Don’t you worry. I want you enough for both of us.”
She was sure their paths would cross again someday.
There was no way she’d stay out of the human world, there were so many wishes to grant, but for now, she took a deep breath. It was time to figure out what to do about Dane and Rosa.
Chapter 18
Dane
Dane should have been ecstatic to discover magic was real, in awe of the power Ciera had, but instead, he felt empty. Four days had passed since he last saw her and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. About her smile, her determination, and her kind heart.
How could someone he’d known for only a few days leave him with such an impression?
Sometimes, you just know when two people fit together, and it happens when you don’t expect it, nor want it. It didn’t matter what crazy adventure either of them were on, they supported each other through the journey.
It felt like he was only going through the motions as he took Rosaleen to school, helped her with her homework, and listened to her stories. He had shoved his bills aside. There was no way to make it right without a fresh start. He had always dreamed of a place in the country with his wife and children. Now, all he had was a musty apartment in the city. No wife, but he did have a beautiful daughter whom he cherished and wouldn’t trade for anything.
It was the day of the mother-daughter tea party at Rosaleen’s school and disappointment was clear on her face. Dane had dressed in his best polo shirt and planted a fatherly smile upon his face.
“Come on, honey. It’ll be fine. I’m an awesome dad and all.”
Rosaleen smiled. “I know. It’s just when you have hope for something different, and then it doesn’t happen.”
He patted his daughter’s shoulder. “I understand that more than you believe.”
“You liked her, didn’t you?” Rosa raised an eyebrow, wise beyond her years.
Instinctually, he wanted to deny it, but he didn’t. In fact, a few nights ago, he admitted to himself it was more than a friendship, and he’d blown it by not jumping at the chance to go with her. “I did. A lot. We just were from two different worlds…really, really different worlds.”
As Dane shoved his wallet into his pocket, a glittering shimmer disrupted the air in front of him. He jumped back and rubbed his eyes.
Ciera stood there with her baby cradled in her arms. Her silvery wings moved slowly, reflecting the light on their silver strands. The gorgeous smile on her face made Dane smile, too. Somehow, it put him at ease.
It hadn’t been a dream. He had known that—had accepted there was something magical about that woman. She had transported them to a garden, and then he’d ended up back at home in a blink of an eye.
He had thought he’d never see her again. A fairy was not someone you settle down with. Not someone to raise a family with. Not someone you meet in real life. The only words he could croak out were, “You came back.”
She laughed musically. “Of course. I told you I would, and I always keep my promises.”
In the days Ciera had been gone, Dane had broken down and told Rosaleen all about the magic wand and how Ciera and her baby floated in the air, then sent him back home. Rosa had accepted it with a giddy smile, telling Dane all about fairies and other magical creatures in the stories she’d read.
Now, Rosa did a little excited shuffle, then glided around Ciera, examining the sparkle in the air surrounding her. “Wow, Dad. You were right. She does look like a fairy godmother. Look at those wings.”
Ciera laughed. “That’s because I am a fairy godmother.”
“Shucks!” Rosa called. “I was going for a pixie.”
“A pixie! Those creatures are dreadful. They’re always causing trouble. They don’t grant wishes at all, other than for their own benefit.”
Dane couldn’t school the smile from his face. “You are something, Ciera. I truly missed you.” He wanted to hug her and pull her close into his arms, but instead, he fumbled for words. “So, what are your plans for today?” She had liked him, right? Did he misread her body language? How could this incredible being be standing here in his apartment? He was nothing more than a thief, trying to raise his daughter.
Ciera sat down at the table. “I hear there’s this fabulous mother-daughter tea party at Rosaleen’s school. How could I miss that?”
Was she only here because of a promise to Rosa?
Rosaleen leaned forward and showed almost all her teeth in her gigantic smile “You kept your promise.”
“That I did. I need to talk with your father, but right now, let’s go drink some tea.”
As they stepped toward the door, Dane felt emptier than before. The two women that meant everything to him were walking away.
When Rosaleen stopped, his heart did a pitter patter.
“Dad, you can come too. I mean, it’s only fair since you’ve been both my father and my mother.”
Ciera reached a hand out for Dane, and when he grabbed it, he thought time had stopped once again. “Come on, Dane. I want you beside me as much as possible.”
Dane stood taller and smiled. These two women were truly amazing.
Rosaleen led the way out the door. She turned toward Ciera. “Don’t you have magic? Can’t you just zap us to my school?”
Ciera laughed. “And risk being caught? Take the chance of ending up on a dissection table? I don’t think so.” She then waved her wand and said, “Dibbity, dobbity, doo!” and her wings disappeared, making her almost appear human.
“But you have magic,” Rosa said. “If they catch you, you can escape.”
"Not if my wand gets taken from me. Or broken. Besides, taking the bus gives us more time together.”
Ciera dropped back beside Dane. When she took his hand again, a ripple of pleasure climbed up his arm.
He pulled her close and whispered, “I want you beside me as much as possible, too.”
Once they were waiting at the bus stop, Dane put a stop to Rosaleen’s million questions, making her listen to some music instead.
Ciera leaned into Dane and whispered, “I came for your answer.”
“To your marriage proposal?” Da
ne chuckled.
Ciera playfully nudged him with her shoulder. “No, not that. Remember, I’m not one for tradition.”
“You didn’t need to give me time to think about an answer.”
“So, will you come with me?” Ciera’s eyes brightened. “I have a place for us. A place for you to raise those chickens you want. The world of Erde is looking for a permanent fairy godmother resident, and I have a flock of chickens needing to be fed.”
“Chickens, huh?”
“Hey, you did say that was your dream! No changing wishes now.”
“I was hoping for a platypus farm.”
“Silly man. There are no platypus farms. They come from the wild. Besides, those are nasty in comparison. Grainy and almost fishy. The royal family will surely love chicken eggs. My dad’s been wanting to try one of those things since I told him about them. It’ll be wonderful. My dad will visit us…and we’ll visit the human world once in a while, if we have time. The land of Erde is having trouble with a giant right now. Something about magic beans, and I have a lot of work ahead of me.”
Dane glanced beside Ciera at his daughter. As good as this all sounded, leaving her wasn’t an option.
“Oh, don’t worry.” Ciera gave Dane a wink. “She’s coming too. I learned from a wise man once that a child should never be parted from their parent, if at all possible. You’ll fit right in. A father always raises their daughters, and…um…I was hoping you’d help me with mine.” Ciera tightened the grip on her little girl. “It’ll be hard to carry the baby all the time while granting wishes, plus they’ll start to wonder.”
“So, you’re basically hiring me as a nanny.” He chuckled.
“A nanny? No. I was hoping to hire you to watch my child.”
Dane shook his head. “After all this, is that all you want from me?”
Ciera bit her lip, and Dane saw frustration on her face. He arched an eyebrow and waited in silence.
“No.” Ciera blew out a breath. “It’s just an excuse to get you to come along. When I was in the hospital, all I wanted was more time with you. This is buying us time. An excuse to be together.” She looked down at her baby. “In fact. What I really want is to invite you and Rosa into my family, or maybe you’ll invite me and Kamda into yours.”
“Now that sounds like a good proposal.”
“But you do need a real job, don’t you? Chicken eggs may not be enough. And Rosaleen looks just like an Erdian, anyway. Most of them have red hair. Nobody will ever know she’s human. You coming to Erde is a good fit. So, are you coming?”
Dane sighed. “I’d love to, but it’ll be her decision. I’ll go wherever she wants.”
Ciera zapped the headphones off Rosaleen’s head. “Wanna go to a magical land with princesses, dragons, and giants, for real?”
Rosa’s jaw fell open. “Seriously? Who would say no to that?”
Ciera zapped the headphones back in place and looked back at Dane. “See? That was easy.”
“What about the father of your child?”
Ciera sighed. “I visited him. He didn’t want to be a father, only wanted his bloodline to be carried on. He got his wish. Besides, he’s not in a position in life to care for a child. I cured his cancer, but he…um…has his own wife to be with, his own dreams, and is not looking to start over.” She took Dane’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “But you are, right?”
Dane smiled. A complete family was something he had always hoped for and thought he could never have. It was his wish, coming true. “You should already know that answer. Since we met, I haven’t been able to refuse you. There’s something about us that just fits together.”
“So that’s a yes?”
“It is.”
Ciera’s eyes lit up. “Oh, and I want to try something again.”
Dane cocked his head. “Wh—”
Ciera’s lips interrupted his words. They were soft and tasted as sweet as she smelled.
“Ewww,” his daughter called from beside him.
He reached out and covered her eyes, giving a little chuckle as he kissed Ciera again.
THE END
If you enjoyed this novella, another story in the fairy universe can be found in the short story collection, Quick Escape: Fantasy Tales. (The story’s titled, The Fairy Flu.)
You can download this collection free by signing up for Joynell Schultz’s newsletter here: http://www.joynellschultz.com/subscribe
Hidden: A Pregnant Fairy Godmother’s Journey… was written as a part of a multi-author project. Each author created a story about anything they wished, in any genre they liked, as long as it had the title Hidden.
Learn more about this project and pick up some other Hidden stories by visiting https://www.HiddenReader.com or https://www.facebook.com/HiddenReader.
One Title. Endless Possibilities.
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About the Author
Joynell Schultz has always strived for an interesting life. From driving a bright lime green SUV, having an awesome Great Dane as a pet, to an ever-changing list of hobbies from triathlons, wine making (even though she doesn’t drink it) to a desire to learn to juggle (that she only secretly thinks about.)
She is a pharmacist by training, but is currently managing the family business of a zoo. Talk about interesting! From drones aggravating the cougar to the elk in rut. From baby goats being born to adopting a sheep raised in a second-story apartment, there�
�s always something fun going on. And that was just this week!
In the little free time she has, she loves creating interesting imaginary worlds to tell tales of human relationships.
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