by Maggie Joan
We pulled up at the care home and I spotted Dad’s Porsche parked up. He was here, just like he said he would be. I switched the car off and took in a deep breath. Here we go.
Calico grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “It’s all going to be ok.”
I nodded but said nothing. We got out of the car and headed inside. The middle-aged receptionist nearly spat her coffee out when she saw Calico. He gave her a wink which made her go as red as her scarlet coloured lipstick. I giggled to myself as I led us both down towards Gran’s room.
Dad had already opened the door and stood waiting for us, half in the doorway. His eyes were dulled by a sad truth.
“She’s taken a turn for the worse today,” he said, his voice cracking. “I don’t think it’ll be long now.”
I choked back a sob. Calico squeezed my hand and pulled me into him. “It’ll be ok,” he said, kissing the top of my head.
I nodded and blinked back my tears. Gran didn’t need to see people crying around her, she needed smiles and happiness. “I’m good,” I said.
Dad moved out of the way and allowed us into the room. Gran was laid down in her bed, staring straight up at the ceiling. She turned her head towards us and broke out into a huge smile.
“Elsie,” she breathed. “I’ve been waiting to see you. Can you feel it? Can you feel the fairies?”
Startled, I looked at Calico. “I think it’s the dust taking effect,” he said. “It’s ok.”
Movement outside the window caught my eye. I squinted at the bright light zipping around like a firefly. When it came to a stop outside the window, I realised it was Tristan and Aeden.
“Look,” I said, pointing. “I don’t think it’s the dust, I think she could feel him.”
Calico strode over to the window and opened it for his brother. “Good ride?”
Aeden put his hands on his hips and glared at Calico. It looked so funny considering the size difference between the two. “This is not the time to discuss that,” Aeden replied.
Tristan stood behind Aeden, his ears pricked and his eyes as bright as buttons. “We’ve got the ride home yet.”
Aeden whirled around and pointed his index finger at Tristan. “Dream on. I’ve had enough of your aerobatic gymnastics for an eternity. I’m flying myself home, thank you very much.”
“How are you going to do that?” Calico said. “You don’t have any wings.”
Aeden turned back around to face his brother and grinned. Then he released a pair of creamy coloured glittery wings. I gasped. Calico’s jaw dropped. “You’re not the only one who can ask Isidora for things.”
Calico stepped back and watched with a half amused half scowl on his face as Aeden flew, in a jagged sort of way, to my Gran
“Think he’s a little bit rusty,” Calico said, chuckling.
Aeden landed on Gran’s bed, just in her line of sight. She focused on him for several seconds, then her eyes widened. “Aeden?”
Dad and I exchanged a raised eyebrow look. She remembered him. After all this time. And her voice had such clarity in it, it was like Gran was back, before she became ill.
“Hi, Ada,” Aeden said. He walked closer to her and gently touched her cheek with his hand. “It’s good to see you.”
“What are you doing here? Are you still angry with us about the photos?”
Aeden shook his head and started hovering above her. “I’ve never been angry with you over the photos, Ada. It wasn’t your fault that your authorities used the knowledge for their own greed and power. I’m here to tell you that you’re forgiven. My Queens forgive you for what happened, and the world now knows that you’re not a liar.”
Gran’s eyes welled with tears. “Really? This isn’t one of your jokes, is it, Aeden?”
Aeden flew to Gran’s hand and settled on it. “No, Ada. You’re free, my love, from any and all association with fairies.”
A small sob escaped Gran then which had me fighting back my own tears. The relief on her face was so clear, everything about her seemed so much lighter, happier, freer. Gran closed her eyes and smiled, tears rolling down the side of her face.
Aeden patted her hand and then laid down on top of it. Calico wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. Tristan stood at the open window, his head down, ears drooped, and his eyes full of sadness. Dad sighed and sniffed. I looked over my shoulder to see his eyes were red and glazed over with water.
“I think we should go,” I said, taking a mental picture of Aeden and my gran peacefully sleeping together.
Wordlessly, all three of us left, giving some serenity and privacy to two old friends in a tragic moment.
Epilogue
Dad received a call the next morning saying that Gran had slipped away in her sleep overnight. Whilst it was terribly sad, we were both relieved that she was no longer suffering and tortured by her past. I often wondered if she had been holding on for the forgiveness she desperately sought.
Now though, four months on, life had become a fun mix of living between this world and the fairy realm. The dogs stayed by my side permanently. Calico couldn’t always be with me and he knew they would protect me without fail. Isidora had created them both collars that when worn in my world, would prevent them from changing into the triple sized beasts they should. Of course, whenever we visited the fairy realm, the collars came off so they could enjoy their true nature.
Kaisa stayed over with Calico but of course, when I went over, we always enjoyed a good ride. Back here, Dad had given me a treat and a half, as he’d promised that day at Gran’s house. Knowing how much I missed horses and riding, he’d bought me my very own stallion, a beautiful black Friesian, the one horse I’d dreamed of since I could remember. I named him Izar, my very own earthly version of Calico’s grand steed.
All of Gran’s estate was left to Dad and he had given me her house and the land. I was currently in the process of setting up a barn so people could board their horses here. Seeing the rolling pastures full of horses again is what I wanted, and I knew Gran and Grandad would love to see it too.
Macie had finally declared her feelings for Ben, after a little push from me. They had now been hanging out for a few weeks and things looked to be going well.
Dad, and Mum to be fair, had tried their best to do some relationship mending, to the extent that my brother, Harris, was coming over this weekend, although he was staying with me, not with Mum and Dad. Mum had even cut short her business meetings to be home for the weekend. That was almost unheard of for her.
As I stand outside, watching Izar graze his way across the lush pasture, a warm familiar hand curls around my waist and a gentle kiss grazes the side of my head. Turning to see Calico’s handsome face smiling back at me, I realised that in all of my daydreams and idle wonderings, I had never imagined this. And that’s what made it all the more perfect.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
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COMING SOON:
Blue
Lady in Red