Living with my parents until I had enough money to buy my own place had made fiscal sense, but the reality was sometimes…challenging. I loved my parents, but the idea of sitting on the front porch of my pink cottage with a lemonade and watching the fairies work was everything. It was why I took every job offered to me, no matter how difficult, no matter how many complications it came with.
I needed my own place.
As soon as possible.
Setting my work basket aside, I went to my closet and pulled out the fancy overalls outfit my mother had made for me. It was strawberry-themed. The design was cute…red overalls with gold-colored seeds, strawberry top leaves on my matching beret, and a red shirt underneath. Fancy overalls night was the highlight of my mother’s social calendar.
Heading to my private bathroom, I worked on getting ready. Once, my best friend, an elegant pixie named Rosalyn, had fixed my hair in a braided pixie style. My mother had talked about it ever since, and Rosalyn had never stopped apologizing to me. But no matter my mother’s insistence that I recreate the style, I couldn’t pull it off. Instead, I went with matching braided pigtails with red bows at the ends and donned my strawberry cap. Hoping it would appease her, I also painted my cheeks red and applied strawberry seed-esque dots on top.
“Primrose,” my mother burst in, not bothering to knock. “Are you ready? We are positively late! And you don’t want to keep Kevin waiting.”
“Mother, I have no interest in?—”
“When we get there, try not to be too…extra. You know how you get. Don’t be too much. Kevin is shy. Why is your hair like that?”
“Because I was born with it.”
“Oh, why must everyone vex me?” she wailed. “And the style Rosalyn showed you?”
“Couldn’t recreate it.”
My mother huffed and then eyed me over. “Those overalls look tight. Are they too tight?”
“No, Mother.”
“You know Cousin Annie Beth will say something.”
She would never, but clearly, my mother had no problem making a comment.
“I’m perfectly comfortable,” I replied flatly. “Are you ready?”
“Me? Ready? Of course I’m ready. What do you think?” she asked, modeling her bright pink bloomberry-inspired ensemble.
“You look lovely.”
“Oh, thank you, Primrose,” my mother said, then turned to the stairs. “Linden! Linden! Primrose is done! Is the wagon ready?”
My father appeared from behind her. “It is,” he said, then looked me over. “Strawberry, eh, Primrose? You look very sweet. Your produce army is ready, Popkin.”
My mother rolled her eyes. “Finally. We’re going to be late!” my mother told us both, then headed back downstairs, grumbling all the while.
My father gave me a knowing look and then headed off behind her.
I took a deep breath and mustered up my courage. I thought the grumpy gargoyle was going to be the worst of my troubles today. I had forgotten what lay before me.
Fancy overalls party night.
May all the fruits, flowers, fairies, and gourds be with me!
CHAPTER 6
ERASMUS
When the last of the librarians left for the night, I was glad. The day had been…disruptive. Disruptive to my routine, my patterns, and my work. I’d hardly made a dent in the witch’s codex the rest of the day.
And, for reasons I could not fathom, I could not shake Miss Windsong from my mind.
Her scolding had agitated me.
