“Edgar,” Rhoda tugged at her husband’s shirt sleeve and pointed him toward the double stacked ovens. “Bake up some of your famous croissants and muffins, please. I’ll put on the kettle.”
“You know, she’s a witch. So, I’m pretty sure we can just,” he snapped his fingers and all around the butcher block island, baked good appeared. Popping up like flowers pushing through fresh dirt, blueberry muffins, croissants, biscuits, and even iced doughnuts burst from the wood surface, until it was stuffed with goodies. He winked at the small child and gave another snap of his large fingers bringing all the candles to life. The child giggled and clapped.
Rhoda blew out a curt sigh. “Well, I see who’s boss, already.” She scooped the child up without thinking, spun her around. Then held her close to her chest. The little girl tucked her bear and bunny under her arm, and snuggled into the knap of Rhoda’s neck.
Edgar stilled to watch his wife with the child, frozen by their connection. That was the moment he knew. This was their child. The one they had asked for. The one they’d dreamed of, wanted, and wished for. It had to be so. “So, does our girl have a name?”
“Goodness.” Rhoda’s brow furrowed. “I’m sure she does.”
The child raised her head off Rhoda’s shoulder, took a small hand and patted her own chest. “Honey.”
“Your name is Honey?” Rhoda asked.
The child bobbed her head, and the mess of red curls shook like springs. “Honey.”
Rhoda and Edgar laughed, and the baby laughed with them. “Honey,” she squealed and her hair spat out a magical puff of pink glitter.
“Woah there sparky.” Edgar waved his hand around the child’s head and absorbed her magic. “Looks like someone is still learning how to control her powers.”
“I sorry.” Honey frowned and buried her head back in Rhoda’s neck.
“Oh, no, sweetheart. Edgar’s not mad that you made magic sparkles. That’s so exciting, and so much power for such a little thing.” Rhoda moved to the long farmers table and sat down on the bench. “We will enjoy teaching you everything you need to know about being a witch. Including how to control that exceptional pink glitter of yours. Won’t we, Edgar?” Rhoda looked up at her husband. Her green eyes glistening with tears. Her arms wrapped tightly around Honey. Her chin quivering.
Edgar nodded, and Rhoda sniffed. She stroked the child’s hair, moving it off her small, soft face, and untucking it from Honey’s collar. When she released the curls from the neckline of the light blue cotton dress, a small silver chain came with it.
Rhoda breathed in the joy that was welling in her heart and her eyes and sat the child up on her knee. “Let’s see this pretty thing.” She fingered the chain all the way round, until she found a small, silver rectangle plate upon which the silver rings of the chain was attached to both ends. The plate was engraved with one word. Martha. Rhoda’s mouth twitched as her face strained to hide her worry.
Edgar crouched beside the bench and removed the nameplate from her shaking fingers. “We’ll care for her for as long as she’s with us, which could be forever, Rhoda.”
She nodded and wiped at her eyes. Leaning into the child’s face, she swallowed hard, “your name is Martha.”
Honey scrunched her nose and pinched her eyes shut and shook her head wildly. A flurry of pink glitter filled the space above them, like a plume of sparkling cotton candy. “Honey!” she said the name with such force, the glitter cloud burst and rained down on everything in the kitchen.
Edgar let out a monster chuckle. “Just like my Rhoda. This one knows who she is. And so, it shall be. You are our little Honey.”
Honey giggled and babbled. “Egar.” She waved in his direction and turned back to the witch holding her. Placing both tiny hands on Rhoda’s cheeks, she patted them and said. “Ro Ro.”
Rhoda erupted into a crying laugh that led them all into hysterics. The new parents didn’t sleep that night. After celebrating with baked goods, ice cream, hot chocolate, numerous glasses of water and a plate of spaghetti, Honey Hadwin’s head nodded like a bobblehead doll, until her big brown eyes finally gave way to sleep. Edgar carried her up the two flights of stairs to their private quarters.
There in the attic rooms of the old Victorian, Rhoda conjured a nursery for their new baby girl – pink, to match the glitter that sprang from the child’s unruly red curls. They stood over the crib arm-in-arm gazing upon the miracle that came to them under the pink moon of spring.
Swaddled with the only two belongings she had, the baby-sized stuffed bear and rabbit, Martha Honey Hadwin lay peacefully in her new home, which just happened to house both the Familiar Assignment, Clearing, and Training Service, and the Familiar Investigation Bureau and Shelter, known as FACTS & FIBS. Her new parents were the world-renowned Rhoda and Edgar Hadwin, founders and keepers of all things Familiar in the magical world.
FACTS & FIBS
Themorninglightfilteredthrough the lace curtains that hung elegantly on either side of the window, casting a warm glow across Honey's face. Her eyes fluttered open. She breathed in a deep morning breath and looked around her room in the attic of the old Victorian. It was a cozy space, all her own. She’d loved it since the night Rhoda has conjured all the pink and playful accents, including the living map of the town that spread across her walls. She rubbed her eyes and stared at the tiny figures moving about the two-dimensional town. The tiny figures brought the sketch to life, literally. Honey rolled over on her stomach and stared at the town square. It was bustling with activity, and she smiled. October in Cauldron Falls was the best time of year.
“Mornin’ sweetheart.” An emerald parrot hopped on the windowsill and belted out a quick few bars of Welcome to My World.
“You’ve still got it, Dean.” Honey threw her feet to the floor and patted over to the elegant bird to stroke his head.
“Ah, you flatter me so.” Dean fluttered toward the door. “Should we greet this day together?”
“You betcha. Go on, give me a few minutes to get myself pretty. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“You’re always pretty sweetheart.” Dean winked at Honey and flew out of her room.
Honey bounded down the stairs, just as she did as a young witch, nearly colliding with her father in the kitchen.
