She looks me straight in the eye. “I’m sure.”
I hold out my arms, and she dives into them. “Then welcome home, sweet girl.”
* * *
I can’t waitto tell Seven about Arden’s revelation, but I’m running so late by the time I leave her room that I barely have enough time to get dressed and make it to After Dark. Saul is with Seven, acting as his personal security while he’s in the States, which means I’ll need to take the character shuttle. Everything feels like I’m moving through quicksand. Plus, after my talk with Arden this morning, I’ve added a layer of emotional exhaustion to my already-painful physical fatigue.
When I reach the circle in front of Wonderland, there’s a man I’ve never met before standing in front of Seven’s black Mercedes. He’s holding a sign with my name on it.
“I’m Sophia Larkspur.”
The man holds his hand out. “Jericho. I’m a driver for Lucky Enterprises. Mr. Delaney sent me in place of Saul.”
“Oh! I didn’t know you were coming.”
Jericho smiles. “I got the call around two a.m. Mr. Delaney was concerned about the shuttle’s reliability. He said the class you’re teaching is essential to the casino’s operating plans this year and he didn’t want to leave it to chance.”
How sweet.“Who am I to argue with Mr. Delaney?”
Jericho opens the door for me, and I slide into the back. Once he’s behind the wheel, he turns in his seat. “Mr. Delaney also gave me strict instructions to deliver to you the following.” He hands me a venti Starbucks cup, and my heart pounds with gratitude. “One fairy-spice latte, oat milk, no whip.”
“Oh, thank you, the gods, and all that is good in the world.”
Jericho laughs. “It’s from Mr. Delaney. I can’t take the credit. And I’m not done. One slice of River’s famous quiche lorraine.” He hands me a compostable cardboard box that smells of bacon and eggs, and I practically swoon. I take it along with the fork he hands me.
“I’m speechless. This is possibly the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” I murmur. I sip the coffee and moan.
Jericho stifles a laugh. “One more thing.” He hands me a sealed red envelope. “I don’t know what’s in this, but he handpicked it very early this morning. Almost made him late for his flight.”
I tear into the envelope and pull out a card with bunnies on the front. Two extra-strength Tylenol slide from between the folded halves. I pop them in my mouth and chase them down with a swig of the sweet elixir of life, coffee.
Inside, the card reads:No bunny loves you more than me.On the opposite side is a personal note from Seven.
Sophia, Sorry to keep you up so late. I think we put Devashire’s rabbits to shame. I hope the coffee and breakfast help you get through the day. Get some rest. I expect to make up for lost time when I get home. Love, Seven.
A deep contentment passes through me as I close the card and slide it into my bag. I am possibly the luckiest pixie on earth. And soon we’ll be a real family. I know it won’t be easy for us. People here have their prejudices, and I don’t expect anything will change just because of Seven’s position, but after my talk with Arden this morning, I’m convinced this will work. We’ll be okay as long as we stay together.
I snatch my phone from my bag and shoot him a text.
Thanks for breakfast and for the bunnies. I can’t wait for you to make good on your promise. Talk soon? I have news about Arden.
Once I press Send, I dig into my quiche in earnest. It’s delicious. I’m glad to see that the management and staff of River’s is carrying on well in his absence. I’ve licked the last crumb and polished off the coffee by the time Jericho parks and helps me out of the back seat. He reaches for the box and cup in my hands.
“Oh, I’ll take care of these,” I say.
“It’s no bother, Ms. Larkspur.”
“You’re right, it isn’t,” I say with a laugh. “You have enough to do. And please call me Sophia.”
He nods. “Have a good day, Sophia.”
I stride toward the entrance, recycling the remains of my breakfast gift on the way in, and check my phone for the fiftieth time. My text has been delivered but not read. He must still be in the air. I should have asked exactly where in the US he was heading. I was too eager to say goodbye in every physical way I could think of.
I make it to Dragonfly Casino just in time to slide into Evangeline’s office with a half hour to spare before my class. To my surprise, she looks as rumpled as I felt before Seven’s gift. Her usual flawless appearance is gone, replaced by makeup that looks rushed and a messy bun. Her face is splotchy too, like maybe she’s been crying. I’m filled with concern at the sight of her. Leprechauns rarely get flustered. Something must be terribly wrong.
“Are you okay?” I ask. “Is this a bad time?”
Eva blinks rapidly, as if just realizing I’m here and wipes under her eyes. “Ah, that obvious.” Her shoulders sag. For several long moments she stares at me as if trying to decide what to say. “This…murderhas really gotten to me. I’m not sleeping well.” When she says the wordmurder, it comes out like she can hardly force her lips to make the word. As if she still can’t believe it’s true. “I thought when they caught my father doing what he did, this would be over.”
