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Alana scrunched her nose. “Fairies? In the forest?”
Tess tipped her chin up. “When Mom told us we were moving, she said our new house had a forest full of fairies.”
Alana remembered the anticipation of that moment. At that age, she was already well aware of the magic in the soil. She played around with planting flowers, watching the way they bloomed. She liked to wear the flowers in her hair, watching her hair go from frizzy to glossy, silky and smooth instead of knotted and untamed.
Tess was wearing flowers in her hair, and clearly, she too knew the magic was real. Or at least that’s what she’d thought at such a young age.
Alana sprinted into the house and tugged Freya by the elbow, her sister still in her Winnie-the-Pooh pajamas. “Come on,” she whispered. “We have to hunt for fairies.”
Freya whined. “But Freddy—”
“Will be waiting for you when we get back.” She tugged harder. “Come on.”
Mom sat in her emerald-green lounger, feet propped up, a hand rubbing her small belly and the “little bean” growing inside. “Don’t be home too late!”
They slipped on their rain boots and ran across the street, following Tess and Kaia into the forest. They searched for hours and invented lore about the fairies of the forest, imagining a whole hidden world of woodland creatures.
The girls naturally split into pairs. Quiet, shy Kaia was a perfect match for Freya, the two more speculative and thoughtful. Kaia carried around a stuffed platypus named Jimmy, and the two of them insisted they meet up so Freddy and Jimmy could have regular play dates. They set up picnics amongst the fields of wildflowers, their stuffed animals sitting side by side, drinking iced tea and snacking on whatever they’d baked for the occasion—cupcakes or scones or cookies.
But Tess was loud, just like Alana. They didn’t mind howling into the woods, splashing into muddy puddles and dirtying their dresses, braiding flower crowns and collecting ladybugs or fireflies in mason jars. After that first afternoon searching for fairies, Alana knew that Tess’s sense of magic was imaginative, all play. She desperately wanted to tell her friend the truth; that magic was real, and it was right below their feet. She remembered whining to her mother, begging her to let Tess in on their family secret.
“We can’t, darling,” her mother would reply, her soothing hands gently combing her hair before braiding it for the night. “It would be too dangerous if the world were to find out. We have to protect the magic from those who would abuse it.”
Alana wished she’d taken her mother’s advice that night, wished she really understood what those words meant. But she was too young to understand. And her mistake cost her so much.
Tess continued scowling at Alana. “Are you not going to say anything?”
Alana stepped onto the patio, the screen door snapping shut behind her. “It’s good to see you, Tess.”
Her best friend looked so mad she half expected steam to blow out of her ears. “It’s good to see me!?” Tess roared. “Lana, I haven’t heard from you for three fucking years.”
“No one has, actually,” Alana mumbled.
Tess took a step closer and poked a finger to Alana’s sternum. “I didn’t bother you after you sent that text, but I had one request. Do you remember what it was?”
She swallowed. “Tell you as soon as I return home.”
“And did you do that?”
“No,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
Tess threw her arms out wide. “Not good enough.”
Freya interrupted as she slowly opened the door. She stood beside them with a wry smile, then took another bite of the godforsaken apple, almost eaten to the core.
“Tess,” Freya said coolly.
Tess breathed heavily. She looked like she was about to breathe fire. “Get out of here, Freya.”
Freya chuckled. “Gladly.”
The girls waited until Freya was down the field and out of earshot.
Tess rounded on Alana. “Talk.”
Alana scratched her neck. “Can we sit? I’m sure Otto’s got enough coffee made if you want some—”
“No,” she hissed. “We have done things your way for the past three years, so right now, we’re going to do things my way. We’re going to talk this out without coffee.”
