by Claire Fogel
No one was downstairs. Mom had already left for the bookstore and Dad had left for Elvenwood. Good. I wouldn’t have to listen to any lectures this morning.
Throwing both my backpack and messenger bag in the car, I drove to the deli downtown and picked up a bag of bagels. When I pulled up in front of Sean’s house, he ran out to help me out of the car, grabbing my backpack and the bag of bagels.
Standing back, he looked me over and whistled. “You look great. New look?”
“Well, yeah. I needed a change. What do you think?”
He grinned. “It’s a sexy look. And you look older.” Looking down at my legs, he chuckled. “If you’re going to be dressing like that from now on, I’ll be fighting off the other guys on a daily basis.”
Naturally, I could feel my face getting hot. “Thanks, I think.”
Laughing, he led me into the house, going straight into the kitchen. “We’ve got the house to ourselves for the day. Mom’s spending the day at some spa, and Dad’s seeing clients all day.”
“Do they know I’ll be here today?”
“Yep. They both wanted me to tell you hi.” He smiled. “I think Mom’s especially glad you’re here.” He looked down, his face slightly pink.
Opening the bag of bagels, he said, “Okay, breakfast first. Let’s make the Sunrise Specials together. I’m really hungry.”
We sliced the bagels, he made bacon, I sliced up the tomatoes, and he took the cream cheese out of the fridge. I put it all together and we sat down at the table and ate.
Over our breakfast of Sunrise Specials—Sean ate two—we talked about school, his scholarship hopes, and all the catching up I felt I needed to do.
After breakfast, he cleared the kitchen table and we spread our books out along with all of Sean’s painstaking notes. “I’ll make copies of these while you’re here. It’ll make studying easier for you.”
We went through several chapters in Environmental Science, and then moved on to History. Working from Sean’s notes was a lot easier than reading every chapter. He was a great note-taker. We worked until he announced he was hungry again and offered to make grilled sandwiches for us.
The boy could cook, I’ll give him that. His grilled cheese was every bit as good as my mother’s, and he added ham to the cheese.
“Thanks for cooking, Sean. This was delicious. You can cook for me any time.”
He grinned. “My pleasure.”
After lunch we went on to English, Macbeth specifically. Neither one of us was really enjoying it. “It’s too bloody,” he said, “depressing too.” I totally agreed, but we went over his notes anyway. We’d heard the mid-term exam would be tough.
Our Economics class was fairly easy. When we’d reviewed Sean’s notes, we were actually done.
“I feel like I’m totally caught up. I really fell behind, so today has been a life saver. I owe you.”
“Nah, you don’t owe me anything. It’s really the other way around. Studying with you is a hundred times better than studying alone. When we get close to exam time, let’s study together and we’ll both do better with our exams.”
“Deal.” I winked at him. “Especially if you cook.” He grinned.
Before we put our books and papers away, Sean ran up to his dad’s office and made copies of his notes for me. With everything school-related tucked away, he asked, “What would you like to do now? There’s still enough sun if you want to do some drawing. Our backyard is looking great this year.”
When we walked out the back door to his back porch, I was amazed. The yard was full of mature trees, all kinds, along with large flower beds on both sides of the yard.
“Who’s the gardener? Your mom or your dad?”
“That would be Mom. She says it’s better than a tranquilizer.”
“Sean, I never did finish a picture of you to give to your parents last spring. Other people kept showing up unexpectedly in those drawings, remember?” He nodded, smiling.
“I’ll get one started today. The scenery in your yard is perfect and we still have a few more hours of sun.”
We dragged a chair into the backyard. I sat down with my drawing pad, and Sean began doing some weeding in one of the flower beds. I would draw him in profile as he worked. His blond hair and blue sweatshirt contrasted nicely with the red geraniums that filled up one row in the bed. I drew in a few trees, the wood fence at one side of the yard, and many of the flowers that were still blooming, dozens of asters, one white rose bush, and a few hardy yellow daylilies. When I was able to add all the colors, it would be an extremely colorful picture. I drew in all the detail, but used my phone to take a picture so I wouldn’t forget the colors of all the flowers.
“You can get up now, Sean. I’ve sketched the whole scene. I’ll finish adding the colors at home.”
He picked up the pile of weeds he’d pulled and deposited them in a can at the side of the yard. When he reached me, I handed him my drawing pad.
Sitting down in the grass next to me, he said, “If I’m not mistaken, this is even better than the drawings you were doing last spring. They were great, but there’s more, I don’t know, emotion in this drawing.” He shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s the right word.”
Adam had said he was seeing more drama, more passion, in my latest drawings. Sean was calling it “emotion.”
“Thanks, Sean. I guess my technique is evolving.” I smiled. “But I’m glad you like it. This one is definitely for your parents as soon as I finish it.”
“Cara, their anniversary is coming up. I think I’ll take this downtown and get it framed. It will make a great anniversary gift.” He grinned. “Of course, knowing the artist personally will be a plus.”
“I do hope they like it. I’ll take my time finishing it.”
“They’ll love it. Now, what do you think about a movie tonight?”
“Amy said she and Kevin are going to the movies tonight. I have no idea what’s playing. Want to join them?”
He laughed. “It’s probably some zombie movie. Our local theater seems to specialize in horror. Hey, are Amy and Kevin dating?”
“That was my very question when I spoke to her this morning.” I smiled. “She says it’s more like ‘hanging out’ than dating, but I’m not so sure.”
“You’re not going home before the movie, are you?” he asked.
“Uh, no. Is it okay if I clean up here?”
“Sure.”
We heard “Hi, guys,” from the back door and looked up to see Sean’s dad waving at us. We waved back. Sean picked up my chair and we walked back to the house.
After I washed up, we sat with Mr. McKay and chatted until Mrs. McKay came home.
“Cara, how are you? It’s so nice to see you again. I’m still talking about your parents’ wedding. It was so lovely, and they looked perfect together. I really enjoyed myself. I also loved your pink and white dress. You looked beautiful. How are your mom and dad?”
“They’re fine, thanks.” And that was when my phone rang. I knew it would be my mother.“Hi, Mom. I’m at Sean’s. We studied most of the day, and we’re going to the movies tonight. We’ll probably eat there. . . Well, nachos and hot dogs. I don’t think it will kill us.” Sean’s mom was laughing at my end of the conversation. “Yes, that was Mrs. McKay. Would you like to say hello?” I handed the phone to Sean’s mom.
Sean was trying not to laugh. I simply rolled my eyes.
When I got my phone back, I called Amy to see when and where we should meet.
Half an hour later, we left. When we reached the movie theater, I took one look at the sign in front and groaned. “Night of the Living Dead,” the original film.
“That movie always gave me nightmares. Seeing it again is really asking for it.”
Sean laughed. “I see Kevin and Amy by the box office.”
I parked my car half a block away and we joined them. Amy was shaking her head. “I won’t sleep tonight; I just know it. This has got to be the creepiest movie I’ve ever s
een.”
We gorged on nachos and hot dogs, and I watched the movie with my eyes closed most of the time. Amy, of course, shrieked a lot while Kevin laughed at her. But I noticed he held her hand.
Sean had his arm around me and my face was pushed into his chest a lot. He wasn’t laughing, just an occasional chuckle. When it was finally over, Amy and I were both relieved. Horror films would never be my favorites.
As we walked out of the movie, Kevin said, “That’s an all-time great flick, but there was one thing missing.” When I asked what, he answered with a grin. “Dragons.”
Which reminded me that I hadn’t had a real talk with Rowenna in quite a while. I knew she was aware of how unhappy I was.
We planned to ride to Elvenwood Sunday morning so I picked up Sean before seven a.m., hoping we wouldn’t be too late for breakfast at the dining hall. I was out of the house before my parents came downstairs but I left a note.
Sean and I walked to my father’s camp and got our horses after saying hello to Conor, Gavin, and Kevin’s dad, Kelly O’Rourke. It was an overcast day but rain hadn’t been in the forecast. I thought we’d be fine on horseback.
Our greys obviously felt like running, so we made it to the gateway in less than fifteen minutes. When we stopped at the realistic looking barrier, Sean grinned at me as I said the Gaelic words and the illusion of trees and boulders disappeared.
“Can you feel the magic, Sean?”
He nodded. “I can almost hear the words, ‘Welcome back!’”
I smiled. “It always feels that way to me too. Let’s ride straight to the dining hall. I hope breakfast is still being served.”
We dismounted, thanked the greys and sent them to the stable. Inside the dining hall, I was glad to see there were still a few people enjoying breakfast. We served ourselves ham and scrambled eggs, along with a pitcher of apple juice, and sat down. Two minutes later Arlynn dashed out of the kitchen with a basket of muffins and joined us.
“Good morning, Cara, Sean. I was surprised to see you two ride up. Are you spending the day with us?”
“We are. You just made those muffins, didn’t you?”
She smiled. “Yes, and I’m going to help you eat them. I’m off duty now. I see you brought your bag of artwork. Will you be drawing today?”
“I will if these clouds clear up. I thought I’d at least visit Francis Sullivan and show him what I’ve been working on. It’s always good to get an objective opinion from another artist.”
I pulled out the picture I’d begun the day before and showed it to her. “I’m working on this as a gift for Sean’s parents. You met them at the wedding, didn’t you?”
She smiled. “Yes, it was a real pleasure to meet more of Conor’s family. They’ll love this drawing of Sean.”
Grinning, Sean added, “My mother said she’d never met anyone as beautiful as you, and she told Conor that he should consider himself extremely lucky.”
Naturally, Arlynn turned red. “Thank you, Sean, your mother is very kind. Please give her my regards. What are the two of you planning on doing here today?”
“Is Jason around? I thought he might like to join us.”
She nodded. “My cousin Garrett is teaching Jason woodworking, and Jason is turning out to be quite an artist with wood. With Adam gone, Garrett really needs help. You’ll probably find Jason in the wood shop.”
The mention of Adam wiped the smile off my face. Arlynn noticed immediately but didn’t say anything in front of Sean.
“Well, what are you doing today?” I asked her.
She blushed again. “Conor and I are getting together when he gets back from camp. Why don’t you plan to meet us back here for lunch?”
“Sounds like a plan. I guess we’ll go visit friends now, maybe pay our special friend a visit out in the old orchard.”
She laughed. “Everyone looks forward to a visit from you, especially a certain seven-year-old.”
“Yes, we’ll definitely pay Ian a visit.”
“See you two at lunch.”
She left the dining hall and we took our time finishing our breakfast. When we realized we were the only ones left in the dining hall, we got up to leave. I stuck my head in the kitchen and thanked the ladies who were still cleaning up. They all smiled, asking if there was anything else we needed. We assured them breakfast had been great.
“They sure go out of their way for you, Cara. I’ll bet they don’t do that for everybody, do they?”
When I thought about it, I realized he was right. “I guess I get special treatment because of my father. Everyone here has always been so kind. The first time I spent a week here, their seamstresses actually made me green tunics and pants like they all wear. And everything fit perfectly.”
He grinned. “I’ll bet you looked like a perfect little Elf.”
I smiled. “Probably. I want to get some apples for the greys. Let’s stop by Kathleen’s on our way to the orchard.”
We found Kathleen sitting in front of her cottage writing in a journal. When she looked up and spotted us, she got up and greeted both of us with hugs.
“Just here for the day, Cara?”
“Sean loved his first visit here, so he’s back for more of Elvenwood’s special magic.”
She chuckled. “Well, it’s good to see you both. Cara, I haven’t seen you since your parents’ wedding. Where have you been keeping yourself?”
“At home with homework and artwork, but Sean has been coaxing me out so I’ve hardly been home this weekend.”
She looked at Sean with a curious smile. “What’s that bandage on your nose for, Sean? Don’t tell me you broke it again.”
“Actually, I got hit in the face with a baseball bat. My nose was badly broken and I had surgery to fix it. My doctor tells me it will look perfect, but I still have no idea what it’s going to look like.”
Kathleen looked fascinated. “Sean, do you think I could take a peek? I’ll put your bandage right back on. Would you mind?”
He chuckled. “Be my guest. I’m curious myself. Maybe you can tell me how you think it looks.”
“Come inside, lad. Cara, if Sean doesn’t mind, you can come in too.”
He chuckled. “I don’t mind. After all, Cara has to look at it every day.”
Kathleen sat Sean down on one of the cots and sat down on a stool next to him. Very slowly she peeled the bandages off his nose. I gasped when I saw it; then I grinned.
He looked alarmed at first, until I said, “Sean, you now have Matt Damon’s nose! It’s perfect. I didn’t think it was possible, but you’re even better looking now!”
Kathleen smiled. “It is a beautiful nose, Sean. Cara’s right. It’s perfect.” She placed the bandages back over it. “I think your doctor will take these bandages off permanently the next time you see him. Your nose healed beautifully.”
He looked excited. “This means I can play football again.”
Kathleen cringed. “Football? From what the boys have told me, it’s a particularly brutal sport. I know Gabriel loves it, but I certainly wouldn’t want to risk that nose if I were you.”
Sean grinned. “I’ll be wearing a rigid plastic nose protector under my helmet. There’s no way I want to break it again.”
We left Kathleen’s cottage as she wished Sean luck with his nose, and told me she’d be visiting my mother again soon. I could tell she noticed my lack of enthusiasm, but I couldn’t really explain the reason for it in front of Sean.
As we walked to the orchard, Sean asked “What’s this about Matt Damon’s nose? What’s so special about it?”
I had to smile. “He’s got a great looking nose that turns up very slightly at the tip. Your nose used to be perfectly straight, even after you broke it the first time. But now, your surgeon gave you that slightly turned up tip and it really looks fantastic.
“Sean, I didn’t think it was possible for you to look any better, but when that bandage comes off, girls will be throwing themselves at your feet.” I giggled.
Now I blushed. “Knock it off, Sean.” But the mood between us had suddenly become warmer. He took my hand as we walked into the orchard.
Grinning, he said, “I came prepared. He pulled off his sweatshirt, then pulled off a t-shirt he was wearing underneath, and I was staring at shoulders, arms and a chest so toned, he took my breath away. He had obviously been working out while his nose healed. He had a six-pack any guy would envy and his chest had a light dusting of blond hair.
He smiled when he noticed me staring and nonchalantly pulled his sweatshirt back on. “I brought the t-shirt for the apples.”
When I recovered from the sight of that gorgeous chest, we started picking up apples that had fallen on the ground until the shirt wouldn’t hold any more. He tied the sleeves together and we kept walking until we reached the old orchard where I’d met Rowenna almost two months ago.
“Oh, shoot.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I meant to stop and get Jason. I’m sure he would have wanted to come out here with us. He might have brought his flute and played for Rowenna. He plays beautifully.
“Since we don’t have Jason’s flute today, I’ll just sing without it.”
I began singing Rowenna’s song and it wasn’t long before we saw her leave her mountain home and fly toward us. I was feeling guilty. I’d been so depressed for the past few weeks, I hadn’t sung for her very often, and we’d barely spoken. I’d have to apologize.
From behind me I heard a flute playing the dragon’s song. Jason had known where I’d be. When he reached us, he began playing the melody again and I sang the words from the beginning. Rowenna flew to us and descended to the orchard in her usual spot, surrounding us with her magic. She closed her eyes until we finished her song.
That was beautiful. I’ve missed your flute, Jason. Cara, please tell your friend I am glad to see him.
I told Sean what she’d said, and he said, “It’s always a thrill to see you, Rowenna.”
We heard her rough chuckle.
