Iron & Wine

by Candace Osmond

  It was dark and quiet as I slowly drove down the familiar pebbly lane to Aunt Tess’s house. I could hear the crickets in the background and the running water from the small creek that ran along the side of the path. Satsuma and lilac hung thick in the air. It felt like I was home already.

  But, when I pulled up to the front of the house, I suddenly remembered the last time Tess and I spoke, at the Halloween Party. It had only been only two nights ago but, as I sat on my bike and thought about it, it felt like ages ago.

  So much had happened since Friday, and I wasn't ready to talk about it with Tess. I wasn't ready to talk about what she may, or may not, have seen at the party either. I ran my fingers through my tousled hair and laid my head on my cold handlebars. I was so tightly wound like if I let go I’d either throw up or my head would just explode. Just then, the front door opened.

  "Avery?" Tess asked. "What are you doing here?" She wrapped a blue woven blanket around her shoulders and walked over to me.

  I refuse to let myself cry. I knew myself too well for that. If the tears started now, they would never stop. So, I took in a deep breath and forced a smile instead.

  "I felt like coming to see you. We haven’t talked since Friday night," I replied, which was basically true.

  She looked into my strained eyes and I knew she could see more. I could never keep anything from her, but right now I wished she wouldn't ask.

  "Come in. You look like you need a good cup of coffee."

  I smiled gratefully and walked into the house with Tess's arm around me. I wondered how long I could run from my life out here, forever maybe. No, at least for tonight, though. After that, one of my many magical guardians would surely come searching for me.

  I sat at the dining room table, the one made of marble that I love so much. My fingers ran over the smooth, cold and familiar surface. It felt like years ago since I last sat there. I took another sip of my coffee and glanced over at Tess. She stood in the kitchen, either giving me space or giving herself space. I’d been there for half an hour already and she hadn’t mentioned anything about the party.

  "Tess? Come sit, I need to talk to you."

  "Um, sure," she reluctantly answered and nervously took a seat. "What’s up?"

  We just eyed each other for a moment. I knew she’d seen things. I knew that she’d witnessed the entourage of fairies in my living room, and had freaked and run. Why wasn’t she bombarding me with questions, the way I thought she would?

  "Come on, Tess. You know what I want to talk about."

  "No, I don't."

  "Tess, come on, my friends?"

  "Yeah, I was meaning to ask you about that," she began nervously. "Where did they get all those costumes? They were pretty good."

  What? How could she honestly believe that? But then I thought about it. Maybe Tess knew what she saw, but didn’t want to deal with it. Maybe it was too much for her to handle. I mean, it was kind of too much for me to handle, honestly.

  I sighed and sat back. "Yeah, they were pretty good weren’t they?"

  She let out a relieved breath and smiled. "I've never met some of the people there. Are they...good friends? To you, I mean," she asked, worried. Something deeper hidden in her voice.

  "Yes, they are the best I could ever ask for." This was a little strange. Tess and I both knew the truth in what she’d seen, but we’d both clearly decided to leave it at that. But, if I could keep her uninvolved in my world, then she would be safe. How could I deny that to her?

  "Better friends than me?" Tess asked jokingly.

  "No, no one is better than you." I got up to hug my wonderful aunt and heard her whisper ‘I love you’ in my ear, which made me embrace her even tighter. "Love you, too, Aunt Tess."

  "What did I tell you about calling me that?" she playfully scolded me.

  "Sorry." I laughed. "I'm heading to bed. You would not believe the couple of days I have had."

  "Night sweetie, it’s good to have you home."

  "Yeah, it's good to be here, I really needed a break."

  "Is everything okay?"

  "It will be," I assured her, and myself. "Goodnight."

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  HOPE