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T ess

Thursday: Wedding minus 2 days

M olly was furious that she’d gone to Orlando the day before and missed all the action. “I would have been great in an alliance,” she kept saying all morning while she helped me at the shop.

“You would have been,” I agreed. “Maybe the next one? Wisdom is coming up next, and that’s definitely not my strength.”

She looked around the shop and shook her head. “Tess. Look at this place. You’ve done wonders with it. It was dusty and jumbled and nobody really wanted to shop here except for the people with the really weird stuff. Now, you’ve got a thriving business. I’d say you’ve got plenty of wisdom.”

“Maybe it will be you. You’re running a major musical group and handling all the business side of it with your manager. That’s pretty wise.”

We agreed we were both so wise we needed to break early for lunch and get pizza. Shelley pointed out that she was wise for her years, too.

We spent lunchtime trying to nail down which wise Dead Ender would be called on for this challenge. Then we hung out in my pool, since I’d closed the shop until Monday.

The sign: Closed on account of wedding was already in the window.

By the time Jack got home from working on his house, promptly shifted into his tiger shape, and cannonballed into the pool, it was almost seven o’clock, and we’d started thinking about dinner.

Then Queen Viviette showed up in my backyard and demanded I call “Mayor Ruby of the Callahans.”

It was time for wisdom.

I hurried to bring out lemonade and honey tea (the Fae love honey) with an assortment of every pastry I had in the house.

Viviette daintily selected a honey cake, which made me realize I hadn’t seen little Frazzle lately.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty, but is Frazzle all right? We haven’t seen her around.”

The queen smiled. “Yes, she is well, but much occupied with her eighteen children.”

I gulped. “Eighteen?”

“Yes, it was a small birthing, but it was her first. I’m sure she’ll have more the next time.”

I sank into a deck chair on suddenly weak knees, fervently glad I wasn’t a pixie.

“When will you birth your children?” the queen asked, and I choked.

“Water,” I gasped, and Molly handed me a glass.

I still hadn’t figured out how to answer by the time Uncle Mike and Aunt Ruby arrived.

“As Mayor of this town and leader of Black Cypress County, you will represent Wisdom,” the queen proclaimed.

Aunt Ruby raised her chin. “I accept. What do I need to do?”

“Come, sit, and tell me your plan for Dead End.”

Relief washed over my aunt’s face. “Oh! Certainly. I’ll be happy to do that.”

“For the next five hundred years.”

Uncle Mike’s hand shot out to grab Aunt Ruby’s elbow at the exact moment she almost fell over, but she was made of sterner stuff than that.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she said, and then she started laying out her plan.

Three hours later, the queen nodded her approval and vanished.

Along with all of my honey cakes.

“You did it!” I grabbed Aunt Ruby in a big hug. “You’re amazing!”

She laughed until she had to wipe tears from her eyes. “Honestly, I took a page from her book. With the chess.”

Uncle Mike put an arm around her shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“I figured I’d just talk so long about municipal gas, electric, and water rates she’d finally give up before I bored her to death!”