Page 52 of Love at Full Tilt
Starshatter Hotel, Fableland
Orlando, FL
Each night at Phoenix’s Landing ends with a fireworks display around the turrets of Reddingshire Castle.
Instrumental renditions of Fable Industry’s most famous tunes sing out in the background as color overcomes the night sky.
The entire show is spectacular, but it seems to be the final series that sticks with guests most: when dozens of fireworks sketch a giant rainbow-colored circle above the castle, a reminder that the magic at Fableland never ends.
That tomorrow, the parks will open and magic will fill the air once again.
Mason and I meet Carter and my friends back at the Starshatter at the end of the night.
Beyond the domed pool, there’s a grassy knoll with some benches and a few umbrella-covered tables that look out over the enormous lake that separates the hotel from Vale of Villainy.
We order mozzarella sticks and nachos from the snack bar and take them out to wait for the closing fireworks.
Even though all the travel sites say this is one of the best spots for viewing, we’re alone, probably because of the chill that’s set in following an evening rainstorm.
Mason and I sit sideways on the picnic table bench so I’m leaning back against his chest, my legs stretched out in front of me, both of us huddled in his old gray sweatshirt for warmth. Tess and Issy lie across the benches of the next table, and Carter sits on his jacket in the damp grass.
“Did you hear who won the scavenger hunt?” he asks us.
“Not Erica,” I mutter, earning a laugh from Mason.
“I’d like to have a conversation with that girl if our paths ever cross,” Tess declares.
Issy snorts. “Someone warn her. Tess is out for blood.”
Carter shakes his head, amused as ever at Tess’s brand of drama. “It was Ember.”
I smile. “Good. They dominated the entire contest.” I lean forward so I can see Carter. “What was the final clue?” Even though I know Fable Industry has other, more popular movies, I hope it was Sunspark related.
“The two final contestants had to remember Oliver Cray’s actual backstory, find those Easter eggs in the various parks, and scan the codes in the right order.
The last clue was in the hull of the Fool’s Gambit, and there was this whole obstacle course the contestants had to make it through that mirrored the mutiny on the ship that stranded Oliver in Elorra’s kingdom. ”
Epic. As always, this place doesn’t disappoint.
“Oliver tells, like, four different stories about his life before he met Elorra,” Tess points out.
“That’s the challenge. You have to remember what pieces from each of the stories are actually true.” I can hear the wistfulness in my voice, and an ache echoes at my center. I would have loved a chance to walk in Oliver’s shoes that way. To practically get to be in my favorite movie for a minute.
We fall silent as the fireworks display begins.
The colorful lights paint rainbows in Tess’s platinum-blond hair and turn Issy’s dark eyes into starlit galaxies.
I capture this moment and tuck it straight into my heart. These six days have been magic. Today has been magic. These last moments are magic.
My friends are always magic. Mason’s just another dose. And no matter what happens to the two of us, I’ll never forget our time together here.
I’ll never forget him.
“Thank you for all of this,” I say.
Issy peeks up over the table, cocking her head in question.
“You guys gave me exactly what I needed.”
Tess doesn’t look away from the burst of color streaking like paint across the sky. “We love you, Lia. And you better visit us every weekend next year.”
I snort. “Mom will love that.” Then I blow them both kisses as the final series of fireworks race for the moon. Enough explode at once that their booms shake the ground. I sink deeper into Mason, inhaling his pine scent and memorizing the feel of him solid and steady against my back.
I’m not sure if there’s a point to wishing on fireworks, but I do it anyway. With my eyes closed and my breath held and my hands folded in my lap.
For once, I don’t wish for time to stand still. I’m ready to move forward. To see where the new paths I’ve laid will take me.
But I never want to forget this moment and exactly how I feel. I hope Fableland and its magic will give me that one last gift.