“She’s beautiful.”
Tears filled my eyes. I pushed them away. “Yes, she is. And she looks happy.”
Elizabeth spoke softly over my right shoulder. “Of course she does. You’ll be a terrific mother.”
Maybe. But what if this man, whose face I couldn’t see, was part of the reason why my daughter looked so happy? I heard Miranda’s warning again, and the part about my daughter needing the guidance of one particular man reverberated inside of me. As quick as I’d been to laugh at the idea of finding my soul mate, this changed things.
“Miranda said she needed to be raised in pure love. She said it was of the utmost importance I find my soul mate before my baby is born. It could be she’s this happy because this picture represents the best-case scenario, assuming I can find him.”
But what would the results be if I couldn’t? Prickles of unease popped up, coating my skin from head to toe. I didn’t know the answer to that question. I stared at my daughter again, taking in her smile, the happiness in her gaze, and at that second I knew something I hadn’t known before: I would do anything— anything —to ascertain this image became reality.
“I think I need to find him,” I whispered. Once again, I ran my fingers over the sketch, wishing I could turn the picture of him around by force of will so I could see his eyes. Were they gentle? Kind? I wanted to know. I wanted to know so badly that it startled me.
“How are you going to find a faceless man?” my grandmother asked.
This was another question for which I didn’t have an answer. At least, not right away; but as I stared at the drawing, searching for something, anything I could use to identify him, I found it. My answer and the identifying mark.
“He has a scar.” I pointed to the jagged mark on his right shoulder. “See it? It’s not that large, but it’s there.”
“Let me see that.” Grandma Verda reached for the sketchpad.
I gave it to her. Then I stood and paced, working out the kinks in my legs from sitting so long.
“You’re right! It’s definitely a scar. Or a birthmark. It’s hard to tell for sure.”
She passed the sketchbook on to my sister, who said, “Hmm, I think it’s a birthmark. But Grandma’s right; it could be either.”
Elizabeth then gave it to Chloe, who barely looked before returning it. “Would more magic work? Can’t you bake a new batch of cupcakes, Elizabeth? But wish for Alice to draw the face of her soul mate.”
“We can definitely try. I’m just not sure how successful we’ll be. I was pretty clear in this wish, and that’s what we got. Of course, Alice should be able to use her magic for this too.”
Grandma Verda crossed her arms. “There’s no need. The back of that man could be Ethan Gallagher. The body looks about the right size, and he has dark hair, just like Ethan.” She pointed at me. “All you have to do is get a look at him without his shirt on.”
“That’s it, huh? How am I supposed to do that?” And yes, I realized that the chance of Ethan being the man I’d drawn was slim to none, but I also knew that until I ruled him out Grandma Verda would be of no help. In fact, she’d be a hindrance.
Her faded blue eyes sparkled. “Well, dear, I’m sure we can come up with something.”
While I’m sure she meant to reassure me, coming from Grandma Verda, that statement did anything but. Her ideas tended to fall on the wild and wacky side of things. “I’ll figure it out. Just don’t do anything. Okay?”
She huffed. “What do you think I’d do?”
Knowing her? Take him to lunch again and ask him to remove his shirt.
My eyes fell on the sketch again. I noticed something I hadn’t before. While I couldn’t see his face, I could see his left hand. It was outstretched, as if he were about to grab another fistful of sand to add to the sand castle. Adorning his ring finger was a wide band, most definitely a wedding band.
Did that mean, if I found him, there was a
Tears filled my eyes. I pushed them away. “Yes, she is. And she looks happy.”
Elizabeth spoke softly over my right shoulder. “Of course she does. You’ll be a terrific mother.”
Maybe. But what if this man, whose face I couldn’t see, was part of the reason why my daughter looked so happy? I heard Miranda’s warning again, and the part about my daughter needing the guidance of one particular man reverberated inside of me. As quick as I’d been to laugh at the idea of finding my soul mate, this changed things.
“Miranda said she needed to be raised in pure love. She said it was of the utmost importance I find my soul mate before my baby is born. It could be she’s this happy because this picture represents the best-case scenario, assuming I can find him.”
But what would the results be if I couldn’t? Prickles of unease popped up, coating my skin from head to toe. I didn’t know the answer to that question. I stared at my daughter again, taking in her smile, the happiness in her gaze, and at that second I knew something I hadn’t known before: I would do anything— anything —to ascertain this image became reality.
“I think I need to find him,” I whispered. Once again, I ran my fingers over the sketch, wishing I could turn the picture of him around by force of will so I could see his eyes. Were they gentle? Kind? I wanted to know. I wanted to know so badly that it startled me.
“How are you going to find a faceless man?” my grandmother asked.
This was another question for which I didn’t have an answer. At least, not right away; but as I stared at the drawing, searching for something, anything I could use to identify him, I found it. My answer and the identifying mark.
“He has a scar.” I pointed to the jagged mark on his right shoulder. “See it? It’s not that large, but it’s there.”
“Let me see that.” Grandma Verda reached for the sketchpad.
I gave it to her. Then I stood and paced, working out the kinks in my legs from sitting so long.
“You’re right! It’s definitely a scar. Or a birthmark. It’s hard to tell for sure.”
She passed the sketchbook on to my sister, who said, “Hmm, I think it’s a birthmark. But Grandma’s right; it could be either.”
Elizabeth then gave it to Chloe, who barely looked before returning it. “Would more magic work? Can’t you bake a new batch of cupcakes, Elizabeth? But wish for Alice to draw the face of her soul mate.”
“We can definitely try. I’m just not sure how successful we’ll be. I was pretty clear in this wish, and that’s what we got. Of course, Alice should be able to use her magic for this too.”
Grandma Verda crossed her arms. “There’s no need. The back of that man could be Ethan Gallagher. The body looks about the right size, and he has dark hair, just like Ethan.” She pointed at me. “All you have to do is get a look at him without his shirt on.”
“That’s it, huh? How am I supposed to do that?” And yes, I realized that the chance of Ethan being the man I’d drawn was slim to none, but I also knew that until I ruled him out Grandma Verda would be of no help. In fact, she’d be a hindrance.
Her faded blue eyes sparkled. “Well, dear, I’m sure we can come up with something.”
While I’m sure she meant to reassure me, coming from Grandma Verda, that statement did anything but. Her ideas tended to fall on the wild and wacky side of things. “I’ll figure it out. Just don’t do anything. Okay?”
She huffed. “What do you think I’d do?”
Knowing her? Take him to lunch again and ask him to remove his shirt.
My eyes fell on the sketch again. I noticed something I hadn’t before. While I couldn’t see his face, I could see his left hand. It was outstretched, as if he were about to grab another fistful of sand to add to the sand castle. Adorning his ring finger was a wide band, most definitely a wedding band.
Did that mean, if I found him, there was a
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