hands out. Noah clasped them together and covered them with his. Warmth radiated from hers, but only subdued energy.
“Look at me,” he said. She hesitated, and then raised her eyes to look into his. She bit her lower lip, and a tear spilled from one eye and rolled down her cheek. Noah raged inside at whoever had done this to her. He contained himself, desperate not to let his anger project. He concentrated and calmed himself, and read emotions of wretchedness and sorrow and loneliness.
In a soft voice he spoke. “Willow, the night I saw you fly I kept my eyes open. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Your beauty … entranced me.” He smiled at her and she smiled back, a tight, unsure smile, still biting her lip. “I didn’t see swamp gas. Or an alien. I saw the most dazzling, enchanting woman I have ever seen in a display of grace and beauty no one could imagine. Do you know that when you came to the pond the entire place came alive? When you left, it was as if someone switched off a light. You’re not a freak and you’re not an ogre.”
Willow fought tears as Noah spoke. He released her hands and she wiped her face, but sobbing overcame her. She came to his embrace without hesitation, his arms sliding between her back and wings.
How did I know how to hold you?
She clung to his neck and buried her face against his shoulder, overtaken with tears. He stroked her hair while weeping shook her. Her sorrow coursed through him.
“I … I was afraid … you would think … I was ugly,” she sputtered out.
Noah thought his heart would burst.
Are you the same feisty woman I met two days ago?
Noah didn’t speak, didn’t console her, and didn’t shush her, but let her become still on her own. After a few minutes, she quieted except for sniffling. She spoke in a hoarse little voice.
“I got snot on your sweater.”
Now it was Noah’s turn to giggle.
“It will wash.” He stroked her hair. “Do you need some tissues?” She nodded without lifting her head, and then stepped back with her hands on his shoulders. Her face was blotchy, red, and wet. She let go and crossed the room to a tissue box on the dressing table.
Noah rose and stood behind her while she blew her nose. “Okay now?”
She nodded. “Yes,” she said and turned to face him. “Thank you.”
“Just taking care of my fairy.”
She smiled up at him. He gently cupped her cheek, which began to glimmer.
How did I fall so in love with you, little person?
“Let’s sit down,” he said.
He led her to the table under the window and beckoned toward the easy chair. She climbed into it and drew her legs up under her, looking like a child in the big chair.
“Would you like something to drink?” he asked. He walked over to the little refrigerator. “I have some water I think, and beer, though you don’t strike me as a beer kind of a girl.” He did an imitation of the grimace she had done about coffee that morning.
She smiled wider. “No, I’m not. Water sounds great.”
Noah grabbed himself a beer and a bottle of water for Willow. He held up the beer as he handed her the water. “Are you sure? This is from my own Badger state you know. Brewed in Chippewa Falls.”
Willow giggled. “Save it for yourself. It would be wasted on me.”
Noah opened his beer and settled into a straight back chair by the table.
“Willow, what’s this shadow following you everywhere? And I don’t mean a big black Labrador. Whenever I’m around you, I feel a sad undercurrent. I sensed it even before we figured out I’m a fairy friend. Why the gloom?”
Willow considered this for a moment. “It’s time to tell you the story of the Big House. To do that I need to tell you the history of the Jones family.”
Six
“W hat I know comes from my father,” Willow began. “He knew everyone in town. He was everybody’s friend.” She smiled at the memory. “Father ran an investment and stock brokerage firm. He did well and helped many people
“Look at me,” he said. She hesitated, and then raised her eyes to look into his. She bit her lower lip, and a tear spilled from one eye and rolled down her cheek. Noah raged inside at whoever had done this to her. He contained himself, desperate not to let his anger project. He concentrated and calmed himself, and read emotions of wretchedness and sorrow and loneliness.
In a soft voice he spoke. “Willow, the night I saw you fly I kept my eyes open. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Your beauty … entranced me.” He smiled at her and she smiled back, a tight, unsure smile, still biting her lip. “I didn’t see swamp gas. Or an alien. I saw the most dazzling, enchanting woman I have ever seen in a display of grace and beauty no one could imagine. Do you know that when you came to the pond the entire place came alive? When you left, it was as if someone switched off a light. You’re not a freak and you’re not an ogre.”
Willow fought tears as Noah spoke. He released her hands and she wiped her face, but sobbing overcame her. She came to his embrace without hesitation, his arms sliding between her back and wings.
How did I know how to hold you?
She clung to his neck and buried her face against his shoulder, overtaken with tears. He stroked her hair while weeping shook her. Her sorrow coursed through him.
“I … I was afraid … you would think … I was ugly,” she sputtered out.
Noah thought his heart would burst.
Are you the same feisty woman I met two days ago?
Noah didn’t speak, didn’t console her, and didn’t shush her, but let her become still on her own. After a few minutes, she quieted except for sniffling. She spoke in a hoarse little voice.
“I got snot on your sweater.”
Now it was Noah’s turn to giggle.
“It will wash.” He stroked her hair. “Do you need some tissues?” She nodded without lifting her head, and then stepped back with her hands on his shoulders. Her face was blotchy, red, and wet. She let go and crossed the room to a tissue box on the dressing table.
Noah rose and stood behind her while she blew her nose. “Okay now?”
She nodded. “Yes,” she said and turned to face him. “Thank you.”
“Just taking care of my fairy.”
She smiled up at him. He gently cupped her cheek, which began to glimmer.
How did I fall so in love with you, little person?
“Let’s sit down,” he said.
He led her to the table under the window and beckoned toward the easy chair. She climbed into it and drew her legs up under her, looking like a child in the big chair.
“Would you like something to drink?” he asked. He walked over to the little refrigerator. “I have some water I think, and beer, though you don’t strike me as a beer kind of a girl.” He did an imitation of the grimace she had done about coffee that morning.
She smiled wider. “No, I’m not. Water sounds great.”
Noah grabbed himself a beer and a bottle of water for Willow. He held up the beer as he handed her the water. “Are you sure? This is from my own Badger state you know. Brewed in Chippewa Falls.”
Willow giggled. “Save it for yourself. It would be wasted on me.”
Noah opened his beer and settled into a straight back chair by the table.
“Willow, what’s this shadow following you everywhere? And I don’t mean a big black Labrador. Whenever I’m around you, I feel a sad undercurrent. I sensed it even before we figured out I’m a fairy friend. Why the gloom?”
Willow considered this for a moment. “It’s time to tell you the story of the Big House. To do that I need to tell you the history of the Jones family.”
Six
“W hat I know comes from my father,” Willow began. “He knew everyone in town. He was everybody’s friend.” She smiled at the memory. “Father ran an investment and stock brokerage firm. He did well and helped many people
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