unwieldly), and I realized I felt better than I had in a long time. No wonder Dennis’s medical practice was doing so well. I wondered if he could cure broken hearts, and if he could, maybe I should make an appointment with him for Ve.
Dennis rolled his eyes and motioned me over to the bed. Laurel Grace was fairly bouncing with glee. If she’d been affected by the head bumping, she showed no signs of it—or she’d been healed before me, when I was out cold. “I lost another tooth!”
“So I heard.” Turning to face my audience, I said to them, “May I have a few moments alone with Laurel Grace?”
“I don’t think—,” Dennis began before Amanda took hold of his arm and forcibly pulled him from the room.
I had a little chat with Laurel Grace, explaining how from now on, I (as the tooth fairy) would visit her only when she was asleep, and that even though she wouldn’tsee me, she’d know I had been there when she woke up and found her special coin pouch. And that I wouldn’t visit at
all
if I suspected she was pulling her teeth on purpose just for a visit. I stressed the importance of that last fact, and how fairies
always
knew the truth.
She looked at me solemnly, her eyes wide with wonder.
“Now it’s time for you to go back to sleep,” I said softly.
Snuggling under the covers, she said, “I’m glad I didn’t make you dead.”
I smiled. “I’m glad, too.”
From beneath her pillow, I removed the tooth-shaped pillow, and I pulled from my velvet pouch the special coin pouch embroidered with Laurel Grace’s name. I handed it to her. “Remember what I said.”
She nodded and clutched the pouch, her tiny fingers gripping the fabric tightly.
Glitter rained down on the carpet as I waved good-bye and backed out of the room, closing the door behind me. In the hallway, Amanda and Cherise awaited. Dennis was gone, but I could hear him downstairs, moving around.
Quietly I explained what I’d told Laurel Grace. I handed Amanda the tooth pillow and a small bottle of glitter. “For more coin pouches, just call Laurissa at the Spinning Wheel. You might want to have several tucked away.” From now on, Amanda would be taking over my duties.
“I’m going to hide these and then go check on Laurel Grace. Thank you so much, Darcy, for everything.”
I said, “You’re welcome.”
I couldn’t say I’d miss the tulle. Or the tights. But I’d definitely miss Laurel Grace’s smile.
“Come,” Cherise said, leading me downstairs.
Dennis sat sullenly at the kitchen table, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug. Dunking a tea bag, he gave me a sideways glance and scowled.
Cherise frowned at him as she reached for her checkbook.
His petulant scowl was unnerving, so I turned my back to him. “Can I ask you a question, Cherise?”
She searched a drawer for a pen. “Sure thing.”
“Can Curecrafters heal broken hearts?”
Her gaze drifted over my wings and settled on, I assumed, her son. “Unfortunately, no. Only true medical ailments.”
I wanted to argue her point, because there was nothing more painful than heartache, but I knew it was useless. The Curecrafters had to abide by their own laws, and if it said no healing broken hearts, then there would be no healing of broken hearts.
“Whose? Yours?” Cherise asked, an empathetic warmth in her eyes.
Though my heart was still bruised, it was nothing like what my aunt was going through. “Ve.”
Her forehead dipped into a deep frown. “This business with Sylar?”
I nodded. “He was arraigned this afternoon.”
Letting out a breath, she said, “It’s terrible. Just terrible.”
“For me, too,” Dennis said.
I turned to face him as Cherise said, “Not everything is about you.”
He scowled at her, too. Glad his bad attitude wasn’t reserved just for me.
“A good portion of my clients are Alexandra Shively victims,” he said. “My practice is going to see a loss of profit now that she’s gone.”
Victims. Such a strong
Dennis rolled his eyes and motioned me over to the bed. Laurel Grace was fairly bouncing with glee. If she’d been affected by the head bumping, she showed no signs of it—or she’d been healed before me, when I was out cold. “I lost another tooth!”
“So I heard.” Turning to face my audience, I said to them, “May I have a few moments alone with Laurel Grace?”
“I don’t think—,” Dennis began before Amanda took hold of his arm and forcibly pulled him from the room.
I had a little chat with Laurel Grace, explaining how from now on, I (as the tooth fairy) would visit her only when she was asleep, and that even though she wouldn’tsee me, she’d know I had been there when she woke up and found her special coin pouch. And that I wouldn’t visit at
all
if I suspected she was pulling her teeth on purpose just for a visit. I stressed the importance of that last fact, and how fairies
always
knew the truth.
She looked at me solemnly, her eyes wide with wonder.
“Now it’s time for you to go back to sleep,” I said softly.
Snuggling under the covers, she said, “I’m glad I didn’t make you dead.”
I smiled. “I’m glad, too.”
From beneath her pillow, I removed the tooth-shaped pillow, and I pulled from my velvet pouch the special coin pouch embroidered with Laurel Grace’s name. I handed it to her. “Remember what I said.”
She nodded and clutched the pouch, her tiny fingers gripping the fabric tightly.
Glitter rained down on the carpet as I waved good-bye and backed out of the room, closing the door behind me. In the hallway, Amanda and Cherise awaited. Dennis was gone, but I could hear him downstairs, moving around.
Quietly I explained what I’d told Laurel Grace. I handed Amanda the tooth pillow and a small bottle of glitter. “For more coin pouches, just call Laurissa at the Spinning Wheel. You might want to have several tucked away.” From now on, Amanda would be taking over my duties.
“I’m going to hide these and then go check on Laurel Grace. Thank you so much, Darcy, for everything.”
I said, “You’re welcome.”
I couldn’t say I’d miss the tulle. Or the tights. But I’d definitely miss Laurel Grace’s smile.
“Come,” Cherise said, leading me downstairs.
Dennis sat sullenly at the kitchen table, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug. Dunking a tea bag, he gave me a sideways glance and scowled.
Cherise frowned at him as she reached for her checkbook.
His petulant scowl was unnerving, so I turned my back to him. “Can I ask you a question, Cherise?”
She searched a drawer for a pen. “Sure thing.”
“Can Curecrafters heal broken hearts?”
Her gaze drifted over my wings and settled on, I assumed, her son. “Unfortunately, no. Only true medical ailments.”
I wanted to argue her point, because there was nothing more painful than heartache, but I knew it was useless. The Curecrafters had to abide by their own laws, and if it said no healing broken hearts, then there would be no healing of broken hearts.
“Whose? Yours?” Cherise asked, an empathetic warmth in her eyes.
Though my heart was still bruised, it was nothing like what my aunt was going through. “Ve.”
Her forehead dipped into a deep frown. “This business with Sylar?”
I nodded. “He was arraigned this afternoon.”
Letting out a breath, she said, “It’s terrible. Just terrible.”
“For me, too,” Dennis said.
I turned to face him as Cherise said, “Not everything is about you.”
He scowled at her, too. Glad his bad attitude wasn’t reserved just for me.
“A good portion of my clients are Alexandra Shively victims,” he said. “My practice is going to see a loss of profit now that she’s gone.”
Victims. Such a strong
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