and someday, those normal things would return. But she couldn’t win this fight. She couldn’t even find a clean T-shirt.
Sabrina wandered over to the Council of Mirrors for some company. “No one has anything nice to wear, honey,” Fanny said as she and the other guardians appeared in their mirrors.
“I know. I still want to try,” she said.
“For Puck?” Donovan asked, then mimed some exaggerated kissing.
Sabrina frowned. “No! Not for Puck. Who cares what he thinks?”
“Don’t tease the girl, Donovan,” Arden chided.
Sabrina buried her face in her hands while the mirrors tried to console her. “Everything is a mess.”
As she sobbed, she felt a hand in hers and sniffed. “I’m OK, Daphne.”
“No you’re not,” a voice replied, but it wasn’t Daphne. It was Red. “None of us are OK.”
Red’s attempt to comfort her took Sabrina off guard. Of all the people in the Grimm family, Sabrina had been the most indifferent to the little girl. It was hard to forget that Red had tried to hurt her family, even if she had been under the control of an evil force. Sabrina knew it wasn’t fair to hold a grudge, but there was a wall around her heart nonetheless.
“Where’s Daphne?” she asked.
“She’s busy with Morgan’s flowers. You know how she bites her palm when she’s excited? I thought she was going to chew her hand off when Mr. Seven asked her to be the flower girl.” Red took out a brush and went to work untangling Sabrina’s blond bird’s nest of hair. “She put me on hair duty.”
Sabrina forced herself to let the little girl work while she brushed some crusty residue off of her pants.
“You’re going to be fine,” Red continued. “Of all of us, you’ll be fine.”
“What makes you think so?” Sabrina said.
“Because you’re brave. That’s your gift.”
“My gift?” Sabrina laughed.
“Yes. Your dad is the one who watches over everyone, your mom is the leader, your sister is the smile-maker, and you—you’re the brave one. You just jump in and fight. Mr. Canis says he’s never seen you run.”
“Mr. Canis hasn’t been paying attention. Listen, if anything my gift is being the stupid one. I get into a lot of trouble because of my bravery. Every time I turn around someone has to save my butt.”
“You do your fair share of butt-saving too.” Red giggled. “We all need saving sometimes.”
“Did Mr. Canis say that, too?” Sabrina asked.
“No. I say that,” Red said. “Look at Mr. Canis. These days he’s feeling old and useless. He doesn’t feel like he has a purpose, so I’m saving him.”
“How?”
“By making him my father.”
“So maybe that’s your gift,” Sabrina said.
“How do you suppose?”
“You can make even the grouchiest person care about another,” Sabrina said. She looked into one of the mirrors and spotted Red’s smile.
The little girl set down the brush. “I did the best I could. Not as good as Daphne, but . . .”
“Looking good!” Reggie said when Sabrina studied herself in his reflection.
Red turned to go, but Sabrina took her hand. “Um, want me to comb your hair?” she asked.
Red smiled. “I would love that.”
• • •
Sabrina slinked into the courtyard, hoping no one would notice her clothes. She found a seat next to Henry and Veronica. Baby Basil was slumbering in his mother’s arms. Veronica studied her son’s beautiful face. The only time the little boy would sit still for her was when he was asleep, and Veronica took full advantage of the time to worship her cherub.
“You look uh . . . lovely,” Henry said, when Sabrina sat down next to him.
“Nice try, Dad,” Sabrina replied. She turned in her seat to check out the other guests. Fanny was right. Most were dressedin the best clothes they had, which turned out to be nothing more than T-shirts and sneakers. Nurse Sprat and Snow White had stolen flowers from their chairs and woven them in their hair. Even Charming had a rose pinned to his
Sabrina wandered over to the Council of Mirrors for some company. “No one has anything nice to wear, honey,” Fanny said as she and the other guardians appeared in their mirrors.
“I know. I still want to try,” she said.
“For Puck?” Donovan asked, then mimed some exaggerated kissing.
Sabrina frowned. “No! Not for Puck. Who cares what he thinks?”
“Don’t tease the girl, Donovan,” Arden chided.
Sabrina buried her face in her hands while the mirrors tried to console her. “Everything is a mess.”
As she sobbed, she felt a hand in hers and sniffed. “I’m OK, Daphne.”
“No you’re not,” a voice replied, but it wasn’t Daphne. It was Red. “None of us are OK.”
Red’s attempt to comfort her took Sabrina off guard. Of all the people in the Grimm family, Sabrina had been the most indifferent to the little girl. It was hard to forget that Red had tried to hurt her family, even if she had been under the control of an evil force. Sabrina knew it wasn’t fair to hold a grudge, but there was a wall around her heart nonetheless.
“Where’s Daphne?” she asked.
“She’s busy with Morgan’s flowers. You know how she bites her palm when she’s excited? I thought she was going to chew her hand off when Mr. Seven asked her to be the flower girl.” Red took out a brush and went to work untangling Sabrina’s blond bird’s nest of hair. “She put me on hair duty.”
Sabrina forced herself to let the little girl work while she brushed some crusty residue off of her pants.
“You’re going to be fine,” Red continued. “Of all of us, you’ll be fine.”
“What makes you think so?” Sabrina said.
“Because you’re brave. That’s your gift.”
“My gift?” Sabrina laughed.
“Yes. Your dad is the one who watches over everyone, your mom is the leader, your sister is the smile-maker, and you—you’re the brave one. You just jump in and fight. Mr. Canis says he’s never seen you run.”
“Mr. Canis hasn’t been paying attention. Listen, if anything my gift is being the stupid one. I get into a lot of trouble because of my bravery. Every time I turn around someone has to save my butt.”
“You do your fair share of butt-saving too.” Red giggled. “We all need saving sometimes.”
“Did Mr. Canis say that, too?” Sabrina asked.
“No. I say that,” Red said. “Look at Mr. Canis. These days he’s feeling old and useless. He doesn’t feel like he has a purpose, so I’m saving him.”
“How?”
“By making him my father.”
“So maybe that’s your gift,” Sabrina said.
“How do you suppose?”
“You can make even the grouchiest person care about another,” Sabrina said. She looked into one of the mirrors and spotted Red’s smile.
The little girl set down the brush. “I did the best I could. Not as good as Daphne, but . . .”
“Looking good!” Reggie said when Sabrina studied herself in his reflection.
Red turned to go, but Sabrina took her hand. “Um, want me to comb your hair?” she asked.
Red smiled. “I would love that.”
• • •
Sabrina slinked into the courtyard, hoping no one would notice her clothes. She found a seat next to Henry and Veronica. Baby Basil was slumbering in his mother’s arms. Veronica studied her son’s beautiful face. The only time the little boy would sit still for her was when he was asleep, and Veronica took full advantage of the time to worship her cherub.
“You look uh . . . lovely,” Henry said, when Sabrina sat down next to him.
“Nice try, Dad,” Sabrina replied. She turned in her seat to check out the other guests. Fanny was right. Most were dressedin the best clothes they had, which turned out to be nothing more than T-shirts and sneakers. Nurse Sprat and Snow White had stolen flowers from their chairs and woven them in their hair. Even Charming had a rose pinned to his
Similar Books
