one,” she said, tugging gently on Meg's arm. “You will be the star of the stage
tomorrow.”
“Can I sleep with you tonight, Gram?” Meg asked, “Mara will toss and turn,
keeping me up all night.”
“Of course, you can. I would miss your cold feet if you didn't.” Gram
laughed as she led my little sister off to bed. However, she stopped before they
reached the kitchen, she gave us a stern look. “Off to bed soon, little ones.”
Cole saluted. “Yes, ma'am.”
"We will, Gram," I promised. “Sweet dreams.”
When we were alone, Cole held out my arm to examine the healing wound.
It was now a red line, not the deep cut of yesterday. “I should have known magic
was infused in Gram's healing tricks. I guess you will learn her secrets, too.”
Kissing the inside of my wrist, he said, “Go take your bath. I'm going to get ready for bed myself.”
I gave Cole one last kiss and reluctantly said, "Goodnight. I'll see you in the
morning."
It seemed like days since I had been in my room when, in reality, it had only been a few hours. I looked at my dolls on the shelf. Seeing the replicas of my living guardians, I felt a warm comfort.
I turned on the water to fill the large tub and reached for Gram's special bubble bath. Vanilla and lavender filled my senses as I opened the container. I dumped in a generous amount of the white powder and swirled my hands
through the warm liquid.
Stripping off my clothes, I slipped under the water, allowing the stress of the
day to float away. I slowly ran my hand back and forth, gently splashing the fragrant fluid around me. I let the memories of my time with my secret friends
fill my mind.
A soft knock on the door interrupted my ruminations. “Are you ok in there?
You have been in there a long time,” Cole called.
“I'll be out in a minute,” I answered quickly.
How long had I been in here? I wondered. My prune-like fingers confirmed I
had extended my soak longer than planned. I yanked the chain of the tub and watched the water flow down the drain.
Drying myself off with a fluffy pink towel, I concerned whether or not I
really had the magic inside me. I lifted my right hand above me, swirled my pointer finger, and commanded, “Air, come to me.”
A gust of warm air hovered above. The breeze obeyed my movements.
Delighted by the elemental magic's response, I directed the air to contain me. As
I moved it up and down, the moisture on my skin slowly evaporated. Circling my head, I felt my hair lift and drop as the air fell between each strand.
“Thank you, Air,” I whispered.
No longer wet, I pulled my nightgown over my body. Twisting my hair into a
long braid, I couldn’t believe how soft and dry it felt. Before I left the bathroom,
I slipped into my robe.
I found Cole waiting for me on my bed. He was dressed in flannel pajama
bottoms with a tight white T-shirt. Will my heart stop skipping like this after we were married? I wondered, drinking in the sight of him. I hope not.
“I just wanted to say goodnight. I was starting to worry about you,” he said.
“You were in there almost an hour.”
“Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. Hey, didn't we already say our
