Forever - Chanda Hahn Page 0,11

into his back, but she was momentarily stunned as well.

Ever had transformed the country kitchen into a happy garden full of plants of all kinds. Bright paper lanterns hung from the ceiling with little tea lite candles burning. On the kitchen table in the middle of the room was a picture, framed in mint green, of her mother laughing and hugging Mina and Charlie.

Mina remembered that day. She and Charlie were thirteen and five. That windy day, they had gone to the park and were trying to fly Charlie’s homemade cardboard kite. Of course it didn’t fly, but that didn’t stop them from trying to get the diamond shaped piece to go up in the air for more than five seconds. Just when Charlie was about to cry, the kite had taken off and hung in the air long enough to make him smile.

That had been a good day, filled with lots of laughs and memories. Mina wasn’t sure where Ever found the picture, but she was glad she did. It was a great one of their mom. That’s how she wanted to remember her.

“Ever, it’s beautiful.” Mina softly touched the edge of the frame and then ran her fingers over the blooming flowers that curled around the table. It took her a second to realize there wasn’t a single vase in the room. Ever had made all of the flowers appear and bloom magically. “Thanks.”

Ever blushed. “I felt it was only right to honor your mother’s passing with a celebration.”

“A celebration?” Nan asked. “That doesn’t sound like the right kind of thing to do at the moment.”

Ever looked like she was struggling to hold back a snappy retort. She took a deep breath and slowly explained. “Well, Fae live for a very, very, very long time. Deaths aren’t usually sudden and unexpected. By the time we pass on, we’ve lived a very long and fulfilled life. The passing of Fae is usually a great honor. I know her death was sudden, but I want to give tribute to your mom with the best the Fae can offer.” She gave a stern glare to Nan, and Mina knew there would be no arguing this.

Unsure what to do, Mina took a seat in one of the kitchen chairs that had been pushed to the side, and Charlie scurried up next to her. Brody and Nan sat in the row behind Mina and Charlie, while Ever stood in the middle of the kitchen next to the table and cleared her throat.

“Um, sorry. I’ve only been to a few of these. And I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare.”

“It’s fine,” Mina reassured her.

Ever smiled wide, and her hair moved about as her wings started to flutter in excitement. She smoothed her hands over her dress before turning to a small pearlescent seed on the table in front of the frame.

Ever waved her hand, and the seed moved to float above her fingertips. “Once upon a time, there was a seed. Small, insignificant, helpless. But Mother Earth took it into her womb and kept it warm and protected.” Ever cupped her hands over the seed and continued the story. “Then, Father Sun spread forth his love from above and nourished the seed with light and sent the rain and whispered for the seed to bloom and grow.”

She opened her hands slightly, and bright green vines began to stretch out of her hands. “Our path dictates how strong we will be and how tall we will grow. Will our life grow into something beautiful, or will we develop thorns for protection?” The vines bloomed into bright pink flowers with orange tints. “Each journey is different.”

Mina turned to watch her younger brother get up and spin under the giant flower buds that continued to blossom and erupt. He held his hands up in the air to catch the colorful burst of Fae pollen. Nan and Brody followed suit as each they stood and stared above them in wonder.

Nan squealed as some of it touched her lips and she tasted it. “Cotton candy?” She giggled.

Charlie opened his mouth to do the same. He shook his head. He obviously didn’t taste cotton candy, but whatever he tasted on his tongue, he enjoyed. He kept his mouth open.

Brody let some fall on his finger and brought it up to his mouth. “Pineapple upside down cake. How are you doing this?”

Mina smiled and laughed with everyone as they celebrated. But when she licked her lips, she tasted the