through the walls. Monica, Parker, and Magnus decorated the trailer with big “Just married” signs and streamers. We’re going to have cars and trucks honking at us the entire trip along the interstate. Well, until Sebastian takes the signs off. I’m hoping it’s at our first gas station stop.
I look across the parking lot at my friends and family who’ve come to see me off. Harper gives me a little wave. She’s just started speaking to me again. She’s furious that she was the last one in our little group to know about the fake fiancée thing.
My mother is a little sour too. Sebastian and I had a quickie marriage a couple of weeks after Russell’s arrest. She’s a wedding planner; it took a lot of wheedling on my part to make sure she didn’t see it as a slap in the face. She finally accepted my explanation that I could hardly go on tour with the band if we weren’t hitched. It wouldn’t be proper. Also, she’s planning an enormous wedding for us for next June.
Sebastian and I did a video chat with Luigi Conti and promised that he could design my wedding dress. He was over the moon about it, and he agreed that he’ll still sponsor the tour. I swear that when Luigi discreetly checked out my boobs, Sebastian made a sound that was very much like the low, rumbling growl of an angry German shepherd, but he totally denied it afterwards.
My gaze sweeps the crowd, and I watch Mayor Culpepper and Jolene make their way over to Sebastian, who’s standing there with a note pad double checking each bag as it’s loaded onto the tour buses. Sebastian pauses in his notetaking to talk to them. I wince. Whatever they’re saying, I’m sure it’s mortifyingly embarrassing, but Sebastian just grins and nods.
Fiona stands between my mother and Gramma Mae, scrunching up her face. I walk over to her and hold my arms out for a hug, but she quickly steps back. “I let you hug me once, and that was only because you nearly died, and I’m already regretting it,” she informs me. “No touchy-touchy. Cooties. Gross.”
“I shall respect your personal space. Anyway, I’ll only be gone three weeks,” I say to her. “And I will be calling to check in and Facetime with you twice a day. I’ll go over your homework and your list of chores with you. It’ll be even more annoying than having me here.”
That earns a wry smile and an eye roll. “That’s not even possible,” she says loftily. “Also you better send me lots of cool swag.”
“You know I will.”
“Fiona!” My mother admonishes her. “Is that polite?”
“Sorry. Please send me cool swag. It would be greatly appreciated.”
“Almost ready!” Sebastian yells to me. Mayor Culpepper and his wife have left him to his suitcase-counting. He resumes scribbling furiously in his notebook.
“What a derp-face,” Fiona observes.
“True, but he’s my derp-face,” I say fondly.
“If you go all mushy on me, I’ll barf on your shoes,” Fiona says.
“Duly noted.” I take a step back away from her. “Goodbye, troublemaker. Don’t give Mama and Gramma Mae too much grief while I’m gone. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she says wryly, but I see the glint of unshed tears in her eyes, and she sniffles discreetly, wiping her arm on her sleeve.
I sneak a glance over at my mother. She’s holding her purse, and one hand creeps up to the strap, then she drops her hand to her side and I see her body visibly relax. She’s doing better. She’s not cured of her anxiety, it’s a part of her, but she’s learned how to walk herself back when it starts to flare up.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her,” Fiona says.
I pat Fiona’s shoulder lightly, and she shrugs my hand off. “I know you will.”
Having Fiona in the house actually gives my mother something else to focus her energy on. I think it’s one of the reasons why she can control her anxiety more now. She’s directing her energies outward—herding and mother-henning Fiona—rather than inward.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for the derp-face.” Fiona walks over to Sebastian, slinging her backpack off when she reaches him. I follow her, curious.
She shoves her hand into the outer pocket and pulls out a little cloth doll. This one has no pins stuck in it; it’s wearing a suit of armor made of silver cloth. She shoves it at Sebastian. “It’s