Dedicating Every Day to You

Chapter Seventeen

I'm on the couch again, this time watching Princess and the Frog on DVD and snacking on a slice of birthday cake. I have the slice that says 'Jimmy' on it, and for a moment I wonder who Jimmy is and if he's mad about his lack of birthday cake. Alex sits next to me, eating lemon Oreos.

During the final song, I sit up on my heels. "Dad, will you take me shopping for a Halloween costume today?"
"Who do you want to be?" Alex swipes some frosting from my cake. Jimmy's name is now a smear of emerald green.
"Princess Tiana, from this movie." I gesture at the television.

"I'm not buying you a Halloween costume!" Alex also sits up. "My friend Hercules owes me a few favors. I'll get him to make you a costume."
"Really?" I can't begin to explain how happy this makes me. I have a real family to spend a holiday with, for the first time in my life.
"Of course. I'll give him a call right now, and we can drive over and see him!"
"Dad, I don't think your friend would appreciate that very much."
"Why not?"
"Because, it's four in the morning."

A few hours later, we pull up at a colorful boutique in Goldsberry. I made Alex go back to bed for a few hours, and we ate a proper breakfast. Then he sent a call out to all of his friends, and they're joining us at Herculean, the boutique that we're currently outside of.

"This shop is really cute," I note, gazing around. It really is, all lemon yellow and cheerful turquoise and blue.
"It's a shop, but it's also a front," Alex says from behind me. He and John are holding hands.
"Herc is in the CIA," John explains. "He builds little gadgets in the basement."

"There you are," a deep voice thunders. Hercules Mulligan comes walking out of the back room, beaming at all of us. He's like a giant bear, a really gentle and sleepy one.
"Sorry we're late. Alex just had to stop for Duck's Donuts on the way here." John rolls his eyes.
"It was important! The 'HOT' sign was on!" Alex drops a few rainbow sprinkles on the floor.
"So important you had to cut across three lanes of traffic?"

Hercules grins. "So, Miss Kathryn, who did you want to be for Halloween?"
I can't help but beam back, his smile is infectious. "I kind of want to be Tiana."
"You would make a great Tiana. I'll make you the best dress you've ever seen." Herc grabs a piece of paper and starts to draw something that I can't see.

A young woman I've never met before pokes her head out of the back room. She has long, dark hair and big eyes, and she's wearing a red dress and matching lipstick.
"Excuse me, Hercules, only Peggy wants to know if we can come hang out in the main shop." Her voice is rich and deeper than I would have expected.
"Everyone can, except for Peggy." Hercules grins. "Kidding."

Lafayette and the Schuyler ladies emerge from the back room. While Angelica and Eliza are dressed nicely, Peggy is in giant boots and a flannel and a My Chemical Romance shirt. It's now that I can really see her as the youngest sister.
Lafayette kisses me on both cheeks. "Hello, my little ray of sunshine!"
I laugh and hug him. "Good to see you, too."

Peggy is holding hands with the girl in red. She smiles at me a little. "Kathryn, this is Maria. She's my..."
"Girlfriend," Maria fills in, laughing. "I'm Peggy's girlfriend."
Peggy pokes her. "Shush, little girl."
"I'm older than you, Margarita."
"Don't call me Margarita!"
"But it's your name."
"Be quiet."
"Make me."
Peggy kisses Maria, and I turn away.

Hercules stands on a stool and claps his hands. "Everyone, I've made a decision. Not only am I making Kathryn's Halloween costume, I'm also going to make costumes for all of you!"
"Really?" I beam up at him.
"Of course! We need to make this special for you." He adjusts his hat. "So, who do you all want to be?"

"I want to be a turtle!" John is bouncing with excitement. "The one from Finding Nemo."
"I'm going to be Aladdin," Alex says, doing a little leap and sending pink sprinkles everywhere.
Lafayette shakes his head vehemently. "There is no way you're getting me into one of those costumes."
"Live a little, Gilbert," Peggy shouts, poking him. "Do it for Kathryn."
"Don't call me Gilbert."
"Isn't it your name?" Peggy has a hand on her hip and she's grinning.