Juliette grabbed the laundry out of the washing machine and heaped it into the laundry basket. As she carried the heavy load out of the washing machine, she nearly tripped over four-year-old Penny, who was playing with her dolls on the floor.
"Woah there, honey! How many times have I told you not to play in doorways?" Juliette side-stepped the little girl and headed towards the living room.
"Sorry Mommy," Penny said. Then: "When is Auntie Margaret coming over?"
"Shhhh! You'll wake the baby!" Juliette set down the laundry basket and pointed to the back room, where Penny's little brother Justin was sleeping.
"Sorry," Penny whispered. "But when is she coming over?"
Juliette glanced at the clock above the fireplace. "Not for another hour, sweetie."
As little Penny's attention went back to her dolls, Juliette's attention was drawn to the only other thing on the
mantle. It was a small, solitary photograph of Penny. Not little Penny, but the Penny who should have been celebrating her 30th birthday alongside Juliette and Alex today, had it not been for that fateful day in Headmaster Magister's office sixteen years ago.
Seeing the picture made Juliette's heart ache for her lost friend. After Penny's sacrifice, Juliette and Alex had grown closer as friends, and now here they were, married and with two children. And one more on the way. Juliette patted her stomach. Although it wasn't any larger than normal, Juliette knew that another child would be coming to this household. Even without the power of the Unicorn's horn to tell the future, Juliette still knew.
For she and Alex had both lost their powers when they lost their best friend. Without their third member, they were no longer the Fabulosa. No longer even Magicae.
They had all lost something that day. Their powers. Half the school, destroyed in the fire. Justin lost his mother.
After the flames shrank to nothingness, Mr. Magister and Mrs. Justus had re-entered the office. When they saw the flames racing down the steps and were cut off from the office, the two powerful teachers ran down the steps to protect the other students.
And they had succeeded. There was only one casualty that day, and Juliette lived with that pain still.
No longer with their powers, Alex and Juliette returned to their homes. Her father and Margaret welcomed her home, believing her excuse of missing them and wanting to go to school closer to home.
There had been no mention of them missing at Visitor's Day, and they didn't seem to remember it. Juliette suspected Mrs. Proditor's meddling to make them not come.
The doorbell rang. Juliette was standing up to go answer it when she heard the door swing open. Maybe it was Margaret, getting here early for the birthday party.
But who opened the door? Could Alex have gotten it? No, he was in their bedroom shaving.
Juliette's question was answered by a little girl's voice saying hello. Penny had opened the door. Even though Juliette had told her so many times not to let strangers in the house, and to let Mommy or Daddy open the door.
"Honey? Is your Aunt Margaret here?" Juliette called, forgetting about the sleeping baby.
"No. There's a girl here. She looks sorta like the one in the picture. You know, the picture on top of the fireplace that always makes you cry."
Juliette stood frozen. No. It couldn't be.
The past sixteen years, she and Alex had hoped, wished, prayed for Penny's last words to come true. For the Pheonix to come back, to rise out of the ashes. But recently they had given up and resigned themselves to the harsh truth: Penny was never coming back.
But now... could it be? Slowly, roboticly, Juliette made her way into the foyer. And there she was, red hair, hazel eyes, shy expression... just like the day they first met.
She raised a hand. "Hi, I'm Penny. Do you know what's going on?" Then she smiled a small smile, a smile that said a lot of things. But most prominently, it said, "I missed you."
Juliette was like a statue, frozen once again.
Alex ambled into the room, dissheveled and unrefined. "Dear, is Margaret here alread--" The words died in his throat, and he too stood frozen.
Little Penny looked from one parent to another. "Who's she?" she asked, in childlike innocence. Then, impatiently when she got no reply. "Who is she?" Penny asked again, stamping her foot.
Alex spoke. "This- this is-- your namesake--" His voice cracked.
Juliette said it for him. "I think it's time you met your Aunt Penny."
End
YOU ARE READING
Magicae
Fantasy[COMPLETED] The Magicae are among us. They always have been there, looking and acting the same as us, but with one difference. They are magic. Now, with the evil society known as the Malum rising once again, the three prophesied Fabulosa must make t...
