My Friend Loki: Strange Magic

Chapter 20

Returning to Winnipeg, my thoughts were foremost on my friend. But, after a few days of being back at work, I was able to make the transition into real life again. I filled up most of my time with the usual: exercise, watching TV, doing mundane chores like laundry and straightening up the domicile, running errands, along with going online to check out my social media pages.

I still would think about Loki, especially when I took time out of each day to practice my part in our routine for the Hamilton House Orphanage's upcoming event, but eventually, the thoughts weren't as excessive or intense.

In fact, practicing the routine soon became my favourite part of the day.

I knew there was very little on Midgard that could harm Loki. Ever since he joined the Initiative, he always returned from each assignment safe and sound - I really had nothing to fear in that regard. However, sometimes my imagination would get the better of me, and I would worry that perhaps this might be the day that someone or something had the capacity to do so. It also wouldn't help when I looked at the couch in my living room that was a pull-out bed - the place where he would sleep when he stayed the night. I dreaded the very thought if something ever happened to prevent him from returning to my home... and to me.

However, during those rare moments, I would find some solace when I sat or lay upon that couch as if he was here with me and saying everything was going to be all right.

****

A week had gone by when I got a text from Ruth Gallagher from the Hamilton House Orphanage. She let me know that they now had all their talent in place and the first rehearsal was scheduled for next week.

Although Loki had not yet returned from his assignment, I had no choice but to text back and tell her we would be there. I was optimistic that Loki would return with plenty of time before the rehearsal.

However, more days passed and I got another text, just as a reminder about the rehearsal - with still with no word that Loki and the Initiative had returned.

But this wasn't my first rodeo when it came to Loki and his assignments. I needn't have worried, as it was the evening before the day of the rehearsal that I got a text from Doctor Tom Lowenstein,  informing me they were back from the assignment - safe and sound.

However, we also needed to keep our activities for the orphanage a secret. We didn't want Thor finding out, for fear he wouldn't approve or worse, spill the beans to his fellow Avengers. We enlisted the help of Doctor Strange via my smartphone to get us both to the rehearsal.

****

Deposited at the front of the building we walked through the front door. The same cheery man we had met previously, sitting behind the wicket in the foyer, soon informed us had to enter from a different direction. We had to go to the right side of the building, which would bring us to doors that lead into the auditorium - the location to where the Winter Party would be held.

Thanking him, we made our way over to that side of the building. There was a woman by the doors with a clipboard, and as we approached, she asked us who we were.

"Beverlee and Loki."

Looking at the list that was on her clipboard, she made a check with her pen, handed me a piece of paper, then directed us into the building. We were to go through a set of doors that lead to another kind of foyer to yet another set of doors - which were propped open with a chair. There was a sign on the door, "Rehearsal for Winter Party."

Entering the auditorium, we could see it was quite a large space, roughly the size of a high school gymnasium. There were a number of chairs set up with about a dozen people sitting in some of them, and a platform stage in front. Nearby from the seating area was a table with bottled water and cans of soda.