Matilda, Child of Fire

TFB: Piper & Pavlova Meringue

29 TFB: Piper & Pavlova Meringue

"I feel fine, we may not have been born/As awake as you were/It was much harder in those days"

-Alanis Morissette, song "The Couch"

6 pm, February 2046, Entryway, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Matilda paced around the entryway of Vera Manor, wearing a white floral V-neck polydupioni maxi dress, nervously biting at her cuticles until Wyatt enveloped her into a silent hug.

"She's a little interesting, but I think she'll be key in defeating Portender," he said. "She'll love you."

"You think so?"

Wyatt nodded, understanding Matilda's fear coupled with frustration at not having been told his family was descended from its own line of Charmed Ones. But she knew her most important priority was her family's safety, so she let that slide—for the time being, at least. Grandmother Piper, being a former Charmed One, was key to their April planning, after all.

"Where's your dad and gramps?" Matilda asked out of the blue.

Wyatt sighed. "My dad, Wyatt Senior, aka "Wy" and Gramps Leo, are at Camp Wanaka helping Great-Aunt Paige wrestle a rogue Taniwha."

"The same sea monster that ate my hair?" Matilda cringed.

"Yup."

6:10 pm, February 2046, Alcove, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

The petite, sharp-eyed figure passed the Vera Manor threshold, shaking Matilda's hand and peering up at her emerald eyes. Grandma Piper, in the flesh, Matilda thought to herself.

"Wow, Wyatt wasn't kidding when he said your hair's red! Lovely exotic features though. Where're you from?" Piper inquired.

Matilda was puzzled. "Um...Seattle?"

"No, I mean, where're you really from? You and Wyatt here would make some gorgeous babies!"

Wyatt flushed. "Gran, you can't say that! This is 2046—"

"Why not?" asked Piper, unaware of Macy's mounting anger, partly fueled by her menopausal symptoms as of late, coupled with her distaste for fetishization. "What's your story?"

"Oh, you mean how our ancestor Denis was forcibly kidnapped from his homeland, sent aboard a disease-ridden ship, and sentenced to servitude on the Azores Islands, then ran away with Terezinha, then bought property that's been in our Portuguese-British-American triple citizenship family all these years? That story?" Macy spat, as the rest of the room, save Piper, collectively winced.

No one spoke for the next few minutes, as Macy's glare permeated throughout the room. I dare you, her eyes seemed to say. Behind her and outside the realm of her vision, Harry pointed at his wife, mouthing the words "menopause" and "mood swings," rather prominently.

Macy's face turned a deep puce. Harry abruptly changed the subject; he could've sworn he heard several wine glasses shatter in the nearby curio, undoubtedly set off by his wife's rage-fed telekinesis.

Mel, Matilda, and Maggie stared at each other, then over at Macy who inhaled sharply next to Harry.

"How about we start over a bit? Get to know each other—right, sweetie?" Harry gasped as Macy clenched his hand in a vice grip. Do this for Tilly, he wordlessly pleaded. Fine, Macy rolled her eyes and let go.

6:50 pm, Dining Room, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"Your powers evolved, right? Who got telekinesis?" Piper inquired, looking past the dining room table toward Macy, Mel, and Maggie as they enjoyed Harry's roast and jacket potatoes, fresh from the oven.

Macy raised her hand. "Guilty as charged," she laughed ruefully, recalling the day she received the news she was a Charmed One. "And no, there's no magic turbo power, unfortunately—" Piper looked disappointed but pressed on as she sliced into her jacket potato, adding a bit of gravy drippings from the porcelain container.

"What about the Book of Shadows? I'd love to dust it off and take a look, if it's still in its attic?" Piper went on, now surveying Maggie, who was delicately slicing her vegan sausage.

Maggie's hand paused over her knife, now looking uncomfortable. "Actually, it was...destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Piper shrieked. "We spent eight years and endless Starbucks runs for this?" Wyatt put his hand on his grandmother's shoulders, which helped her calm down momentarily.

7 pm, Dining Room, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"Glad you have the house though, it's really lovely—" Piper tried to salvage the earlier conversation.

"Yeah, about that," interjected Mel, "we moved it back in 2019 from Michigan to Seattle—"

"It's name is Lucretia, she's really nice—" added Maggie, as Piper paled.

"You moved the house? You could've been seen! Or injured—or—or—"

"Pot calling the kettle black, though, considering you all went out with a literal bang, no?" asked Wyatt slyly.

"Wyatt, a word?" He followed Piper into the hallway.

7:05 pm, Hallway, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"Irresponsible with magic! Completely irresponsible!" cried Piper. "And you expect me to help them vanquish the Portender? There's no way—they're screwed—"

"Look, Grandma—" Wyatt began, but Piper wasn't finished.

"And what's with the necromancer rumor? That sounds shady as f—" Piper rolled her eyes in annoyance. Stupid broadcast standards, still as attached as ever.

Matilda stepped into the hallway, previously unnoticed. "My mom, Macy, was supposed to be stillborn—she probably doesn't want anyone to know—and part of the deal was her mom had to leave when she turned two, to avoid a gruesome death. She never met her, and only has one photo of her in front of Vera Manor. Look, I'm sorry we invited you—this was a mistake," and she fled for the back patio to collect her thoughts.

Piper's eyes softened, then teared up. "I had no idea—" she whispered.

"Yeah, no one really likes to talk about it—" Wyatt spoke. "I'll coax her back."

"Thanks," whispered Piper. Several more moments passed as Wyatt held an exchange with Matilda, who looked as if she'd uttered a few British curse words under her breath (can't imagine where she learned those, muttered Harry), as he and Macy surveyed the unfolding chaos from the kitchen, under the excuse of washing the dishes.

7:20 pm, Vera Manor Garden, Seattle, Washington

"This was a mistake—I never should've asked for help—" Matilda was pacing back and forth beneath the garden's trellised tealights, thoroughly regretting asking Wyatt to invite his grandma to dinner.

"It's not a mistake—we need all the help we can get. Grams is kind of awkward penguin sometimes."

"What?"

"Awkward penguin," responded Wyatt. "Means well, but trips on her own words every now and then. She's strict, but she really means well if you give her a chance. Do it for me?"

Matilda couldn't say no to Wyatt's puppy-dog eyes. "Fine," she said in a huff as they hugged under the tealights. "Just this one time."

7:30 pm, Living Room, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Several minutes later, Wyatt returned to the dinner table, Matilda following shortly after.

"Who wants dessert?" Harry asked, bringing out a Pavlova meringue dotted with berries and chocolates. Matilda could have sworn she heard Arlissa in the background.

"Thanks," whispered Matilda to Wyatt, as he squeezed her hand. This dinner wasn't the fiasco she originally imagined it would be.