Chapter 8

Mother Nature: This entity is among the most powerful in the Faerealm. She is responsible for maintaining the equilibrium of all nature between the two worlds, a task that has become significantly more difficult following the disappearance of the Heart of the Ocean. That, with the addition of the first ever fairy war, has sent the natural world into a tailspin as she struggles to restore peace in her world.

Mother Nature is one of The Three - a group of powerful factions, each headed by a formidable matriarch. It has been suggested in whispers and pleas that these three band together to bring an end to the war. As the fighting rages on, The Three have finally engaged in talks to form an alliance to stand against The Lords in their quest for ultimate power.

Once the conflict is ended, Mother Nature can finally focus all of her attention and powers on her stead. She sees the turmoil and pain that has been rising in her absence, and her heart breaks for both worlds. This has led to considerable rainfall in the Faerealm, with many crops and villages wiped out from flooding and landslides. Despite this, Mother Nature maintains an immense following, which is the source of her power. She doesn’t have to scrounge around for deals or hoard any kind of treasure. The will and love of her people, along with the respect of her reputation provides unrestricted access to the magical pool.

Gavin left the apartment in search of foil, promising not to enter her apartment unannounced, or when she wasn’t there. They planned to meet outside her apartment the next day, with Summer assuring him she would be home during the lunch hour. Summer waited a few minutes after he had gone before making her way to the restroom. She wanted to be as sure as she could that she was alone before taking a shower, and didn’t fully trust the leprechaun to not take an opportunity to slip back in on her. 

Fortunately, her warm shower was as soothing as it could be. She was still uneasy with the unparalleled revelations that had just been dumped on her, but felt confident in her ability to fall asleep. After brushing her teeth, following her usual skincare regimen, and pulling on an oversized shirt, she was ready to retire to bed. 

Sleep eluded her for several minutes, which wasn’t completely out of the norm. Her grandfather’s watch ticked away on the nightstand beside her bed, a constant reminder of the magical heirloom she had been gifted. She rolled onto her side, her head sandwiched between two pillows to drown out the constant noise, and finally slipped into slumber.

She woke sometime later from a dreamless sleep with the sun’s rays warming her face. Somehow, it was the most restful sleep she remembered having in quite some time. The young woman was shocked to see the time her phone displayed, informing her that she had slept until a little after “9 a.m.!” Panic raced through her once again as she leapt from bed, a blanket tumbling to the floor in her rapid dash to the bathroom.

Expletives rolled over her tongue and spilled from her mouth as she rushed to get herself ready for the second day in a row. She cursed her carelessness, scolding herself for not setting alarms on her new phone. The laptop had lost its charge since she used it last, robbing her of the backup she had set a couple days ago. Yet another day had started in chaos, with no carefully selected clothes or breakfast.

Her grandfather’s watch slid from side to side over her cream blouse as she hurried down the stairs. She hoped her scarlet cardigan wouldn’t be too much at the office, but assumed she’d be lucky enough to still have a job when she got there. It matched her red skirt, at least, and she had managed to find a matching pair of socks in her drawer. The professional-feeling briefcase was almost forgotten in her sprint out the door, but she darted back for it before rushing out into the hall. 

The bus was just about to depart from the stop when she arrived. Summer thanked whatever higher power was responsible for that coincidence, but rubbed her pendant as she climbed on. While it had proved to be magic yesterday, she wondered if it would have enough juice for a miracle today. Stopping time might help her get to work a little less late, but it wasn’t exactly able to send her back the couple of hours she needed. She found a seat and settled in, praying for there to be no more hiccups on the way while her thumb stroked the watch’s shell.

There were only two stops between the one by her apartment and the office. No one got on or off at the first, but several boarded on the second. The seats filled up quickly, leaving nowhere for the last passenger to sit. She was an elderly lady, someone who appeared to be in their late 70s? Early 80s? Summer was never good at judging someone's age, but did know the woman needed a seat more than herself.

The woman had silver hair, twirled up into a rounded bun atop her head. She was wearing a violet suit jacket over a red-violet button-down shirt, and blue-violet slacks. It appeared as though her golden cane was a few sizes too short, the way she seemed to lean into the grip she had on the emerald hook at the top.

“Ma’am?” Summer called, standing up and stepping up to one of the vertical bars.

A kind, thankful smile brightened the woman’s face, and she hobbled to the vacated seat. Summer smiled in return, but sent her focus through the window as the older woman sat down. The bus lumbered forward, soon passing Ralv’s Deli and rumbling to the final stop on her route. 

When the doors opened, Summer joined the fray of people hurrying out onto the sidewalk. A timid voice barely reached her ears, and she turned towards its source. The elderly woman had her hand reached out, that warm smile on her face as she gestured at her for help. Time continued to tick, precious seconds that Summer couldn’t afford to lose. She was in a desperate hurry, with a lengthy apology scripted and practiced in her mind. While she expected the bad news waiting for her at “Boggury and Associates Legal” to only become further cemented, she knew better than to leave someone stranded. Even a complete stranger.

“Thank you,” the older woman said while Summer helped her off the bus. “Most people are in too much of a rush these days.”

Her voice sounded meek, as though the years had taken an impossible toll on the lady. Summer felt a peace in knowing that, if she were fired, she had at least made a positive difference for someone. 

“Would you mind walking me a little further?” she asked, patting the hand Summer had gently hooked under her arm.

She chuckled through a pained smile, but nodded. What did it matter now, anyway? Summer was all-in for this lady, whether she wanted to be or not. It’s not like making a mad dash to her law firm would impress anyone, so-

“I have an important meeting - with an important lady,” she continued, tapping her cane on the paved walkway with every step. “Mustn't be late, mustn't be late…”

They carried on at a snail’s pace, with Summer finding some humor in wondering when this woman was supposed to be at her meeting. She tried to keep her thoughts positive in order to fuel her smile, an expression that felt wrong given her dire circumstances. 

“Here we are,” the lady announced as they got to a familiar set of doors. “Will you guide me in, my dear?”

Summer pulled one of the doors open by the bronze bar affixed to it, and helped the lady inside. They walk forward, arm-in-arm, and enter the office building, the noise of cars changing into the softer sounds of idle chit-chat and ringing phones.

“Boggury and Associates, how may I direct your call?” tickled Summer’s ears, and she glanced over at one of many receptionists in the entryway.

“Right down this way, please,” the elderly lady said, gesturing with her cane at the hallway Summer had taken yesterday. “And, mind the carpet when we get to her office. Don’t want to take a spill, do we?”

Disbelief burst in her mind as Summer helped the lady down the hall. Not only was she more than two full hours late, but she was now being hand delivered? She could only imagine the look on Mrs. Boggury’s face as she tried to contain her rightful rage at this failure of an assistant, while also trying to be professional and courteous to a client. They approached her boss’s door, and Summer prepared to leap into the lion’s den.

“Good morning, sorry we’re late,” the older lady said once they carefully stepped into the room.

“Oh, I should have known you were behind my new assistant’s tardiness,” Mrs. Boggury said with a smile, looking up from her computer. “You really should have called, Summer.”

“I’m so sorry, Mrs.-” she began, still helping the older woman to one of the forest green armchairs. 

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Boggury said dismissively, rising to her feet and stepping around her desk. “You were busy helping our star client.”

“Star client,” the older woman repeated with a scoff. “There would be no Boggury and Associates without me. Just… Associates Legal. How ridiculous would that be?”

The older woman had stopped just before getting to one of the chairs, and Summer tried to keep from gawking. Who had she randomly bumped into on the bus of all places? She tried to come up with an answer to her own question while Mrs. Boggury approached, then embraced the woman in a loving hug.

“Always good to see you, mom,” she said while rubbing a hand on the older woman’s back. “Care to sit?”

“I’d love to,” she said in reply.

Once Summer and Mrs. Boggury had helped the older woman into the large chair, Summer waited for instruction. She wasn’t entirely sure whether she was fired or not, but wasn’t about to push her luck. Mrs. Boggury looked at her with a smirk, then gestured to the desk she had been working at yesterday morning. 

“I’m sure you have some email and tasks to get to, Miss Tyme?” she asked, her tone friendly yet authoritative.

“Yes, ma’am,” Summer replied, hurrying to her desk and taking her seat. 

“Such a nice young thing,” the older lady said, “and so well accessorized.”

Summer set her briefcase on the desk beside her monitor, and glanced at the other women. The older of the two recognized the confusion in her face, and tapped a finger on her own chest. The young assistant looked down at the pendant hanging from her neck and traced a finger along the intricate design.

“Oh- this?” she asked with a shy smile. “It belonged to my grandfather. He gave it to me before-”

She cut herself off mid-sentence, worried she was about to over share. Neither of the other women were likely interested in stories from her personal life, there was actual business to take care of. Though, this did feel more and more like a social call, rather than anything really official.

“Before what, dear?” she asked, and Mrs. Boggury, her daughter, seemed interested as well.

“Um… before he died.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” the older lady said sympathetically. “Peacefully, I hope?”

“In his sleep, at least,” Summer replied, remembering how her grandfather had passed at night. Alone, with no one around him. 

The memory threatened to bring tears to her eyes. She had often regretted not being present for his passing. Not that she could have done anything, but she knew he would have preferred to have someone holding his hand when the time came. 

“It’s all any of us can ask for,” Mrs. Boggury said in reply, smiling understandingly at Summer. 

Summer returned the smile, allowing her mind to dwell on her grandfather until the annoying presence of tears promised to become too great. She sat at her desk and gave the mouse a little wiggle to bring the monitor on, then tried to focus on getting to work. There was still far too much she was unfamiliar with in her new position, but she started going through her email as the other two women began to speak. 

Most of her emails were more standard startup messages; instructions for how to sign into the various applications on her computer, how to navigate each one, and what they were all for. She had set up a profile with the company yesterday, and set to getting herself logged in and established before working through each program’s tutorial. It seemed as though she was in for another day of training, and Summer quickly found herself longing for the hopefully fast approaching time when she was a more tenured expert. 

“Summer?”

Her ears perked up at the sound of her name, but assumed Mrs. Boggury and her mother were talking about the season. She continued clicking through tabs and screens of another application, trying to learn all the ins and outs while reading the accompanying email, when her name came again. 

“Summer?” Mrs. Boggury repeated, this time clearly trying to get her attention. “Care to go to lunch with us?”

The young woman looked at the other women, her heart racing at the opportunity to spend time with her storied boss in a less professional atmosphere. A smile spread across her face as she stood from her desk, nodding before speaking.

“Absolutely,” she said with enthusiasm. “I’d love to-”

Her shoulders slumped as a sigh brought her eager words to a grinding halt. The clock in the low corner of her monitor showed how close to noon it was getting, and the promise made last night stung in her mind. Gavin would be waiting for her in her apartment, with whatever coin decoy he had managed to make out of chocolate and foil. While Summer genuinely was excited to help a creature she had always been taught was nothing more than a fairytale, she did have real, actual responsibilities now. Surely he’d understand?

“Something wrong, dear?” Mrs. Boggury’s mother asked, her sharp gaze settled so intently on her they might very well pierce all the way through.

“No- no, I just… I’d planned to meet with someone over lunch, but I’m sure it can be rescheduled.”

“I’m sure there will be other opportunities to do lunch,” Mrs. Boggury offered, fetching her purse from behind her desk. “We wouldn’t want you to miss any appointments.”

“No, really,” Summer replied, “we’d just made the plan last night. It’s not exactly urgent.”

“Wondrous,” the older lady said with a bright smile. “I’ve heard of a scrumptious new place nearby.”

“Ralv’s?” Summer asked, just a little more hopefully than intended.

The older lady’s smile vanished, grimacing away into a brief scowl. Just as quickly as her expression changed, it snapped back to something resembling friendly. It happened so fast that Summer wasn’t entirely sure it had happened at all. Mrs. Boggury clearly hadn’t noticed, leaving the young woman wondering if it was just some weird trick of the light as the older woman stood from her seat.

“Certainly not Ralv’s,” she said with what appeared to be a pained smirk. “Nothing so mundane as amateurish sandwiches, not if I’m paying.”

Summer was about to chime in, but figured it would likely be best not to come to the defense of a sandwich shop against her new boss’s mother. There was such a thing as picking your battles, and this wasn’t one that needed to be fought. Instead, she secured the strap of her purse over her shoulder and hoped her smile didn’t appear as nervous as it felt while she waited to hear the older lady’s lunch pick.

“What did you have in mind, mom,” Mrs. Boggury asked, placing her hand on Summer’s shoulder and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

“Oh- sorry dear,” the older lady offered, taking note of Vivian’s subtle attempt to console her. “No offense intended, it’s just…” She pauses while looking for the right words. Her eyes seemed to focus on the pocket watch hanging from Summer’s neck, the ornate shell nestled on her chest as it quietly ticked away. “We deserve better, yes?”

They all start heading for the door, still talking about lunch plans. Mrs. Boggury pitches a restaurant Summer had never heard of before, which seems to delight her mother. The older lady claps her hands together, apparently not needing the cane’s support for at least the moment. 

“Ohhhh, Flaura’s is my favorite!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Summer, you’ll love it!”

Her excitement brings a smile to Summer’s face, but the young woman reaches out to make sure the older lady doesn’t fall victim to gravity. Vivian reaches out as well, but her mother waves them both off.

“Don’t fret so much,” she says, rolling her eyes but pushing the cane back against the ground. “Let’s go, I’m driving.”

With that, the older lady turned down another hallway and began walking to the back of the building. Summer hadn’t seen the parking lot yet, but followed along anyway. It shouldn’t be unexpected for an office building to have its own parking area, with ample spaces for employees and visitors, so she tried to keep any surprise from burbling to the surface. 

The three stepped outside with the sun initially making Summer squint. Her vision eased into the daylight, and she glanced around the parked cars wondering which was-

She snapped her attention to the older lady when it clicked. They definitely rode the bus here together, there was absolutely no mistaking it. Was this woman having some sort of episode? Should Summer call attention to it, or was it maybe just a momentary lapse? She was about to speak up, but the older lady continued on over to a lavender Volkswagen Beetle. 

Surprise and confusion competed in Summer’s head when the headlights flicked on, reacting to the car’s nearby key. She rationed that it must be Vivian’s car? That made some sense in her mind and helped put her at ease, but something still didn’t sit quite right. It was almost impossible to shake the apprehension gripping her chest, but forced herself to accept the obvious solution for now. 

Vivian sat in the passenger seat, next to her mother in the driver’s seat. Still grappling with the initial confusion, Summer settled in the back seat behind Vivian. She buckled her seatbelt, eyeing the older woman while trying to ease the lingering suspicion. What had she said her name was? Surely they’d been introduced properly earlier in the day, at some point, during the… hours of conversation?

Along the way to the restaurant, another one that Summer had somehow never heard of, Vivian and her mother talked about relationships. Summer listened intently, genuinely interested in her boss’ mother and the experiences she was willing to share. She was also curious about Vivian’s private life, but could never bring herself to ask anything personal. The experience was an incredible gift, giving her an in that so few others would ever have.

The older woman had been married, divorced, remarried, widowed, remarried yet again only to be separated once more. There were flings and a handful of temporary partners along the way, which was quite unexpected. To Summer’s understanding, older generations generally found ‘the one’ and stayed with them until the end. Or… was that a bit closed minded? She knew her grandparents on both her mother’s and father’s side had married somewhat young, but both couples had stayed together for decades.

Her fingers traced the intricate details on the shell of her grandfather’s pocket watch as she reminisced, thinking back to the late parents of her father. They’d died almost poetically, with her grandmother succumbing to cancer over the course of a year. After the loss of his wife of more than sixty years, her grandfather followed within an hour. There wasn’t an official cause of his death, but the family felt a strange comfort in accepting ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ as the explanation. The two shared a funeral service and were buried side-by-side, something that still managed to bring a small smile to her face. 

Grandma Dorris was still alive and well, living comfortably enough in the retirement home she and her husband had purchased in Mexico more than a decade ago. Grandpa Teddy had passed in his sleep from a sudden heart attack a few years ago, but what more could be expected from a life of enjoying greasy fried foods? He had always said he’d rather die with a happy belly than live under the fascist rule of blood pressure. Despite warnings from doctors and the worries of his family, he turned down diets and exercise regimens, then suffered the inevitable. That, or Dorris smothered him with a pillow because of his legendary snoring. Either way, he didn’t make it out of his seventies.

Summer looks out the car window at the sound of a door suddenly closing. She’d wandered off into memories so completely that she had missed the majority of the ride to the restaurant. Vivian and her mother were walking towards the glass double-door, with the older woman turning back with a sly smile as she looked through the windshield. It felt as though the older lady was looking right into her soul, somehow knowing that Summer had unintentionally checked out of the conversation. She unbuckles her seatbelt while trying to shake her head of such feelings, and tries to unfurrow her brow before getting out of the car.

“So nice of you to join us, dear,” the older woman says with a warm smile when Summer catches up to them.

“Sorry,” she starts with a sigh, then moves to open the door for the other women. “I must have gotten lost in my own thoughts.”

“That can happen,” the trio’s elder agrees, patting her on the shoulder while going inside.

“Hopefully not in court or while you’re supposed to be taking notes,” Vivian adds, following her mother into the restaurant.

“I’ll make sure of it, ma’am,” Summer assures her boss as the two of them join the elder for lunch.