The doctors couldn't explain why Brier Rose woke up at that exact moment. The main consensus was once Maleficent died, the hypnosis wore off. Brier Rose had another idea. She knew most people didn't believe in true love, but perhaps that was the cause of her sudden wakefulness. Whatever the reason, Brier Rose was just glad to be awake and with the people she loved.
Her parents, who she had never met before they came to see her at the hospital, asked if she would like to come stay with them while she recovered. Brier Rose respectfully declined. She just wanted to go home with her aunts to her familiar bed and cozy cottage. She didn't say much to her parents while they visited for the few minutes they were allowed. The FBI agents were afraid Maleficent's goons would seek revenge, so Leah and Stefan were not able to chat for long. They promised they would visit within a week to check up on her. Brier Rose knew when they came she would have to decide whether or not to go back with them to Washington, but for now Brier Rose chose to focus on the good things, like her aunts, Philip, and home.
The next day she awoke in her own bed. She spent the day baking with Fauna, sewing with Flora, and watching movies with Merryweather. She hadn't had such a fun day in years. However, the real surprise greeted her in the early evening when a plethora of cards, flowers, and little gifts arrived on her doorstep. She carried them inside and she and her aunts went through them together. Most were from the girls in her choir groups and her friends. One was even from The Muses asking her to come back to re-audition. Apparently something had changed their minds. Brier Rose sent them a Facebook message thanking them for their reconsideration, but she wouldn't be coming in. They made the right choice the first time. Brier Rose may not have a jazzy voice, but her voice was good and she planned on using it to her full advantage in the coming months. She had promised Ella she would get them to Banff in the spring and she was going to do her best to accomplish that goal.
Brier Rose spent most of the night sending out "thank you" messages to her friends. When Flora asked her if Philip would like to come for supper tomorrow, Brier Rose nearly dropped her phone in her cup of tea.
"You mean you want to meet him? Really?" she asked.
"Of course we do, dear!" Fauna said, sitting beside her niece on the couch. "The only reason we wanted you to wait until you found a boyfriend was because of your parents. We didn't want you to have to choose between love and your family."
"And boys are trouble," Merryweather added. "Well, most of them anyway. Yours seems to have a good head on his shoulders, despite his father's drinking."
Brier Rose blushed. "He really is a good man, Merryweather. I'll ask him and you'll see."
Philip did indeed agree to come for supper. He wore his nice navy slacks with a matching button-up shirt and red vest. He brought a bouquet of flowers for each aunt in their favourite colour. Needless to say, they were smitten with the Baylor boy. Brier Rose was impressed with Philip's composure throughout the night. He handled every question with his usual calm demeanour. When he recounted the moment he admitted he was Brier Rose's boyfriend, she laughed. She could only imagine her aunts' shock at the news.
"We never knew you were so good at keeping secrets, Rose!" Flora said with a chuckle.
Merryweather smirked. "There better not be any more secrets!"
"So long as you don't have any, Merryweather," Brier Rose teased. Merryweather flushed and everyone else laughed.
Philip went home at nine with an invitation to come back soon. Once the door shut, the aunts told Brier Rose they would make an appointment for her to see the doctor next week to talk about birth control options.
"Just in case, dear," Flora said. She patted Brier Rose's arm as she made her way into the kitchen. Brier Rose had blushed and hoped they wouldn't mention it again.
The next few days passed quickly. DNSEY allowed Brier Rose a few days off to recover, but she was excited to go back on Friday. She had missed so many choir practices! And she was sure her greenhouse needed tending to. She couldn't wait to have lunch with Snow and Ella and discuss the upcoming Christmas concert. It may be two months away, but the girls had a lot of work to do in order to impress the Flower Sisters.
Brier Rose decided to spend her last day out of school in the backyard tending to her garden. The oak trees provided enough shade for Brier Rose to rest under when the sun became too hot. She had worked her way through her collection of roses and was about to get started on the lilies when she heard a car door slam. Knees in the dirt and a broad sunhat on her head, Brier Rose looked towards the back gate. She saw a black Mercedes parked in the driveway. She couldn't tell who was there, but she heard a knock at the front door. Brier Rose turned back to her lilies. She was sure her aunts would handle it.
A moment later, the backdoor opened and Flora stood there. "Rose, your parents are here. They want to speak to you."
Brier Rose's heart started to beat faster. She took a deep breath. "They can come out here. I'm a little dirty and I don't want to get the floor muddy again." She looked back at the tiger lilies before she could see Flora's worried expression. She heard her parents' footsteps on the grass as they came closer.
"Aurora? How are you doing dear?" her mother asked.
Brier Rose glanced up and met the older woman's stare. Philip was right. She does look a lot like me. It was unsettling to stare into the eyes of an older version of herself. She looked to her father instead and saw a lanky man with salt and pepper hair who seemed visibly uncomfortable in the outdoors. She noticed he stood a step back from Brier Rose, avoiding the dirt she was sitting in.
"It's Brier Rose, please," Brier Rose replied. "And I'm fine, thank you. How are you?"
Leah smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. I'll try to remember next time. It's just so hard. I've been thinking of you as Aurora for so many years now." She sighed. "We're doing well, but we came to ask if you would like to come to Washington with us. To live with us, that is."
"We're leaving today in a few hours," Stefan added.
Brier Rose swallowed. She knew this moment was coming but she wished she didn't have to do this. She hated confrontation. She got up and brushed the dirt off her jeans. Her blue t-shirt had grass stains on it and some dirt particles clung to the collar. She folded her hands in front of her and cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't. I have a life here. My aunts have taken good care of me and I don't know any home besides theirs. I'm still in high school. All my friends are here. I'm in choir and the girls are counting on me to help them get to a special concert." Her cheeks heated up. "And most importantly, I love Philip. I won't leave him behind. Not after everything we've been through."
Stefan took it the hardest. His eyes welled up with tears and he marched back inside without a word. Brier Rose could hear voices being raised. Leah sighed and shook her head in her husband's direction. She then looked back at her daughter. "May I sit with you while you garden? I don't have a green thumb, but I find watching the people who do fascinating."
Brier Rose nodded. "Of course. I'm just working on my lilies right now. The roses have been trimmed if you want to take one with you."
Leah smiled. "Thank you, dear. That's very kind of you."
The two women sat in the dirt together in a comfortable, if not slightly awkward, silence. A few minutes passed before Brier Rose gathered the nerve to ask her mother the question that had haunted her since she knew her parents were alive.
"Why did you place me with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather? Why didn't you try to get clean for me?" Brier Rose asked quietly.
Leah's shoulders stiffened. "Oh Rose . . . I wish I had a better answer for you. But to put it simply, I was too addicted to know what I was doing. My sisters made the right decision to take you from my care. Stefan and I were desperate for money and Maleficent was very convincing. She didn't force us to take the drugs, but when she noticed how tired we were, she suggested it might help us stay alert. And it did. I didn't sleep for three days that first time. I never had so much energy." Leah shook her head. "But I regret every day letting myself get mixed up with her. I wasn't a good mother to you. I hope someday you can forgive your father and me for what we put you through."
Brier Rose met her mother's gaze. "I hope I can, too. Honestly, I'm not sure what I feel towards you right now. I'm not angry exactly, but I'm confused. And hurt. I wish I had more time to ask you more questions."
Leah reached into her pocket and pulled out a blank business card. Brier Rose noticed a number was written on the back. She handed it to Brier Rose. "Our handler said we can keep in touch now. This is my cell phone number. If you have more questions, or just want to talk, don't hesitate to reach out. I know how important your life is here. Your father understands, too. He just misses you so much, Rose. Give him some time and you'll see what a good man he is now."
Brier Rose took the card and stuffed it into her jean pocket. "Have a safe flight."
Leah stood and nodded. "Enjoy your first day back tomorrow. I'm sure you and your friends have lots to catch up on."
Brier Rose stood but hesitated. What was she supposed to do? Hugging didn't feel right, but anything less seemed too impersonal for the woman who was her mother. Brier Rose stuck out her hand for a shake. "Goodbye, Leah."
Leah shook her head with a smile. "Goodbye, Brier Rose."
Brier Rose watched her parents and their handler pull out of the driveway. She didn't draw her gaze away until she felt the first raindrop hit her nose. Fauna opened the kitchen window.
"Rose, come inside! You'll catch your death!" Fauna shouted.
"And you'll be late for supper with Philip and his father!" Flora added. She and her younger sister were busy doing the lunch dishes, it seemed.
Brier Rose did as she was told and left her gardening tools underneath the nearest oak tree.
Brier Rose hadn't been this nervous since her first date with Philip. Her aunts had dropped her off and informed her she had to be home by ten o'clock. If she wanted a ride, she needed to call a half hour before. Brier Rose agreed then ran to the front door of Philip's house, trying to avoid getting drenched. She picked up her long, bright pink skirt in both hands to avoid it trailing in the mud puddles. Her long curls were damp and her matching long-sleeve pink shirt had speckles of rain on it, but she was as ready as she could be to meet Hubert.
When Philip answered the door, all the fear and nerves left her. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, stealing his warmth. Philip laughed. "You look like you need a cup of tea. And a blanket."
"And a movie?" she suggested.
Philip chuckled. "I'm afraid my dad isn't a fan of animated movies like we are. Maybe this Saturday? I've got no plans."
Brier Rose reached up on her toes and pecked his cheek. "That sounds wonderful. Now let me inside! It's raining cats and dogs out here," she teased.
Philip led her inside and to the dining room where Hubert was waiting. The table was set and the food already on the table. Brier Rose smiled at Philip's father. "It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Mr. Baylor. I'm afraid the hospital visit is still a bit of a blur."
Hubert got up and gave Brier Rose a hug, shocking not only Brier Rose but Philip. She returned the hug as best she could. When Hubert pulled back, he was all smiles.
"My dear, think nothing of it! After the time you and Philip had, it's no wonder you don't remember much. Come, come sit at the table! I hope you like roast beef. I asked the cook to make her special recipe." He sat down and urged Philip to pull out Brier Rose's chair so she could sit. Brier Rose found this delightfully hilarious and had to do her best to contain her laughter. This was certainly not the Hubert she heard Philip speak of so often, or the man she saw a few days ago.
The conversation over the tasty food bounced from classes to hobbies to pets to her aunts and finally settled on post-secondary plans.
"I've got big dreams for my youngest, as I'm sure you know, but it seems to me he might have ideas of his own and I was wondering what your thoughts were, my dear," Hubert said as he sipped on his water. Brier Rose noticed he hadn't touched any alcohol since the meal began.
Brier Rose, who was seated across from Philip with Hubert at the head of the table, wasn't sure what to say. She decided honesty was the best policy.
"Well, with all due respect, sir, I do believe Philip would make a much better vet than he would a jockey. He loves animals. He has this intuition about them that I think is necessary with a vet. And he is so smart! Especially in science. When we were in the same class in grade 10, he got the best grades. I always had him tutor me," she admitted with a blush. "I know you want Philip to be successful, but I think success isn't just one thing. He could be a very successful, and happy, veterinarian."
Underneath the table, Philip's foot nudged hers. She blushed to see how wide his smile was. Hubert looked at the two and chuckled.
"Alright Philip, it's settled. When the time comes, I will support your decision to go to veterinary school. Now, have you ever ridden a horse before, Brier Rose?"
"No, but I've always wanted to! I'd like to take lessons, but they can be expensive."
Hubert waved his hand. "Nonsense. Philip, bring her to the stables this weekend. We will get you the best lessons available! I have the perfect horse for you, my dear."
As Hubert went into detail about this wonderful creature, Brier Rose focused on Philip. Despite all that had happened, Brier Rose had never felt such a deep sense of hopefulness. She was interested to see what the rest of the year had in store for them.