A few days after her 'surprise-not-surprise' guests, Evie was blinking blearily awake at the chime of bells. Luckily, sunlight was pouring through the windows, and when she heavily turned onto her side, her alarm was only a minute from going off. There wasn't going to be another middle of the night sad-Finn moment. As much as she enjoyed bonding with the little sprite, she hated sad-Finn moments. She far preferred bonding over silly or fun things. Or magic things.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and yawned while cracking her neck and knuckles as she searched the room for her missing sprite. She caught sight of him darting out the window and she tilted her head to the side with a bemused, sleepy smile. What in the Goddess' name? She slapped her alarm off when it buzzed and shuffled her way to the bathroom, shaking her head.

When she got out, definitely brighter-eyed and damp-faced and minty-fresh, Finn was setting a blackberry almost as big as himself in… her frying pan. The stove wasn't on, though, so most likely the poor little guy couldn't get open the cabinets to get a plate down. She grinned widely when Finn looked up and trilled his wings louder than her alarm.

"There you are! Good morning, Evie!"

"Morning, twinkles. Did you get all those berries while I was sleeping?" she asked as she got closer and noticed they were all glistening and wet. "You even washed them?"

"Yeah! I thought I'd help with breakfast today!" Finn said happily. "There's that big festival all day today, and my brothers and sisters all say they're gonna come, too, so we'll probably both be busy-busy. So! This is just for me 'n you!"

Evie was definitely not about to cry. She did, in fact, scoop him up and nuzzle him close. He giggled and nuzzled back, teeny hands patting at her cheeks and stocking-cap knocking askew.

"You're just about the sweetest little fairy in the world, Finn. What a great idea. I think there's still yogurt from that batch I made, and maybe even some sugar for these berries. We'll have a morning feast."

Finn cheered, probably at the sugar offer. She'd had to tell him not to eat the sugar straight out of the sack when she'd got the cane ground down a few days past. They slurped down their breakfasts, Evie surreptitiously sneaking a few extra blackberries onto Finn's tea-saucer plate. He hadn't wanted to mix the sugar into the yogurt, the little sugar-fiend. They finished up and took some extra time to wash and dry the dishes before heading out to the morning chores.

The next crop of sugar cane and corn was just a day's wait away, and the tea plants she'd caved in and bought were already sprouting. Anissa had come into the shop and somehow talked Evie into getting the fancy, more expensive fertilizer. Now the soil was rich and dark under the tea sprouts, looking so much healthier than the lighter, almost sandy patches still scattered over her field. The fertilizer she'd gotten at the end of Spring from Hamilton wasn't quite as good as this new batch. Maybe spending money on some more for the rest of her crops would be a good idea?

"Evie, how come you haven't given the wishes to the Wishing Shrine yet? It's been forever since you got them. And you still haven't gotten any more," Finn said, perched in the boughs of the apple tree while she shook oranges out of the other tree. It'd been a pain waiting for the saplings to grow big enough to produce fruit, and she still didn't get much. But it was worth it for the fresh juice she sometimes kept for herself instead of selling or giving away. (Chase had snatched the little bottle of orange juice out of her hands so fast when she'd offered it the other day, he'd been actually scary.)

With a light huff, Evie picked up the fallen orange and scrutinized it way too closely.

"You know how Cris and Casey just showed up. Whenever I'm not running around on errands, I'm with them," Evie pointed out, evading pretty neatly. "They usually are with me on those errands, too."

"Yeeeaaahh, but we've still got so many wishes to get! Edge is waiting for us!" Finn said, more anxious than whiny, his little hands wringing and his eyes glassy.

Evie huffed under her breath and couldn't help the encouraging smile lifting the corners of her mouth. She set aside her armload of fruits, and held up her hands. Finn fluttered down to settle on her palms and gazed imploringly up at her. She brought him close to nuzzle her cheek against his.

"I know, little guy. I just wanted to talk to the Harvest Goddess first," she finally admitted, sighing slightly and shoulders slumping.

"Can't you talk to me?" Finn asked with a little pout.

"Yeah, of course you'll be there, too! But… there's a question I think only your Mother will be able to answer." Evie shrugged awkwardly as Finn tilted his head to the side like a confused kitten.

"Okay, if you say so. Let's go quick! Then, we can all go together to the beach with my siblings!" Finn suggested eagerly. Evie chuckled and nodded.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Cris doesn't like to wake up before 10 if she doesn't have to, and Case'll be too busy making friends to miss me before then. I'll make a call before we go, just to make sure," she told Finn easily. He cheered in excitement and buzzed around her head.

"Everyone's been asking when you'd come up and see them, Evie! They'll be so surprised and happy when we show up today!"

Evie just grinned up at him and went about finishing her chores a moment later. Perhaps they'd be surprised, but she wasn't sure how happy anyone would be once she opened her mouth. Keeping her less than positive attitude to herself, she chatting casually and easily with Finn throughout her work. Less than an hour later— wow, she'd gotten so much quicker at it— she left a brief (and still awkward) message with Jake at Ocarina Inn and headed up towards Garmon. It wasn't quite 8 AM yet by the time she clattered her way over the bridge, and thanks to it being a festival day, everyone was still in their homes rather than wandering about enjoying the early morning quiet before starting their busy days. It was almost creepily disconcerting how empty it was.

Velveteen grass brushed her bare thighs and arms, more skin bare than usual. Luna had pressed her into buying a new outfit for the festival, a fun and fashionable long, blue, T-shirt-dress with a white tee over it, a giant blue and yellow flower on her chest. Instead of her usual rucksack, she'd belted the matching belt-pack around her waist, the side with the biggest pocket hanging a little lower. The almost invisible shorts under the dress were what really sold it, though. Without them, she never would've forked over the amount of auree she had spent. She still felt too naked with so much of her legs bare, but it was nice, too. Making her feel chic and cute as well as ready to pick up an axe and head to Fugue.

Across the pond, four dancing lights bobbed lazily over the grass. The Tree lit up a blinding white, and Evie quickly shaded her eyes and glanced down to her new sneakers jumping marble to marble. When she looked up again, the Harvest Goddess stood amidst her happily cheering sprites. Evie stumbled to a stop and exhaled, soft and low, in relief. The magic here was like being held, embraced in safety and comfort and sunlight. A gentle breeze curled around her bare legs and tossed the ends of her wavy hair against the bottom of her chin.

"Dear heart, good morning," the Goddess murmured, holding out both hands. Evie took the remaining steps forward and clasped the Goddess' hands in hers.

"Eh, it's an all right morning," Evie joked with a cheeky smirk and shrug.

"Today's the Ocean Festival! I can't wait to see the booming lights again!" Alana said happily, giggling behind her hands as her wings trilled loudly.

"Fireworks! They're called fireworks and they're made with sulfur and charcoal and even gunpowder, didja know they used to be made in bamboo?" Ben piped up, eyes lit up with fervor and excitement.

"How in the world— Did you and Paolo find that out?" Evie asked after a moment of utter bafflement.

Ben nodded his head eagerly. "Whenever I have a question, Paolo always finds just the right books to read. We read all about fireworks this week!" he explained.

"Who cares what they're made of? I just wanna see 'em explode! Bang, WHOOSH! What's more fun than that?" Collin said with an almost maniacal cackle. He sounded a little too much like Luke, and for once Evie was almost glad Luke was blind to her little friends. Those two would be an accident waiting to happen.

"It'll be nice to see the beach again," Dara said dreamily from where she sat on the Goddess' shoulder. "Take a nice long nap on the hot sand and listen to the waves and wind. What a lovely nap that'd be."

"You can't nap the whole time, Dara!" Finn protested. "It's our first time having a big festival all together. Well… almost all together…"

All the Sprites drooped sadly at the reminder. Evie winced guiltily, the heel of her hand pressing hard to her breastbone. Alana heaved a big sigh and then tucked Finn close to her in a very big, sister-ish sort of hug.

"You two are doing your best, and soon enough, Edge will be with us, too. Don't be so down," Alana said with encouraging squeezes that had Finn squeaking and smiling.

"That's very true. I can feel it… ah, no, them," the Goddess said, reaching out to Evie. Her fingers brushed the back of Evie's hand, and the guilty pang became a hot, thumping glow that made Evie gasp out loud. "Three Wishes held safe and close for the Wishing Shrine. Would the reason you've held onto them be why you're here today?"

Evie flinched and gaped at the Goddess, whom merely gazed back serenely. She fishmouthed a bit, then swallowed hard and shook her head.

"Not really?" she said slowly. The Goddess gestured towards the ground and they both sank to the grass. Alana and Ben immediately plopped into her lap, and Finn perched on her shoulder, the three of them sharing identical expressions of concern. She smiled lopsidedly as Collin dropped unceremoniously onto the Goddess' lap and yawned loud enough to rival Dara.

"I'm worried that… if I give them up… I'll forget how they'll feel," Evie whispered at last, fingers plucking at the hem of her skirt. The thin black piping cutting through the pretty blue twisted and warped under her restless fingers and she vaguely thought of Luna's wrath if she managed to stretch the fabric into being misshapen.

"What do ya mean, Evie?" Finn prompted curiously. The kind of curious that came from an innocent bewilderment.

Evie closed her eyes, unable to face these innocent, trusting faces. "I told you last time that I've never had that kind of wish. A Wish, yanno? I've never wanted something… in this way." Evie touched her chest, feeling the steady beat of her heart. "The way they Wished, how freely they gave me those Wishes that were so important to them… I have nothing comparable to give back. To them or to Edge. I'm worried if I find it, that Wish you say is inside me, Harvest Mother… I'm worried I'll miss it. That once I give these away I'll forget how it feels to Wish like this, this heaviness that I- that I've never felt before."

"Evelyn," the Goddess said firmly, but gently. Evie pressed her lips into a thin line, gulped, and then forced herself to relax, eyes gradually opening. She met the Goddess' fathomless blue-green-clear eyes. "You can't just miss your Wish. It's hiding from you now, hiding until you're ready to see it and feel it and know it. But once you do, once you grasp that Wish in your mind, there's no forgetting it. There's no missing it."

It was impossible to look into those eyes any longer, and Evie glanced away, nose and eyes stinging, which she valiantly ignored. The comforting trill of fairy wings and summer breeze over water became a melody she clutched onto, desperate to control her face. She hated to cry again, to break apart when they were so close to the finish line. Every time she faltered had to be so much harder on these wise, cheerful, faithful, loving fairies. These ridiculous beings that had put all their belief on her, of all people, her.

"Casey can see fairies, too," Evie blurted past numb lips and a knotted throat.

"Casey?" the Goddess repeated, puzzled. It wasn't often she heard a name she didn't recognize. The names of the villagers were known to her, their names carved into the very water and air of Castanet.

"That's Evie's brother! They look just alike and he can see me! Right away! He can even hear me!"

All the sprites gasped in awe. Finn sat in the middle, preening under their attention. So proud to know something his older, bigger siblings didn't. Evie squirmed, her stomach a writhing nest of snakes. It was bubbling up out her, that gross, selfish, pettiness she truly loathed about herself.

"What if it should've been him? What if Finn should've found him?" The pettiness foamed past her lips, like water boiling over the edge of a pot. "What if Finn made a mistake, what if you did? Casey… he's so much better at this kind of thing than me. He cares so much, he's loyal and friendly, truly friendly. His friendships last for years, the one time he fell in love, it lasted until she left him. Even after all I did four years ago, he still came and found me at uni. Still forgave me even though he was so angry and hurt, made me promise to call home and talk to my mom and dad again after two whole years of silence. He'd be a better hero than I ever could be."

Her fingers curled into her skirt, knuckles tautly white. "Casey has so much more faith than I ever had. So much more heart. I bet he has a Wish, a true Wish that he could give you, Goddess. He's not empty and petty inside like me," Evie finished, eyes slipping closed as the stinging became a burn and tears trailed like fire down her cheeks.

Her shoulders, her hands, her lips and chin, her whole body shook with the strain of keeping in the sobs she wouldn't allow herself to release. It wouldn't be fair. She didn't deserve to cry over this. It was all true. Too true. Painfully, achingly, terribly true. She was sure if she reached out, touched the beat of his heart over his chest, she'd be able to feel the heavy warmth of his Wish burning bright and unashamedly inside him where she was lacking.

"Evie… Evie, don't c-cry! It's not true! You're the Hero, my Hero!" Finn sobbed, letting loose all the tears she was keeping back. He clutched at her hair, burying his face in the thick waves, his whole body trembling even harder than her own where he pressed close to her throat and cheek. "I found you. I love you, Evie."

"Shi-shizzle, Finn. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Evie blubbed, reaching up to cup both hands over him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to make you cry, little man. I love you, too."

Within moments, four more pairs of spindly fairy arms clutched at her. Alana's nose nuzzled into her opposite cheek and Ben, Collin, and Dara were gripping tight at her neckline, pointy ears tickling her collarbone. Wings trilled almost loud enough to cover the sound of Finn's slowly ebbing sobs and the other sprites' sniffles. The glow of them, red, blue, yellow, and green, enveloped her like a bubble, and the echoes of their lullabies wafted through the air. She could almost hear it, the complete melody all five Bells would make when Edge joined them.

If Edge joined them.

"Evelyn, dear heart, please look at me," the Goddess ordered softly.

It took a few moments of sniffling and clearing her throat and rapid blinking, but Evie finally managed to raise her ashamed, red-rimmed eyes to the Goddess' patient eyes.

"Your brother shares your bloodline. He shares the fey gift you have. These are facts," she began calmly. Evie inhaled sharply and forced herself to nod. "In another world, another life, yes, your brother could've been the one called here. He would've been the one to Ring the Bells and bring this land back to life."

"No! It's EVIE," Finn exclaimed, shaking all over in outrage and tears.

The other sprites gasped at his retort, but the Goddess merely smiled, looking proud and triumphant.

"Do you see how little Finn defends you? How connected you two are?" she said with a motion towards him. "It's you and only you that Finn found. As much as we called out for you, you called for us in return. That's why I believe in you, Evelyn, my Hero, because you need us as much as we need you. That is why you are here, and not your brother in your place."

She reached out, her flawlessly perfect hand touching Evie's hot, damp cheek. Her impossibly smooth fingertips traced the curve of Evie's jaw, briefly brushing her knuckles against Finn's mutinous little scowl, and then pressed her fingers just under Evie's chin.

"My dear heart, you're not empty. You're imperfect and flawed, striving for something you cannot yet grasp, and that striving brought you here. You're so full of potential, my dear. So much potential it feels like emptiness, but that vastness is the exact opposite of being empty. When you find out how to open that door inside your heart, there will be so much of you to share," the Goddess told her. Evie tried to shake her hand, but somehow that light touch to her chin kept her still.

"Harvest Goddess, I can't—"

"You must believe in yourself now. I do, and you believe in me."

Evie's lips trembled. "Believe in the me that believes in you?" she mumbled despite herself.

"What a strange way of saying it, but I suppose that sums it up nicely," the Goddess agreed, amusement rippling over her features. "Although, don't let it end there. You must be able to totally and completely believe in yourself."

"I guess that's what'll make me the Hero to Ring the five Bells?" Evie said, sighing with relief and loss in equal measure when the Goddess' fingers moved away. She quickly gathered up all five sprites in her arms and nuzzled into their stockingcapped heads, like into a bouquet of flowers.

"Hmm."

Evie twitched at that noise and looked up at the Goddess. For once, she looked less than serene. She looked a little… apprehensive.

"Goddess?"

"I'm afraid I haven't told you the last step. There's one more after Edge's return to the Spring," the Goddess admitted. She clasped her hands in front of her and lowered her head. "It's not just I, nor these Sprites, that must see you as a Hero."

"What?" Evie said dumbly.

The Goddess sighed and then met Evie's eyes. "The entire town must declare you so before you may Ring the Bells."

"Well… damn," she breathed, feeling too numb and wrung-out to even be mad.

"Quite."

The Church Grounds were deserted when Evie and Finn got there some time later. Her eyes still felt raw and her nose and tongue thick in her head. Finn was still clutching close to the side of her head, wings chiming occasionally beside her ear. The sakura trees had long ago gone to green, and the cool shade beneath them dappled her golden-brown skin. She paused beneath one such tree, and knelt to hold out a hand to the cat lazing about there. The black stray slunk forward, pink nose twitching at Evie's fingers, before rubbing unashamedly against her knuckles She grinned and absently stroked her hand over its glossy, ink-black fur and looked around the plaza once more.

One task in front of her that she had to remember required this building to be more than just a retreat for the lonely or grieving. She'd have to find a way to bring people here with their wishes and joys, too. And with their faith in magic and fairies fully restored. She had to also remember that she wasn't totally alone anymore, or ever, really, she conceded with a gentle rub of her cheek to the crown of Finn's head. But Gill had promised to help her. They just needed to make time to sit down and talk out a plan of action. It was beginning to grate against her, the need to have something planned, like a bit of sand caught in her shoe.

"Hey, Twinkletoes, you ready?"

"Ready?" he repeated in confused grogginess. Poor darling had sobbed his heart out.

"To see the Wishing Shrine."

His wings trilled loud enough to deafen, and Evie smirked a little. Sneaking into a Church was an easy business, not that there was really any need to sneak. The front doors were unlocked and it was just as deserted inside as it was outside. Perry was most likely already down at the beach for the Festival. It was probably almost ten by now. She made her way past the rows of pews, fingers brushing over the polished smooth wood, ignoring the ghostly echo of her boots on stone. It felt awkward slipping into the small room opposite the dais from the bell tower door. Odd mostly because there was a bed and a dresser and personal items lying around. None of it was particularly embarrassing— Perry was a neat and tidy kind of person— but it was still his room.

"Why in the blazing saddles is he sleeping in the same room as the shrine?" Evie asked aloud. Her eyes were locked on the glazed glass hanging on far wall. Two small vases were built into the frame and a small handful of white calla lilies in each.

"I dunno, but maybe that's why people stopped coming?" Finn suggested.

Evie shook her head. "Pastor Park is too young. People stopped coming before he was even born, Finn. The last pastor must've told him it was all right to stay in here," she pointed out. Finn nodded slightly. "It doesn't seem right, though. And how are we going to encourage people to come here and start using the Shrine again if they have to walk through Pastor Park's bedroom to do it?"

They exchanged bewildered looks before stopping just in front of the glass. The glass quickly stole their focus, the concerns of a moment ago diminished immediately. There was something there, in the room, something mellow and sweet and tranquil that reminded Evie of the Spring. However, it was too faint, like the lingering scent of perfume hours after the wearer had left the room. She reached out and touched the glass, Finn buzzing over to place both his hands on it as well.

"I can barely feel her. Mother's magic should be filling this whole building, but I can barely feel it here," Finn said, pointy ears drooping sadly.

"Let's see if the wishes help," Evie said softly. She closed her eyes and reached in deep, deep, deep down to where the heat of her friends' Wishes lay.

I wish for the rivers and oceans to be healthy, and that there's always a good day for fishing.

Toby's voice echoed through the room, and she couldn't help the smile on her face hearing him and his silly, wonderfully him Wish.

I wanna be strong and… I want my Pops to be proud of me!

I… I wish the people around me could smile and be happy every day.

Luke and Candace's Wishes burst from her, one after the other. Exuberance followed by quiet sweetness. Evie was fully grinning by then, the genuine emotion behind each Wish erasing what was left of her dreadful morning.

"Evie! Look!"

She blinked open her eyes, feeling dizzy and light, as if ten pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. In front of her, under her and Finn's hands, the glass shone brightly. Colors bled into the smooth surface— aqua-blue, bold gold, and soft periwinkle, each with the feeling of her friends within. Their faith and hope was inside the Shrine now, breathing new life into the almost forgotten relic of an older generation.

Just barely, she could feel the shuddering of the Bell, the gasp of a hidden Sprite.

"We'll come back, Edge," Finn promised stoutly.

"There you are! We've been waiting all morning!"

Cris' voice burst through Evie's strangely blue-laden reverie. It was a struggle to lift her head, even to lift her lips into a simple smile, and meet Cris' expectant gaze.

"Hey, sorry, I got caught up," Evie said with an awkward shrug. She fervently hoped that the redness had completely faded as Cris' dark eyes scanned her features closely. Although the tautness to Cris' mouth and brow did not bode well on that score.

"Where were you even coming from, Lupe? Isn't your farm down that way?" Casey asked in confusion, pointing towards Clarinet district.

"Th-the Church is up that way. Isn't there a cat you're trying to get to follow you home up there?" Candace asked, her tiny voice just barely carrying through the air. Evie wanted to kiss her for that.

"Yeah, exactly. I stopped by to give the cat some cuddles," Evie said around a relieved grin. She wasn't even lying. "I'm sure it'll follow me home any day now. I gotta remember to bring some fish up with me next time."

"Today's a good day for that," Candace said.

Toby walked up then, his hand cupping around Evie's elbow to get her attention. She'd actually seen him walking up the beach that time, and just grinned at him in welcome rather than getting surprised at his sudden appearance.

"Good morning, Evelyn. Today's a good day for…?" Toby asked, eyebrow rising in question.

"Getting fish, I guess?" Evie said with a glance at Candace, who nodded. "Aren't you going to say good morning to anyone else, Tobes?"

"You forget. You're late," Toby drawled. Evie pffted and rolled her eyes. "I've already said my hellos to everyone here. For once, I got around faster than you."

Evie burst into laughter, an arm wrapping around her belly and her shoulders shaking. "Bask in your win today, Fisher. It'll never happen again."

"Why is today a good day for fishing? I've never been, I have no idea what makes one day better than another," Cristina asked dubiously.

"It's n-not about the d-day…" Candace stammered, obviously getting flustered.

"I'm sure she meant because of the events," Toby said. Candace sighed in relief and nodded quickly.

"Yes, the events! I meant, there's a Fishing Contest at 3 PM," Candace explained. "You only need to catch the one they randomly choose, but you have a whole hour. You could always keep fishing after you catch it."

"Or, if you keep catching the wrong one, you'll have a bucket full of misses," Toby added. Renee walked up, yawning and holding a glass of melon juice. He turned to smile at her and she grinned crookedly over at him.

"What's goin' on?" Renee asked sleepily. "We talkin' 'bout the contest? Y'all should definitely j-join in," she stammered around another yawn.

"Huh. Fishing. Wow, sounds like fu-ugh," Casey grunted in surprise as Cris' elbow caught him in the gut.

"Sounds fantastic, doesn't it, Casey? I'm sure not just Toby is going to be in it," she said pointedly.

Casey actually blushed and looked chagrined. "Not exactly my kinda sport, but I do like eating fish."

Toby covered his mouth with his hand and looked away. Evie could only tell he was holding back laughter by the slight tremor that ran down his body. She, however, wanted to bow down to Queen Cristina on one hand, and kill her brother with the other. What was with his weird overprotective schtick? He'd never given a good-gorramn about whatever dude she went out with in high school. Not that she'd ever had an actual boyfriend to bring home— but Toby wasn't her boyfriend, either. Fortunately, Toby seemed to think it was hilarious.

"I-I am entering, actually, but I don't usually place. I like fishing, but I'm not very good at it," Candace said, fiddling with her cardigan. "Especially with Toby and Renee in the contest."

"Thanks, Candace, but it's mostly luck," Renee said with a giggle and a bump of her hip to Candace's.

"You might have a better chance of placing this year, since I'm not competing," Toby said with some amusement.

"What?!" Evie, Candace, and Renee blurted.

"You? Not fish?" Evie added on.

"I promised Paolo he could this year. I'll have to watch his stand," he said with a chuckle.

"A stand?" Evie frowned. Toby looked at her in some surprise.

"You must've walked right past it, Evie. He's selling some things he's foraged from the beaches 'round Castanet, urchins and shellfish and the like," Renee answered instead.

Evie blinked. Then, blinked again. Honestly, she couldn't remember walking down the dock. She glanced towards Finn, who shrugged back. He had been in her breast pocket for most of the walk since his siblings had stayed at the Spring when they'd left. When she looked back at Toby, he was looking right at Finn, his brows contracting over the bridge of his nose. Her heart slammed hard against the back of her breastbone, breath catching painfully, but not the bad kind of pain. Could he— Was he?

"Maybe I'll give it a try, too. Just an hour? Why not?" Cris said, not realizing she was interrupting.

Casey snorted quietly. "Yeah, sure, if Mr. Slow-n-Steady can do it, it can't be hard."

Looking upward, Toby sighed slightly. "It's better than the old jokes." The small circle of women laughed at him, even Candace letting out a guilty giggle at his faux-exasperation.

"How old are ya anyway? You realize my sister is only twenty-one, right?" Casey asked. This time he was close enough that Evie was able to reach over and slap the back of her hand against his stomach. "C'mon."

"No, you come on," Evie hissed. She grabbed his ear and squinted threateningly. "Don't make me go Mama on your patooty."

"My what?"

"So, Evie, what's this festival about?" Cristina interrupted loudly as Casey and Evie started whispering fiercely at each other, Casey already using Spanish for most of it.

Evie dropped Casey's ear. "Huh? Um, summer?" she replied, looking around at her local friends for help. Renee burst into laughter, body shaking hard enough to spill the juice onto her hand.

"Y-yes, it is about s-summer," Candace agreed politely.

"Fortunately, since we're on a beach." Evie glared over at Toby and the return of his sass, her nose wrinkling, as he met her gaze and smirked a little wider.

Renee linked her arm with Cris' and patted her upper arm. "It's about fun! We drink fresh juice and play in the sun. There's those contests Candace mentioned in the afternoon, and then in the evening, we have a big bonfire clambake, oh, do you like seafood? We roast a bunch of clams and mussels and fish in the bonfire, and then there's fireworks at the end! We used to have a stone skipping contest, too, but for some reason we don't anymore."

"It's sounds great, and I love seafood," Cris said. The locals all beamed.

"I'm gonna get some yummy clams, too, right, Evie? Can I have some juice, too?" Finn asked, hovering by her shoulder and giving her big puppy eyes. "Ben said Paolo was gonna get him some fresh juice."

"It's isn't a competition," Evie said with an amused huff.

"What's not?" Renee asked with a baffled glance at Evie.

A hot, itchy blush worked its way up her throat and cheeks. Casey, who was zero freaking help, was snickering behind his hand at her. Useless brothers.

"I meant, uh, the… rock… skipping?" Evie desperately wrangled out, voice high and pitchy. "Why does it gotta be a competition? Let's just do it for fun!?" She held up her fists, very reminiscent of Luke, and grinned weakly. "Who's with me?"

"Yes! Let's do it! We can start gathering up stones now and get everyone in t'join us when they get here! Kathy said she'd be right behind me once Selena woke up and got 'her face on'," Renee said using her fingers to airquote.

Evie grimaced. "She's nineteen and is better at woman-ing than I am. What's with that?"

"I don't wear make-up, either. I wouldn't know how," Candace said comfortingly while patting Evie's arm.

"You do just fine at woman-ing," Toby agreed, flicking a stray curl behind Evie's ear. Evie sputtered and turned red again, a pleased smile tugging at her mouth.

"That was such a line," Casey grumbled.

"You would know," Cris and Evie shot back in unison. Evie grinned and held up a hand for a high-five, which Cris raised her eyebrow at… before breaking into a grin and slapping their hands together.

"Where you going, Tobes?" Evie asked, automatically reaching out when Toby started to slip away. Her fingers caught on his loose overcoat, and he stopped immediately despite it being a light grip.

"I'm gonna check on my uncle and cousin while you hunt for rocks, then bring you some juice. What kind would y'all like?" he asked gently.

"Ooh, do you think they have raspberry juice?" Finn asked gleefully. For a moment, it seemed like Toby's eyes flickered towards Finn, but when she blinked, he was glancing over Candace and then Cris.

"Anything not melon, wait, unless… is there watermelon water? Oh, mango? I'll just come with you. I don't wanna hunt for rocks," Cris said. An eager gleam lit her eyes suddenly. "I have so many questions for you, anyways. Let's go bond, foxy-man."

"Excuse me, what man?" Toby asked, actually startled. His eyebrows hit his hairline as Cris latched onto his arm and began to drag him over the sand.

"Ya heard me, now spill. We'll start with age, and then move on to the good stuff," Cris said. Her voice trailed away as she marched away with surprising speed, Toby stumbling haplessly alongside her.

"Oh, dear. Is she gonna make friends with him? Or eat him?" Renee said, voice thick with held-back laughter and hand pressed to her cheek.

Evie buried her face in her hands and groaned. "First Casey, now Cris? I knew I'd regret them coming."

Candace patted her back soothingly. "It'll be okay, Evie. I'm sure I hear Luke on his way. Let's go look for stones to skip with him and Renee and Casey?" she offered wisely. There was a very distinctly loud and off-tune whistle coming from Harmonica that Evie was very familiar with, so Candace was probably right.

"I dunno, I think I should go help Cristina and foxy-dude with the ju—" Casey started. Evie snagged his wrist.

"Oh no you don't. You're being babysat 'til I can trust you not to be a di-nglehopper to my— er. To Toby."

Everyone in the group gave her very unimpressed looks. She scowled and dragged Casey towards a likely patch of beach stubbled with small rocks. Finn fluttered along behind them.

"Do you think he'll get raspberry juice, Evie? You didn't get to tell him I wanted raspberry juice!"

Luke did indeed burst onto the scene a moment later, shadowed by an equally ecstatic Bo. Bo was carting a large basket, which he set under an umbrella some ways away from the water. Luke was completely empty-handed, though, loping over the sand to sweep Evie up into a bear-hug, then Renee, then a much more contained one-armed hug around Candace's shoulders that lingered for a long moment. When his arm dropped away, Evie just barely caught Candace rocking towards him, then rock back on her heels and drop to her knees to look for rocks on the ground. Luke stared down at her in wide-eyed confusion until it was explained to him what they were up to.

They spent the rest of the morning rock-hunting and setting up rules for their impromptu game. There was a lot a laughter and kicking up surf, and, when Kathy, Selena, and Luna showed up, trash-talking that had Evie quickly whispering to Finn to go find his fairy siblings. After spending almost the entire time bragging about his prowess, Luke had ended up putting his money where his mouth was and winning almost every game, only Kathy and a surprisingly good Selena beating him.

Lunch was with Bo's basket, full of sandwiches and mushroom marinade and hard-boiled eggs, as well as another basket of cheese and butter and fresh herb bread from Renee. Toby of course brought over a tray covered in fresh sushi and sashimi, every now and then staring over at Cris and looking shell-shocked (she merely looked smug). Evie couldn't help but stare in shocked confusion when Toby had handed her a large cup of raspberry juice. She was sure she hadn't asked for it, but Finn cheered and immediately dived in while Toby passed out more drinks. Anissa came just in time with Chase and Tyler, and a large crate of fruit they carried between them. After successfully convincing Tyler to not break open the watermelon with a baseball bat, he ran off to share with Paolo (and all five sprites, most likely). They spread out more and more beach towels, creating one giant 'carpeted' area, and everyone began talking over the other. Only a loud announcement via megaphone had them realizing how late it had gotten.

"Before proceeding with the Fishing Contest at 3, which you should really sign up for now if you haven't already, ho-ho-ho," Hamilton said from the small stage near the cliff wall. Gill stood beside him, a ledger large enough to kill a man in his arms and an exasperated look on his face. "There will be a Fish Contest. My son here has all the totals of everyone's catch this year since the first day of spring. Let's see who caught and sold the most fish so far this year!"

Everyone clapped as they made their way closer to the stage, and Evie noticed then how many of the older villagers had arrived at the beach while she'd been immersed with her friends. It made her feel a little guilty— she should at least have gone to say hi, plus, Edge was still waiting for Wishes! How could she get their trust if she couldn't even say hello? Then, she just felt guiltier for caring more about the Wishes than actually being polite— She quickly cut off the circular thinking about to start.

"It's gonna be your boyfriend, isn't it? It's literally his job," Casey muttered under his breath.

"Not my— Never mind. Just pay attention. He's not the only Fisher fishing… or the only, yanno, fisherman? Fisherwoman? Lots of people fish here," Evie mumbled back.

"Both of you shut up and listen," Cris hissed through a polite smile. "Didn't your mama teach you manners?"

"Third place goes to Toby! Hm, Toby?" Hamilton repeated, double-taking at his son. Gill nodded sharply.

Toby shrugged and made his way towards the stage while Evie and Cris whooped for him. Everyone else was clapping and cheering, but there was something hesitant about it.

"What's going on?" Evie whispered to Renee as Hamilton handed over a small box to Toby. "Why's everyone acting weird about him winning?"

Renee bit her lip, obviously fighting a smile. "It's not that he won, it's the place. Toby's been comin' in first for five years. Even Ozzie hasn't beat him."

"We all know why, too," Kathy butted in, winking at Evie, who blushed from head to toe, hands frozen midair.

"Don't be crass," Luna said with a sniff. She smirked at Evie a moment later. "No one wants to think about Evelyn and Fisher's love life in detail."

"Please God, no," Casey agreed fervently. Fortunately for him (and Evie who was red all over), Hamilton was already moving on to the next announcement.

"Second place, Renee!" Hamilton called out. Renee gasped, hands covering her mouth. Kathy nudged Renee forward and then placed two pinkies in her mouth to whistle ear-piercingly loud.

"Ya did it, Rey!" Kathy whooped. She smacked Evie hard enough on the back to have her grunting and stumbling forward. "Thanks for distractin' ya man so mah girl woul' have a chance."

"N-no problem," Evie wheezed.

"And in first place!" Hamilton called out while bouncing on his tiny feet. "Ozzie Fisher!"

The three contestants stood on the stand, Ozzie beaming and chuckling, Renee and Toby ducking their heads and looking bashful. Simon darted around the stage, snapping photos on a giant, fancy, old-fashioned camera. They came back down soon enough and rejoined the group.

"Is it the same ol' same ol'?" Kathy asked, peeking into the box Renee was holding. Inside was a collection of Bodigizer energy drinks.

"Nothing wrong with tradition," Anissa pointed out with a smile.

"Yeah, but you'd think it'd be a fish prize? Shouldn' it?" Luke said a little bemused.

"The F-fishing Contest gives f-fish dishes f-for prizes," Candace all but whispered.

"Oh, yeah."

"What if it was like, a new fishing rod or hooks or something? That would make sense," Casey suggested thoughtfully.

"Oh, what about new lures? How fun!" Renee squealed, clapping her hands together.

As the others discussed different prize ideas, Evie checked the box Toby held and barely kept from bursting into laughter seeing the cans of Stay Awake.

"Somethin' you wanna say, Evelyn?" he asked dryly.

"Y-yeah, you gonna leave that for the dust or just pour it straight down the sink?" Evie asked, throat thick and lips twitching. He rolled his eyes at her as the people standing nearest them snickered. "I'm actually going to go sign up for the Fishing Contest before it's too late."

"Me, too. Why not?" Cris said with a one-armed shrug and a smirk. "Might as well try to win something."

"If you don't, maybe you can convince Toby to give you his prize before he throws it away," Evie suggested slyly.

"I wouldn't throw it away," Toby protested lightly. He glanced down at the box again and frowned a little. "But I might conveniently forget it in Phoebe's rucksack one day while she's tutoring Paolo."

"You could conveniently leave it at the Bar, too. I could use it, especially with all the actual business we've been getting these days," Chase offered dryly.

Renee giggled and shook her head fondly at Toby. "I'm sure Phoebe'd love 'em. I hope she'll be here soon, though. She said V-Witch Princess, the Witch Princess might be comin', too."

"Her? Here? With all these folk? I dunno if ya should hold yer breath fer that, Rey," Kathy warned.

"As long as she doesn't bring the pots with her…" Luke mumbled. He looked down at Candace. "You gonna sign up for the contest, too? I'm goin' with Evie and Cris."

"Ugh. It's catching on," Cris groaned before turning on her heel and heading towards the booth. Evie quickly went with her, Luke and Candace following.

The four of them signed up, smiling and agreeing politely with Hamilton as he blustered and tittered through the contest instructions. Just as Cris was signing her name, Gill came down from the stage, that humongous book clamped beneath his arm.

"Lookin' stylish, Gilbert. Where's the sweater vest?" Evie teased, plucked at the nice grey vest buttoned over his light aqua-blue shirt.

He batted her hand away and scoffed. "It's a formal event, and no one calls me Gilbert."

"Dude, it's, yanno, summer. You're still wearing too many clothes," Luke pointed out.

"Okay, so here's a new face. I'm Cristina Rosales," Cris said, coming forward to hold out her hand.

"Gill Goldstein, mayor's son and administrative assistant," he introduced. He brushed his hair away from his eyes and held out his hand to shake quickly.

"Impressive," Cris said with a smile. "You can't be much older than me."

"Nepotism at its finest," Evie joked, winking at Gill. He merely glanced heavenward and sighed. "So what's with the giant book?"

Gill grimaced and readjusted his hold on it. "I haven't convinced my father to allow me to digitize all the town hall files. Not yet." His tone was almost menacing. "Until then, we're still using this to keep track of shipping and the shops' revenue and other sundries. In fact, at the end of each season there's are prizes for Farm Titles. Didn't you receive a reward last season?"

Evie blinked. "Oh, yeah? I got a bunch of fertilizer, but I didn't realize what it was for."

Gill was already flipping through some pages. "Hm, yes, in Crops. I see you got the Master title, that's rather high for your first season. Impressive. Perhaps next time—"

"S-sorry, Evie, Cristina. It's about t-to be 3 o'clock," Candace interrupted hesitantly.

"Oh wow, we signed up just in time. Let's go!" Cris exclaimed, grabbing Evie's arm. "You still need to get me your foxy-man's pole."

"Didja havta say it like that?" Evie muttered, lips twitching even as she scowled.

They didn't get far before Paolo was running down onto the beach, his blue shadow buzzing behind him and two fishing rods in his hands.

"Toby said I havta give you his," Paolo said as he handed the blue pole over to Cris. "You ready to lose, Miss Evie?" he asked with a twinkle in his dark eyes.

"I promise not to help him cheat, either," Ben vowed stoutly. "He'll win because he's amazing." He zipped around Paolo's shoulders as the preteen blushed proudly.

"I didn't like the idea of, like, hypnotizin' fish to win. Doesn't seem fair," Paolo whispered to Evie conspiratorially.

"This kid is sassy. I like him," Cris said, snickering. "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna kick your butt, though."

Paolo grinned, wide and cheeky. "You wish, ya newb." He ran off laughing.

The next hour of fishing for a Horse Mackerel went by pretty fast. Especially considering that Evie managed to catch the target fish within about ten minutes. She stared at the fish at the end of the line long enough to feel guilty about its sad, pathetic gasping, then hurried to put it in the water tank near the stage. Almost everyone else was still fishing, but Selena, Chase, and Owen were hanging out on the towels. And of course, Gill was in charge of the contestants.

"After… after Cristina leaves, we should meet up again soon. To talk about… you know, Edge," Evie muttered to Gill as he marked down her catch and the time. He glanced up, and then nodded slightly.

"Will your brother be staying longer? Perhaps you'll still need to focus on entertaining him?" Gill pointed out.

Evie shook her head. "He knows, so it's not a problem." At the sudden lifting of his eyebrows, she quickly waved her hands. "He can see Finn. Just like me."

"Oh. Well, I suppose that will make things easier for you. Er… us?" he corrected with a light blush to his cheeks and a hopeful look in his eye. Evie grinned and bumped her knuckles to his shoulder.

"Yeah, dude. Us. You already promised to be on my team. Plus, there's some things I don't think I can do without your help," she added, frowning sharply. "I'm kinda two seconds from freakin', so beware. I'll be venting all over you as soon as Cris is on a bus outta here."

"That sounds… uncomfortable," Gill said dryly. Evie burst into laughter, clapping his back and almost bending over double.

"Mr. Gill! Mr. Gill, I did it! I've caught it— Miss Evie, whaddaya doin' here?" Paolo asked, running up with his pole and caught fish. Ben was holding on to the top of his hat for dear life as they ran up the sand.

"I already finished, youngster. I just got lucky," Evie said with a gentle tap to the brim of his cap. "You put that fish in water and I'll see you at the end of the hour." She turned back to Gill and gave him a lopsided smile. "You, too."

"Aw, man," Paolo whined under his breath. She walked away, trying not to feel guilty.

She settled down on the blankets near Selena, who was leaning back on her elbows and letting the sun soak her dark skin bared by the bikini she wore. Owen was laid on his back under the umbrella with fingers laced over his belly and a traces of sunscreen on his nose and neck. Chase handed over a bowl filled with pineapple and she took it eagerly.

"How was the fishing?" he asked politely.

"Not bad. I thought I'd be stuck out there a while, but I got it on my first cast. Does that mean I'm first place?" she asked before popping a bite in her mouth and eagerly humming around the stinging deliciousness.

"Yeah, but it's only an hour an' there's only six places. First come, first served, yanno?" Owen said drowsily. He peeked open an eye and glanced up at Chase. "Where's my pineapple? Or grapes, got any grapes left?"

Chase rolled his eyes. "You ate all the grapes already. Did you expect me to feed you, or something? Serve yourself, you lazy ass."

Owen chuckled and closed his eye again. "Eh. I'd ruther keep nappin'."

"You should put on more sunscreen. You're going to burn your feet," Chase said as he pulled out a bottle.

"His feet? How in the world…?" Selena said, lowering her shades to look over their way. Chase pointed to Owen's very bare feet that were, in fact, exposed to the sun.

"I've done it before. Wore my flipflops all day outside and the entire tops of my feet were burned red. It was the most uncomfortable experience. I couldn't wear proper shoes for two damn weeks and at the time, I was still in school. We weren't supposed to wear open-toed shoes in the kitchens," Chase said with an eyeroll.

"Not a rule you took with you after graduation?" Evie asked wryly.

"I know how to not drop knives on my feet."

"Okay there, Monica. Or should I say Chandler?"

"Dude, he's some weird mash-up of both. Have you seen his house? It's so clean I'm scurred t'walk in the door some nights," Owen said with a shoulder-shaking laugh. With a flick of his wrist, the bottle Chase held hurtled towards Owen. He caught it deftly and popped the top. "A'ight, a'ight, I got it."

"Well, I've never had a sunburn in my life. I guess the same goes for you, Evie?" Selena asked curiously.

Casey dropped onto the towels then and snagged the bowl of pineapple from Evie. She'd just been in the middle of taking another piece and hadn't been able to fight to keep ahold on it. She scowled and slapped at his hands, chewing fiercely.

"What we talking 'bout?" he asked before taking a piece.

"Sunburns and feet," Chase said blankly. Casey stared at him.

"Haven't had a sunburn, but I definitely have feet," Casey replied just as blankly.

"You have. When we were kids. We both got so burnt at a water park our noses and shoulders peeled. My mom got mad at us for picking at each other like monkeys," Evie said with a grin.

"Gross," Owen said, grinning. "Me, too."

"I don't burn anymore. That was hella long ago. Unlike some people, I actually liked going outside everyday. I kept up with Little League, and then soccer, and lots of summer camps," Casey said with a smirk. Evie rolled her eyes.

"But… you run a farm," Selena said, sitting up properly to look at Evie. "You didn't like going outside, but you run a farm?"

"Yeah, when we were kids she liked going out or visiting our cousins' farm, but around middle school, all she did was go to the library or book shops. Or indoor clubs, like Drama."

"Latin club was outside… kinda," Evie grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "We sat on the front lawn when it was sunny."

"No wonder you were so bad at mining and broke your leg! You were a bookworm," Owen said chuckling. He stopped to frown a bit. "I never shoulda gave you that hammer."

"No, you shouldn't have," Chase and Casey agreed, almost eerily synchronized.

"All y'all suck." She seethed as they all laughed.

"Evie! Bronach!" Luke shouted from the stage. She turned to see just about every contestant surrounding the stage and Gill holding the book open towards Hamilton.

"Thank the Tree," Evie whispered.

"Did he just call you bro-nich? What the hell is that?" Casey asked, baffled.

"Don't worry, it's a me and him thing. Time for me to go win my prize, bye, losers!"

"You won a prize for fishing! You aren't that cool, hermanita!"

"We weren't even competing," Selena added with a toss of her hair. She looked over at Casey and smiled. "So, what's little league?"

Finally, it was evening. The sky was velvety dark and studded with stars. Evie looked around and smiled at all the blankets and families, all her new friends, spread out over the beach. Casey and Cris were still sitting right by her, both sipping on juices and nibbling on the last of the roasted potatoes and corn from the clambake. They looked so content and comfortable stretched out on the towels next to her, and for a moment, Evie was just… glad. Glad she could be here and be happy with them and pretend like there weren't any skeletons between her and her brother.

Red and green and bright white burst in the air in showers of sparks and different shapes while the oohs and ahhs of the crowd echoed in her ears. She jerked her gaze upwards and smiled as sparks exploded overhead. One even burst into a big smiley face and made her chuckle a little. Her chest still felt a little empty where those wishes had been just hours ago, but there was hope in there. Her own rather than someone else's, which was surprisingly nice. Under the cheers of the crowd and the crack of the fireworks, she could hear the trilling bells of the sprites and knew she wasn't the only one who could. She had people to help her, and people who could see.

She glanced over, frowning pensively, and picked out the startling light grey hair just a few feet down the beach. Paolo was jumping up and down with Chloe and Taylor, and Ben zoomed in circles around him. Over the day there had been a few times that it seemed like… maybe… Paolo wasn't the only Fisher who could see and hear. But why wouldn't Toby say anything? He knew already that she had some sort of belief in fairies and magic, though she had mainly hand-waved most of that as casually as possible.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, he looked over his shoulder, casting a glance over the beach. Toby paused when he saw her looking straight at him instead of upwards at the display, one eyebrow rising as she flinched and ducked her head. She looked up again a moment later and saw him still facing her direction, a small smile on his face lit up by the kaleidoscope of colors blazing above them. Slowly, he lifted a hand and waved. Evie 'pfft'ed under her breath, mouth twitching, and then returned the gesture with a dorky little wave of her own. He broke their long silent gazing first, turning towards Paolo when the boy accidentally sprayed sand over the blanket he and Ozzie sat on.

Evie ducked her head to hide the dopey smile that matched the goofy buzzing in her chest. A silly exchange of waves shouldn't have her this… happy. She shook her head and raised her head to continue watching the fireworks. Only to catch Casey's frown aimed at her. She blinked at him, and then shrugged a shoulder in question as her hand gestured slightly.

Casey just frowned harder, looking between her and Toby. The booming of the fireworks went off like gunshots and they both flinched and looked up to see a handful going off at once. The younger kids— and Luke, too— were whooping and jumping up and down. Normally, Evie would dust off her bum and join them, especially when all the sprites began twirling around like little bottle-rockets themselves, but she couldn't get Casey's look out of her head. As her friends clapped and cheered for the mid-way "little finale", Evie got to her feet.

She wasn't sneaky, ever, but somehow she managed to be that night. In a crowd of people, she slipped past them and tried to ignore the thudding in her head. She caught sight of Renee and Kathy sitting at the water's edge, their bare feet in the water and Kathy's head on Renee's shoulder. Vivi sat near them on a canvas beach chair, looking somehow regal and incredibly odd in her full witchy-get-up and her legs crossed. Phoebe was stretched on the sand next to her, one arm propped up on a knee. For some crazy, wild reason, Vivi was actually there, with friends, when only a few weeks ago she was an angry frog shouting that everyone was a trespasser and to leave her alone.

Sand became stone beneath her boots. And her stride lengthened. Past the competition stands and booths and fishery. Then, past the Bar and the Tailor's. Faster and faster until she was running over the bridge towards Clarinet.

Kathy and Renee. Anissa and Jin. Luke and Candace. Hell, even Owen and Chase looked cozy from the moment Owen showed up. And then… her. And Toby.

What was she thinking? What was she doing? She wasn't supposed to be yet one more cutesy couple for people to gossip about. She wasn't supposed to be the reason people winked and nudged and snickered when Toby got third place instead of first for a contest he'd been winning for years. She wasn't supposed to meet his eyes across a crowd of people and just feel happy.

No wonder Casey was looking at her like that. Evie had never been a "Person-and-Person" before; she'd never wanted it, either.

"Lupe! Jesus, slow down, Lupe!"

She skidded to a stop and spun around. Casey barreled up to her, stopping just in front of her to lean over, brace himself on his knees, and gasp for breath.

"What the hell, hermanita? You just took off!"

"I felt like running," Evie replied woodenly, glancing towards her house. She managed to run almost all the way to the bottom of the hill. "Why aren't you back at the beach?"

"'Cuz I saw you leave and we need to talk, Lupe. Like I've been trying to do since the day I got here," Casey said wiping at his face with the back of his hand.

"Look, I don't wanna hear it. I just want to go to bed and get an early start tomorrow," Evie told him. Before that moment, she hadn't felt a bit tired, but her voice sounded downright exhausted as she said it aloud.

"You can't just run and hide from me all the time. That fairy isn't here, none of your thousand of friends are, either. Just let me talk—"

"Why!" Evie burst out. Her hands clenched into fists and blood rushed to her cheeks. Casey reared back, startled, until he clenched his jaw and returned her glare for glare. "Why did you have to come, huh? Just to repeat the same crap you said two years ago? Cuz nothing's changed, bro, so why do you have to talk?"

"Nothing's changed? Nothing's changed?" Casey repeated incredulously, even laughing a little. Though it didn't sound amused at all. "You ran away from college. You couldn't even drop Mama or Dad a call! You didn't even tell me."

Evie scowled and shook her head. "I already moved out and away. What did it matter if I moved somewhere else?"

"It MATTERS because you're here acting like these people are your family. Like you're gonna stay here and what? Marry that guy, that Toby, have two kids and a cat and farm? Really, Lupe?" Casey snapped.

"Okay, whatever Toby and I do is none of your business," Evie hissed, arms crossing over her chest. Her eyes darted towards the distant shadow of the town. The road was still clear, thankfully, and the fireworks still flashing in the sky. "And you know about Finn, Case. Don't turn this into me being some idiot for a guy."

"Of course it's my business! You're my sister and I've never seen you so crazy about a dude like that," Casey exclaimed as he threw up his hands. "If it's all about the fairies, then what are you doing? Dating someone? Like this is some weird romcom and you're the dopey main character? You and I both know you're gonna just leave him here wondering what he did wrong as soon as you can't hack it anymore."

Evie stepped back, eyes wide and stinging. Casey huffed a breath and ran his hand through his wild hair. When he spoke again, it was in Spanish, and sounding too much like their mother.

"You're just gonna end up running off again, fairies or no fairies, and how are you going to look at yourself in the mirror anymore, Lupe?" he said, sounding sad and… and fatalistic. As if he could see into the future, her future, and there was no way he wouldn't be right.

That there was no way she wouldn't bail in the end.

Her eyes were blinking rapidly and her fists were so tight she could barely feel her knuckles. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair for him to just—

"You think you still know me, that you still can read my fudging mind like we're five years old and speaking out our stupid baby language," she finally managed to seethe out between gritted teeth, "but guess what? I'm not that little girl anymore, you aren't that little boy, and Toby isn't you. You're just scared that I'll choose to stay— with him— when I chose to leave you."

The thunder of the Grand Finale reached where they stood. Multi-hued shadows flickered over them so quickly, she couldn't keep track of how many flashed over their faces and bare limbs in the long, pregnant silence. She couldn't hear her own heartbeat, or her own breaths, but the deafening booms and cracks of fireworks was only part of the reason why.

Finally, Casey turned his face away. His hands came up between them to fend her off, although she hadn't moved a muscle.

"You know what, Lupe? Screw you."

What she should've done was follow him. Immediately apologize. Try to explain that everything he'd said was the worst possible thing, because she was already so terrified he was right, but also terrified he was wrong. What she should've done was not repeat the exact same thing she'd done a thousand times whenever she was cruel and mean which was holding completely still and frozen with indecision and self-pity. What she really should've done was never said it at all.

Instead, Evie watched him jog swiftly towards the town. Then, she shuffled the rest of the way up to her yard. The night wind was rustling through the trees and cornstalks, and the brick of the well was cold and rough under her thighs when she sat. Overhead, the moon was round and bright, maybe full, or something close. Evie had never really been good at noticing the moon before. Living in the city, and the suburbs before that, made it hard to notice the night sky. She was staring so hard, hard enough that her eyes began to burn, that she almost missed the two figures walking towards her. The smell of bonfire soot and sulfur was strong enough it made her eyes water. It was only the smell, really.

Luke settled on one side, and Candace on the other.

"We saw Casey get back into town. He didn't stop t'say hi to anyone, just went right to the Inn," Luke said, surprisingly quiet. He stretched out his long legs over the grass and looked in the same direction Evie was looking.

Evie shrugged. "Yeah, that adds up."

"We thought maybe somethin' happened, since you didn' come back to the beach," Luke continued.

Candace's hands reached over and laid over one of Evie's where it was curled into the fabric of her skirt. "Evie, it's going to be okay."

"Yeah, probably," Evie agreed woodenly. "Not because of me, though. How is it that everyone I know is just… such a better person than me?"

"You're a good person, Evie!" Candace exclaimed.

Evie smiled over at Candace's earnest face. "Thanks. I know… I know I can be. But right now it's kinda hard to remember that when I said—" Evie's voice caught and her words came out thin and choked, "—something stupid again."

"Well…" Luke started. "This time you won' take so long sayin' you're sorry, right?"

"I just wish… I didn't have to say sorry," Evie muttered, eyes dropping to her knees and her eyelashes feeling heavy. She blinked rapidly and looked around at both Luke and Candace. "I mean, I wish I could stop needing to, yanno? Like, I'd stop putting my foot in it."

"I think you're really hard on yourself," Candace whispered. "You're only twenty-one. I'm almost twenty-five and I still say things I don't mean, or don't say anything at all when I should."

"'Sides, whatever you said, I doubt you were the only one t'blame. He's your brother, he knows ya, but he's still here sayin' things that make you upset or uncomfortable, or being rude to Toby, though that's a little funny," Luke said with a guilty grin and wink over at her.

"It's mostly annoying," Evie said with an eyeroll, then her mouth slanted upwards on the side. "But a little funny." She shrugged and sighed softly, almost-smile already gone. "Whatever my brother did or said, it doesn't excuse me being a di-dillweed to him."

"One day, you're gonna stop correcting your bad words and I'm gonna miss 'em," Luke said, wrapping an arm around Evie's shoulders and giving her a squeeze. The three of them chuckled.

"Just know, Evie, that we're here for you. No matter what," Candace said after a moment. Evie sighed again, then leaned over to press her cheek to the top of Candace's head.

"Sorry for ruining your Ocean Festival night."

"How 'bout instead of apologizin', you just thank us for bein' awesome friends?" Luke suggested.

Evie grinned, her nose stinging and somehow tight. "Thanks for being awesome friends."

The three of them sat on the edge of her well for a long while yet, gazing up at the beautiful starry, moonlit sky. Luke finally left, with another bear-hug for Evie and an awkward full-body hug for Candace, tucking her right under his chin as both their cheeks flamed, before he started for home. Candace took Evie's head, eyes darting away from Evie's confused and amused smile, and led her towards the house.

"Let's have some tea and get some sleep. I'll cook breakfast in the morning for you," Candace suggested gently.

Evie's smile relaxed into something wider and relieved. Letting Candace take care of her was so freeing. She sat and watched Candace bustle around the kitchen, absently wondering if Finn went to the Spring or was about to show up, and rubbed her weirdly aching breastbone. Just as suddenly the ache was gone and Candace was handing her a hot cup of chamomile tea.


A/N:So I missed my deadline AGAIN, but at least it's not too bad? Aiya, one day I'll be on top of it again. To make it up to ya, it's almost 30 pages long. Enjoy!? LOL

Also, thanks to all you readers still checking in and leaving those reviews. If you signed in, I'd PM you to tell you! LOL but, really, thanks for reviewing~