Chapter 2

Why…?

Nita wandered aimlessly through Central Park, her head down as she weaved her way down to the Bethesda Terrace, pacing toward a spot on the lake edge no one but her and Kit knew about. She sat down in the shade of a large elm tree, her back to the elm, looking out over the lake. She heaved a long, shuddering sigh and twisted around, looking at the initials carved into the trunk of the tree.

Her wandering fingers halted on a three pairs of initials carved just above a large boulder sitting by the tree. Nita stared at the engraved letters and whispered them, tracing them with her fingers as she did so.

H.C

B.C.

N.C.

1991

She stared at the middle pair, and wished, for a moment, that she could tell the tree her mother was dead.

Oh… wait…

Dammit.

With a cry of frustration, she took a rock she had been fingering and threw it as far as she could out onto the lake.

Thirteen years had passed since her father, mother, baby Dairine and her had sat in this very spot on a warm Fourth of July weekend.

Flashback

Nita's mom gently touched her husband on the shoulder.

"Harry," she said carefully, "C'mere?"

Her father had obliged.

"Whatcha need, Betty?"

"Carve your initials into this tree, under mine?"

"Betty, I can't do that… this tree is a living thing!"

"Please? Just for me?"

Her father softened at the pleading expression on his wife's face.

"Oh… alright. Just this once."

He took a sharp rock and etched his initials into the tree trunk.

Nita stumbled cautiously up.

"Can I do one, too, Daddy?"

Her mother had laughed. "Of course you can. Here, let me help you…"

End Flashback

Nita smiled to herself, tracing her three-year-old self's hand movements in the air as she remembered her favorite memory of this spot.

She opened her eyes and was brought back to the real world.

The smile lingered on her face for a split second longer, but then the present caught up with her.

Nita placed her forehead against the tree trunk and let her tears flow freely.

She didn't know how long it had been, but she must have drifted off to sleep at some time, as she was awakened suddenly by Kit's voice.

"Nita?"

She looked up from the tree trunk and saw her best friend standing there, a look on his face that she had never seen before.

"Hey, Kit," she said quietly, choking back a sob.

He sat down beside her, looked at her for a moment, then enfolded her in a huge hug.

"Oh, God, Neets… I'm so sorry…"

Nita sighed into his shoulder, choked back another gasping sob, and asked shakily, "Why? You didn't kill her."

Kit looked at her and sighed. "I know how it feels. Really, I do. It… It's horrible. I don't blame you for crying… really, Nita."

He jumped slightly as her hand intertwined with his. He felt himself blushing, then continued, a little faster. "Um… er… it's a process of life, Nita. It happens…"

Nita sniffed. "Yeah, I know," she burst out angrily. "But why did it have to happen now? Why? Why?"

Kit squeezed her hand, and, apparently not noticing, Nita continued.

"All that hard work… for what? Three days of life. It could have at least been a week…"

Kit pulled her into another soothing hug. "Oh… Nita…"

They both heard twigs breaking in the distance, and, unsurprisingly, Dairine, her face drawn and set, sat down beside Kit.

She burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.

"Oh, God… Nita… th-this can't be true…"

Kit, feeling somewhat awkward, gave Dairine a hug as well. Nita held back a sob in favor of a wet snicker at the look of immense discomfort on Kit's face.

Dairine pulled back, tears still trickling down her face as she struggled to stop their steady flow.

"Damn it," she swore. "What a wuss I'm being!"

Kit flinched away at Dairine's fierce attitude, but relaxed when she wiped her eyes and looked at Nita.

"Nita… Kit… Daddy wants you at home. C'mon."

Kit stood first, and, pausing, lent Nita a hand. She looked at it, then at him, smiled, and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

Dairine rolled her eyes, sniffed, and dropped her transit circle coordinated to the Callahan house.

Mainly due to the emotional turmoil of the three wizards, the resulting implosion of air sent up a huge geyser of dust that obliterated a few flies and snapped the lower branches off a nearby oak.