It was nine o'clock and The sky was filled with stars. Bert sighed as he stood there,leaning on the fence feeling helpless. Mary noticed him through the window. She knew there was something not right about Bert that night. She crept out the door, attempting not to wake up John. Bert turned around,his back against the fence,a twinkle in his eyes when he saw that she was watching him this whole time.
"Mary," he began,his stomach tied in knots. "What if I were to ask you again about the incident at the candy store earlier. Would you still respond the same way?" He paused,unsure of what to say next. Mary went to his side,turning her gaze into his eyes.
"I'm just afraid." Bert moved closer to her. "The candy showed the future. The one I imagine to be what could make me happy for the rest of my life. It's not what I expected at all."
"Well,what did you expect? You imagine being a nanny for eternity? " Bert laughed,then noticing that was a big mistake. Unlike her usual self, she covered up her face to hide her emotions. Bert turned her head gently to look at hers.
"I didn't mean to offend you,love. Really. I just wants what is best for you...whatever that may be." He pulled her into a hug, Mary,in return, held him tightly.
"I know,Bert. I know. It's just I love my job. It's just...I kept thinking that one day you won't be there anymore. That is part of what I wanted to talk to you about." Bert sat down on the porch near the door,making room for Mary by his side.
"You see, it happened a long time ago. I was only twenty one. Right before I met you. I had a family. There was my father, and little brother. He was twelve at the time. My mother died when my brother was only a year old. I was so close to them all. I would do just about anything for my brother and would spend practically all day long with him. We would play tricks on people and a whole bunch of crazy things." She clenched her hands in a fist and her voice softened.
"My brother unfortunately never knew how to swim. For that reason, my father never allowed him to go ice skating in the winter since he was afraid he might fall through the ice. I could see that my brother always wanted to ice skate every time he watched me out there on the day I decided to skate down to the opposite end of the river to have a moment alone. It was the biggest mistake I ever made." Bert put his hand over hers,letting her lean on his shoulder to cry.
" I couldn't go home. I just couldn't. Not without my brother. It was then that I decided to be on my own. I wasn't alone for long,though. This creature from the woods appeared. It was white and couldn't make out it's features. It spoke to me." Bert felt as if he was hearing a story from a fairy tale. A small part of him seemed to doubt what was to happen,yet at the same time he knew that with Mary-anything is possible.
"It knew what I had done. I was punished. I was to be a nanny for children so I could learn to watch over them more carefully. I was to be practically perfect in every way so I could make up for my mistakes. I was never to age because that would remove the beauty from me. I also was never to be romantically involved with anyone because it meant that I would be selfish." Bert was stunned. He knew she has never been different in all the years he had known her. He knew because be was there.
"Do you know how this spell can be broken?" She shrugged her shoulders and sighed.
" I have no clue." Mary stood up and turned to open the door.
"Mary, wait."Bert' s heart was aching. He wished there was a way to help,but how?
"Whatever it is worth-" he swallowed hard and swayed back and forth. "Perfect or not, you will always remain perfect in my eyes." Mary touched his face and wiped a tear from his eye.
"Whatever it takes, however long it takes, I will stop at nothing to make sure you are happy." Mary squeezed his hand,looking deep into his blue eyes and smiled.
"Thank you."