She had grown up. At 29, she still had her ironic sense of humor, she hated getting up early, and doing any physical exercise was still torture. But Alexandra Margarita Russo, or just Alex, was also the owner of na art gallery, a famous artist, and a powerful wizard.
"Mrs. Greybeck?"
The doorman approached the building's new resident.
"Actually, it's Russo."
Her hair and usual style had changed. Since last season, she had been wearing bangs and long hair. She still loved fashion, but she ignored it as much as possible. She still did not follow any rules, neither from the Magic Council nor from any fashion designer.
"Aren't you the wife of the guy in apartment 7?" The man looked at her in confusion. "The British guy who looks like the dog whisperer?"
"Mason, yes." The werewolf's wife. She laughed inwardly. "He's Greybeck, and I'm Russo. It's like a brand, and it was a lot of work to write Greybeck on every frame."
"Okay, a girl was looking for you. She said she's going to see Russo."
"Billy." She murmured, sighing tiredly. She had barely arrived at her new home and was already leaving. "I'll go after her. If Mason shows up, tell him I'm at Waverly Place."
She turned the corner, grabbed her wand, always hidden behind her shoes, and teleported miles away. She loved magic. It saved her time and her legs. She still hated walking.
"Alex?"
Her sister-in-law opened the door, startled. When had they last seen each other? Thanksgiving? Christmas?
"Surprise!"
"Wow! I didn't expect to see you." Giada couldn't hide her surprise at seeing her again. "Come on in."
The family home was exactly what Justin had fantasized about as a child. They kept the Italian traditions, and Giada, who had Italian parents, helped pass them on to the children. Justin was a father now, and Alex even cried when she met Roman and Milo, until she realized how much the boys looked like her brother.
"Justin?"
"The kids went to wake him up, you know, birthday traditions."
"It's Justin's birthday?"
"Isn't that why you're here?"
"Yes, of course, to celebrate my little brother's birthday."
If lying were a talent, she would definitely be the best.
"Alex?" Her older brother didn't even ask, just rushed to hug her. "I can't believe you came to see me... this is... I missed you."
"I've missed you too."
She wasn't lying. When it came to missing him, she was honest.
When they grew up, they took completely different paths. He moved to the magical world and studied magic, spending years there until he met Giada. Suddenly, the wand lost its luster; it was worth leaving his studies to live a normal life.
Meanwhile, Theresa and Jerry's middle child spent two years traveling around Europe with Harper. Crazy years, some would say, and it would show up on her record. The list of places she was not allowed to go grew to include Denmark, a small town in southern Switzerland, and two villages in France that asked her to leave. In the meantime, it was just her and Harper, two friends enjoying the end of their teenage years and putting off the inevitable.
Harper wanted to go to college and was accepted to one in Boston. She said goodbye to her best friend, and without her, the rest of the trip lost its excitement. That's when the light bulb went off: why not go to college? Accepted into New York University, she began studying art and soon transferred to the London School of Arts, where she reconnected with na old flame.
Mason Greybeck, her classmate and ex-boyfriend. The rebel was a romantic who was still in love. It took her two months to realize her feelings for the werewolf. With him at her side, there were two more trips around the world and a studio in London. She lived in the rainy city until last Friday, when she met Billy, the reason she was looking for her brother.
She was still Alex Russo, with her wry humor, her love of sleep, her chaos, and magic.