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“These shoes are pretty, but they pinch,” Sage observed as they walked. “Not good for hiking. And remind me never to wear a flower crown again. So itchy. Who knew daisies could be itchy? I think some of the green stuff is poison ivy or something.”
Staff hired for the wedding stared as they passed by, but no one said anything. None of the wedding party was lurking around.
They went in, and Sage followed him to his old bedroom.
“What are you wearing for this?” she asked. “You can’t get married in that. Your shirt is covered in dirt and all wrinkled.”
“They ordered a suit for me.” He pulled it out of the closet and held it up.
She fell, laughing, into a chair. “No! You’ll look ridiculous!”
He frowned, wondering if he should be offended.
“What do you suggest then?”
“Do you have something more you? Like...armor or a helmet or something?”
“It’s at the cleaners.”
“Well, that’s just great.” She grimaced. “I have to see what you have.”
He sat on the chair she vacated, still not sure he was going, but turning her words over in his head. Why had it sounded different coming from his niece than it had from his therapist? Her little voice stuck in a loop in his brain
It is that easy. You’re the one making things hard.
Epiphanies were supposed to come from religious experiences or introspection, not from small, foulmouthed children. Somehow this seemed more appropriate in his case.
“I guess I need to cut my hair and beard,” he said, wondering what a seven-year-old girl would think was appropriate. “I don’t think I have any Prince Charming clothes in there.”
“Who the heck is Prince Charming?” she asked derisively, her voice muffled by the contents of his closet.
He couldn’t remember. “He’s from a Disney movie.”
“Like, old people Disney?”
“Probably.”
She poked her head out of the closet. “If you cut your hair and your beard, they wouldn’t recognize you, and the pictures would be weird. Besides, everyone knows Belle was disappointed when the Beast turned back into a prince. Mom said Belle probably wanted a refund.”
“But Rodrigo looks like a prince.”
“No. He’s the bad guy everyone cheers for. You’re the monster who’s secretly nice.”
“And Aunt Minnow is?”
“The boss.”
“You think so?”
“Yup. And the baby is going to be the boss of alllll of you.”
Severin had slowly relaxed, but now stiffened with tension. Sage’s rambling had been so funny he’d almost forgotten about that small detail.
“What baby?” he asked. They hadn’t told anyone other than Church yet. At least, he didn’t think they had.
“Little pictures have big ears. Duh.” She came out of the closet with a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “I wonder if your baby will be as hairy as you. You’ll have to, like, braid her beard or something to keep it out of her food.”
“Maybe it’s a boy.”
