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“Hung over?” Tammy managed half a chuckle.
Mom folded her arms.
“No, I’m not. No alcohol was involved.” Tammy wrapped her arms around Mom and held on, happy for the concrete reassurance that the mother she loved so much and started to worry had never been real did, in fact, exist. “So trippy.”
“What did you take?”
“Faerie dust.” Tammy chuckled. “Literal faerie dust. I don’t mean LSD.”
“Why do you look so…?” Mom twirled a hand around as if searching to grab a word from thin air.
“Effed up?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Ugh. I… it sounds so crazy, but…”
Anthony walked in, paused. “Hey, Tam. You okay?”
“Yeah. Do I really look that messed up?”
“A bit.” Anthony flashed a knowing smile. “You’d feel better if you spent a few hours outside. It’s the shock of going from a super-magic-rich forest to, well, Fullerton.”
Mom blinked at him. “Where did that come from?”
“An angel told me.” He winked.
Tammy couldn’t argue the point. The faeries warned her that going back to the human world would require some adjustment. Natural energies did exist here, but significantly weaker than the faerie realm. Her modern brain compared it to standing right next to the WiFi router or being six rooms away. If she spent a while out in the woods, the natural energies would refresh her. Of course, there wasn’t a lot of woods here in Fullerton... but she could make do if she looked hard enough.
“Hey.” Paxton breezed in, hugged her, and took a seat at the table. “Is it a cereal day or a real breakfast day?”
“What do you want?” asked Mom.
“Either works.” Paxton shrugged. “I think you said you have a meeting with a client today, so cereal’s fine if you’re in a rush.”
Tammy flopped into her usual seat, rested her elbows on the table, and held her head in both hands. “It feels so weird to sit in a chair. Or have clothes on.”
Everyone got quiet.
“Umm, what?” asked Mom. “Why are you acting like you’ve been away at a hippie commune?”
“I mean, actual clothes instead of a dress made out of flowers and leaves.” Tammy chuckled.
Paxton blinked. “What am I missing?”
“We’re talking faerie stuff.” Anthony started grabbing various cereal boxes and putting them out on the table.
Mom got the bowls and milk before sitting next to her. “What’s going on, sweetie?”
Tammy took a deep breath. “I had this crazy dream about living with faeries and learning magic. I was like back to being eight years old again and I grew all the way back up a second time. It feels like I’ve literally been away for ten years.”
“You don’t look ten years older,” said Paxton.
“Runs in the family,” deadpanned Tammy, glancing at her mom.
“Except Tam’s not a vampire.” Anthony poured himself a bowl of Corn Pops.
“Not sure Mom is either.” Tammy winked.
