Lily’s head moved involuntarily and she blinked.
“You’re taking me to Indiana for our honeymoon?”
Nate slid his arm around her waist and pulled her toward his body. When he felt her softness hit him, he bent his head to hers and, their faces a breath away, he said, “I want you to see this property I purchased. It cost a fortune. The people living there didn’t feel like moving. In the end, I persuaded them. It’s a limestone farmhouse with marble window sills and a big pond in the front yard.”
Lily sucked in her breath and her eyes grew wide. Then he watched as they filled with tears and she leaned into him. Her hand went to his cheek, she whispered his name and he felt all the love in the world wash over him in that quiet whisper.
At his name on her lips said in that tone, Nate’s head descended the rest of the way and he kissed her through her tears.
“Lily!” Maxine yelled from somewhere near but Nate didn’t care where. “You’ll ruin your makeup!”
* * * * *
Fazire
“Nate, it doesn’t matter.” Lily said comfortingly to Nathaniel.
“It matters,” Nathaniel said curtly to Lily.
Fazire looked on.
“There’s nothing we can do. We have a full schedule,” the Registry Office person said, wringing her hands.
“Son, I tried,” Victor cut in and Fazire saw he looked completely dejected. Fazire knew the proud man had tried, he’d watched him. Victor had tried everything. He tried coaxing, he tried threatening, he tried bribing, and nothing worked.
“She was accosted in her living room and mistakenly carted away by the police!” Maxine shouted dramatically. “Surely you can make an exception for that.”
The Registry Office employee shook her head.
“But they’ve been waiting eight years.” Fazire heard Laura say, her voice so sad it made Fazire sad too or more sad than he already was. He was sad for Lily, for Nathaniel, for Tash, his glorious Tash who was looking on crestfallen, even for Laura and Victor who so wanted this for their family.
“Lily-child,” Fazire said softly, knowing what he had to do.
Lily didn’t look at him. She was staring up at Nate with love and concern shining in her eyes.
Fazire knew at a glance she had changed. Fazire knew that Nathaniel had healed her last night that Lily had healed Nathaniel, that her wish had finally come true, that they would finally find happiness. For the rest of his genie days, and there would be many, he would live happily with the knowledge that he’d created that for his Lily.
But Fazire was still sad, sad for himself, sad that he was to be leaving them, his adored Lily, his beautiful Natasha and this fine man he’d grown to respect.
“Lily-child,” Fazire repeated, his voice stronger and Lily turned to him, took one look and disengaged from her furious lover and moved to Fazire.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly, her hand light on Fazire’s arm, she was watching him closely, losing track of her own dire circumstances to worry about him.
“Use it,” Fazire said and he found, to his utter astonishment, his voice was croaky.
Oh, how the other genies would laugh if they ever heard that.
He cleared his throat and repeated, “Use it.”
“Use what?” she asked, her eyes confused.
Fazire nodded his head toward Nathaniel and Lily looked over her shoulder at her fiancée.
“I want a word with the Registrar,” Nate demanded.
“I’ve already spoken to the Registrar, he’s already spoken to the Registrar,” the employee pointed at Victor and Tash leaned heavily, despondently, against her father’s legs. Nathaniel’s hand came to his daughter’s shoulder reassuringly as the employee went on. “I’m so sorry. We’ll schedule a new date for you as soon as we can.”
Lily turned back to Fazire, her face pale and Fazire knew she understood.
“I can’t… we can wait,” she whispered, her eyes panicked.
“Look at them, Lily. Look at Tash. She thinks your Nathaniel can do anything. She thinks Nathaniel has a different kind of magic. To learn any different, Lily-child, you know it would break her heart.” Lily shook her head, this she did fervently, fear now filling her face and her fingers on his arm tightened as if she’d never let him go. “Look at them,” Fazire urged softly.
She shook her head again and she didn’t look but she knew, she knew and so did Fazire. He knew she’d do anything for Tash and he knew she’d do anything for Nathaniel.
Her other hand came up to take hold of his other arm.
“Fazire,” she whispered and then she moved close then closer, her arms locking around him.
“Use it, Lily-child,” Fazire murmured softly in her ear as his darling Lily shoved her face in his neck.
“I don’t want to. You’ll go away and you’re family. Family doesn’t go away until they have to go away and you don’t have to go away. You never have to go away.” Fazire felt his Lily’s body jolt then she whispered, “I love you Fazire.” her voice broke on his name and her arms went so tight, Fazire didn’t think he could breathe but luckily he didn’t have to breathe so he just let her hold fast.
“I love you too,” he replied, shocking himself because he meant it, he meant it to the depths of his cynical genie soul.
The genie council for Best Wish of the Century had been wrong. Lily was the best wish ever granted.
Ever. Since eternity.
“Use it,” Fazire repeated.
“No,” Lily denied.
“Lily-child, use it,” he begged and felt her body jolt again.
She was silent for long moments then he heard her request in a whisper, “If I do this, you must let Tash say good-bye.”
Fazire closed his eyes.
“No, I can’t bear… no.” It was Fazire’s turn for his voice to break and he heard Lily’s quiet hiccough of grief.
“If you go, I’ll miss you,” she was still whispering, her voice an ache.
“Use it, Lily,” Fazire pressed, not sure he could take much more.
“We’ll never forget you,” she went on and he knew she was delaying. He knew she was trying to think of another way.
“Please, Lily, now… use it.”
Her arms grew even tighter. “I’ll write a story and forever it will pass down in our family so everyone will know about you,” she promised. “How wonderful you are, how funny, how loyal –”