* * *
As we walked up the pathway to Viv’s house, the property that the house was on was large and filled with acres of fruit trees, a variety of plants and dozens of animals. The sun was setting behind the mountains and the sky was slowly fading from a deep blue to a brilliant orange.
Knocking softly on the door, we were greeted by Viv, who began to pull us into the house where she gave us each a long, warm hug.
“My mom has been baking for us,” Viv said excitedly. “She is a fabulous cook.”
Commenting on the jeans and t-shirts, we had “changed’ into, she said, “How cute you look! Where did you get such fun clothes? Not from anywhere here.”
“We brought them with us,” I said. “Your house looks lovely from the outside. I can’t wait to see the inside.”
Entering the house, we found a collection of brightly colored furniture that did not match but it seemed like the perfect set. “Let’s go find everyone,” she said, as she guided us past the living room. “The girls will be so glad to hear that you have arrived.”
“You don’t need to tell us,” Camille said, appearing from the other room. “We all heard you. Your mother said everyone should come to the kitchen. Dinner is ready.”
When we didn’t immediately follow her, she glared at us, “The sooner we eat, the sooner we can have some fun.”
As Blaze began to respond to Camille’s rude behavior, I stepped in front of her and took Camille’s hand. “Great, I am starved. Lead the way.”
Surprised by my contact, Camille demeanor softened. “I am glad you are here,” she said quietly.
“Me too,” I said, squeezing her hand.
When we arrived in the kitchen, we were greeted by a tall, voluptuous red head with a beaming smile. “You must be the girls that Genevieve has been telling me about,” she said warmly. “You will have to tell me everything about yourselves. But not before we have dinner. Go on have a seat. Genevieve, seat your guests and then let’s get them all a glass of blueberry lemonade.”
Turning to us, she said, “That is if you like blueberries.”
Bay beamed, “We love blueberries. At home, we love to eat fresh berries right off the bush. Why, I eat so many that Daisy has to…” Her voice trailed off as she realized she had almost revealed that Daisy was an earth elemental.
I quickly piped in, redirecting Mrs. Silver’s attention to me. “Bay, forgets that her eyes are bigger than her stomach. Daisy is always there to keep her in line.”
“Well, we will make sure that she doesn’t overdo it here tonight,” Mrs. Silver laughed, putting her arm around Bay.