Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic Bonus Scene: Swan Song

Aria

“Where’s Boris?” I asked as I pulled the heavy picnic basket out of the car boot, surprised that I hadn’t seen the badger yet. He was always on time for our weekly family picnics at the tower, so this was unusual.

“I haven’t seen him since this afternoon.” Callan shut the driver’s side door and came to the trunk to help me unload the decorations we’d brought.

Today was different than most of our family picnics. We’d been married for a couple months, and every Sunday afternoon we joined Granddad at the tower for a picnic lunch with Gran, Tabatha, and Catrina. It was always the best part of the week, but today was particularly special—it was also Granddad and Gran’s anniversary.

Of course we had to throw them an extra special surprise party. They knew we’d be here for the picnic, but we’d also spent the last week working on a gift for Gran. Technically, it was for Granddad as well, but it was impossible to surprise him since his spirit resided at the tower.

Callan pulled the decorations out of the car, and we walked over to the tiny, brand new cottage next to the tower. It was an adorable one-bedroom affair that we’d built in the last week as a surprise for Gran so she could visit Granddad even when it got cold. We’d had to get Granddad’s permission, since too much modification to the tower could impact his spirit’s ability to appear, but he’d been delighted with our plan and said it was far different than building a café that would draw a lot of strangers.

As we neared the cottage, Grandad appeared. He was as transparent as always, but that didn’t stop him from giving me a big hug that I could actually feel. Joy exploded in my chest, just like it did every time.

“This is the most wonderful gift, my girl,” he said as he pulled away and looked down at me.

I grinned up at him. “Now you don’t have to worry about it being too cold for Gran to visit in the winter. You’ll have somewhere cozy.”

Tabatha, of course, had jokingly dubbed the cottage The Love Shack, but I’d hexed her to snort like a pig if she ever tried calling it that again. What my grandparents got up to in the cottage was none of my business, but I certainly didn’t want to be doing any imagining.

Granddad helped us hang the big bow on the door of the house, and we set up the picnic on the grass outside the front window. There was a perfectly sized dining table in the cottage that we would use for our winter Sunday get-togethers, but the weather was so fine we wanted to take advantage of it.

Once the food was laid out on the blanket, Grandad went to pick some flowers that grew in a patch beneath the wall of the tower. He knew Gran’s favorites and wanted to give them to her when they were fresh. Callan pulled me aside to give me a quick kiss while Granddad collected the flowers, and I couldn’t help the pure, unadulterated happiness that surged through me.

“This is lovely,” Callan said, his forehead pressed to mine.

“I know. Thank you so much for the help. It was a lot to get this place built in a week.”

He made a dismissive noised. “Not for me.”

I laughed. “Cocky.”

“Definitely. But also correct.”

I grinned and shook my head, then turned to watch Tabatha’s car approaching. Gran sat in the front, and I saw when she noticed the cottage. Confusion flashed on her face, then surprise, then joy.

I squeezed Callan’s hand. “I think she likes it.”

Tabatha parked the car, and Gran jumped out and ran to the cottage, so spry I’d have thought she had lost fifty years off her age. Heck, even I didn’t move that quickly.

Granddad stood by the door of the cottage, clutching his bouquet of hand-picked flowers.

“I cannot believe this!” Gran threw her arms around her husband, then turned to me, tears in her eyes. “How did you do this in a week?”

“Magic.” I grinned.

“That’s a lot of magic,” she said.

“Well, we’re very powerful.” I walked toward her and gave her a hug. “I wanted us to have some place warm to have Sunday meals when it’s winter, and you’ll be able to visit Granddad anytime you want, no matter the weather.

“Oh, thank you. I can’t imagine a better gift.” She gripped Granddad’s hand and looked at Callan. “It’s truly amazing. Ever since your mage visited the tower and weakened the barrier between the afterlife and our world, we’ve been able to see my husband so much.”

Granddad put his arm around her, a big grin on his face. He was so pleased to be seeing more of Gran. She still ran the shop, which was doing better than ever, but she frequently came over to the tower to talk to him. And then there were Sunday picnics, my favorite part of the week. There was a limit to how long his spirit could stay on this plane, of course, but he was able to stay for a few hours every day if he wanted. That was more than enough time to enjoy the cottage with Gran.

“I say we get this party started!” Catrina blew on one of the little paper party horns we’d laid out on the picnic blanket, already holding a cupcake I’d picked up from Margot’s Tea & Cake shop.

"Let's do it!" My stomach growled as I approached the blanket, my eyes on the perfect pasties that were still warm from the shop. The flaky crust gleamed in the light of the sun, and I couldn’t wait to taste one.

“Where’s Boris?” Tabatha asked. “He never misses a Sunday picnic.”

“And he knew this one was special.” Catrina frowned. “He even told me he had a surprise for Gran.”

“Oh, no.” I squeezed my eyes shut. I had no idea what he planned, but he wasn’t known for his good ideas.

“There he is!” Catrina’s joyful shout made me open my eyes.

I spotted him immediately, leading a line of beautiful white swans with bows on their necks. Gran clapped her hands to her mouth, delight in her eyes. She’d always loved swans.

“How lovely!” She cried.

Pride gleamed in Boris’s eyes as he led the group closer.

They’re going to sing a song! He said proudly in my head.

“Are they now?” I asked, watching the swans warily.

They stopped in a line in front of Gran and began to honk. The noise was earsplittingly bad, but as Boris sat on his butt and directed them like a conductor with his little front paws, I couldn’t help but grin. When I looked over at my Gran, I saw her leaning against my grandfather, happiness in her eyes. Catrina looked enraptured, while Tabatha looked as worried as I felt.

“Swans are really not known for their good nature,” Callan murmured in my ear as we watched them honk their song.

The performance seemed to be reaching its crescendo when one of the swans noticed the picnic. It waddled over from the rest of the group and pecked at a roll. Within seconds, every swan in the group had stopped its questionable singing and had converged on the food.

Chaos reigned.

There were honks and feathers flying, and Catrina shrieked and ran behind us. As if they thought we had more food, two of the swans started to approach our little huddle, greed in their beady black eyes.

“I say we take this party inside.” I spun around and hurried toward the cottage, opening the door and ushering everyone inside, the swans close on their heels, the destruction of the picnic behind them.

Callan was the last inside, and he’d managed to snag the two bottles of champagne we’d brought.

I grinned at him. “Good work.”

I followed him inside and shut the door, leaning against it as I looked at my family. In unison, we burst into laughter. Boris stood at the window, his paws propped on the glass as he stared out, horror on his little face as he watched the swans destroy the picnic. He turned to me, his eyes wide. I had no idea swans had such poor manners.

I laughed even harder, unable to help myself. Gran had tears of mirth rolling down her cheeks. Callan was chuckling as he opened the first bottle of champagne and poured it into the flutes we’d stocked in the kitchen cabinets.

“That was wonderful, Boris,” Gran said. “Thank you.”

But the food. Boris looked devastated.

“We can order delivery,” I said. “Once the swans have cleared out, I mean.” I grinned and looked around at the beautiful little cottage. ”Fortunately, we have a beautiful house to eat it in.”

“That we do, my dear.” Gran accepted a glass of champagne from Callan and raised it. “And a wonderful family.”

I raised my glass of champagne to join her toast. “To family.”

“To family!” Everyone cried, and we tipped back our glasses of champagne, ready to start the party.