“Open the folder, and let’s see them,” Burt said.
Mia unwound the string and opened the big brown envelope. She poured the contents out. “He always used a handmade envelope. Look for ones like this,” she said, holding up a faded pink construction paper envelope.
Together they found eight of them.
“How many years were you in grade school?”
“I forgot. He put a few in my high school locker later on.”
Burt noticed that Mia had put a little note on each envelope noting the year. “Let’s see them in order,” Burt suggested.
Each valentine was composed of a small picture glued in the middle of a paper doily. The subject of the picture was Mia.
“I wonder if he drew pictures of all the kids?” she mused.
“Look at this one,” Burt said, laying it atop the others.
Mia looked and gasped. “There are wings, my old wings,” she said.
“You two are in fifth grade. His drawing is astonishing. He’s caught your aloneness. He’s amazing,” Burt said.
Mia opened the last two. She was a bit different in each one, but the wings were the same.
Burt tapped the seventh-grade valentine. “This is the girl who saved me,” he said.
Mia held out the last valentine picture. “This is my OOB persona. This is how Murphy and people bilocating see me.”
“Mia, there is such pain in your eyes.”
“He really is a good artist,” Mia said.
“No, right now.”
“It’s because I’m slipping into the past, Burt. I’ve been sliding ever since we came back.”
“Me too, Bebe,” Burt said, getting up. “I’m going to sit over there.”
Mia was grateful he had some self-control. “We were very good when we were together. We just don’t do well outside the bedroom.”
“I know. I can’t take care of you the way Ted can. He not only can financially support you but emotionally too. He takes on every change that comes over you with relish. You’re his superhero, Mia. I couldn’t do that. I think fate knew that too. That’s why that kiss with Murphy happened. I think Mother Nature used him to move you in a different direction.”
“Gee, another puppeteer, great. For what it’s worth, you were my savior, not Murph. Remember that.”
Burt smiled. “I think his friendship saved you more than our brief affair.”
“Don’t ever discount what we had. Why do you think I fought so hard with the flitch? I wanted that Burt back.”
Mia’s phone rang. It was Ted. She reluctantly answered it. “Hello, Ted.”
“I just got your text. I think the phone service is crapping out in this storm.”
“I love it when you talk technical,” Mia teased.
“How is it on the peninsula?”
“Pretty stormy. Your son is sleeping through it.”
“He takes after my dad. He could sleep through anything. It’s how I was able to sneak out at night. Care to tell me why you went over to see Burt in the first place?”
“Actually, I came to get a box of my stuff from the garage when the storm broke. I’ll explain more fully when we get back,” Mia promised. “Right now, I’m trying to seduce Burt, but he’s not having any of it.”
“Don’t torture the man, pumpkin.”
“K. I’ll be good.”
“Unless you want to have a beautiful daughter. One without my nose,” Ted offered.
“I love your nose. Stop tempting me. I may have brought the demon Mia back with me.”
“Now, I’m going to pace the floor until you get back,” Ted said.
Mia laughed. “It will do you good. Once the storm breaks and Brian wakes up, we’ll be headed home. I’ll call before we leave.”
“Please do. I love you.”
“Of course you do,” Mia responded and hung up. “Where were we?”
“Evidently you were seducing me?” Burt asked, amused.
“Ted seems to think we’d make a beautiful baby together.”
Burt laughed and shook his head. “You and Mike would, or so he says.”
“Oh him,” Mia dismissed. “He’s got to back off.”
“He seems to always know how to get under Ted’s skin,” Burt observed.
“He was like that in the past.”
“What was Mike like?”
“Young, handsome, vulnerable, he hadn’t gotten into full ego mode yet.”
“He didn’t hit on you?”
“NO! I was twelve. He’s a good guy, just not the guy. Can we change the subject?”
“Sure, what are you going to do about Acalan?”
“I think I may discuss it with Michael.”
“You don’t look too happy about that.”
“I was hoping to avoid Michael. I’ve got a lot going on that I don’t want him interfering with.”
“Don’t put yourself in any more danger,” Burt advised.
“I’m trying to make sure nothing like this happens again. No volo candles or wishing wells, poisoned apples or whatever. I lost you and Ted once. I’ll not survive it again.”
Burt’s eyes softened. “I won’t ask you which one of us you’d miss the most. Let me think it’s me. Let me live in the delusion that I matter that much,” he pleaded.
“As you wish,” Mia said.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Mia slid out of bed confident Ted was asleep. She walked through the kitchen and out the back door. She dropped her robe, exposed her wings, and with one mighty pump, shot upwards.
Lazar, who was puzzled by the late-night activity in the kitchen, caught Mia’s exit. He opened his door, walked with his crutch out into the yard, and picked her robe off the rain-soaked ground. He brought it inside. He hobbled down the hall and left it on the kitchen counter. What was she up to alone at this hour? It must have something to do with the argument she and Ted had when she came home from Burt Hicks’s house.
“Mia, you have to see
