Page 120 of Fairy Godmothers Aren't Cheap

The biggest issue was keeping the kids out of the park while the big machines worked.

Although it was a Tuesday, so at least many of them were at daycare or school. Still, the number of parents and small kids that had come by the park today was astounding. It still surprised me how many children were tucked away in my old, tiny neighbourhood. I supposed it made sense, though. The families were young, just starting out. Where else could you afford in the city, other than Everstone?

“How’s it going?” Tamara asked, sliding on a pair of brand-new work gloves. I gave her a giant hug, happy to see her. She’d taken most of the day off from her new job as an educational assistant in order to be here.

“It’s coming together. Did Kade come?”

“He couldn’t get off work. He says hi.”

“Hi back.”

Tamara surveyed the lots. “I guess in two days we find out if this all worked.”

“Cross your fingers for me.”

“Where’s James?” she asked, gazing around the park.

“Also at work.” I felt a flicker of fear due to his absence, my mind leaping to the erroneous, persistent assumption that Estelle’s magic had finally worn off on him and he was in the process of leaving me. My old wishes no longer mattered where he and his love were concerned. It was real, and he was really mine and here to stay. But it was so hard to retrain my mind to remember that, to fully trust this blissful reality. I was still learning to love with all of my heart, and with nothing held back, and some days were easier than others.

“He’s at the new one already?”

“No, this is an event at the Saddledome. He’s doing security. He starts the new one tomorrow.” He’d landed a very cool job with a mapping company. “I think he’ll enjoy it. He said he wasn’t sure about sitting at a desk, but it sounds like once he’s been there a few months, and knows the map software a bit better, he can go out in the field for some projects. Honestly, it sounds perfect for him.” The right blend of homey routine and adventure.

Personally, this week, I was avoiding work to spend more time here at the lot or working on last-minute details or paperwork. It was annoying Joan, who’d lined me up for a few different temp jobs this week in hopes of dazzling me with variety. I think she could tell my heart wasn’t in it any longer.

The man installing the benches had made us a chess table, even though we hadn’t ordered it due to a lack of funds. He sent us to check it out, letting us climb onto the back of his flatbed truck.

“How did he know we wanted one of these?” Tamara asked, running a hand over the table’s surface. It was beautiful. The top was alternately covered with black-and-white, one-inch by one-inch tiles. It was similar to the table in her plans, only more intricate.

“The park can’t afford this,” I said, well aware that my latest pay cheque would be covering the last few costs that donations and grants hadn’t covered.

“He’s donating it.”

I met Tamara’s brown eyes, and she pulled me into a warm hug as we sniffed back tears of gratitude. She rubbed my back, knowing I was completely overcome by the man’s generosity.

She released me so we could admire the table again. “This is exactly what I had in mind.” Tamara dragged a finger over the etched design that ran along the table’s wide metal edging. “Even better with this detail.” She stopped and bent over, peering at the artwork. “Are those…”

Tamara straightened, and we looked at each other. We bent over it again. The table maker had added fairies. They were among cute, squat mushrooms and tiny doors set into tree trunks all along the edge of the table.

“Estelle?” I whispered.

We both looked up as though expecting to see her waiting off to the side in her leather pants and bright red hair. She was nowhere to be found. But from our new vantage point on the truck, the difference in the old lots was astounding.

“Wow,” I breathed.

No more weeds. No warehouse. No garbage. No sagging chain-link.

I looked at the street and beyond. Was it my imagination, or was there less garbage in the streets than before? Had the windows been washed on the empty brick buildings? Even the one James and I cracked had been fixed.

I glanced back at the park. Community pride?

Was it already starting to happen in Everstone?

The park looked great. And this was such a perfect, central spot for it. And sure, there was a heck of a lot of topsoil being tracked around, but there were several leafed out trees already in place, a playground, a half-basketball court, a doggy area, and even concrete paths that wound through it all. Soon there would be fencing, flowers, and grass. There’d be places to sit as well as a chessboard.

It was going to be perfect. A small community neighbourhood park.

We might even finish a full day ahead of schedule.

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