Page 91 of The Wedding Toast
They all turned when a knock came at the office door.
“Anyone in there?It’s me, Ollie.”
Reaves’s shoulders sagged with relief as his dad called, “We’re here.Come on in.Join the party.”
When Ollie came in, Zia grinned at him.“You’re one of the Flying Ones.I need to check you.”
Ollie shot Reaves a puzzled look, but all he could do was shrug.He had no idea what she was talking about.
He and his dad watched as Zia beckoned for Ollie to come down to her level.When he squatted beside her, she ran her little hands over his shoulders as if searching for something.
“What are you up to, sunflower?”his dad asked.
Zia continued probing Ollie’s back for a few moments before she said, “I’m looking for his wings.They fold away really neatly, you know?”
Reaves choked out a laugh.This was a new one on him.
“What do you know about Flying Ones and their wings?”his dad asked her.
She gave Ollie’s back one more poke, looking a little frustrated, before she came to stand before his dad.“I’ve already met two of the Flying Ones.”She glanced at Reaves.“Sir Oak is one of them.And Prince Sky is the other.Did you know that they’re Flying Ones?”
He nodded slowly.“They’re pilots,” he explained.
“That’s the word Lady Darling called them,” said Zia.“But it just means that they’re the Flying Ones, and they have wings.Prince Sky said that he has to tuck them neatly away when he’s not flying.”
She turned back to Ollie.“I know there are two more Flying Ones.You’re one of them, aren’t you?And the other one is your friend – I know because the Queen of Cookies told me.”
Ollie chuckled.“I am, but you don’t know who the other one is?”
She shook her head slowly.“I haven’t worked it out yet.”
Ollie raised his eyebrows at Reaves, but his dad spoke before anyone else could.He came to stand beside him and rested his hand on Reaves’s shoulder.
“He’s right here,” he told Zia.
Her eyes grew round when she looked up at Reaves.“You’re a Flying One?”she asked in an awed whisper.
“I am,” he agreed, surprised at himself – he mustn’t have mentioned to her before that he was a pilot.
Just as she’d done with Ollie, she beckoned for him to come down to her level.He squatted down, and she reached forward, touching his shoulder lightly like she was searching for wings.
She gave him a puzzled look.“Do they only come out when you fly?”
He didn’t know what to say.He hated the idea of disappointing her, but at the same time, he felt like he shouldn’t mislead her.
He glanced at his dad, who seemed to understand.“Most people think that it’s only the planes that have wings,” he told Zia.“But I know better.”He smiled at Reaves and then Ollie.“These two have wings – just not the kind you can see.”
That seemed to satisfy Zia, even though it left Reaves and Ollie with a few questions.While he was still recovering, she went to set her backpack on his dad’s desk.
“Do you want to make glitter postcards with me, Grandpa Grape?I need to send some.I’ll send you one if you like.”
His dad chuckled and went to sit behind his desk.Reaves was amazed to see Zia climb up onto his lap.
“Very well.We can work on making postcards while these two go and fetch us some lemonade.How about that?”
Reaves wondered if she’d be okay left alone with his dad, but she smiled at him and said, “I’d like lemonade, please.”
Ollie left the room ahead of him, and as he followed, Reaves touched the place on his shoulder where she’d rested her hand.She’d looked at him like he was truly magical, and that had left an impression on him.
