Blessing of the Wood

"He is warm, safe, and loved, but he is not ready to see you yet."

Ella sighed. She looked out over the pool, thinking of him and opening her heart to bring him comfort as she had the day before. Movement in the corner of her eye caused her to glance that way, and she saw her clothing was hanging from branches in the sunlight. From the way the cloth fluttered in the wind, it appeared to be dry.

"Thanks, Grandma."

The dryad offered an impish grin and said, "You will need them soon."

"John?" Ella asked, hoping.

"Soon," Xantina said, "But first, there is another."

"Another?"

"Mmm hmm," Xantina said, and then giggled. "Take my hand."

Once again, they flew on the wings of the dryad's magic, and arrived at a familiar place. There was no holding back her grin of wonder when Ella saw the three fairies hovering near the place where Xantwilla's tree had once stood. One flew to her, and something that was more a suggestion than a thought caused her to lift her hand as she had before.

The fairy alighted on her palm. It appeared to be the same one that had chosen her on their last visit, though she couldn't be sure. The fairy spoke, her voice emerging not only from her lips, but within Ella's head as well.

"The words of humans are hard, and it has been long. You understand me?"

"Yes, I understand you," Ella answered.

"Good. We have a gift for Penny."

Xantina explained, "Penelope was called Penny when she was small."

"Penny was my friend, and it makes me sad to know she is ill. Look here."

In a fluttering of wings, the fairy left Ella's palm and landed within the hollow stump. There she saw a leaf unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It was larger than her hand, curled into the shape of a bowl, and tapered to a rounded point opposite the stem. Within was what looked like water, except it twinkled with points of multicolored light.

"This will make her better," the fairy declared.

"She's very sick," Ella said, knowing the seriousness of dementia.

The fairy laughed and nonchalantly said, "It is magic."

Xantina assured her, "She is right, Xanella. The water comes from the fairy world. It is blessed by their magic, and by the magic of my sister, who loved Penelope as I do you. It will take her pain and return her memories for the time she has left."

"For the time she has left?" Ella asked.

"Her spirit is weary, and longs to fly free," the fairy said.

Ella asked, "So, she's going to die?"

Her great-grandmother nodded. "It is her time to return to the earth. The magic will let her say goodbye to those she loves, then pass in peace and joy."

She had every reason to believe the dryad and felt her previously heavy heart lighten, but that wasn't her only concern. "How do I carry it without spilling it? I don't know how I could give it to her. They'll look at me like I'm crazy at the hospice if I tiptoe in with a leaf full of water."

Her great-grandmother answered the first by kneeling down and picking up the leaf. She turned it nearly on its side, and while the liquid shifted toward the pull of gravity, it did not roll off the leaf. The dryad then stood and handed it to Ella.

Ella twisted her wrist, amused by the way the water jiggled. "Okay, but that doesn't solve the problem of giving it to her."

The fairy flew in close and asked, "May I look into your thoughts?"

For anyone else, it would likely have been a frightening question. Ella, however, had grown up with her twin, sharing a near psychic connection, and with a great-grandmother who knew everything. She nodded without the slightest hint of hesitation.

The fairy closed her eyes, and her tiny brow knitted in concentration. Only moments passed before her eyes shot open and she clapped. "Tea!" the fairy declared.

"Well, she would drink it. I still don't know how I get it in her tea. There are rules, and..." Ella shrugged, unsure how to explain to the fairy.

"Put it in first," Xantina suggested. "Take the tea to her."

"I don't think that will go over any better. I'm not family or anything."

The nymph smiled and said, "Christine. Have her taste it. She will take it to Penelope, and it will help her too."

"Her too?"

"You will see," the ever mischievous dryad said.

She still wasn't so sure, but said, "I guess it won't hurt to try."

"Thank you," the fairy said. "You can tell your family about us, now."

"Thank you. I will."

The fairy waved, and then darted over to join the other tiny, winged women. All three then flew away, and through the rustling branches of the willow tree.

Ella balanced the leaf in her right hand and held out her left. "I guess I have tea to make," she told her great-grandmother.

Xantina laughed and whisked them home.

****

"Back again?" Christine asked when she walked into the lobby of the hospice.

"Yes," Ella answered. She had an irrational, nervous feeling as if she was trying to smuggle a cake containing a hacksaw to an inmate.

"Penelope is doing fine," the nurse said. She looked as if she was about to say something else, but her brow knitted and she winced.

Ella asked, "Are you okay?"

Christine held a hand over her lower abdomen and whispered, "Cramps." She then nodded at the thermos Ella was carrying and asked, "What's that?"

"I made some tea. It's all organic with lemon zest. I thought Penelope might like it."

The look on the nurse's face confirmed to Ella that what she'd told her great-grandmother was correct. It wasn't going to be as easy as handing over the thermos and calling it a day.

"Penelope is pretty particular about her tea," Christine diplomatically said.

Ella held out the thermos and suggested, "Try some and see what you think."

She did her best to hide it, but Ella knew the nurse was merely humoring her, and likely trying to think of the most polite way to say she couldn't take the tea to her elderly patient. She took off the top, poured a little, and brought it to her lips for a sip. Her eyes widened, and she immediately sipped again. This time, she shivered and moaned.

"Is it good?" Ella asked.

"Oh my god," the nurse said, and then stepped closer to whisper, "Good? This is wonderful."

Ella chuckled. "Thanks. So, do you think Penelope will like it?"

"I know she will. I'm not really supposed to do this, but you went to all this trouble, and I think it will brighten her day. If anyone asks, I'll just pretend I used a different thermos today. I don't usually take her tea until later, but..."

"No," Ella said while giving a shake of her head. "Don't change her routine. I'll pick up the thermos some other day. I need to get home."

"I don't work Mondays and Tuesdays. That's my weekend. You can come by any other day and pick it up. And if you want to bring some more, feel free."

"Thanks. I'll come by tomorrow."

"Thank you. And I'll say the same for Penelope in advance. I know she would want to."

"You're welcome. Bye."

Ella left the hospice smiling, but with the happy task out of the way, she was eager to return to the dryad's pool. The drive felt as if it took hours, and she didn't even bother grabbing her purse from the passenger seat when she arrived at home. She hurried down the trail and found her great-grandmother waiting for her.

"Is he awake yet?" Ella asked while pulling up her top.

Surprisingly, Xantina said, "Leave your coverings. Yes, he is awake, and he is ready to see you."

"So, he's coming home?"

The dryad shook her head. "I will take you to him."

That was perfectly fine with Ella. She stepped closer, held out her hands, and closed her eyes. The dryad grasped one, but reached up to caress Ella's cheek with the other.

"You must be strong, Xanella," Xantina said.

Before the advice could sink in, Ella felt the magic take hold of her. In the instant her feet touched solid ground once more, the dryad let go of her hand. By the time Ella opened her eyes, her great-grandmother had vanished. In front of her, John was pacing near his packed-up gear. He reached the end of a circuit, turned, and started when he saw her.

"Grandma brought me," Ella explained as she approached. "I was worried about you."

She saw him wince, and he said, "Ella, I don't want to do this here."

"Do what? Talk to me, John."

"I..." He trailed off, sighed, and then sat down on the ground.

Ella knelt down in front of him and asked, "What's wrong? Just tell me."

"You may be sorry you asked," he muttered.

Irritation crept in with her concern and she asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sorry," he said, catching the change in her inflection. "I just meant it's not good news, and I don't know how to tell you."

"Then just tell me. It can't be worse than the thousand crazy things I've thought of since you vanished on me."

He leaned to the side and unzipped his backpack, from which he retrieved a sheaf of folded papers. When he held them out to her, Ella took them and read. She saw the name of the clinic and knew that they were the results of his test. Most of the information was too technical to tell her anything, but some listed percentages were very low. There was also a recommendation to retake the test after a longer period of abstention.

When she looked up from the paperwork, John said, "I told the doctor to give it to me straight. He said that based on that test, there's not much chance I'll ever be able to have kids."

The revelation hit Ella hard. She'd never had any vision of her future that didn't include children. Now, here was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with telling her it might never be. It would be difficult enough for a normal couple, but the members of her family could only conceive on Earth Day, making it all the more unlikely. She reeled from the confusing riot of thoughts swirling through her head.

"Sorry," John said.

Latching onto one thing that offered hope, she said, "They want you to take the test again. That means they're not sure."

"I'll take it again, but you shouldn't get your hopes up."

"Just mine?" she asked.

"I... I wasn't even sure I wanted kids, but now that they're telling me I can't..." He paused and sighed. "I knew about my uncles. I think maybe I was trying to convince myself I didn't want kids so I wouldn't be disappointed."

"So you do?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah. I do. That's why I couldn't figure out any good way to tell you. I can't handle it. How are you supposed to?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"It makes me think it's a sign or something. I mean this, and my aunt... Maybe you'd be better off with someone else."

Ella shook her head. "Don't say that."

"You don't deserve any of this."

"Neither do you."

"Maybe you should think about it."

"No," she said before he even finished. "One thing I do know is that it doesn't change how I feel about you. None of it. I don't need to think about it. I love you. That's all that matters."

She could see the relief in his eyes. Even if he believed what he was saying, it wasn't what he wanted.

"I love you, too," he said.

Before he could add a but to that, she said, "That's all we need, then. If we can't have kids, so be it."

"Are you sure?"

As soon as he finished the question, she knew the answer. No matter the shock and turmoil she felt, her answer was certain. "Yes. I don't care if we haven't exchanged vows yet. Sickness and in health. Richer or poorer. It's how I feel."

A slight, shy smile turned up the corners of his lips when he said, "Me too."

The strangest thought hit her out of the blue, and it broke through the tension she felt, so she shared it. "If we can't have kids, Terra will use it as an excuse to fill up all the extra bedrooms herself, anyway."

He chuckled and agreed, "You're probably right."

"I know I'm right. I'd probably do the same thing if the situation were reversed. But that's just a what if." Ella scooted closer. "You still have to take the test again, and there are other options."

"You're not supposed to be getting your hopes up," he reminded her.

"And you shouldn't be giving up. If we want it badly enough, we can make it happen."

He reached up and touched her cheek. "You make me want to believe that."

"Good. Now just get rid of that want to part and believe it."

Ella leaned in, and they kissed. When their lips parted, she said, "Let's go home."

****

"Morning," Ella said when John awakened the next morning. She smiled and giggled at his reaction to her fingertips gliding over his morning erection.

"Morning," he said. Then he did something completely unexpected and pushed her hand away. Upon seeing the look in her eyes, he reminded her, "The test."

"I wasn't really doing anything," she protested.

"We weren't last night, either."

She had to admit he was right. They had climbed into bed, shared an innocent goodnight kiss, and snuggled up together. An accidental brush of his hand over her nipple began a chain of escalating arousal that reached an inevitable conclusion.

"Okay, I'll behave," she said as she pushed the covers aside. "I'm going to brush my teeth. I can at least have a kiss, can't I?"

He nodded as he kicked his side of the bedclothes down.

After brushing their teeth, Ella got her kiss. She couldn't resist tickling him with her tongue, and felt his hands slide down to her butt. Her heart beat fast from the touch, and she moaned into the kiss.

Then he pulled away.

His voice was pained when he said, "Ella..."

She held back a surge of frustration. "Sorry."

"If I'm going to go three days, I don't think I can do it here," he said.

Ella opened her mouth to protest, but before a word could escape, her conscience told her the truth. She couldn't resist the temptation. All it had taken was a kiss to make her ache for him.

He continued, "I think I should go stay at Mom's. If I'm going to make it, staying there is the best bet."

Ella nodded in resignation. She didn't like it, but she knew he was right. "I'll go get you some clothes so you can get dressed in here."

"I love you. And I do want you. You know that, don't you?"

"I want you too. You're right. There's no way we can behave for one day, let alone three." She blew him a kiss on the way out of the bathroom.

****

Ella sighed as John closed the front door at his mother's house. She knew it was going to be a long three days. Already missing him, she backed out of the drive and hit the road. The one and only positive was that she had an opportunity to stop by the hospice and check on Penelope.

Christine was all smiles when she walked into the lobby.

"You look like you're feeling better," Ella remarked.

The nurse crossed her fingers. "I'm hoping it lasts. I usually have the most awful cramps for three or four days, but I've been fine since yesterday."

Ella's grin widened, as that explained the dryad saying the magical tea would help Christine as well. She made a show of crossing her fingers, but knew there was no need.

"Penelope asked about you," Christine said. "Not by name, but she remembered you coming to visit. She wants you to come see her."

"I'd like that."

"Remember, she has her good days and bad days. There's no guarantee she'll remember you, or that it won't trigger some sad memory like last time."

Ella nodded and said, "I understand," even though she was certain there was nothing to worry about.

"This way," Christine said. A short distance down the hall, she stopped at a doorway. "Penelope, Ella is here to see you."

The elderly woman smiled and said, "Come in. Come in."

Christine said, "I'm going to get back to work. Catch me on your way out and I'll get your thermos."

"Thanks," Ella said as she stepped into the room.

"You remind me of an old friend," Penelope said once Ella reached her bedside. "Ella, isn't it?"

Ella glanced toward the door to make sure nobody was passing by, and then answered, "Xanella, actually."

The old woman's eyes widened and she gasped. "So, it's true?"

Ella nodded, and then held up a finger before going to close the door. When she returned to the bedside, she explained, "My great-grandmother is a dryad named Xantina. I asked her about Xantwilla when you said her name."

"Do I have her to thank for bringing me back?"

Ella thought that mentioning the fairies might be a little too much, too fast, and answered, "Partially. She said that it was Xantwilla's magic, too."

"I've missed her so," Penelope said, and then sighed. "So much is... I only remember bits of what's happened while I've been here. I remember you coming, though. I thought you were her, come back to me somehow."

"It broke my heart when you realized I wasn't her," Ella admitted.

"You know, I can almost hear her singing..." The old woman's eyes grew distant for a few seconds, but a shake of her head brought her back. "But, enough wool-gathering. I know I don't have much time left."

"So..." Ella hesitated, not knowing what to say, and ended up settling for, "You know?"

Penelope nodded. "Yes, I know I'm not long for this world. I'm over ninety, and I've known that for years. It's just more certain now. I'm ready to go. What I don't know is how you came to find me in the first place. I know I'd remember if we met before."

"It's kind of a long story," Ella dodged. She was more than a little embarrassed by the selfish motivation that had eventually led her here. "I learned who you were because the campground is in danger of being foreclosed on for unpaid taxes."

Even deeper furrows creased Penelope's wrinkled brow. "How can that be? I put my affairs in order years ago."

"My dad is a state senator. He looked into it and said that the property taxes somehow got missed. The church has been trying to raise the money, but they're almost out of time. My family tried to make a donation, but they wouldn't take it."

"Oh dear," Penelope said, and pursed her lips. Then her eyes lit up. "Miller. Your father's name is Daniel Miller, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's my dad."

"I thought so. I voted for him, you know. I reckoned he was a good man, and after meeting you, I know I was right."

Ella grinned and said, "Thanks. I'll let him know."

"You do that. Tell me, do you happen to know if a woman named Carolyn is in charge of raising the money?"

"Yes."

The old woman nodded and sighed. "I thought so. I hope your kin can forgive her for sending your money back. She's been through so much, and when she turned to the church for strength, I'm afraid she fell in with the fire and brimstone types."

How well Ella knew that. She shrugged and said, "We're used to that sort of thing. But, my dad checked with some people, and he's pretty sure that he can get the land attached to the state forest if the foreclosure goes through. So at least it will be protected."

"I think Xantwilla would approve of that, and I know I do," Penelope said. "It may not come to that, though. I need to talk to Carolyn and say goodbye, anyway. I'll convince her to accept your family's donation, if they're still willing to give."

"Do you think you can?"

Penelope reached out and patted her hand. "Deep down, she has a good heart. She just needs to hear things interpreted through scripture, and I'm good at that, dear. I don't know that I ever believed, but the church is a lot like Carolyn. At the heart of things, it's about love and compassion."

Heartened by Penelope's confidence, Ella said, "If she'll take the money, I'm sure my family will make the donation."

"And she will, dear." The old woman chuckled, looked at the phone, and said, "I imagine she's in for a bit of a shock when I call her."

Sensing that she wanted to catch up with those she loved, and knowing that she didn't have much time to do so, Ella said, "I should go and let you do that, then."