Chapter 6: The Fortune Teller

Meri and Allyn throw a birthday party for Kalen.

All their close relatives and friends come to celebrate.

Only Erys is noticeably absent. Melusine explains that her husband has become introspective of late, sometimes disappearing altogether, the way the pure blooded fairies do.

"He's depressed about my aging," Melusine confides in her brother, "And he's been trying to get Tania to work some kind of magic on us, to make us all fae. I'm afraid that while he's gone...wherever they go when they leave their bodies, he's working on learning his mother's magic."

Kalen becomes a child.

For one brief evening, all three Dayspring children share the same age group.

The next day is Brynne's birthday.

Brynne becomes a teen.

Erys has returned to his physical state, and the transformation has left him vulnerable to his emotions. He breaks down in tears when his wife approaches.

"Stay with me, Erys," Melusine whispers, "Stop trying to change what I am, and just be with me."

After his siblings have their birthdays, Tamlin decides he needs a transformation of his own, and gives himself a makeover.

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Dennis Bowman had a bright future ahead of him; like his grandfather Kaiden, he was on track to be a superstar athlete. And in one afternoon, all his dreams and prospects were destroyed by an injury to his back that made him ineligible for professional sports.

Jasmine turns to embrace him after setting their daughter Keira into her swing. "Give her a bottle in two hours," she says quietly, "The sitter should be here a half hour before your shift. I left a note on the fridge for her."

Dennis promises to take care of Keira while she's gone, but his words feel hollow. He'd promised her lots of things he wasn't going to be able to deliver now. When she got pregnant right out of high school, he promised she'd have as much time as she wanted to raise their daughter before she had to go out and work, and now instead of taking her time to find the perfect career, she's been reduced to taking a part time job at the grocery just to help pay the bills. The money he's bringing in as a bartender just isn't cutting it.

"I wish you didn't have to this," he says.

"It's all right, Dennis," she reassures him, "We'll be fine. We have each other."

On her way home from work that afternoon, Jasmine sees a fortune teller's sign in a nearby shop, and wonders that she never noticed it before. She doesn't believe in this sort of thing, but something draws her into the open door.

"I am Madame Ico," the fortune teller announces, "How can I help you, child?"

"I was just looking," Jasmine says, feeling a little silly for being here. Both the room and the woman are completely overdone, like some cartoon carnival. There's no way anyone could ever take this seriously.

"Come," Madame Ico gestures, "Let's see what my crystal has to show you."

"Oh, I really can't afford..." Jasmine fumbles, wishing she hadn't stepped through the door, "I should really go."

"Madame Ico has no need of your money," Madame Ico insists, "Sit down, sit down."

Jasmine sits across  from the fortune teller, and tries not to be amazed when the crystal ball lifts from it's pedestal. There must be some trick to it, she tells herself, none of this is real.

"I see, I see things have not been going well for you. Your husband has suffered an injury. You are not making enough money to support yourselves, and your little girl."

How does she know all that? Jasmine wonders, still not truly believing. These people have their ways of convincing the gullible, and Jasmine has no intention of being taken in.

"But do not fret, child," Madame Ico continues, "I see great changes ahead for you. Your husband will be offered a job in a different town. There, you will be happy, and prosper."

For a moment, Jasmine sees an idyllic little town in her mind's eye, and feels an indescribable feeling of peace, like she's come home after a long journey. When the image fades, she's left with a sense of loss, and the conviction that if she could just find this town, all would be right again, the way it was meant to be.

"I see these changes coming for you soon, child. Before this week is done, you will be living a new life," Madame Ico finishes her reading with a dramatic flourish.

Jasmine leaves the fortune teller's shop buoyed in spirit, feeling like all her problems have disappeared and nothing could possibly go wrong for her family now. She can't quite explain this new confidence to herself, because she doesn't believe in fate or fortune tellers.

Las Bebidas is pretty dead this afternoon, which means Dennis won't be bringing in many tips. He kills time wiping down the tables that no patrons have yet come in to dirty. 

"Dennis Bowman," the lone customer surprises Dennis by calling him by name as he takes his hand, "My name is Merle Waters, I represent Edgewater Academy."

Dennis smiles dully, not sure if he should know the man's name or this Edgewater Academy.

"We're looking for someone like you to head our sports department," Waters explains.

Dennis balks; did this guy actually walk into his bar to offer him a job? He can't be for real. Fearing some kind of scam, Dennis questions the man, and learns that Edgewater Academy is a small town school, in desperate need of a sports department. 

"Why me?" Dennis asks.

"We vetted several candidates, and you're the best fit for Edgewater," Waters explains, though it doesn't really explain anything.

"I have to discuss this with my wife," Dennis, "Moving out of L.A. is a big decision."

"Of course," Waters smiles amiably, handing him a business card. "Take as much time as you need, and call me when you've decided. Edgewater will assist with your relocation and help find housing for you and your family in town, should you decide to join us."

"Baby, the strangest thing happened today," Dennis tells his wife as soon as he gets home, "This guy walked into the bar and offered me a job. Heading the sports department at Edgewater Academy."

"What's Edgewater Academy?" Jasmine asks, holding in the strange thrill of having the fortune teller's prophecy come true so suddenly.

"It's a small town school. Somewhere east of here. The salary they're offering, Jas, it's hard to turn down. And they're even offering to help with the relocation. But, we'd have to leave L.A."

The image of the small town she envisioned at the fortune teller's place come to mind, calling to Jasmine. "It sounds wonderful," she sighs, speaking as much about her vision as she is about his job offer.

"But what if it isn't?" Dennis worries, "We know nothing about this town, we have no idea what we'd be walking in to."

"We don't know what's there," Jasmine admits, though inside she feels like she knows this Edgewater better than any place in the world, "But we do know what's here. Neither one of has been able to get more than part time work, and we're barely making rent. If things don't look up, we'll have to move to a smaller place. We can't raise Keira like that. This sounds like a real chance for us, Dennis. I think we should take it."

Dennis smiles. "As long as you think you'll be happy," he says.

"I know we'll be happy," she assures him, "We have each other."

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Comments:

Dennis Bowman was made by playing with genetics of Kaiden and Becky Bowman (the Gen 6 heir and first spouse of my Roman legacy). Dennis is Kaiden's grandson in the story, and is a descendant of Tearney Bowman (nee Roman), Aymeri's daughter. FWIW, Becky was also descended from the Bowman line, being Rory Bowman's granddaughter. I didn't mention the family connection in the legacy when Kaiden and Becky got married.

Dennis and Jasmine's scenes were shot in Los Aniegos.

As for my legacy, it's going along. Meri is still working on his Perfectionist goal. He spends a lot of time cooking. Luckily he has the culinary carer reward fridge, so all these extra meals he makes don't go to waste.

While Tamlin's 'fashion diva' requirement doesn't officially kick in until he reaches YA, he's already doing it. He'll be a teen in 5 days or so.