is a moment I know I'll remember for the rest of my life.
Finally the tart is gone, and Iminyë looks like she's nearly doubled in width, which is surprising because as far as I can tell she's eaten nearly four times her size. She licks each finger carefully, then claps her hands. "Refreshments!"
I blink, but before I can ask a question, bees emerge from the hive, five or six to a fluted glass of what looks like champagne. I take mine, the large bees smiling at me as they bob and drift away. This is surreal. Amazing. Wonderful.
Iminyë lifts her glass, a tiny version of my own. "My own special brew. Try it. You will like it."
It's practically an order, so I taste it and immediately my eyes light up. It's delicious. A sweet cidery drink, light and tart, like a honey apple. It clears away the rich taste in my mouth from the several slices of tart, and fills me with an effervescent energy. "Oh." I have to fight to not drink the whole thing at once. "Wow. What is this?"
"I call it Honey Sunlight," says Iminyë smugly. "It's amazing."
"It really is." I stare at Soren, who clearly has tasted it before, because he's sipping it with annoying poise. "Wow. I love it."
"I knew you would." Iminyë flutters up into the air and drops her glass, which is caught by two bees before it can hit the rocks and borne away. "Why are you here?"
Just like that I'm on the spot, and just like that I'm suddenly tense and alert. I set my glass down carefully. "I asked Soren to bring me so that I could ask a favor. I'm going to open a bakery in Honeycomb Falls, and I would love to use your honey as an ingredient in my most special creations." I feel like I should say more, but at heart, that's all there is to say. "Please? I would be so honored to cook with your honey."
"Hmm," says Iminyë, floating lazily in the air. Her eyes half close as she considers me. The moment stretches out torturously. I realize I'm holding my breath, my tummy tight, my lower lip between my teeth. "OK," Iminyë says, and smiles.
I blink. "OK?" For a moment I don't even understand what that means, and then happiness bursts through me like the light of a rising sun.
"OK!" Iminyë says again with a broad smile, and floats down to the empty tart tin. She gazes sadly at the smears of red and the remaining crumbles, and then looks up at me. "This was good. It carried your heart and love. I tasted it when I ate. I trust you. You can have my honey. But I will want more tarts."
"Of course! I'll send you tarts every day!" I leap to my feet and clap. "Thank you, Iminyë. Thank you thank you thank you!"
She smiles at me like a satisfied three-year-old, her smile so wide her cheeks squeeze her eyes shut, and then takes to the air again. "Time to sleep. Goodbye, Anita Hall." And with that, she disappears back into the crack in the oak.
I turn to Soren, speechless, and then throw myself into his arms with a squeal of happiness. "She said yes! She said yes!"
He laughs and spins me through the air before setting me down and cupping my face in his palms. I cover his hands with my own and smile up into his gorgeous face. "Of course she did," he says. "I never doubted she would."
"Oh, Soren. You don't know what this means to me."
"I have an idea." He rubs his thumb across my lips. I kiss it, but his eyes are solemn. "I have an idea, but I know you're holding back. There's more going on than you're telling me."
My heart trips and stops. Of course there is. But I don't want to bring up Gerry. And Harold. And my father's debt. I don't want to ruin this perfect moment with my sordid history. I want to start fresh. I want to take this success, take control of my future, and leave the past behind. "It's in my past," I say. Soren is gazing deep into my soul. "It's over. Just how Selune is in yours. When I get back to Honeycomb Falls I'm going to put it behind me once and for all."
He nods slowly, and I see him actively make the decision to trust me. "Come," he says. "I haven't shown you
Finally the tart is gone, and Iminyë looks like she's nearly doubled in width, which is surprising because as far as I can tell she's eaten nearly four times her size. She licks each finger carefully, then claps her hands. "Refreshments!"
I blink, but before I can ask a question, bees emerge from the hive, five or six to a fluted glass of what looks like champagne. I take mine, the large bees smiling at me as they bob and drift away. This is surreal. Amazing. Wonderful.
Iminyë lifts her glass, a tiny version of my own. "My own special brew. Try it. You will like it."
It's practically an order, so I taste it and immediately my eyes light up. It's delicious. A sweet cidery drink, light and tart, like a honey apple. It clears away the rich taste in my mouth from the several slices of tart, and fills me with an effervescent energy. "Oh." I have to fight to not drink the whole thing at once. "Wow. What is this?"
"I call it Honey Sunlight," says Iminyë smugly. "It's amazing."
"It really is." I stare at Soren, who clearly has tasted it before, because he's sipping it with annoying poise. "Wow. I love it."
"I knew you would." Iminyë flutters up into the air and drops her glass, which is caught by two bees before it can hit the rocks and borne away. "Why are you here?"
Just like that I'm on the spot, and just like that I'm suddenly tense and alert. I set my glass down carefully. "I asked Soren to bring me so that I could ask a favor. I'm going to open a bakery in Honeycomb Falls, and I would love to use your honey as an ingredient in my most special creations." I feel like I should say more, but at heart, that's all there is to say. "Please? I would be so honored to cook with your honey."
"Hmm," says Iminyë, floating lazily in the air. Her eyes half close as she considers me. The moment stretches out torturously. I realize I'm holding my breath, my tummy tight, my lower lip between my teeth. "OK," Iminyë says, and smiles.
I blink. "OK?" For a moment I don't even understand what that means, and then happiness bursts through me like the light of a rising sun.
"OK!" Iminyë says again with a broad smile, and floats down to the empty tart tin. She gazes sadly at the smears of red and the remaining crumbles, and then looks up at me. "This was good. It carried your heart and love. I tasted it when I ate. I trust you. You can have my honey. But I will want more tarts."
"Of course! I'll send you tarts every day!" I leap to my feet and clap. "Thank you, Iminyë. Thank you thank you thank you!"
She smiles at me like a satisfied three-year-old, her smile so wide her cheeks squeeze her eyes shut, and then takes to the air again. "Time to sleep. Goodbye, Anita Hall." And with that, she disappears back into the crack in the oak.
I turn to Soren, speechless, and then throw myself into his arms with a squeal of happiness. "She said yes! She said yes!"
He laughs and spins me through the air before setting me down and cupping my face in his palms. I cover his hands with my own and smile up into his gorgeous face. "Of course she did," he says. "I never doubted she would."
"Oh, Soren. You don't know what this means to me."
"I have an idea." He rubs his thumb across my lips. I kiss it, but his eyes are solemn. "I have an idea, but I know you're holding back. There's more going on than you're telling me."
My heart trips and stops. Of course there is. But I don't want to bring up Gerry. And Harold. And my father's debt. I don't want to ruin this perfect moment with my sordid history. I want to start fresh. I want to take this success, take control of my future, and leave the past behind. "It's in my past," I say. Soren is gazing deep into my soul. "It's over. Just how Selune is in yours. When I get back to Honeycomb Falls I'm going to put it behind me once and for all."
He nods slowly, and I see him actively make the decision to trust me. "Come," he says. "I haven't shown you
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