suck in a breath. She stared at me for a few moments, her pale eyes wide. Then she seemed to gather herself together, wrapping a hand around her coffee cup.
‘Uh-huh,’ she said before turning her attention to Jack and looking him up and down as I introduced us.
We slid into the bench across from her and catching her eyes, I said, ‘You didn’t bring your friend?’
She shrugged. ‘Why would I? I don’t know who you are to him.’
I had to admit she had a point. After telling her fair enough, I said, ‘I think he might be my twin brother actually.’
Her eyebrows flicked up. ‘Really!’ she said, and a moment later added, ‘You’re not from round here.’
‘I grew up in Australia.’
The waitress came over, pad in hand, and while Jack ordered coffee, Mona watched me, head tipped slightly to the right—Dad would say she was taking my measure—then she picked up her teaspoon and stirred her coffee. It had to be some kind of stalling tactic because there was barely anything left in the cup. I found myself wishing I could read her mind. Eventually she said, ‘So, what makes you think my friend’s your brother?’
Knowing she wouldn’t give me a thing until I’d satisfied whatever was bugging her, I took a deep calming breath and said, ‘The fact you responded to the Facebook page for a start… Is he your boyfriend?’
She shook her head and waved her teaspoon about as she assured me he was only a friend. ‘I’m just looking out for him,’ she continued. ‘ So many creeps out there.’ She shuddered dramatically.
‘I hope you don’t think I’m one of them?’ I felt Jack squeeze my knee under the table.
‘Can’t be too sure,’ Mona said with a chuckle.
‘So, will you tell me his name at least?’ I asked.
She rolled the teaspoon in front of her. ‘More information first.’
I smoothed my eyebrows with a finger and thumb to stop my impatience from showing. ‘Okay, if he is my brother, he has serious health issues—skin problems, chest infections–’ I stopped. Mona was turning an even paler shade of fair. ‘Are you all right?’ I asked.
‘I just have this breathing thing,’ she said, fanning her face with a hand. ‘Go on, I’m good now.’
I swallowed. ‘So the thing is, if this guy is my twin, not only is he adopted but he’s also from another… place.’
She frowned. ‘Another place ?’
Wondering how much to tell I glanced at Jack. He gave me the slightest of nods. I turned back to Mona and said, ‘Look, this is going to be hard to get your head around but the truth is my brother and I were separated at birth and left to be raised… here.’
She put her teaspoon down and held a hand up. ‘Hold up, you just said you were from Australia.’
‘I am,’ I said quickly. ‘I just meant we were left… here to be raised by… humans.’ A rush of heat filled my face.
A short chuckle escaped Mona’s throat. She quickly gathered herself together. ‘As opposed to what— aliens ?’
Not sure what to say next, I turned to Jack again. He was sitting back in the seat, watching her. Without even looking my way, he leaned forward and dropped a hand on the table as he said, ‘There’s no easy way to tell you this, Mona, but your friend’s a faery, you know—a midnight tooth collector, pointy ears, sparkly wings—’
‘Jack,’ I cried as Mona began to snigger.
Jack turned to me. ‘No use beating around the bush, Marla. Show her your wings, or you’ll never even get the guy’s name.’
‘What? No!’ I said as Mona burst out laughing. She sounded like she was choking on a bone.
‘Oh Lord, am I on one of those hidden camera shows? Is this a set up?’ she said when she had her laughter under control. ‘I can’t even figure out why I responded to that dumb Facebook page. I’ve been regretting it ever since.’
Stony faced, Jack said, ‘Show her, Marla. No one will believe her anyway.’
I glanced around the café—everyone had left except for us and the
‘Uh-huh,’ she said before turning her attention to Jack and looking him up and down as I introduced us.
We slid into the bench across from her and catching her eyes, I said, ‘You didn’t bring your friend?’
She shrugged. ‘Why would I? I don’t know who you are to him.’
I had to admit she had a point. After telling her fair enough, I said, ‘I think he might be my twin brother actually.’
Her eyebrows flicked up. ‘Really!’ she said, and a moment later added, ‘You’re not from round here.’
‘I grew up in Australia.’
The waitress came over, pad in hand, and while Jack ordered coffee, Mona watched me, head tipped slightly to the right—Dad would say she was taking my measure—then she picked up her teaspoon and stirred her coffee. It had to be some kind of stalling tactic because there was barely anything left in the cup. I found myself wishing I could read her mind. Eventually she said, ‘So, what makes you think my friend’s your brother?’
Knowing she wouldn’t give me a thing until I’d satisfied whatever was bugging her, I took a deep calming breath and said, ‘The fact you responded to the Facebook page for a start… Is he your boyfriend?’
She shook her head and waved her teaspoon about as she assured me he was only a friend. ‘I’m just looking out for him,’ she continued. ‘ So many creeps out there.’ She shuddered dramatically.
‘I hope you don’t think I’m one of them?’ I felt Jack squeeze my knee under the table.
‘Can’t be too sure,’ Mona said with a chuckle.
‘So, will you tell me his name at least?’ I asked.
She rolled the teaspoon in front of her. ‘More information first.’
I smoothed my eyebrows with a finger and thumb to stop my impatience from showing. ‘Okay, if he is my brother, he has serious health issues—skin problems, chest infections–’ I stopped. Mona was turning an even paler shade of fair. ‘Are you all right?’ I asked.
‘I just have this breathing thing,’ she said, fanning her face with a hand. ‘Go on, I’m good now.’
I swallowed. ‘So the thing is, if this guy is my twin, not only is he adopted but he’s also from another… place.’
She frowned. ‘Another place ?’
Wondering how much to tell I glanced at Jack. He gave me the slightest of nods. I turned back to Mona and said, ‘Look, this is going to be hard to get your head around but the truth is my brother and I were separated at birth and left to be raised… here.’
She put her teaspoon down and held a hand up. ‘Hold up, you just said you were from Australia.’
‘I am,’ I said quickly. ‘I just meant we were left… here to be raised by… humans.’ A rush of heat filled my face.
A short chuckle escaped Mona’s throat. She quickly gathered herself together. ‘As opposed to what— aliens ?’
Not sure what to say next, I turned to Jack again. He was sitting back in the seat, watching her. Without even looking my way, he leaned forward and dropped a hand on the table as he said, ‘There’s no easy way to tell you this, Mona, but your friend’s a faery, you know—a midnight tooth collector, pointy ears, sparkly wings—’
‘Jack,’ I cried as Mona began to snigger.
Jack turned to me. ‘No use beating around the bush, Marla. Show her your wings, or you’ll never even get the guy’s name.’
‘What? No!’ I said as Mona burst out laughing. She sounded like she was choking on a bone.
‘Oh Lord, am I on one of those hidden camera shows? Is this a set up?’ she said when she had her laughter under control. ‘I can’t even figure out why I responded to that dumb Facebook page. I’ve been regretting it ever since.’
Stony faced, Jack said, ‘Show her, Marla. No one will believe her anyway.’
I glanced around the café—everyone had left except for us and the
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