“So, have you decided what you’re going to wear for this wedding?” Enid asked Myrtle as she appeared in the living room.
“Oh, my God,” muttered James as he walked into the living room. He’d just had a shower and fortunately had wrapped a towel round himself. He dashed back and headed for the bedroom.
“Myrtle,” shouted Enid, heading for the kitchen.
“Could you talk to your mother,” said James. “She just appeared in the living room.”
“I’ve told her and better told her,” sighed Myrtle. “At least she’s stopped appearing in the bedroom.”
“That is an improvement, but it would be nice if she would just give us a warning,” James sighed.
“I’ll try,” said Myrtle, heading off towards the living room.
“Myrtle!” smiled Enid. “I was looking for you. Have you decided what you are going to wear for this wedding?”
“I had,” sighed Myrtle. “I went to try it on just now and it wouldn’t fit.”
“Perhaps if you let the seams out a little,” Enid suggested.
“Let them out, there isn’t enough material in the seams to do that, in fact I don’t think there’s enough material in the whole dress,” said Myrtle.
“Yes, well you have put on a bit of weight,” said Enid. “When is it due?”
“In about a month,” said Myrtle.
“Are you sure it’s just the one baby?” asked Enid. “I don’t think I was that big even when you were due.”
“Only one baby showed up on the scan,” said Myrtle.
“I’d be prepared for twins,” said Enid. “I think there are a few in the family.”
“That’s nice to know,” said James, walking in from the bedroom. “They’ve got an emergency on at work, I’ll have to go back,” he said to Myrtle.
“Take care,” said Myrtle. “And remember you have to sleep sometime.”
“I’m in practice for when this little one makes an appearance,” he said patting the bump before he left.
“So he’s planning on taking care of the baby as well,” said Enid.
“This is a partnership of equals,” said Myrtle. “He will help look after baby when he’s here.”
“Just make sure he is here some of the time,” said Enid.
“Of course,” sighed Myrtle.
“It’s just,” Enid started.
“This doesn’t solve the problem of what I am going to wear to the wedding and it’s only a couple of days away,” sighed Myrtle.
“OK,” said Enid. “Do you have any other dresses that might do?”
“None,” sighed Myrtle. “I had a waist when I got them,” she added, pointing to the dresses on her bed.
“A very slim waist at that,” said Enid holding up one of the dresses. “It will be a long time, if ever, before you fit in those again.”
“That isn’t very helpful,” said Myrtle.
“The only thing you can do is get another dress,” said Enid.
“That’s what James said,” Myrtle sighed.
“Something we agree on,” smiled Enid.
“I’m sure there would be more if you tried,” said Myrtle.
“So, lets go to the shops,” said Enid.
“Have you seen what the latest fashion is?” asked Myrtle. “This stuff is baggy in comparison!”
“We could ring round first and see what they have,” suggested Enid as her daughter flopped down on the sofa.
“It isn’t easy carrying this weight around all the time,” sighed Myrtle. “I feel like a beached whale and people look at me funny when I go into shops. Yesterday I got handed a slimming club leaflet.”
“I would have thought it was obvious that you are pregnant,” said Enid, trying to search for maternity wear on her smart phone.
“So many fairies find it easier to get a human to carry their child,” said Myrtle. “There isn’t much call for maternity wear.”
“Perhaps we could get something made for you,” suggested Enid.
“But the wedding is the day after tomorrow!” sobbed Myrtle. “I said I’d be there, now I have nothing decent to wear.”
“Can’t you wear what you normally wear, I’m sure they wont mind,” smiled Enid.
“It’s a bag, they are both bags, in fact a bag would have more shape,” snapped Myrtle looking down at the dress she was wearing. “And even they are getting tight!”
“So clothes are important and not just for this wedding,” said Enid.
“But I wont be wearing them for long,” said Myrtle. “So it would be a waste.”
“You aren’t going to go back to how you looked before as soon as the baby is born,” Enid reminded her. “Get something that makes you feel good and is nice and floaty and you’ll be able to wear it whilst the little one grows a bit.”
“But,” sighed Myrtle.
“It’s a present from me,” Enid insisted, ringing a number that had come up on her phone.
“Hello and how may I help you?” the voice came over on her phone.
“My daughter is pregnant, she is rapidly growing out of all her clothes and we have a wedding to go to in a couple of days,” Enid explained.
“Would your daughter be Myrtle?” the voice asked.
“Yes, how did you guess?” asked Enid.
“I’ve seen her around. I would be delighted to make some clothes for her,” the voice replied. “Could I tell people that I have made them?”
“Why?” asked Enid.
“There are a lot of the fairy’s seeing her as a role model and they are going to need maternity wear,” said the voice. “It would help me start my career as a fashion designer.”
“Can she come here?” Myrtle asked.
“I can be there in half an hour,” said the voice.
“We’ll see you then,” said Enid.
“Who is she?” asked Myrtle when Enid had hung up.
“She is the daughter of a cousin of Maud’s,” said Enid. “She’s still feeling guilty about the mushrooms and Belladonna.”
“She could do guilt for the whole nation,” said Myrtle. “She’s probably feeling more guilty than that lot ever did in the whole of their lives.”
“Yes, well,” said Enid.
“I just wish she would stop apologising for everything, it wasn’t her fault,” said Myrtle. “It just makes it difficult going there, I feel obliged to eat the mushrooms and I’ve been advised against that till after the baby is born.”
“So you don’t go there, but you can’t eat anywhere else in case she hears about it and thinks you are holding a grudge,” said Enid.
“Exactly,” sighed Myrtle. “And I get hungry when I go out, especially when I walk past the cafe.”
“I’ll talk to Maud for you,” Enid suggested.
“I think I aught to do that,” said Myrtle as the door bell rang.
“I’ll get the door,” said Enid.
“Megan!” said Myrtle as she walked into the room.
“I didn’t think you’d remember me,” said Megan.
“You were the best person with a needle and thread at the nursery,” said Myrtle. “You got me out of a lot of trouble with the people there, mending the clothes I’d damaged.”
“Damaged!” said Megan. “Some of the stuff you damaged had to be almost remade.”
“I think the sewing you did was stronger than the original sewing,” Myrtle replied. “It never needed redoing.”
“We need to sort you a dress for this wedding,” said Enid, trying to bring the conversation back on track.
“King Rufus and Princess August?” asked Megan.
“That’s the one,” said Myrtle.
“Two days isn’t much time, perhaps we should look at the dresses you already have and see if we can alter them,” said Megan.
“There are a few in here,” said Myrtle leading the way. “But they are going to take a lot of altering.”
“You know me,” said Megan lifting up the one Myrtle had wanted to wear. “I could put a lot more material into this and you’d never know it wasn’t made that way.”
“Do you need a sewing machine or anything?” asked Enid.
“It’s OK, I have everything I need here,” said Megan, pointing to her bag.
“It doesn’t look very big,” said Enid.
“It’s magic,” smiled Megan. “It’s bigger on the inside than on the outside.”
“Well, we don’t have any time to loose,” said Myrtle.
By Janice Nye © 2021
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