Fairy Troubled: A Girl Power Adventure (Part 5)

Mrs. Ridley pulled up at Rayna's house at eight in the morning, after thinking about how and what she was going to tell Rayna. She considered asking questions, like if Elina was there, or if she could see her. Now Mrs. Ridley was more uncertain than the night before about what she should do. Actually she stared doubting if that girl last night was her daughter. Maybe she missed Elina, so when she saw a girl about her age, she thought it was her daughter. Mrs. Ridley's head was spinning with questions and dread, as she grabbed Violet from the car, keeping her in the baby seat. She told her baby, "Let's go see your sister."

            Mrs. Ridley walked to the big, wood doors and was about to knock when she saw a doorbell to the right of the double doors. "Ding, dong!" rang the doorbell. Rayna walked to the door wondering who it could be.

            She opened the door to find the smiling Mrs. Ridley. "Yes?" Rayna courteously asked.

"Rayna, hi. My name is Mrs. Ridley, I am Elina's mom," she said. Rayna's thoughts went to Elina's disappearance the night before.

            "I was just in town, and—if it is okay with you, I would like to visit with Elina," Mrs. Ridley finished.

            "Won't you come in," Rayna said.

            Once inside Rayna continued, “She was a little under the weather last night and turned in early; so, I've let her sleep in this morning. I can check to see if she's awake, but I'm not sure we should wake her."

            "Okay, I will be here. I have a conference to speak at in an hour," Mrs. Ridley said.

            Rayna walked up the winding staircase to Elina's room, and opened the door, waking up a groggy Elina. "Rayna?" she mumbled.

            "I'm glad you're up. Your mother's here. She would like to see you," Rayna said, from the doorway. Elina sat up. "Would you like me to make a reason up for why she won’t be able see you?"

            Elina hesitated, "No, she'll just say she's my mom and come up here."

            "Alright, by the way, I told your mother that you didn't feel well and turned in early, last night." Rayna informed, then headed down to let Mrs. Ridley know Elina would be down soon.

            After a quick pep talk, reminding herself what she had told Rayna when she got back she got out of bed. Slipping on the mandles she used as slippers, Elina left her bedroom, and headed down stairs.

            When Rayna told Mrs. Ridley that Elina would be down in a moment, Mrs. Ridley was relieved "If Elina is here than she could not possibly be the fairy from last night," she thought. Elina walked down the stairs slowly and didn’t grab either side of the elegant staircase’s hand rails. She didn't want emphasize or forget that she only had one good arm. Mrs. Ridley was sitting on the couch.

            "Elina! It is good to see you. I brought Violet," She greeted.

            Elina sat down on the other side of the couch. "Yeah, what are you doing—here—so soon?"

            Pulling Violet out of her baby seat, Mrs. Ridley said, "I am speaking at a book conference in an hour. I figured Violet should see her big sis, before she forgets you." She handed Violet to Elina. Elina set violet on her lap trying to keep as much weight as possible on her right arm; it was difficult because she also had to support Violets head. "What happened to your arm?" worry creased Elina’s mother’s lovely face.

            "It's just a sprain, it happened a few days ago, when I fell off my skateboard," Elina shrugged.

            "Well, as long as you're alright," Mrs. Ridley tried to pretend it was normal. Actually it was common for Elina to hurt herself while skateboarding. She had taken Elina to the doctor after several skateboarding misadventures.

            "Yes, I'm fine, I felt a little sick last night, and went to bed early," Elina said, repeating the story Rayna had told her.

            "Um, that is good—or—too bad. Uh, what I really came to find out was, if it is okay with you, Rayna," Mrs. Ridley changed the topic. Rayna had been standing nearby the whole time the mother and daughter had been talking. "Can you watch Violet for the day, Elina? It would be a good chance for the two of you to spend some time together."

            "It would be beneficial for you to get away, for a day, Elina," Rayna encouraged.

            "Okay, I'll do it," Elina said, "Let me change and grab some stuff." She headed up stairs much quicker than she'd come down.

In her room she changed into basket ball shorts and a t-shirt. She grabbed a hair tie to pull back her hair, but pain shot through her arm, and she couldn't. Midge had just popped back into the room freshly showered and in her clothes for the day. "Midge, can you do me a favor?"

            Being best friends she immediately agreed, "Sure, what is it?"

            "Can you pull my hair back into a high ponytail?"

            "Yeah," Midge said, and got Elina's golden blond layers into a ponytail. "Your wrist must really hurt. I've seen you weather all sorts of injuries."

            "I have to watch my sister today."

            "Violet! Can I go see her?"

            "Uh, sure, she's down stairs." Midge left the room to go see Violet. Elina got off her bed and picked up her backpack off the floor with her right hand.

            Down in the kitchen she grabbed a granola bar out of the pantry. She walked in to the main kitchen area where Anica was eating a bowl of cereal and Beccie was in the fridge getting orange juice, when Elina walked to the banana bunch on the counter across from it. She grabbed a banana with her good hand and held down on the bunch with her wrapped one. She pulled for a second but that made her arm hurt too.

            Beccie noticed and said, "Let me give you a hand with that." Beccie used her hands and in a second it was separated.

            "Weak much," Anica teased, "having the invalid do your dirty work for you."

            "Hey! My arms are probably twice as strong as yours," Beccie retorted.

            "I'm a rock climber. My arms are stronger than you'd think," Anica countered. The two of them are very competitive, but it's all good natured.

"I fell off my skateboard yesterday. My wrist is just sprained," Beccie gave Elina a questioning look, because she could read in Elina's mind that that wasn't true. "Don't tell anyone, please," Elina pleaded with her thoughts. Elina ran from the kitchen to meet her mother in the front room.

            In the front Rayna told her that her mom had already gone to the car. Elina found her mom putting her sister in the car. "I have to be at the convention in thirty minutes; so, I'll give you my room card there are enough wipes and diapers in the diaper bag. I have a bottle of formula made, but the powder is on the mini kitchen area in my hotel room. Use bottled water, not water from the sink. I'll carry your sister up but I need you to get the diaper bag and open the doors at the hotel."