I had to work that evening. I saved the second brownie for right before my shift, but made sure nobody else saw me eat it.

Prue had agreed, after all, that they were good, but said they needed something else. She’d suggested cinnamon, and I figured if I could manage another batch.

If. Brownie mix wasn’t exactly something that only cost a few pennies and I did have other things I needed to spend money on.

I did notice a couple of guys who looked familiar come into the store. One of them nodded to me in a respectful manner, though, and they didn’t cause any trouble, so I was happy to have them stick around.

The truce was holding. I just hoped that fairy wouldn’t show up again, but it was apparently taking some time to think about its next trick. I was contemplating mine, but no immediate ideas came to mind. So, I just endured my shift.

I’d probably be working retail or waiting tables to cover cash most of my life, I figured. I was doing better in school, but not as well as I could. I was still trying to moderate it so people wouldn’t wonder why I’d improved.

Or ask me if I had my memories back. That wasn’t a question I wanted asked. I’d answer with the truth, of course, but I didn’t want people being suspicious that something else was going on.

And then there was Prue. What did she know? Maybe she would have an idea for another prank if the fairy came back. It might not. Retaliation might not have been in its plans.

Then another guy came in. I noticed him immediately because he was simply too big to fit indoors without looking ridiculous. And looked a lot like Thea except for being red haired where she was blonde.

Our eyes met, and I knew this was another person I knew. He came up to the counter and tried to whisper, “There you are.”

I say tried because he was one of those guys with a booming voice, so his whisper was anyone else’s indoor voice. That I could tell immediately. “I’m on shift until 8:30,” I informed him.

“Alright. Then you can make me a meat lovers’ sub.”

I moved to do just that, noticing that the two cultists had their eyes on him too. They knew him as well, but I wasn’t about to go over and ask. So, I made him his sandwich like he was anyone else, some random guy off the street.

Which he wasn’t. And he clearly wanted to talk to me, but it wasn’t that urgent, or he’d have interrupted my shift. Which would be bad. I needed this job. Had to have a job, anyway, or the social workers would disapprove of me and I’d have to get my clothes from Goodwill.

The social workers disapproving of me I didn’t care so much about. They’d do that anyway. He took his sandwich, paid, and headed off to a corner booth (which he took up most of) to eat it. Guy had to be six six at least and built like a pro wrestler.

When I clocked out, he got up and followed me outside.

“Thanks for not, uh, interfering with my work.”

“Do you know where Mr. Otter is?”

“No. I haven’t seen him in a couple of days.” So that was why he was in a good mood. “He pranked you, didn’t he.”

That resulted in a bit of a growl.

“He does that, doesn’t he.”

The redhead let out his breath. “He…yes, yes he does. And he’s going to give me that bracelet back or he’s going to get a better one.”

“Bracelet?”

“My wife’s.”

I nodded. Then, quiet, “Is Thea your daughter?”

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation, and with a certain amount of pride. “You…”

“I don’t remember. It was a lucky guess.”

“You will,” he promised. “I’m going to go find Mr. Otter and push him in the reflecting pool if he doesn’t hand it over.” That threat delivered, he stomped off.

He left me standing in the street trying my best not to laugh. Not that Mr. Otter didn’t deserve being pushed in the water but, well.

Otters swim.