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Tobi bit his lip, looking at the small mannequins and the shiny dresses they wore. He hadn’t done this before – he rarely came to this market, not when San Carlucco had everything he needed, but this was a surprise. He couldn’t risk Peony spotting him and ruining it. She was a clever kid, quietly perceptive as someone who could be anywhere except in your way.
The setting wasn’t just unfamiliar because of the short hike he’d had to take to this unassuming building. He didn’t exclusively make his own clothing, but it still felt like a special occasion to step into a tailor’s shop. After years of subsisting off whatever he, Su-Yeong, and Morgan had been able to scrape together, things that he consciously knew he could comfortably afford still felt like wasteful luxuries. Still, this was a special occasion. A treat that would normally be above and beyond what he normally would purchase, he felt, was completely warranted.
“Can I help you, young man?”
Tobi started, not having heard the footsteps of the shopkeeper. She chuckled, not unkindly, but Tobi’s face still heated up sheepishly.
“Uh, I’m looking for… a dress,” he began, feeling somewhat stupid. “For my little sister, I mean!” That was close enough to the truth, he felt. It had made sense for the scientist’s wife to ask if Peony was his child, but he wasn’t even twice her age. He definitely wasn’t ready to be a dad, but he was more than happy to serve as a big brother, even when Peony grew old enough to look after herself.
“All right,” said the dressmaker with a smile. “I can show you what I’ve got… I don’t imagine you brought her with you today, did you?”
Tobi shook his head.
“No, ma’am. Her birthday’s coming up, and—”
“Oh, you’re surprising her? How sweet!”
She turned around, leading Tobi through her shop. The fuzzy white moth perched in her black hair fidgeted its front feet, adjusting something Tobi couldn’t see, and Tobi began to relax. This woman was friendly, treating him like any professional would treat any customer. Maybe he could shake the feeling of being out of place in this warm little shop.
“What’s her color?”
Tobi’s stomach sank.
“Pink,” he replied automatically, because it seemed to be her favorite, but he wasn’t relaxed anymore. It wasn’t as though she was interrogating him or anything, but that made it all the worse. He glanced self-consciously at Tater, who was curiously sniffing the air. Lucky little guy. He didn’t understand anything about magic or money or all the colorful beautiful people who’d ignored Tobi his whole life.
The shopkeeper didn’t seem to notice Tobi’s discomfort.
“Oh, that’s lovely. Pink like morganite, pink like rhodonite, pink like spinel…?” As she spoke, she waved her hand, throwing up sparkling little lights illustrating what she meant.
“The second one. Soft pink, like an allium or peony.”
She chuckled again. They were standing by shelves of pink fabric, and she stopped, turning to face Tobi.
“Do you keep flowers?”
“Uh, yeah!”
“That’s very nice,” she cooed. “So, was there anything you’ve seen so far that you liked? I have some other examples of my work, if you’re looking for something else.”
“I’m not actually so sure of what I’m looking for, to be honest. Never had much of an eye for style.”
The shopkeeper laughed, bending over to open a drawer.
“That’s all right, dear. That means I can expect you to be more reasonable about time and price constraints!”
“Oh.”
She turned around, holding a booklet.
“Does that mean her birthday’s tomorrow, or does that mean you’re on a tight budget? Because let me tell you, I can work with the latter much more easily than the former.”
“Oh, no, her birthday’s in a week and a half. I, uh…”
“Don’t worry about it, darling. Tell me how much you’d like to spend, first, and I’ll be sure to tell you what I have that fits.”
He hesitantly named a figure, and she smiled at him.
“It’s all right. I can tell you haven’t done this before, but you’ve got more than enough for something I think you’ll be satisfied with. Let’s get started!”
Nearly an hour later, they had decided on something that the shopkeeper assured Tobi looked a lot less simple to put together than it really was. He’d expected her to be frustrated with him when he didn’t have all of Peony’s measurements, but she’d waved off his worries. His air gestures and estimates of her general size (he knew her height, for one) were apparently enough for a fast-growing child anyway.
“Just bring her in after her birthday, and I can adjust whatever needs to be adjusted,” she chattered as Tobi paid for the first half of the total price. “I should be finished by Friday, but I can keep it in the shop if you think she might find it before she’s supposed to.”
“Uh, I don’t think that’ll be a concern. See you on Friday, then…”
He let out a sigh as the shop door shut behind him. He felt vaguely unfair for being nervous – the shopkeeper had been quite nice, and she certainly hadn’t said or done anything that made him uncomfortable. But it was the way that he always felt when dealing with magicians who didn’t know anything about him, who only gave him the time of day because they didn’t realize Tater was a wholly unmagical rat.
Well, his next stop was a bookshop. He decided he’d taken enough of a moment outside this nice dressmaker’s shop and set out on his way. At least at the bookshop he wouldn’t have to spend too long talking with anyone. He remembered that the Karims sold books as well as baked goods and wondered what Su-Yeong was up to.
When Tobi left for work on Peony’s birthday, she was still in bed. He let her sleep, smiling fondly at her, and left a note.
Happy birthday Peony! I’m working early today, so I’ll be home around four. There’s leftover pasta in the fridge that you can have for breakfast or lunch. We’ve got a special surprise for you tonight. I love you!
He signed it, as always, with his name and a smiley face. Without thinking about it, he grinned back at the little inky face, then set the note on the dresser.
The walk to work was nicer than it had been in a while. Even knowing that Su-Yeong was safe and sound, he couldn’t not resent Philomena and her dad for what had happened. It was worse knowing that he couldn’t say anything, couldn’t let the Vasillias know how much it hurt, lest he be out of a job too. It wouldn’t be as devastating as it would have been if he’d gotten fired before Su-Yeong got her new job, but it would mean, on some level, that Philomena had gotten away with it – that nobody who blamed her would still be around.
But today was Peony’s day, and that meant he could think about the soft ruffled pink dress neatly folded in a box on the top shelf of his closet, or about the books he’d brought home, or about the special dinner he and Su-Yeong had been planning for the last few weeks. That alone would be enough to put a spring in his step – he’d love to visit the bakery at every available opportunity, but Su-Yeong had said it’d be suspicious if he seemed to practically move in with the Karims overnight.
She had a point, but that didn’t mean he was any less lonely at work. The most he could really say was that he was relieved to know where she was. The three weeks of worrying had been awful, and this was certainly an improvement, but that was all it was. It hadn’t gotten better on top of the relief from finding her and taking her back to town.
Tobi wasn’t sure it would get better from there, if he was being honest with himself. From the way Isra had been talking, it was impossible to undo the process of turning into a husk. No matter how hard she worked, Su-Yeong would never be back to normal… well, he supposed he shouldn’t think of it that way. Su being a husk was the new normal, just like Joe and Dr. Malliet had redefined normality for him and Su-Yeong those few years ago.
And Morgan, he thought, unhelpfully. He’s not exactly better off now. Tobi tried to redirect his thoughts, but they were stubbornly pessimistic. Even if Su-Yeong managed to perfect her self-control, that wouldn’t mean anything if the wrong person found out about her. It’d only take someone catching her from the side, or her glasses getting knocked off, or some other hole in the disguise that nobody could foresee.
A smattering of pink flowers in someone’s yard caught his eye, and he reminded himself why he was taking an earlier shift in the first place. His worries relented, and he comforted himself with thoughts of the look on Peony’s face when he told her they’d be visiting Su-Yeong tonight. Before too long, he was at the Vasillia front door. It was simple enough, after that, to focus on his job.
“See you tomorrow, Mr. Vasillia!”
It said a lot about Tobi’s good mood that he had been in high spirits for the last few hours, even when talking to the Vasillias. As the hours had ticked closer to reaping the results of their hard work, his mind kept wandering, kept anticipating. Su-Yeong had insisted on surprising even him – he knew she was baking something special, but she hadn’t told him anything more.
He arrived home, unsurprised when he found that it was empty. Peony usually returned at around sundown, anyway. He was glad she had so many friends… well, at least compared to his social circle, growing up. He didn’t regret the circumstances that led to him and Su-Yeong becoming so close, necessarily. Not to the degree that he’d trade away his relationship with her for a more comfortable childhood, at any rate. But it was nice to see Peony have what he hadn’t.
Tobi hummed to himself as he got Peony’s presents out. He didn’t have particularly nice paper to wrap them in, but he could wrap the packages up tidily with colorful paper and tie them all together with shiny ribbons. He stacked them on the table: the paperboard box with the dress, the fantasy novel, the commonplace book and pen. As an afterthought, he went and got some flowers from his windowsill to use as a centerpiece.
Now he could work on dinner. As he washed and sliced potatoes, his mind wandered, again, to what Su-Yeong was preparing for later. Would it be a cake? A pie? A pile of muffins? At least they’d all be able to share it together, when he took Peony to the Karims’. He made a mental note to save a portion of the meal he was cooking for her, since she wouldn’t be able to visit them at home.
He kept glancing to the clock and window as he cooked. He wondered what the kids were up to today… maybe the others had gotten something together as well. That was a charming mental image, and he chuckled quietly, gently shooing Tater away from the cutting board as he chopped off the ends of green beans. They were good kids, and given how much they looked up to him, he was determined to do right by them.
He was just spreading a mix of garlic and other herbs and spices over a layer of potatoes frying on the stovetop when he heard the kids’ voices through the window. With a laugh, he covered the dish and turned the heat down as low as it would go, then went to open his door.
“Hey, kids!” he called, leaning forward with a wave. Sure enough, all five of them were babbling excitedly about their day. Hanzi, the tall one, looked up and waved back, and within seconds, they all ran to his steps. Tobi descended the staircase, giving each of them a high-five.
“Hi Tobi!” said Martha, the twin whose hair covered her eyes.
“Hey there. What’s up?”
“We went to the beach!” That was Rascal, the kid with the messiest hair Tobi had ever seen. “We forgot to bring extra clothes, though, so we just rolled up our pants and waded. I found a sand dollar!”
“Neat! Hey, Peony, happy birthday!”
Peony, standing behind the rest of the kids with a nervous smile, went still. Her eyes widened as her four friends turned to look at her.
Billy was the first to speak up: “It’s your birthday?”
“Aw, why didn’t you tell us?”
“Yeah, I coulda gotten you something!”
“You can have my sand dollar…”
Peony shook her head, pushing Rascal’s offered gift away.
“No, keep it. You found it.”
“Well, I’m gonna get you something tomorrow, and you gotta keep it.”
“Uh, okay…”
“Hey, now, that’s enough,” said Tobi, even though he was as confused as the kids were. In hindsight, it was suddenly interesting that Peony hadn’t mentioned her upcoming birthday at all… Tobi only knew because he had asked her a few months ago. She’d been quiet when she told him the date, but he’d attributed that to her being a generally quiet kid.
The other kids looked up at him sheepishly.
“Sorry, Peony,” the group mumbled.
“It’s okay,” she said, though she still seemed to be unhappy with having been put on the spot. Tobi held out his hand, and she took it, standing next to him nervously.
“Well, I’ve been making some tapas upstairs. If you wanna have a little picnic with Peony and me, come back here in about half an hour.”
“Okay!”
The four remaining kids rushed off, and Tobi looked down at Peony. She didn’t seem particularly upset, but she did seem concerned. He squeezed her hand, smiling gently, and she looked up.
“C’mon, let’s get upstairs. Sorry about putting you on the spot, Pea.”
She walked with him up the stairs. He opened the door, and she let go of his hand to hurry inside.
“It’s okay,” she repeated, but this time she sounded more okay. “I didn’t think you remembered, until I saw your note…”
“Aw, really? I always try to remember everyone’s birthday.”
She sat on a stool, swinging her legs. She didn’t seem to have a response to that, so he let her be.
“I got you some presents, and I’m gonna finish up on dinner. Do you wanna look at them now, or wait until I’m done?”
“Uh… I can wait. Was that the surprise?”
Tobi laughed, opening the oven door to slide in a tray of pine nuts to roast. Once he was done, he stood up and checked the potatoes, stirring them before covering them again.
“No, the surprise is even better. I can tell you after dinner.”
Peony hummed, looking at the floor. Tobi watched her for a second, then started to mix the roasted pine nuts with the green beans and the apple cider vinegar.
“So, did you have a nice day?”
Peony nodded. After Tobi’s prompt, she began to excitedly describe the jaunt to the beach in more detail. Apparently Hanzi had nearly fallen into the water while climbing on rocks, and Peony had become enthralled by small crabs burrowing in the sand. Tobi listened to all this with interest, scooping a small portion of the first completed tapa into a container to take to Su-Yeong.
He checked on the potatoes again. They were starting to turn golden brown, so he turned to look at Peony.
“Hey, Pea, wanna help me out?”
“Sure!”
She hopped off her stool and went to wash her hands with more alacrity than Tobi had seen all evening, and he smiled indulgently at her. If only Su-Yeong were still here to see this. While she dried her hands off, he retrieved some eggs from the fridge. He set half of them on the counter in front of Peony, then removed the lid from the potatoes.
“We’re gonna crack these eggs into the potatoes, okay? I’ll show you how to do it neatly.”
Peony watched him intently as he demonstrated how to crack an egg, then pour its contents into the sizzling potatoes. She seemed a little hesitant to put her hands near the hot stove, but she managed the task well enough. Tobi beamed at her once they were done.
“Good job, Pea. Thanks for your help!”
“Should I do anything else?”
“Hm… if we’re gonna be having a picnic with your friends, do you wanna grab some plates to take outside?”
“Okay!”
As Peony collected the dishes, Tobi kept an eye on the eggs. Before too long, the whites were actually white, and he gently broke the yolks. He took the dish off the stove, setting it on a trivet.
“All right, Peony, I think your friends will be here in a few minutes. Do you wanna look at your presents now?”
Peony hesitated for a moment, looking away from Tobi. He pursed his lips together, concerned, and was about to ask if she was all right when she answered.
“Yeah.”
“Okay! You probably saw them on the table when you came in.”
She nodded, then picked up the packages.
“Books?” she asked, experimentally lifting the two heavier ones.
“Why don’t you open them and see?” teased Tobi.
“Okay,” she muttered, then pulled out a chair and started meticulously undoing the wrapping. The first book she unwrapped was the commonplace book and its pen, which she quietly thanked Tobi for. The next was the fantasy, and she smiled. Finally, she opened the box that contained the dress, and Tobi heard her gasp.
“Oh, how much did this cost?”
Tobi shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s a present.”
She frowned.
“But it’s so nice…”
Tobi laughed.
“I know, Pea. I got it because it was nice.”
She ran her hand over the fabric.
“It’s really soft… thank you, Tobi.”
Leaving the box open, she stood up and hugged Tobi. He hugged her back.
“You don’t have to try it on right now, but once you’re ready, show me so we can make sure it fits, okay? Now, let’s bring the picnic stuff downstairs, and we can have dinner with your friends.”
As Tobi expected, the kids came back for dinner. Once they started eating, Tobi was sure to set aside a portion of the huevos estrellados for Su-Yeong. He didn’t say much, letting the kids steer the conversation, but he paid close attention to Peony. She seemed subdued at first, but as the meal went on, her mood brightened. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he didn’t want to ruin the mood. He decided he’d ask later. Maybe tomorrow.
Soon enough, the sun set. The kids finished up eating and, thanking Tobi, headed off to the places they stayed at night. After only a couple minutes, only Peony and Tobi stood under a street lamp, holding the dishes.
“All right, let’s get this into the sink and then I can show you the surprise.”
“Oh! Okay.”
Once they had taken care of the dishes, Tobi got out the containers with the extra tapas. As he went to grab his jacket, Peony watched him intently.
“Are you keeping it in the closet?”
Tobi laughed.
“No, but good thinking. We’re going to visit someone tonight.”
Peony gasped, jumping up and down.
“We’re gonna visit Susu!” she squealed.
Tobi laughed.
“That’s right! C’mon, here’s your jacket.”
“Oh my gosh, it’s been forever! I wonder how she’s doing? Is she doing good? She’s staying with the science ladies still, right? I wonder if she got a haircut…”
She chattered on excitedly as she put on her jacket, and Tobi made his way to the door.
“Remember, we’ve gotta be quiet on the way there.”
Peony nodded.
“Yeah, ‘cause she’s a secret. She told me the last time we visited.”
Tobi opened the door, and neither of them said anything on the short walk to the bakery. It was closed, but Tobi knocked anyway. They waited, looking around nervously, until Isra opened the door.
“Oh! Tobi! I was wondering when we’d see you… honey, Tobi’s here!”
She let them in, and Tobi looked around at the bakery. Everything seemed so different, with the bread put away and the lights off. As Isra let them behind the counter, Tobi saw Neith on the other side of the doorway.
“Evening, Tobi. Peony,” she said, nodding to them both.
“Hi, Miss Neith,” said Peony shyly. “Where’s…?”
“Su-Yeong’s in the other room,” said Isra. “She’s been excited to see you! Why don’t you come in?”
“Okay!”
Peony rushed forward, Tobi following behind her. Neith and Isra stood together, watching them.
“We’ll let you have your space. Come get us if you need anything.”
“Oh, sure. Thanks,” said Tobi.
“Susu!” called Peony. “Tobi and me are here!”
“Peony?”
The sound of Su-Yeong’s voice made Tobi smile. He could feel his heart catch warmly in his chest. He grinned, knowing full well how dopey he probably looked. When she stepped into view, still wearing an apron and with flour on her face, he tilted his head to the side. It was just warm to watch her grin at Peony, to see her pick the eleven-year-old up, to hear Peony tell her about her day as she nodded along.
Su-Yeong set Peony down and turned to Tobi, holding her arms out. He laughed, feeling his face heat up, and set the food down on the nearest table before pulling her into a hug. He sighed happily as she leaned her head onto his shoulders.
“Hey, Tobi,” she breathed. She was so warm and soft and she smelled like vanilla. He wanted to stand there holding her forever.
“I love you,” he murmured, running his hands through her long, shaggy hair. That was one nice thing about her condition, he thought. He wanted to play with it, to plait it into braids and unravel it and brush it until it was smooth and braid it all over again.
She laughed.
“Aw, sounds like someone missed me. C’mon, I wanna show you guys what I made!” She pulled away from the hug, then grabbed his hand to lead him into the kitchen. He followed, still grinning at her. Peony rushed in ahead, any anxieties forgotten.
On the table sat a single cake coated in smooth white buttercream frosting. The top was ringed with piped pale pink flowers and filled in with an assortment of berries, from strawberries to blueberries to raspberries to blackberries.
“Ta-da!” said Su-Yeong, gesturing with open hands. “I made it myself! And decorated it, too. The flowers are supposed to be peonies, but I think icing flowers always look kinda like roses no matter what you do.”
Peony hugged Su-Yeong again.
“It looks really good! Can we eat it now?”
“Of course, Pea! I made it for you, silly!”
Tobi pulled some chairs up to the table as Su-Yeong fetched plates and forks to eat with. She handed them to Peony, who eagerly set the table, then started rummaging around for a knife. Once she had one, she joined Tobi and Peony in sitting around the table. With a sigh, Su-Yeong took off her tinted glasses and rubbed her temples.
“Wow, I feel like I’ve been on my feet for ages.”
“Aw, Su…”
“I’m fine, Tobi, just kinda tired. Anyway, happy birthday, Pea!”
She hummed a single note, then started singing a short birthday song. Tobi joined in. Peony smiled at them, looking like she was about to cry. Tobi couldn’t blame her – it had been a while since he’d felt so comfortable. He might tear up a little, too.
Once they finished, Peony looked down at her plate. Tobi and Su-Yeong shared a look. Should he say something? Su-Yeong grimaced, glancing nervously at Peony, and started to cut into the cake. She set the first slice onto the plate in front of Peony.
“Here you go, sweetpea.”
“Th-thanks, Susu…”
And that was all she was able to get out before she burst into tears. Both Tobi and Su-Yeong immediately stood up, Su-Yeong setting down the knife she’d been using to cut Tobi’s piece.
“Oh, Pea, my Pea, what’s wrong?”
“I’m – I’m fine–“
But she couldn’t stop crying, no matter how much she tried to wipe her tears away. Su-Yeong knelt next to Peony’s chair, resting one hand on her knee and the other on her shoulder. Tobi stood on Peony’s other side, gently rubbing her back. He felt his own eyes prickling and said nothing, not trusting his own voice to hold steady.
Eventually, Peony’s sobs started to grow less regular. They subsisted entirely before long, and Tobi patted her back. He looked up at Su-Yeong, unsure of what to say, but Peony spoke first.
“Sorry for ruining the visit…”
“Oh, no, Pea, you didn’t ruin anything,” said Su-Yeong immediately. “Did something happen? Is there anything we can do?”
Peony shook her head.
“Nothing – nothing happened. I just…”
She bit her lip, looking down at her plate again with a conflicted expression. The two teens waited patiently, not wanting to accidentally provoke her into another fit of tears. Or into silence. Peony fidgeted with her hands, then finally took in a shaky breath.
“I just don’t like my birthday very much.”
Her voice sounded almost flat, just like her expression, but there was something under the surface Tobi couldn’t place. He was sure there was something else she wasn’t telling them, but after several seconds passed with her expression still blank, he understood she wasn’t going to elaborate. He decided to break the silence.
“Oh, Pea, I’m sorry about that! Thank you for telling us. Is… is it the day? We can pick another day, or celebrate the day you started staying with us?”
“Um…”
Peony was still looking down, twisting her skirt in her hands. Su-Yeong spoke up.
“Hey, Pea, it’s okay. I don’t even know my birthday! I just picked a day that I liked, and that works good enough for anyone.”
Peony looked up at Su-Yeong and nodded.
“That’s nice… I think any day would make me sad, though. I like Tobi’s idea best. We can have a party of you being my family…”
Her voice hitched again, but she didn’t start crying.
“Then that’s what we can do,” said Tobi. “I’m sorry I put you on the spot in front of your friends, and that I didn’t tell you I was planning to do something.”
Peony shook her head.
“You didn’t know. Most people like their birthdays, and you were just being nice.”
“All right, Pea. Do you wanna finish your cake here, or pack some up to have tomorrow?”
Peony thought for a moment.
“I wanna share it with you guys,” she said firmly. “And then take the leftovers home.”
Tobi and Su-Yeong both laughed, then Su-Yeong stood up.
“Okay,” she said. “Cake that I made because I love you is just as good as birthday cake.”
She served a slice for Tobi, then for herself. They might have been sitting in an unfamiliar kitchen, and Su-Yeong might still be a secret, but Tobi felt more safe and at home than he had in a long time.