Quig's Apartment that Same Night

*

Quig's warm breath extinguished the twenty-five candles on his large piece of birthday cake. He placed two new candles on Betsy's piece. "Each of my guests should receive one wish, but nobody else can attend, so you get them. Why do I care? My wishes won't come true because my birthday isn't until tomorrow." He lifted his fork toward his mouth, but he didn't eat.

Scents of burning wax, vanilla, and mint filled the air.

"Uncle Quig, they count." Betsy stuck her fork in the frosting.

"I wish Grew-Ella was here." He chewed and swallowed.

"Uncle Quig, do you wish to remove your wings?" She asked. "Mine are tiny, but I like them even if I never fly."

"I might remove one, if medically necessary, or if I needed to flee the kingdom, but not to fit in."

"Uncle Quig, my wings will be awesome."

He dug into the frosting. "Share your wishes, or they won't come true. I wished to have a birthday party, but I doubt that will happen."

"Uncle Quig, I'll wish for something better." She blew the tiny flames out, shoved the piece in her mouth, and chewed. "Mommy is gone. I pretend that she is okay for Daddy."

"Ida is living in the workhouse." He forked the last mouthful of cake, trying not to sob.

"They allow phone calls. Mom isn't coming back! She's either dead or abandoned us. Vex refuses to admit it if anyone escapes. I know what you wished for." Betsy hugged him.

"Time for church." He guided her to the living room.

Murals of wild animals covered his teal walls. Karen's signature looped under a fox wearing a top hat. He opened another door.

They walked to a simple home church altar tucked in a corner of the room.

Once a broken end table, but repainted and plastered with fish stickers. He set scriptures, a painting of Jesus, two electric candles, incense, and a lesson book on top.

After they prayed, Quig moved hiking gear off the couch and left it in a closet.

They ate veggie cheese crisps, watched movies, and played video games.

"Time for bed," Quig said.

She opened the door. "Chase's parents surgically removed his wings when they developed. They feared he'd float away, but you can't fly that high with pixie wings."

"Flying is magical. No matter how far you soar." Quig read a story, then set the book next to his typewriter.

Betsy jumped on the California king-sized bed. "Broken wings are better than no wings," she said, finally understanding.

He left her in the bedroom, blew up an inflatable mattress, and lifted the puffed blue sack into the dining room, but he didn't rest.

After washing in the guest bathroom, he played holographic video games alone in his pajamas, edited his novel, and graded papers on his laptop.

Knocking startled him.

"Quig, our calls to you bounced," Dot said from the hall.

He stumbled to the door and opened it.

Ruby stood behind Grew-Ella and Dot. She didn't speak.

"Why isn't Snake Boy here?" Quig asked.

"He is with Ruby's mom." Dot walked closer to her brother. "Please hide Grew-Ella. Ruby and I are staying with Avery-Joy, but Stanton might look for her there."

"Everyone believes he is harmless," Grew-Ella said.

Quig hugged her. "I'll make room."

Dot smirked, and Quig stuck his tongue out when Grew-Ella wasn't looking.

"Happy birthday." Dot rummaged through her pocket and gave him a small, cloth-wrapped gift.

"I love you too." He opened it, revealing a glow-in-the-dark pen.

Ruby and Dot left.

"Welcome to the Hotel Quig Curie-Lock. I'll provide three-star food and one-star accommodations." He pointed around his apartment. "You can sleep on the cot in the closet. Other options are in the tub, a sleeping bag in the laundry room, or the couch. I'm using the inflatable and sleeping in the kitchen. Betsy is staying over, and the princess has my bedroom."

Grew-Ella stretched her tired muscles. "The couch is fine."

Deafening icy wind whirling, bending evergreen trees, and other sounds of winter could be heard through the walls.

Screams and giggles came from the bedroom. Betsy skipped out of the doorway. Her black hair bounced, and her cheeks spread upward. "Auntie Grew-Ella, you're here. We wished for it. My other wishes will come true. Mom talked to me in a dream. She wants us to be happy."

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Quig asked.

"But Uncle Quig, Grew-Ella needs hugs." Betsy wrapped her arms around Grew-Ella and whispered, so her uncle couldn't hear. "He wished for a birthday party. Uncle Quig is sad that Mommy isn't here."

"I love you too, and I'll take care of everything." Grew-Ella moved Betsy to face the bedroom.

"I'll be a good girl and go to sleep." Betsy rushed toward the bedroom, but she stopped. "Uncle Quig, did you buy enough food for three people? My tummy will be hungry in the morning."

"Yes, I bought actual groceries for the storm, but I also purchased a used 3D food and med printer last week. I ate scrap soup and stale lemon rolls for five months to pay for it, but it'll stretch out my groceries."

Betsy threw herself on the couch and ate a crisp she found between the couch cushions. "The soup was fine, but the rolls were yucky. Are you having a birthday lunch?"

"We'll eat frozen pizza." Quig pointed toward the bathroom.

"My tummy finds that yummy." Betsy entered the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and ran into the bedroom. She attempted to turn on the TV.

"Kids watch TV in the living room."

"Okay, no TV, but Uncle Quig, I demand fourteen kisses on my cheeks from Auntie Grew-Ella. Mommy will give me kisses through her."

Betsy counted each kiss until she fell asleep.

Quig and Grew-Ella snuck into the living room.

"May I borrow one of your suits tomorrow?" Grew-Ella sat down.

"I own a muted green silk suit. None of the moths were killed, especially with how rare they are." He sat as close to her as he could.

Grew-Ella contorted her face and grimaced. "Wasn't that your wedding suit?"

"No, I started wearing the suits as a protest until all women in every status can wear colors they want. I had a fight with my ex because I wore one of them to my wedding, but it's not like she showed, so I burned it."

"The roads are blocked, and Avery-Joy's ex-boyfriend might search for me at my place." She stopped speaking and stared at him.

He tossed an unopened veggie cheese crisp bag at her. "Is it him or Chase you're hiding from?"

"You know I can't stand talking about my ex."

"I need to know. Is your sister still seeing him? She started coming on to me." Quig opened another bag.

"My mom hopes to set you up with her." Grew-Ella's arms wrapped around herself.

"No, Zill makes me uncomfortable. Ask her to stop." He grimaced, and his wings dropped behind him. "I, um... kept a secret. Dean Frog invited me to the last dating meet and greet as his wingman. Well, your sister asked me out, but I told her I wasn't interested, and she had a fit. She's also the one who told Stanton about your fertility issue. It's why he wants you as his mistress."

"Thanks for telling me," Grew-Ella said through her partially clenched teeth.

Quig's eyes widened. He walked over to where she sat, and his stronger wing stretched around her. "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings. Is that why you rejected—"

She interrupted him and grabbed more crisps. "My condition is not genetic from my bio mom. Karen has the same issue. She has been on both sides, being a poor teenager wanting to give her sons the best future and as an adoptive mother. She has unique compassion, and being as kind Mom is my goal."

"You're as kind as her." His wing wrapped around her.

She hugged him back. "When I was a baby, squad members carrying mini-sterility land mines dropped two. Mom's friend's toddler and I were the closest."

His healthy wing shrunk down. "So, is that why Karen didn't have more children?"

"Mom doesn't keep what happened to her secret, but she hasn't told you everything. She miscarried my half-brother. That was the main reason my first mother allowed my mom to adopt me instead of Yoleta. She saw Mom Karen suffering and knew we needed each other. I'm Mom's rainbow baby."

"Grew-Ella, it doesn't matter how I start my family." Quig's voice shook and stammered, and it took him a few minutes for his voice to become almost normal. "Um...talk to me..."

She brushed dusty powdered cheese off her fingers. "Are you alright? You only struggle for words when you're extremely nervous."

He wheezed, and his entire body rocked. "Workhouse prisoners are allowed paid visits and phone calls. Ida can't be alive, and Odin's work is dangerous tonight. If he dies, Betsy will only have me and Nan-Gran. Help me if the worst happens."

Grew-Ella wrapped her wings around him. "You're my best friend. Why wouldn't I help?"

Quig's eyes became furious slits, but his shoulders relaxed. "You skipped town before and won't tell me where you were."

"Yes, and I'm sorry," she said.

They played video games for two hours.

At ten, he dragged the inflatable mattress to the kitchen and shut the door behind him

Grew-Ella woke up, and she looked at the clock near the TV. The light flashed at 5:49 a.m., and she tried to sleep, but she wasn't tired. She tiptoed over Quig, cooking, but the aromas of baking did not wake him.

Grew-Ella silenced the alarm and allowed Quig to sleep in.

He dreamed of his sister, Ida, and her voice sang in his head, mimicking music. "If Yoleta asks you to carry a nuptial bracelet, do what she says. And I'm alive. They didn't find my body."

She told him his bride's name, but Quig didn't remember that part when he woke up.

Grew-Ella arranged homemade party hats on the table with stacks of birthday waffles covered with sparkling flecks of colored sugar, and she removed warm sausage-stuffed cocoon rolls out of the oven.

He sat on the inflatable mattress. "I overslept and Betsy is probably starving."

"She is sleeping in. I sent the assignments via text and taught an online class." Grew-Ella tripped into Quig's arms.

His voice cracked. "Thank you."

She jumped up and rolled up the legs of the suit she had borrowed. "Today is all about you. I'm throwing you a brunch birthday party, and I made you a couple of gifts. Oh, I baked applesauce cake, but it's not finished. My cooking is not as tasty as my father's."

"But it's always delicious," he said.

The doorbell rang.

"Dot, Ruby, Avery-Joy, and others are coming. Avery-Joy has to leave early. She is volunteering in the cafeteria." Grew-Ella rushed to the door, and guards trailed behind the others. Party guests wore pajamas.

"This is the best birthday I've had in years. Grew-Ella, you're the kindest person I know." He grinned at her.

Betsy skipped out of the bedroom. "Grew-Ella, are you two getting married?"

The guests laughed.

Grew-Ella hugged Betsy. "I'm glad you love me, but my sister has a greater chance of marrying Quig than I do."

He sat at the table behind his breakfast plate, picked the sugar off his waffle, and a small sigh slipped through his lips.

Dot walked over to her brother. "It's not you, but I can't explain at the party. We'll talk in a few days because I have a huge decision to make." She smiled at Ruby.

Grew-Ella's face crumpled when she noticed Quig's abject sadness. She spoke to Betsy. "Any woman who marries your uncle is lucky. He is kind, good-looking, and deserves a wife as unique as he is."

Betsy scrunched her nose. "Did you fall on your head? I wished for you to be my aunt, not her."