"Mommy?"
Alexa, my daughter called out to me from the window.
I pause pruning the flowers to glance at her perched on the window with that dreamy expression in her eyes.
I try not to roll my eyes so as not to hurt her feelings. I already know what she's about to say but a smile tugs at my lips regardless.
"Yes darling?" I respond, peeling off the gardening gloves from my hands.
"Do you believe in magic?" Alexa sighs dreamily.
It always began with this question. Here we go again
I shake my head, I can't escape it even if I tried.
I have to listen to the magical journeys only a ten year old is fit to embark on (in my daughter's opinion) as adults aren't allowed.
Journeys that happen usually at night when everyone else is asleep.
At least she's not sleepwalking, no problem there.
"Really? And where is this magic?" I say eagerly. I do really need to get back to pruning my roses.
Alexa turns excited eyes to me and squeals.
I can't resist, I have to laugh too. Even though her stories are made up, she makes me happy.
"It's everywhere. Even right here. But you can't see it because your heart's not open," a thoughtful expression on her face, Alexa chews on her bottom lip and regards me closely.
"It's what she said," she says.
I scoff.
"Who?"
"The magical queen!" Alexa says, "It was amazing meeting her last night and she's very pretty too! I wish you met her!"
All was said in a rush as Alexa jumped up and down on her feet.
My eyebrows rise and fall in a quick move.
Okay, break time's over.
"I'm sure your magic queen is very…magical, Alexa dear but I do need to perform magic on these roses," I smirk at her.
"I'll ask her if I can bring you along next time," Alexa offers.
I laugh.
"Okay baby,"
Is this how all ten year olds are? Or is it just my babygirl?
"Huh?" I stop short in front of the potted roses, a frown creeping on my face.
What just happened to the roses?
Why are they blue?
"What the…" I crouch and move closer to the flower pot trying to get something, anything in particular that could have changed red roses blue in color.
I'm still trying to understand why the roses are suddenly blue like the sky above my head when–
"Psst!" My head jerks in the direction of the sound expecting to find Alexa but instead there's a really beautiful young girl smiling at me and waving from under the oak tree in the middle of the yard.
Is that Alexa's friend?
I get up from my crouch momentarily forgetting the blue roses and walk towards her already mentally sending her home to her parents.
"Come on, she wants to see you," the little girl beckons excitedly.
Why is everyone so excited today?
"Listen–" the rest of my speech hooks in my throat when she opens a door that suddenly materialized in the tree.
Eyes wide, mouth open, I am speechless.
The girl notices and pulls me along by the hand into the doorway and down wooden stairs, strong wooden stairs.
This is really quite big for the inside of a tree and in my thirty two years, I never envisioned being led into a tree.
"I must be dreaming," I shake my head rigorously as we descend the wooden stairs.
She giggles at my statement.
"No you're not. My name's Narnie and I'm Alexa's friend, maybe best friend," Narnie blushes.
"And you live in a tree," it really is just me trying to put two and two together.
"Not a tree," she giggles, "I live in Fey kingdom. In a huge silver palace filled with magic and I have my room and parents and I have a dog and…" she trails off when she notices the expression on my face.
I just realized she mentioned my daughter's name.
Alexa's best friend..
"Alexa comes to play most nights," she says as if reading my mind.
I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out.
This explains the oversleeping.
"And we are here!" There's a big wooden door at the bottom of the stairs. I glance up, it's a long flight of stairs.
Are we still in the oak tree?
Narnie pushes the door open with her hands and my eyes are filled with such beauty that can only be found in paintings and stories only that it's real this time.
"Come on!" Narnie tugs me and hurries me to a very huge silver palace standing proudly on the hill, seen by all wherever they may be in the kingdom.
It's was as if I materialized on another earth because there are people here, humans like me and they're busy carrying about their duties.
Ooh! There's an actual carriage.
I stare in awe at the golden carriage that rumbled past us on the cobblestone road.
"My mother is really excited to meet you," Narnie says as we approach the palace gates which open smoothly without a word to us from the soldiers donned in silver armour holding long silver spears.
The interior of the massive palace is done in silver and it brings to mind, images of Alexa's favorite cartoon FROZEN.
"Mommy! I brought her just as you asked," Narnie skidded to a stop in front of the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life.
Too beautiful, words do no justice.
I can only stare.
"Thank you my love," she hugs her daughter and then stares at me with warm silver eyes.
"My daughter wanted me to meet the mother of her best friend. I hope you don't mind."
I try to speak but end up answering with shakes of my head.
Apparently, I'm still in shock.
"Well then, welcome to Fey Kingdom Alexa's mom. It is a pleasure to have you here and I really hope we get along and become best of friends like our daughters,"
I nod.
"Hmm," I manage.
Yep. Still in shock.
Narnie's mother smiles at me warmly and takes my arm in hers, her silver eyes twinkling.
"Come, I'll show you around," she leads me out of the palace.
Alexa and I are going to have a very long talk when I get back.