Chapter 3
Mother's Day, 1976
Marie stared at her list.
Decorations, check.
Cards, check.
Gifts from Joel and Betsy, check (thank Grandad for the shopping trip).
Sunday lunch--Uncle Patrick and Aunt Phyllis would be coming over, so check.
Anything else?
The decorations were only taped up, but she hadn't learned the sticking charm yet. Oh, well, Aunt Phyllis can always help with that--
Flowers!
She'd forgotten the flowers!
Marie ran to the phone and dialed.
Phyllis picked up immediately. "Thompson residence, Phyllis speaking."
"The flowers! I forgot about the flowers!"
"Whoa, calm down, Marie. I can help--"
"No, you don't get it! That's Lily's thing! That's always Lily's thing. Since she was a baby, Dad always went with her to get a bouquet. Mum always says she's the sweetest flower of all. She even hit me once when I tried to give Mum some dandelions. Lilly hit me, not Mum. Mum wouldn't hit me. But she might get sad again, like Christmas, and start crying."
"Marie, you're going to have to slow down. I can't understand what you're saying."
"I don't have any flowers. But that was always Lily's thing. Lily gave Mum flowers on Mother's Day and I don't know what to do."
"Calm down."
"But I don't want to make Mum cry."
Phyllis sighed. "It wasn't your fault. She just misses them a lot. But she still loves you. And no matter what you do, she'll know you love her. You've put a lot of work into this, Marie, and I'm so proud of you."
"But the flowers--"
"Let me worry about the flowers, okay?"
"You'll take care of them?"
"I promise. Is there anything else you need help with?"
"No, everything's fine."
"Thank you so much for coming," Gwen said.
"Marie planned most of it," Phyllis answered. "I just helped with the shopping."
"Hey, I chose your gift all by myself!" Joel protested.
Gwen smiled. "I thought so. It's a very cute stuffed hippogriff."
"And I coloured you a picture!" Betsy held it up. "I did it all by myself."
"I love all my gifts very much,"
"There's one more surprise for you," Phyllis said. "But you'll have to come outside to see it."
Joel sprang from his chair and raced to the back door. "I'll beat you to the swing."
Betsy ran after him, slipping through the door before it swung shut.
Marie followed her siblings outside, with the adults coming after them.
"Ouch," Joel skidded to a stop."Something's in the way."
"Sorry." Phyllis pulled out her wand. "Revelio. "
The air rippled like a curtain, revealing a five-foot-tall tree. Tiny pink buds clung to the branches."It's a dwarf peach tree. You should be able to get a small crop out of it this year, as long as the greenhouse charms work. It's basically some lenses concentrating the heat, since peaches usually grow in warmer climates. I might need to tinker with it a bit, but just let me know--"
Gwen cut off Phyllis's explanation with a hug. "Thank you. I've wanted some fruit trees for ages, but gardening's not my strong suit."
"It should bloom in late April or early May, with the fruit in August. At least, that's their normal season." Patrick shrugged. "Who knows what you'll get here."
"Is it okay, Mum? It's not exactly a bouquet." Marie asked.
"No, it's not. But it's still absolutely beautiful. And it will keep on growing for years. Thank you." She leaned over and kissed Marie's forehead. "It's wonderful."